HOW TO USE RFTA’S SMS TEXT SCHEDULES
You can receive estimated arrival times by text message with RFTA SMS Text Schedules. You can get information online in advance of your trip or find information on how to text at any posted bus stop!
GETTING INFORMATION IN ADVANCE:
IT’S EASY AS 1-2-3:
- Find your bus stop ID by either using our RFTA System Map or the MyRFTA Bus Tracker website
- Text rfta [stopID] to 41411
Be sure to text the word “rfta”, a space, and then the
actual stop ID number, such as “rfta 96” (without quotes). - Receive estimated arrival times.
GETTING INFORMATION IN ADVANCE:
Information about how to text for estimated arrival times will soon be appearing at all posted RFTA bus stops. Simply read the bus stop sign for instructions:
EXAMPLE:
Here’s how the text message you send might look if you were going to catch a Local Valley bus at the West Glenwood Park & Ride (stop ID 96).
TRY IT!
Send rfta 96 to 41411, like this:
AND…
AFTER YOUR MESSAGE IS RECEIVED, YOU’LL GET A MESSAGE LIKE THIS:
This example response says that, as of 2:45 PM, at stop 96 (West Glenwood Park & Ride), the Local bus TO Aspen is due to arrive in about 22 minutes.
ADDITIONAL COMMANDS
You can also reply to this message with “S” to get any service bulletins that may affect your trip (customer alerts), or “R” to refresh the latest, most updated result for the same stop.
If your stop has multiple routes serving it, your results may not fit in one text message. In that case, you can also reply with “N” to see the next result for the stop you requested
If you have subscribed to receive text messages for service alerts or arrivals at scheduled times from the MyRFTA Bus Tracker website, you can always reply with (or send a new text with) “STOP” to unsubscribe.
(Remember: Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mobile carrier first.)
OTHER WAYS TO FIND BUS STOP IDS
In addition to looking at the instructions posted on the RFTA bus stop signs, there are two other ways to find bus stop IDs:
OTHER WAYS TO FIND BUS STOP IDS
RFTA’s SMS Text Schedules will allow the rider to know the estimated arrival times of their buses and to communicate to our riders about any ongoing travel alerts that the bus or specific route is experiencing. Accidents can occur slowing down traffic and sometimes closing down highways, in many areas RFTA can only move as traffic does, with the SMS texting we can communicate with our riders about bus delays and offer a more accurate bus arrival times.
The RFTA SMS Text Schedules puts riders in control. Even when you know what the schedule is, there are a number of reasons that vehicles may not arrive when expected. Heavy traffic, breakdowns, and other unforeseen problems can delay or completely interrupt service. By using RFTA SMS Text Schedules to determine when the next vehicle is going to arrive, you can minimize time spent waiting for a bus. Specifically, you can determine exactly when to leave home or the office in order to meet the bus.
Each RFTA bus stop has a unique stop number identifier. This stop number allows RFTA to pinpoint where the bus will be along the specified route. You can find bus stop id’s posted at each bus stop or these two tools:
Yes. RFTA provides real time schedules for bus service, when available.
Customer service representatives are available to assist you during RFTA operating hours at (970) 925-8484. You may also want to check out our Rider Tools webpage for more ways to find bus information.
The SMS Text service works with most cell phone providers through a short code (41411). However, some providers don’t allow texting to a short code or you may have texting to short codes blocked on your cell phone plan to prevent services which charge for texting.