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1 | Competitive Analysis | Compare the usability and accessibility of each application | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | General information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Interaction | Visual design | Content | Additional notes | |||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Competitor type (direct or indirect) | Location(s) | Product offering | Competitive Advantage | Website (URL) | Population Servs | Target audience | Strengths and Weaknesses | App or mobile website experience | Features | Accessibility | User flow | Navigation | Brand identity | Tone | Descriptiveness | |||||||||||
5 | MBTA | Direct | Massachusetts | View schedules for commuter rail, subway, bus, ferry, and the RIDE (service for people with disabilities who can't use the subway or bus), plan trips, and get alerts | This website allows people to view schedules, plan their trip, pay their fares, and set up alerts from the same place | Www.mbta.com | State of MA | Commuters/travelers in Massachusetts | Strengths: It's really organized. Each section is broken up by category (type of transit, which line or bus, functionality, etc.). The design is really clean and aesthetic. Weaknesses: there's a lot of information on each page. The mobile version of the site is more suited for desktop. | The homepage is very mobile-friendly. There are chips that indicate what to click. Each section is defined by groupings and spacings that make logical sense. The information hierarchy is clear. However, when viewing lines or planning a trip there is a lot of information which leads to a lot of scrolling | This website has really helpful features that I haven't found in a mobile app for MA. In this app you can: view schedules for commuter rail, subway, bus, ferry, and the RIDE. You can also plan your trip and get suggestions and view all alerts. | In terms of accessibility, this site does a really good job. The font is straightforward and clear. There is a lot of contrast between the content and backgrounds. The site also points out accessibility considerations for travel which is very helpful. | The user flow is clear. You can either begin at schedules, trip planner, or alerts. Under each tab it is clear where to start and how to proceed. | The homepage has a header with the different options available. In addition, there is a separate menu on the side and a search bar on the right to find what you're looking for. | The site has a clear visual identity. It remains consistent with the same blue color. The buttons and other clickable items are also consistent. All of the icons are cohesive and look like they go together. | Friendly straightforward tone. Clear, recognizable words to denote categories and functionality | There are icon keys throughout the site to clearly define and describe what everything means | ||||||||||
6 | SEPTA | Direct | South East PA | Navigate transit system, plan your trip with in-app navigation, save favorites (trips, routes, stations), view schedules, view rider safety/customer service | View schedules (bus, metro, regional rail), view multiple routes on map, buy tickets, access help, and set up an account. The map that allows you to view multiple routes at the same time is unique and helpful | SEPTA app | Pensylvania | Commuters/travelers in PA | Strengths: Design is clean and straightforward. The dark theme is visually pleasing. There is a clear menu at the bottom to find what you're looking for. The information architecture is clear. Things are grouped together/sectioned off in ways that make it easy to navigate. Weaknesses: there is a lot of scrolling in some places and there is no search bar | The experience is positive and makes good use of the space for a mobile device. The only issue is that there is a lot of info on some pages which leads to scrolling | Main features: view schedules, save favorites, buy tickets, get help, view account info | Bright colors, nice contrast, recognizable icons | User flow is straightforward. It is clear where to start and where to end user flows. | Bottom menu leads to clear navigation. | Clear brand identity. Nice logo. Dark theme that carries throughout the app. Recognizable icons that match what people would expect. High contrast throughout the app. | Staightforward, professional tone. | Very descriptive in accessibility info, Station info, alerts, and help/customer service | ||||||||||
7 | MTA | direct | New York City | Product offers: Options to explore different routes and specific by: subway, bus, rail or all Use the map functionality to put start/end date Plan trips Add trips to your favorites Check status, delays and planned transport by: subway, bus, rail or check outages See planned service changes Access-A-Ride sign in View maps Customization options Help Tips | AAR accessibility also able to see accessible stations by map, Ability to customise or filter by specific options ( bus, rail, etc.) ,Real time updates of delays and services. | https://new.mta.info/ ( focusing on mobile application rather than website). | The MTA transit system serves a population of approximately 15.3 million people across NYC metropolitan area, som parts of Long Island, southeastern New York State and Connecticut. | People living in NYC or looking for options to travel to NYC | Strengths Able to also see trains outside of NYC Maps are easily accessible and offer a variety of subway, railroad and bus maps Has something allied smart favorites where it automatically saves places you visit, gives trip suggestions and smart alerts. Can plan trips and gives multiple filter options based on what type of transportation you want Status of routes In depth view of train outbound, inbound, elevator and escalator status. Weaknesses Downside of maps: they are confusing and often hard to read Not able to purchase tickets all in one place - have to download a separate app. I feel like there is an assumption that this is for people who know new york and travel there often and can understand the different subway names and has some familiarity. You are not able to start an actual trip-would be nice if it gave you directions while you were on the bus/train and could tell you- you were going in the right direction. Subway is confusing- doesn't always offer explanation of names ( just numbers and letters). On the status section- the subway statuses are confusing and I feel like could be better with more communication rather than just letters and numbers. Not super clear that you can click on numbers and it gives a more in depth overview of the actual delays ( if one). | Desktop website experience: Confused- not very organized, seems like there needs to me more to it- not super clear style. The app is a lot better. Why are service status automatically open for subway? That is also confusing. In the app ‘plan a trip’ is the first thing you see- why is it different here? I clicked on ‘plan my trip’ and nothing happened, no affordance to the user. Top menu has fares and tolls sections ( different than mobile app) Also don't see accessibility feature up front like it is on the mobile app. App or mobile website experience: Seems like a clean design, minimal text and straight forward actions. From the start the actions and flow looked easy to follow. More intuitive then the website. Buttons at the bottom where clear. Would have expected there to be option on how to purchase tickets. | The features on this app are straight forward and easy to follow along: Explore View maps Explore by transportation type Plan Trip See different ways to get to your destination Status See delays and schedule AAR ( accessibility) Smart favorites- a new beta feature that helps automatically save favorite stops Notifications | Offers accessibility features and maps for accessible trains. Can sign in to Access-A-Ride. Has different display options that the user can choice from. | The user flow on the app is straight forward,,a user can search on the map or type in a specific location to explore stops and information on that specific transportation. They can add or edit information and plan a trip, view maps and statuses. The flow is meant to help assist users with information in their planning process of their trip. | Navigation of the site for the app is primarily through the bottom navigation of the screen. There is also a ‘More’ section where there is further navigation and options for the user to chose from. On the website there is a hamburger slide out menu with options and the primary navigation lives on the top of the screen. | On the mobile app more clear brand identity - white, gray and blue. Straight forward neutral design. | The tone of the app is very minimal and straight forward, to the point. It is more matter of fact and informational tone throughout the whole site. | Upon a deeper dive into the app, there is descriptive text available but it is not super accessible to find. Most the site is minimal text and description. | What if could connect tickets here? Or if there was a home page ? Explore and plan a trip seem similar to me, what is the actual difference?- a guess explore is just exploring one station or buss or rail? | |||||||||
8 | Citymapper | indirect | New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, Miami, Atlanta, and many more across the globe- including Europe, Canada, Asia, etc. | Product offers assistance in offering ways for people to use public transportation to get from one place to another. Offers ways to help you through the whole process of your journey offering unique features. | Competitive advantage of this site is that is a large amount of options and variety on how to get places and it also offers a price breakdown, total time, and also the amount of average calories it would take to walk or bike from your desired location. Additionally the app can be used for multiple cities and also works in some countries outside the United States. Also over time it tracks the calories you have lost, the CO2 you saved, and the time spent traveling you have saved. Furthermore when starting a trip, the app offers step by step assistance and can activate smart alerts that lets the user know things like if their train is 4 mins away or to get off at the next stop. | https://citymapper.com/?lang=en (focusing on mobile application rather than website). | City Mapper serves a population of over 50 million users across various cities worldwide. | People looking for the most convenient ways to travel and compare between different transportation methods. | Strengths: Flexibility to change city. Notifications. Can change app icon. Don’t need to have an account to use it. Shows the user an issues might going on. Additionally shows the time spent traveling in a Uber or Lyft would take. Can share your trip with other people. Gives step by step instructions for walking and will follow you along with your trip with smart notifications. Offers unique options like ‘step free’ accessible filters, options for walking less, a mix of transportation mentions, turbo and price. Weaknesses: On the app, ‘App Settings’ was not very accessible to find and it blended in with the map, I didn’t know it was there at first. Has ads, and it cost $1.49 a month to remove them. Not able to purchase any tickets. It shows current issues but not clean that that also encompasses delays and skipping stations, users are also not able to filter by issue but can search by station. Wish they had an accessibility map and accessible transportation as an option in their main view before searching for a destination. | Desktop website experience: Seems very friendly and approachable. Clear that the main functionality is to get me somewhere from start to finish App or mobile website experience: The app is very straight forward and seems very easy and accessible to use, it was easy to navigate and seemed like a good tool to use. | View of map, options to see different transportation methods in the area, seeing the cost of each route it suggests, can start a trip and the map will have smart notifications to notify the user of important info regarding their transportation, the user can also share their trip with others. | Connects with VIA- for accessibility and mobility- Ensure that accessible options are embedded within the app. Accessible options also offers as a filter after a start and end date selected | User types in a start and end location of where they are trying to go, upon searching they can filter by the type of transportation they would like or by cost, users can see the overall time each suggested route would take, the cost and if walking is involved- the calories you would lose. After a route is selected, the user can click GO to start their route which smart notifications can be enabled and location settings to make sure you are going in the right direction. | Navigation on the website is through a hamburger menu but the primary function is on the homescreen. On the mobile app the primary function is also on the homescreen and there is a button for additional settings in the top left hand corner- but overall the app is very focused on one task - ‘Get me somewhere’. | Clear brand identity, main color is green and the feel is very friendly and approachable. | More relaxed tone and comfortable, friendly and overall approachable | There is some descriptive text but overall the text is pretty minimal so the user can focus on the task at hand. | Overall I really like this app and it is very simple and straight forward. I would like if you could integrate your tickets with it or import your ticket numbers into the app and it all connects that way or somehow finds other ways to integrate within a person life like offering certain attraction sites for the city your in or ticket deals. | |||||||||
9 | Amtrak | direct | national/international (US and Canada only) | Trip planning, train and bus routes, rewards | - Extensive Rail Network: Amtrak provides intercity rail service across 46 states, making it a convenient alternative for medium and long-distance travel. - City Center Access: Many Amtrak stations are located in urban centers, offering easy access to downtown areas, unlike airports which are often far from city cores. - Environmental Benefits: Rail travel is generally more energy-efficient and eco-friendly compared to driving or flying, appealing to environmentally conscious travelers. - Comfort and Amenities: Amtrak offers spacious seating, scenic views, and onboard amenities like Wi-Fi and dining cars, enhancing the travel experience. - Flexible Baggage and Ticketing Policies: Amtrak often has more lenient baggage and ticketing policies compared to airlines, which can be appealing for families and travelers with bulky luggage. - Northeast Corridor (NEC): Amtrak’s high-speed Acela service dominates the heavily trafficked Boston-Washington corridor, providing a faster, reliable alternative to road or air travel. - Intermodal Connectivity: Amtrak’s partnerships with local transit systems make it easier for passengers to continue their journeys seamlessly. (taken from chatgpt) My input: The competitive advantage of amtrak is its brand identity this is a company that has been around for decades. The app is also a plus because it is straightforward to use. | amtrak.com | about 32 million people used amtrak in 2024 | People needing ground transportation | App - Strengths: - Easy to book and discover trip details - You do not need to become a member to use Amtrak, although signing up will let you get rewards for your trips - App is simplified, doesn’t have that much going on which helps maintain a simple user experience - Personal account and settings are easy to find Weaknesses: - Passengers with disabilities are encouraged to book through the website as it gives more options on the website. - Description of route with including stops can be a bit bulky and overwhelming to understand. | Home page seems to just offer sales and deals and advertise bonus points for signing up for a credit card. 4 options in the menu bar, Home, My Trips, Book, and More My trips screen is easy to understand and view active, upcoming, and past trips. You can book from this screen, which takes you to the Booking page. The booking page is easy to use and looks familiar if you’ve ever booked any trip on a website before. It has a pretty standard layout. The More button brings up a list of extra options, which take you outside the app. You can also edit your settings through the app, without having to go to their website. | Past Trips, Current, Upcoming Finding deals, signing up for rewards Booking train rides (also with connections and bus routes) Availability to access account settings Availability to enter discount and coupon codes You are able to see your full itinerary in a detailed list on the app | If you are a disabled passenger, you can get assistance on the app and website to help book an accessible trip and reserving accomodations. Seems like there isn't much else that they offer in terms of UI accessibitly. App layout seems as though it would be able to be navigated by screen reader effectively (if coded correctly, and this has not been tested with a screenreader, just an observation because the UI and available actions are pretty minimal) | When opening app for the first time, you are prompted to log in. You do not have to sign up, as you can register as a guest. However, signing up gets you rewards. From here, you can directly begin to book your trip. Once confirmed, the trip will show up on your "My Trips" screen, from there, you can see more information about it. | Navigation is very clear, as stated before, there are not many different pages, UI elements, or actions. just the basics | Amtrak has a defined logo that they've had for years. The corresponding navy blue is easily recognizable on app icons, trains, emails, etc.s | Staightforward, professional tone yet approachable | Straightforward, to the point. When you are able to view your itinerary, the list of stops and layovers, changes, etc. can be a bit overwhelming to read. Utilizing more UI elements like images in stead of would help | ||||||||||
10 | DDOT Bus Tracker | direct | Detroit | Bus, Qline, + People Mover routes, trip planning, view stops, live tracker, | Real-Time Tracking: The app provides live updates on bus locations and arrival times, helping riders plan their trips with greater accuracy and reducing wait times. Improved Accessibility: By offering easy-to-navigate routes, schedules, and service updates, the app makes public transit more accessible to both regular commuters and new riders. User Convenience: Features like saved favorite routes, push notifications for service alerts, and trip-planning tools enhance the user experience and encourage regular use. Cost Efficiency: The app empowers users to make informed travel decisions, potentially reducing reliance on more expensive transportation options. Community-Centric Features: By catering to the specific needs of Detroit residents and commuters, the app strengthens the appeal and reliability of the DDOT transit system compared to alternatives. | https://www.myddotbus.com/home | The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) serves an average of 85,000 riders per day | Detroit residents needing transportation by a city bus or by the QLine (streetcar). I believe this also tracks the Detroit People Mover as well, which is an elevated train (similar to the Loop in Chicago) | Strengths: Very straightforward, to the point UI Gives you all the info you need when it comes to DDOT public transportation. Weaknesses: Text too descriptive in areas, could use more icons/logos instead UI could be modernized a bit, just isn’t aesthetically pleasing | Very straightforward basic experience more information -> also, the website experience is almost the exact same, just the app in a horizontal format. | The UI is extremely minimal and basic. At least its straightforward, and not confusing, because it is not pretty but it seems to work. The main features available are: Stop Times, Real Time Map, Trip Planner, Subscribe or Track by Text. | Honestly because of how basic this app it is is very accessible, even the UI colors. One thing I noticed at the bottom of the homescreen is you can easily and quickly change the app language to spanish. They also list an email that you can message to give feedback about the app. | When opening the app for the first time, user is guided through a small tutorial. User does not need to be logged into the app to use it. User lands on homepage and can select: Stop Times, Real Time Map, Trip Planner, Subscribe or Track by Text | Navigation is straightfoward with main options listed in the middle of the homepage | As a detroit-adjacent-native, the green color used in physcial downtown detroit and the buses is the same green used in the app, This helps with brand familiarity | Approachable, professional | Some areas are quite text heavy, with actual paragraphs of text. This app is definitely very descriptive | ||||||||||
11 | Transit | Indirect | 175 metropolitan areas all over the world | Connects and compiles local public tranist systems into one app, offering a wide selection of public transportation options, just like CityMapper | Allows users to select from multiple diff transit systems from one app | Transit - the best app for buses and trains Transit https://transitapp.com | 175 metropolitan areas all over the world | Users wanting an alternative way to find public transportation routes | Strengths and weaknesses: Modern, seems to be pretty easy to use but something about the app seems so 3rd party that I don’t know if I really trust it, it doesn’t have that brand identity/loyalty yet. After doing some quick research I found that users across the internet seem to prefer Citymapper to Transit, after doing this analysis I think I can see why. | Modern, minimal | Ability to see public transportation routes and book tickets from different public transit systems in your area | App doesnt seem to priortize accesibitly (UI a11y as well as users with physical disabilities needing a physically accessible route) | Upon opening the app for the first time, the user is not given a tutorial or asked to log in. you just start off at a map, and it starts to list nearby routes/stops. From the home screen there is a button to proceed to buy a ticket and plan a trip. | No navtiagion bar, staightforward UI, although its a little confusing at first because it is so minimal | Combines brand identity of local transit systems with transits mostly purple UI | Modern, casual | Not descriptive at all, you just kind of have to start tapping around to figure it out | ||||||||||
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