If you’re someone like me living in a big city where a personal vehicle isn’t a must-have, a reliable and intelligent public transit app is vital. Over the years of searching for my preferred service, I’ve landed on Citymapper for most of my routes. The app isn’t perfect by all means, but it’s the closest to no-frills I can get here in Berlin.
Citymapper has long offered an optional premium tier with additional perks like voice navigation for your headphones, but over recent months, the company paywalled a few more, previously free options like single-mode or mixed-use transit (if you only want to take buses or use your bike to get to the subway, for example), on top of introducing ads to the free tier.
While the ads aren’t going anywhere for the free tier,the company has announced Citymapper 11, which is making all features free to use again all while halving the price of the premium tier, now only needed if you want to get rid of ads.
All the routing options are now available for everyone in the bottom row
This means that anyone using Citymapper now has access to a lot more routing options. Mixed routes can be used to combine cycling and e-scooting with buses and trains, the Walk Less option is great for rain or heat, and simple routes may take longer but involve fewer transfers. On top of this, voice instructions make it easy to follow your path without having to keep your eyes glued to your phone, which is helpful while cycling or when you need to be aware of your surroundings.
While iOS users are getting access todynamic Live Activities notifications first introduced with iOS 16, allowing them to keep track of their route right from the lock screen, Android users are also in for an exclusive feature. There is an option that allows you to plan when to leave, helping you optimize your route for an appointment or simply for choosing a moment that involves shorter transfer times.
It’s likely that these changes were made now that Citymapper has beenbought by New York-based transit app Via, which is currently expanding its operations internationally. Citymapper likely struggled to make ends meet during the pandemic, and the switch to a premium model was possibily done in an effort to keep the business afloat all while looking for a buyer (Apple and Google were reportedly in the cards at some point). With Via now at the helm, Citymapper can focus on creating great routing options for supported cities all while making money by working with public transit services throughout the world to help them improve their system, which is the business Via is trying to enter.
