Hawaii Bus Plus, a subscription-based app for the Big Island Hele-On Bus and HIBIKE Bikeshare systems, has been built and launched by a developed by a Waimea student.
The app, which features interactive maps and directions, was built by Big Island native Tiger Oakes, now attending college in Vancouver.
Hawaii Bus Plus makes riding Hele-On Bus a more positive experience for iPhone, Android, and desktop users, allowing locals and tourists to ride the bus without hassle by providing all of Hawaii’s transit data at the touch of a finger.
“The Big Island finally has a fast and easy bus app, built on an award-winning foundation,” Oakes said.
Similar to like public transit apps from around the world, Hawaii Bus Plus users can find the bus routes nearest to their location and see when the bus will arrive. The app shows a live interactive map of Hawaii and Street View previews of every bus stop, and includes built-in directions to help users navigate from point A to B, even across multiple bus routes or to HIBIKE Bikeshare locations.
The app is a Progressive Web App (PWA), enabling users to take advantage of the smooth and seamless experience of a native app while allowing the benefit of not taking up any space on the device.
New features are constantly being added, and Oakes hopes to add real-time tracking in the future.
Oakes first tackled public transit apps with his high school project “Big Island Buses,” winner of a Congressional App Challenge.
“I never stopped thinking about my roots on the island, and I’m happy that I’ve created a new solution for the bus system with years of experience from college.” said Oakes.
Hawaii Bus Plus is available for $1.99 per month at hawaiibusplus.com.