Complete step-by-step instructions for users and vendors to get the most out of Take Metro's urban discovery platform.
Take Metro is 100% free to use! Browse listings, check live train times, and explore without signing up. Create a free account to unlock additional features like creating custom tours, saving favorites, and leaving reviews.
Create Your Account (Optional)
Sign up for free to access tours, favorites, and reviews - no credit card required
Explore Your City
Browse restaurants, hotels, and attractions near metro stations
Use Real-Time Data
Check live train arrivals, tap a train to track it with a floating countdown alert, and use Quick Access to return to recent stations
Save Favorites
Bookmark places you want to visit later, or star stations in Quick Access for one-tap return (requires free account for business favorites)
Rate & Review
Share your experiences to help other users (requires free account)
Station Information
Each station shows nearby businesses and attractions
Live Arrival Times
Real-time train predictions by line and direction — tap any arrival to track it with a floating countdown alert
Quick Access Stations
Recent and saved station chips above the map for one-tap return to live times
Smart Filtering
Find businesses closest to your selected station
Interactive Maps
Visual representation of stations and nearby businesses
Discover and participate in curated tours by other users
Browse Tours
Explore featured tours on the Tours page or search by location
View Tour Details
Click on a tour to see stops, descriptions, and reviews
Start Tour
Click "Start Tour" to begin guided navigation
Follow Directions
Use real-time navigation to reach each stop
Rate & Review
Share your experience and help others discover great tours
Share your experiences and help others discover great places
Visit a Place
Go to any restaurant, attraction, or venue from a tour
Open the Listing
Click on the place name to open its detailed page
Rate Your Experience
Give a star rating from 1-5 based on your visit
Write a Review
Share details about food, service, atmosphere, and value
Submit & Help Others
Your review helps other users make informed decisions
Pin the train you're waiting for and jump back to stations you use often
No account needed. Recent stations and train tracking work for all users and persist on your device.
Open a Station's Live Arrivals
Click a station on the map or pick one from Quick Access chips above the map
Tap a Train to Track It
Tap any arrival row in Live Arrivals. A bell icon and highlight show it's being watched. Tap again to stop.
Watch the Floating Alert
A floating popup above the bottom navigation follows you on any page and shows line, destination, station, and a live countdown. Tap it to jump back to the station.
Get the 2-Minute Alert
When your train is 2 minutes away, the floating popup turns red and pulses — time to head to the platform
Use Quick Access for Stations
Recently visited stations appear as chips automatically. Tap the star to save up to 3 preferred stations for one-tap access
Build your own personalized tours with your favorite places
Pro Tip: Custom tours are saved to your account and persist across sessions. You can create up to 5 stops per tour.
Navigate to a City Map
Go to any city map page (DC, NYC, LA, Chicago, or SF) from the main navigation
Start Building Your Tour
Scroll to any carousel (Restaurants, Deals, Events, Hotels) and click the "Start Building Tour" button
Add Locations (Up to 5)
Browse carousel items and click "Add to Tour" on places you want to visit. A floating button shows your progress (e.g., "Building Tour (3/5)")
Review & Manage Selections
Click the floating "Building Tour" button to expand and see all selected locations. Remove any location with the X button or click "Clear" to start over
Save Your Tour
Click "Save Tour", enter a descriptive name and optional description, then save. Your tour will appear in the "My Tours" section on the Tours page
Start, Edit, or Delete
From the Tours page, you can start your saved tour, edit it to add/remove stops, or delete it if no longer needed
Note: Tours are automatically associated with your selected city and include metro station information for easy navigation.
Discover time-sensitive promotions and save money on dining
What are Live Deals? Time-limited promotions (typically 1-2 hours) offered by businesses to fill seats during slow periods. Act fast!
Find Live Deals
Look for the "Live Deals" carousel on city map pages. Live deals have a red badge and countdown timer
Filter by Station
Select your nearest metro station to see deals within walking distance
View Deal Details
Click on a deal to see the discount percentage, terms, expiration time, and business details
Navigate to the Business
Use the "Get Directions" button to navigate via metro and walking directions
Redeem the Deal
Show the deal on your phone when you arrive. Terms and conditions apply - read them before visiting
Pro Tip: Enable notifications to get alerts when new live deals are posted near your favorite stations!
Take control of your business listing and start managing it
Find Your Business
Search for your business on the explore page
Click "Claim Listing"
Use the claim button on your business page
Choose Subscription
Select Basic ($290/year), Premium ($490/year), or Premium-Featured ($790/year)
Verify Ownership
Complete verification process with business documents
Complete Setup
Add photos, update info, and set up your vendor account
Attract customers with live deals and regular promotions
Access Vendor Dashboard
Log in and navigate to your vendor dashboard
Go to Deal Management
Click "Deal Management" in your listing editor
Choose Deal Type
Live Deals: Urgent, time-limited (1-2 hours max) for immediate traffic. Regular Deals: Ongoing promotions like happy hour or lunch specials
Set Terms & Duration
Define discount percentage or amount, duration (1-2 hours for live), and terms
Publish & Monitor
Activate your deal and track performance in analytics
Add staff members and manage permissions for your business
Generate Manager Code
Create unique codes for different staff roles
Share with Staff
Provide codes to employees via secure channels
Set Permissions
Configure what each team member can access
Monitor Activity
Track team actions in your dashboard
Track performance and understand your customer base
Access Analytics Dashboard
Navigate to Analytics in your vendor dashboard
View Key Metrics
Check views, clicks, reviews, and customer demographics
Track Deal Performance
Monitor which promotions drive the most traffic
Analyze Trends
Identify peak times and popular menu items
Join a business team using an invite code from your manager
What are Manager Codes? Secure, single-use codes that grant staff access to a business's vendor dashboard with specific permissions.
Get the Code from Your Manager
Your business owner or manager will generate a unique invite code and share it with you securely
Log In to Your Account
Sign in to Take Metro with your personal account (or create one if you don't have one)
Find "Redeem Manager Code"
Scroll to the footer and look under the "Account" section for the "Redeem Manager Code" link
Enter the Code
Type or paste the code exactly as provided (codes are case-sensitive and single-use)
Access Granted!
Once redeemed, you'll have access to the Manager Dashboard with the permissions assigned by your manager
Security Note: Each code can only be used once. If you receive an error, contact your manager for a new code.
Submit a free listing for admin approval
Go to Submit a Listing
Click "Submit a Listing" link in the footer under Business section
Fill Basic Details
Enter name, cuisine type, address, phone, and nearest metro station
Submit for Review
Free listings require admin approval before appearing on the site
Claim Your Listing
Once approved, vendors can claim and upgrade to Basic ($29/mo) or Premium ($49/mo)
Manage & Promote
Add photos, create deals, and access analytics from your dashboard
Join the food truck directory and reach customers at metro stations
Go to Add Food Truck
Navigate to the food truck registration page
Enter Truck Details
Add name, description, cuisine type, and closest metro station
Upload Photos & Menu
Add truck photo and featured menu items (included with Basic plan)
Complete Payment
Pay $200/year for Basic tier with 1 live deal and 5 featured menu items
Manage Your Listing
Update location, create deals, and track performance
Connect with travelers using metro systems
Access Hotel Registration
Go to the hotel listing creation page
Enter Hotel Information
Add name, star rating, amenities, and nearest metro station
Upload Photos
Add multiple high-quality hotel images
Set Booking URL
Provide direct booking link (no commissions!)
Pay Annual Fee
Complete $3,000/year subscription payment
Promote your events to metro riders (Premium-Featured tier only)
Upgrade to Premium-Featured
Event creation requires Premium-Featured tier ($79/month)
Go to Listing Management
Navigate to your Premium-Featured listing's editor
Click Create Event
Find the Event Creation section and click the button
Enter Event Details
Add title, description, dates, and promotional image
Publish Event
Free for Premium-Featured tier (1 active event, 15-day max)
Upgrade, downgrade, and manage your subscription plans
Access Subscription Settings
Go to your vendor dashboard subscription section
View Current Plan
Check your current subscription tier and features
Upgrade or Downgrade
Change your plan with immediate effect
Upgrade to Featured
Upgrade to Premium-Featured ($79/mo) for top placement
Manage Billing
Update payment methods and view invoices through Stripe
Optimize your business photos for maximum impact
Access Photo Management
Go to your listing's photo section
Upload High-Quality Images
Use images at least 1200x800 pixels for best results
Set Primary Photo
Choose your best image as the main listing photo
Organize Gallery
Arrange photos to showcase your business effectively
Update Regularly
Keep photos current to maintain customer interest
Curated by Take Metro staff, these tours showcase the best experiences in each city.
Professionally curated routes
Optimized for metro accessibility
Include hidden gems and popular spots
Updated regularly with new places
Personalized tours generated based on your preferences, favorites, and browsing history.
Tailored to your taste
Learns from your activity
Considers your home station
Updates as you explore more
Tours you've created yourself by selecting your favorite places from any carousel.
Fully customizable (up to 5 stops)
Saved to your account permanently
Editable anytime (add/remove stops)
Perfect for special occasions
Vendors can add their business to tours for $49/month recurring. This increases visibility and drives foot traffic from tour participants.
Featured in multiple curated tours
Increased exposure to engaged users
Analytics on tour-driven traffic
Recurring monthly subscription
Can't see live train times?
Check your internet connection and try refreshing the page. Live data depends on transit authority APIs. Make sure you've selected a station on the map or from Quick Access.
Train tracking alert not showing?
Tap an arrival row in Live Arrivals to start watching. A floating alert popup appears above the bottom navigation on any page. If the train has already passed, it clears automatically. Tap X on the popup or tap the same arrival again to stop watching.
Quick Access stations missing?
Recent stations are saved per city on your device when you open a station. Saved (starred) stations require tapping the star on a Quick Access chip. Clear browser data may reset recent stations.
Business not showing up?
Try searching with different keywords or check if the business is near a metro station.
Payment issues?
Ensure your payment method is valid and try a different browser or device.
Can't access vendor dashboard?
Make sure you're logged in and have claimed your business listing.
My custom tour disappeared?
Custom tours are saved to your account. Make sure you're logged in with the same account you used to create the tour. Tours persist across sessions and devices.
Can't add more than 5 stops?
Tours are limited to 5 stops for optimal experience. This ensures tours are completable in a reasonable timeframe and maintain quality navigation.
Tour images not showing correctly?
Tour stop images are pulled from the associated listing's main photo. If an image is missing, it will show the Take Metro logo as a placeholder.
How do I share my custom tour?
Currently, custom tours are private to your account. Tour sharing functionality is coming in a future update!
Check FAQ First
Many common questions are answered in our FAQ section
Use Contact Form
Fill out our contact form with detailed information about your issue
Include Screenshots
Visual evidence helps us understand and resolve issues faster
Response Time
We typically respond within 24-48 hours during business days
Keep your listing updated
Regular updates improve visibility and customer trust
Use high-quality photos
Good images significantly increase engagement
Respond to reviews
Engage with customers to build relationships
Create compelling deals
Attractive offers drive more foot traffic
Monitor your analytics
Data helps optimize your listing performance
Stay active on the platform
Regular activity improves your listing's visibility