Metroboard connects to your WiFi network and pulls the latest train/bus location data from our servers. It then uses this data to light up the corresponding lights to indicate the location of all trains on the network.

Our servers receive updated location information directly from transit agencies in each city every few seconds.

Yes. Metroboard requires WiFi to pull the latest locations for trains and accurately reflect their live positions.

We may introduce a future software update that allows Metroboard to revert to stored data when WiFi is unavailable, but this is not guaranteed.

Metroboard has a USB-C port for power. Metroboard must remain plugged in to operate. It uses approximately ~5-7W during normal operation.

Alongside Metroboard, you will receive:

• 1 x 10ft white nylon braided USB-C to USB-C Cable
• 1 x 15W white USB-C wall brick (USA specification)
• 1 x Aluminum desk stand (for standing upright)
• 1 x Mounting hardware for wall mounting (screw and anchor)
• 1 x Product Manual
• 1 x Quick-start guide

Metroboard uses real-time data published directly by transit agencies. In our testing, train positions typically appear within a few seconds of real-world movement, though accuracy can vary depending on the transit system and data quality provided by the agency.

Metroboard's frame is solid walnut and constructed with glued miter joints, made to last.

The front and rear faces are made of brushed aluminum and include a layer of clear anodization to provide scratch resistance.

Four buttons on the rear allow customizing the following settings:

• Brightness (low, medium, high)
• Color (color or white) *
• Update Frequency (fastest, 10s, 30s)
• In-Transit indication (solid, pulsing) **
• (NYC only) Train Direction (all, uptown, downtown) ***

* The color option uses the actual line colors for the system. The white option uses a warm white for all lines.

** In-transit trains are indicated by a light at the station they are in transit to. Solid will set this light to be fully on, just like in-station trains. Pulsing will have this light pulse slowly to distinguish it as an in-transit train.

*** The NYC Metroboard has a fifth setting to configure whether all trains are shown, or only trains in the specified direction (uptown/downtown). The all setting is more full and dynamic, while the uptown/downtown settings are more useful if using Metroboard to catch a train.

We include all stations and lines that are expected to open within the next few years. You can see if any upcoming stations or lines are included by checking the specific city in the Metroboard Cities FAQ section.

Metroboard includes over-the-air (OTA) updating built in. It will keep an eye out for software updates from us that may fix bugs, improve performance, or add features, and update itself automatically.

The data used by transit agencies is generally stable and doesn’t change often, since thousands of services depend on it.

However, if there is an update, we promptly update our server software to properly parse the new data. We keep an eye out for these changes and do our best to address changes within 24 hours.

Our square metroboards (Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and the Bay Area) are 11" x 11" and our rectangular metroboards (New York, Chicago) are 11" x 16".

Both versions are 1" deep.

Metroboard does not require any subscription. Once you purchase it, it works without any ongoing fees.

Metroboard supports 2.4 GHz WiFi networks. Most routers broadcast both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks; if you experience connection issues, ensure a 2.4 GHz network is available.

Yes. Metroboard includes mounting hardware and can be wall mounted or displayed using the included aluminum stand.

Some Metroboards include bus rapid transit (BRT) lines where they function as rail-like systems in the network. These appear and behave the same way as train lines on the board.

When trains are not running (late night or service interruptions), Metroboard will simply show fewer or no trains depending on the data provided by the transit agency.

We intentionally keep server operating costs extremely low. We have also set aside funds specifically to keep the servers running for many years. If The Design Rules Company were ever to shut down, we would open-source the software and firmware so the community could continue operating Metroboard independently.

The LA Metroboard includes all Metro Rail lines, the full D/A line extensions, as well as the G and J rapid-bus lines.

Data is received directly from LA Metro.

The Bay Area Metroboard includes all BART and Caltrain lines/stations. Although BART is the only “subway” in the Bay Area, Caltrain fills an essential role as the only rail service along the peninsula, and we consider it an essential service within the Bay.

We tried integrating Muni/VTA but found it challenging due to the difference in scale with BART/Caltrain. We expect to explore these in the future as standalone Metroboards.

The Bay Area board does not include the current BART Silicon Valley extension or The Portal since these projects are still far out. While we do our best to include future projects so that your Metroboard is not outdated, we avoid including projects that have a time horizon beyond 5 years or funding uncertainty to ensure that we don't make a map that is rendered misrepresentative.

Data is received directly from BART and via 511 SF Bay for Caltrain.

The Chicago Metroboard includes all CTA subway and elevated lines. It includes the recently opened green line Damen station and the Red Line extension to 130th St.

Data is received directly from the CTA.

The Boston Metroboard includes all lines on the T, including the Mattapan trolley and the Silver Line BRT.

Data is received directly from the MBTA.

The New York Metroboard includes all MTA subway lines and shuttles, as well as the Staten Island Railway (SIR).

Unlike the rest of our initial Metroboards, the NYC Metroboard only has one light per station (instead of two). This was done to keep the price affordable and maintain the same size as the Chicago Metroboard, but as a result, trains share a single LED when in the same station.

To help improve usability, the NYC Metroboard has a "Train Direction" button that allows configuring the display to:

• Show all trains
• Show only uptown-bound trains
• Show only downtown-bound trains

This lets you decide if you want to show all trains, which will act more as an art/statement piece, or a single direction (uptown/downtown) which can be more functional. In any setting, if there is more than one train for a given light (ex: a 2 train and Q train at Times Square/42nd St), a random one will be selected.

We did initially start with a 2-way NYC design, and we plan to bring it back in the future. If you’re interested in this variant, please stick around. Keep in mind, this version will be notably larger and more expensive than the current variant, since it will have double the lights and be meaningfully larger. We have no estimate as to when it may be available.

The D.C. Metroboard includes all D.C. Metro subway lines and the soon-to-open MDOT Purple Line.

Data is received directly from WMATA.

When new stations open, we update our software to include them whenever possible. If the physical Metroboard already includes the station, it will begin lighting up once the transit agency begins publishing live data.

We are interested in adding many more cities to the family. No city is off limits, but realistically, we will only be able to make Metroboards for cities where there is sufficient interest.

US cities we expect to explore include Atlanta, Miami, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Dallas, Denver, and Salt Lake City.

Highly requested cities we expect to explore include London, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Toronto, Madrid, Copenhagen, Berlin, Kyiv, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Osaka, Istanbul, Stockholm, Milan, and others.

If your city is not on this list, that doesn’t mean we won’t offer it - it just may take some time for us to get around to it.

Kickstarter/BackerKit orders: You can contact us to see, but generally, all units from the first batch have been allocated and sold out.

Website orders: Once your order has been placed, it gets immediately dispatched to the warehouse for shipping, so unfortunately it is too late to change your city.

‍Kickstarter/BackerKit orders: We regularly provide updates regarding production and fulfillment status at updates.designrules.co. Updates are automatically e-mailed to you as they are released as well. If you aren't receiving these, please check your spam filter.

Website orders: Your order status can be reached using the link in your order confirmation e-mail.

Kickstarter/BackerKit orders: Please visit your BackerKit survey to update your address. If you've lost your link, you can access your survey at metroboard.backerkit.com using the e-mail you used for your order.

Website orders: If your order hasn't shipped yet, you can update your address by visiting the order status page linked in your order confirmation e-mail.

Pre-orders are for Metroboards that are currently in production but have not yet arrived at our warehouse. When you place a pre-order, your board is reserved from the batch and will ship as soon as it arrives. We provide an estimated shipping date based on the current production schedule.

Pre-orders receive a $40 discount.

A reservation secures your place in the next production batch of Metroboard.

You can reserve a board today with a $25 refundable deposit and receive $40 off the regular price when the batch goes into production.

• Your $25 deposit is fully refundable at any time before production begins.
• Once the reservation target is reached, we begin manufacturing the batch and charge the remaining balance for your board.
• You will receive 24–48 hours notice before the remaining balance is charged, giving you time to cancel if you choose.
• We’ll keep you updated throughout production and shipping so you always know the status of your board.

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Kickstarter/BackerKit backers: The first 6,600 Metroboards are estimated to begin shipping April 15, and the remaining 1,600 Metroboards are set to start shipping May 15.

New York Batch 02: We currently estimate shipping to begin in mid-late June.

Reserved Boards: Once we begin a production batch, it typically takes 2-3 months to complete production and for boards to reach our warehouse to begin shipping. You will be notified via e-mail of the estimated ship date as soon as we have it.

Orders ship from Georgia, USA.

We use all of the major domestic U.S. carriers - FedEx, UPS, USPS, and Amazon Fulfillment.

All international orders are fulfilled exclusively via FedEx.

Our standard shipping is Ground and generally takes 3-5 days to reach most addresses in the continental U.S. Expedited shipping options are available for an extra fee during checkout.

Yes, we currently ship to a number of countries internationally. If we do not ship to your country, you will be notified during checkout.

Please note that international orders include upfront payment of any duties & VAT.

International Customers will be required to pay customs duties and VAT for their country during checkout.

We will handle payment of these to your country during shipment.

If your package is lost, we will handle filing a claim with the carrier. If we have additional stock, we will send you a replacement. If we don't, we can provide a refund.

Metroboard includes a 1-year limited warranty covering manufacturing defects and hardware failures. If your device fails to power on, cannot connect to Wi-Fi, or experiences a major hardware issue during normal use, we’ll repair or replace it.

Because Metroboard uses hundreds of LEDs, occasional LED degradation can occur over time. Warranty coverage applies if more than three LEDs experience complete failure or a color channel failure.

Cosmetic variations in wood grain, aluminum finish, or minor LED brightness differences are normal and not considered defects.

If your Metroboard arrives damaged, please contact us within 7 days of delivery with your order number and a photo of the damage. We’ll arrange a replacement or repair as quickly as possible.

We take packaging seriously, but shipping carriers occasionally mishandle packages. If something arrives damaged, we’ll make it right.

Metroboard includes a 1-year limited warranty covering manufacturing defects and hardware failures.

If your Metroboard stops working during this period, contact us with your order number and a description of the issue. We may ask for a short video or photo to help diagnose the problem.

Depending on the issue, we may provide troubleshooting steps, a repair, or a replacement unit.

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Unused Metroboards can be returned within 30 days of delivery.

To start a return, contact us with your order number. The product must be returned in its original condition and packaging.

Please note that return shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer unless the product arrived damaged or defective.

We offer wholesale pricing for retailers and galleries. Please contact business@designrules.co with information about your store.

We have an affiliate program and are planning to reopen it shortly.