CTA Bus Tracker

Bus Tracker has, after performing admirably for a long time, in the last few months become a significant FAIL. For example…
On the way to work on the SW side, my two quickest bus options after I get off the Orange Line are the 62 south from 35^th & Archer) or the 47 west (from Kedzie).
The last few weeks, Bus Tracker has been so far off that it’s like riding the CTA before it was introduced. I have been significantly late to work the last two days because Bus Tracker was so completely off on the 62 south from the 35^th & Archer station.
Yesterday, it showed it five minutes out, then went up and down in arrival times for 20 minutes instead of just showing «delayed». The bus driver said the bus was caught in heavy traffic, but that’s not what was shown on Bus Tracker. With more accurate info, I could have continued to Kedzie to take my chances there — or even walk. (I would have gotten there faster.)
Today, the 62 south bus showed «due» for at least a minute, then just disappeared off Bus Tracker AS I WAS STANDING AT THE STOP (35^th & Archer). I was forced to get back on the train and go from there. I did stand there waiting to see if it would appear anyway, as it has done twice recently. Again, with better information, I could have chosen a different route.
In the last few weeks, both these buses have been off by 5 – 10 minutes several times. Also, more than once, I’ve seen a bus that is invisible for several minutes, then suddenly reappear. (Once the 62, and the other day, it was the 9). This raises the question, «What’s the point?»
Bus Tracker was introduced as and has become a critical part of planning the commute as it’s happening. It is BEYOND FRUSTRATING that just in the last few months, it has become incapable of performing this simple function.
I am planning to move and it’s becoming more and more attractive to go somewhere where I can drive to work, which I haven’t done in years. But to be to work on time, I have to work with a 90 minute commute time instead of 60 that it is when this stupid thing is working.

Short and Sweet…
The CTA Tracker is one of the best apps around. The user friendly app is designed for you to set up your favorite bus routes — for any bus route. The ETA timing is very close to reality. I haven’t tried the tracker for the «EL» yet since the bus is my primary mode of transportation.
I would highly recommend every passenger and visitor to download this free app.

I’M STALKING THE BUS!
And it’s legal to do it. I love the bus and rail tracker. I can instantly open up the app on my mobile phone and know where my bus is at. In fact, I leave the house based on that information. No more standing on the street corner in the cold or heat looking down the street for a glimpse of the «Green Machine»! I’m dating myself, I still miss the green CTA buses.
Now here is something I don’t understand. Why would they spend millions to install this technology in the bus shelters? The CTA is always losing money. I think it’s overkill plus all of us who care to track the bus already have phones with the tracker app on there. I understand it looks cool but half the time the sign says info unavailable. Now that’s a waste of money.
Let’s get back to my amazing CTA stalker app. There is so much peace of mind when I’m two blocks away and it says the bus will be there in 1 minute. I’ll start running to the stop and typically arrive at the same te as the bus. If I didn’t have the app I would have missed the bus. That kind of knowledge is relaxing.
Now the app isn’t always perfect. My tracker said the CTA bus would not be there for 10 minutes but as I looked across the street the bus was pulling up. I hopped on and said to the Bus driver, «The app says you shouldn’t be here!». She laughed and said, «You can’t trust that thing! I’m real! I’m here right now!» I laughed out loud and most of the people on the bus heard it. As opposed to the LOL you hear in your head but really don’t share with anyone outloud.
I love the bus tracker. It is an amazing piece of technology. It beats the days of guessing when the bus would come. Thanks CTA for one of my favorite apps on my Smart phone.

20m feels like 5m to stonestowm
4 stars for the public transportation in Chicago, bit cleaner and not as rude as some drivers in the Bay area muni and samtrans that is =)
even on a hot day the drivers put on a smile and are generally friendly here, I definitely would come back and use there services
service ****
bus **** cleaner then most buses in the bay area haha

I do like the CTA bus tracker quite a bit and use it often. The timing can be a little off at times, but its better than waiting for 45 minutes with constant hope only to be disappointed.
I think it comes in handy more so in the winter time when its snowing and the weather is really bad. Of course, the system isn’t flawless, but I’m just thankful the CTA did something good with our money for once.

I love CTA’s Bus Tracker! Gone are the days of wondering when the next bus is coming! I use it before I leave home, before I leave work, or if I am out and about and need to catch a bus because it can also be accessed from cell phones that have internet access!
This is a big deal (especially during bad weather) for people like me who rely heavily on public transportation, in this case, buses. It’s so nice to have something that really works!

CTA bus tracker helped us track my husband’s glasses! He dropped them on a 36 bus, but didn’t know it till we got home. He jumped into a cab and I got on line and we talked via cell, I told him where the 36 bus stops were located and when the next 36 bus was expected to arrive and he actually got the bus and a nice person had turned in his glasses to the driver. then he took that bus home!
36 Broadway Bus # 1979 /​Thomas was the driver. Thank you!

It would be great if it worked with the internet on my phone, but it doesn’t.
It would also be even better if I didn’t have a frown every time it loads on my computer b/​c it is usually telling me that there will no train for a very long time now that they reduced the number of buses and lessened the hours that the buses run near me in the South Loop. Soooo, I am just gonna give it an «ok»

I never thought I’d say it, but the CTA really came through on this one.
I don’t take the bus on a daily basis, but this has been a tremendous help for the times that I use it. Gone are the dark days when one might spend a half hour in the snow waiting for the notoriously unpredictable #11 Lincoln. Once you use the bus tracker a few times and get a feel for the timing, the system is very reliable.
Keep in mind that if you live near the beginning of a route, the tracker may sit on a time estimate for a while. This means the driver is waiting to start up, and it can throw the time off by a couple of minutes in the early going.
I recall seeing an article a few months ago on how other cities are looking at bus tracker as a model for their own public transportation systems. This is probably the first time anyone has looked at Chicago public transit and taken something positive from it since the year 1900 or so, when our hip electric street-​cars were all the rage.
Now I’m just waiting patiently for CTA Train Tracker.

The CTA bus tracker system is incredible and once you spend the 5 seconds you need to learn how to work the system, it will change your life.
If you have a cell, if you ride the bus, if you care about how much time you spend waiting, then you have to check out the CTA Bus Tracker. This system is brilliant and I’m so glad that the CTA has invested in it. I wish it were on every bus route and on ever El line, but something tells me that they’re trying to get there.

CTA Bus Tracker: you are my hero! You are the greatest thing since sliced bread. For serious.
Do you have a mobile phone? Is it Internet-​ready? Well, then go to
and start tracking your favorite bus! Most of them are on there and their website reports they are adding 19 new routes!
Here’s what you do: go to the website. Find your bus. Click. North bound? South bound? East bound? West bound? You pick! Find your stop. Click. View upcoming bus arrival times. Are they accurate? YES!!! Make sure you refresh your page often, because the bus may speed up and the time goes way down. Be careful!
I’ve only had problems twice and I think it’s because old buses are not equipped with the GPS equipment. The tracker has told me 10 minutes for a bus even when another pulled up right away. It’s always been an old bus (with the three steps up) so that’s probably why it didn’t register as «arriving». No big deal, though… having a bus tracker is genius so I won’t complain about the few kinks that still need to be worked out!
Don’t have an Internet-​ready phone? No problem! You can still visit the website from your computer and run out to catch a bus! No more standing near your house waiting for a bus — you can leave and catch it when it comes! I love you, CTA Bus Tracker. Keep up the good work.