Catching a bus? There's an APP for that

Now that the CTA has cut down its services, it is very important to know which buses are still running and which ones to take to get from one location to another. Worse yet, some people are new to Chicago and it can be very easy to get lost in a big city with such an extensive transportation network. Jakob Eriksson, a computer scientist from the University of Illinois at Chicago, moved to downtown Chicago about a year ago. Frustrated with the public transit system, he figured out an easier way for commuters to get from one area to another. His solution is an iPhone application called TransitGenie.

Eriksson believes this is beneficial because, "It's personalized. It lives in your pocket. I think this would be great for newcomers or tourists. Unless you do it regularly, getting around town by transit isn't as easy as you might think."

TransitGenie's latest version (2.0) has been recently available as a free download for Apple's iPhone through iTunes. This application uses the phone's Global Positioning System to determine your location, and then seeks transit routes and GPS bus tracking data to figure out the quickest way to get to a destination. This destination can be chosen from a list of favorites, entered as an address, or chosen on a map. TransitGenie can then list travel options, which includes walking distances to bus stops and transfer points, if any, among the route. It can also let you know when it is necessary to leave to catch a bus and approximately when the destination will be reached. The route can be personalized depending upon the walking speed of the individual, and whether he or she has a bike." Its like a GPS navigator in your car," Eriksson explains. "Its route suggestions depend on various circumstances, the most important of which is real-time bus locations."

This application can be a very useful tool now because it can tell if the bus is going to arrive on time. Eriksson also added certain features, such as shorter suggested walks at night, when security is a possible concern.

At the moment, TransitGenie only supports Chicago, using real-time GPS bus tracking provided by the CTA. Schedule data is programmed into the application for CTA and Metra, with plans to add PACE buses soon.

Now that the CTA cuts are affecting so many students, TransitGenie can be a very useful tool that would allow many students to get to their desired destination on time. It is also a unique tool that will allow many people that do not necessarily know this city well to find a convenient route. So if you aren't born with an innate sense of the cardinal directions now would be the time to become the urban trekker.

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