Unplanned TTC bus and streetcar diversions now tracked in Transit

Today, the TTC launched a year-long pilot project with Transit, a made-in-Canada app already used by more than 300,000 TTC riders each month, to automatically detect and display unplanned TTC bus and streetcar diversions in real-time.

The feature means TTC customers using the app can see where their route is being forced to detour due to disruptions like on-street emergencies, extreme weather, construction, or other unplanned events. The app will also display temporary vehicle routing, allowing customers to find the next nearest stop. This feature is free to use for all customers using Transit.

How does it work?

If a bus or streetcar line is on a detour, its new route will appear automatically in the Transit app after three vehicles follow the same route. The section of the route not being served during the detour will be marked with dashed lines, and closed stops will be shown on the map with an “X” icon. As soon as one vehicle returns to planned routing, the app updates to show regular service has resumed.

This feature marks the first time TTC customers will see the path of detoured TTC buses and streetcars using a dynamic map on their smartphone. The Transit app detects detours by tracking the real-time positions of TTC vehicles, then uses machine learning to map the line’s temporary route and relocated stops once it determines that a detour is in effect.

When Transit detects a detour, it shares this information in real-time with the TTC through an open data standard that the TTC can then use to update other passenger information platforms.

TTC is the first public transit agency in Ontario to launch Transit’s automated detour detection feature. TTC riders are invited to use the Transit app to try this new functionality and to leave feedback through the app’s “contact us” feature. As part of this pilot, Transit is sharing general feedback it receives through the app with the TTC, including the more than 100,000 Rate-My-Ride responses per month from TTC bus and streetcar passengers who ride using “GO”, Transit’s step-by-step navigator.

This project builds on work the TTC previously conducted with Transit to validate and improve the quality of TTC real-time information, including real-time vehicle locations and arrival estimates. That work has resulted in increased accuracy for the TTC’s real-time countdown feeds, which are available to the public, including Transit and all other TTC data consumers, as open data via the Toronto Open Data Portal (open.toronto.ca).

“We’re excited to deliver this new feature to our customers free of charge so they’re able to see in real-time if circumstances outside our control are impacting their trip,” said Josh Colle, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at the TTC. “Knowing where a bus or streetcar is located, when it will arrive, and how to complete your trip as quickly as possible are essential to improving the customer experience. This upgrade in the Transit app results from collaboration with dedicated staff at the TTC.”

“Nobody likes that frustrating, sinking feeling of realizing at the stop that the route you normally rely on got diverted somewhere else,” said David Block-Schachter, Chief Business Officer at Transit. “When disruptions occur, it’s important to not only communicate with riders as soon as possible, but to also show them where the route is now running, right on the map. Transit’s detour detection feature ensures riders will no longer wait at a stop that got moved. We’re proud to be working with TTC to pioneer this important new feature so all transit riders in Toronto can benefit from it.”