Chicago's Transit Authority recently released a couple webapps that allow people to track bus locations and routes. It is awesome. This is the documentation of the API they have exposed to power their apps.

This documentation is NOT affiliated with CTA, Chicago or anything else official.

I have created a proxy for this API. It caches requests, and should be a LOT faster than accessing the API directly. The proxy is: http://chicago.transitapi.com.

PLEASE USE THE PROXY TO ACCESS THIS API IN YOUR APPLICATIONS.

To use the proxy, you will just need to replace ctabustracker.com with chicago.transitapi.com in the urls for your requests.

I will be adding various other API helper endpoints to chicago.transitapi.com. stay tuned.

If you have questions, fixes or additions - email harper@nata2.org. If you are bored, check out my blog.

Subscribe to the mailing list to stay up to date: http://groups.google.com/group/transitapi

List of endpoints

General Notes: key is passed to all the endpoints - however it will work without the key.

getRoutePoints

Description: Returns latitude/longitude, stop IDs, and stop names for bus stops along a particular route.
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getRoutePoints.jsp
Original Endpoint: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/map/getRoutePoints.jsp
Required: Route
Example Request: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getRoutePoints.jsp?route=49

Result Set:

  • route
    • id
    • shortName
    • name
    • description
    • serviceBulletins
    • color
    • patterns
      • pattern (pattern element returned for each trip direction)
        • id
        • length
        • direction
        • point
          • latitude
          • longitude
          • busStop
            • id
            • stopName

getPatternPoints

Description:
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getPatternPoints.jsp
Original Endpoint: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/map/getPatternPoints.jsp
Required: pattern, route
Example Request: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getPatternPoints.jsp?route=20&pattern=959
Notes:

Result Set:

  • route
    • id
    • shortName
    • name
    • description
    • paterns

getStopPredictions

Description: Gets stop predictions. Timing and whatnot.
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getStopPredictions.jsp
Original Endpoint: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/map/getStopPredictions.jsp
Required: stop, route
Example Request: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getStopPredictions.jsp?stop=8207&route=49
Notes: route can be stacked. ie: route=50-92. which would give you stop predictions for stops that have both foster and damen.

Result Set:

  • stop
    • id
    • stopName
    • stopRouteInfo
      • route
      • direction
    • serviceBulletins
    • colorRoute
    • prediction
      • predictionTime
      • finalDestination
      • vehicle
      • routeName

getBusPredictions

Description: Returns arrival predictions for a particular bus.
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getBusPredictions.jsp
Orginal Endpoint: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/map/getBusPredictions.jsp
Required: bus
Example Request: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getBusPredictions.jsp?bus=6654
Notes:

Result Set:

  • bus
    • prediction
      • predictionTime
      • stop

getBusesForRoute

Description: Gets buses for specific route
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getBusesForRoute.jsp
Original Endpoint: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/map/getBusesForRoute.jsp
Required: route
Example Request: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getBusesForRoute.jsp?route=49
Notes:

Result Set:

  • buses
    • bus
      • id (the bus number)
      • route (returns "OR" if bus is off-route)
      • status
      • revenue (true or false)
      • offRoute (true or false)
      • direction (direction the bus is currently facing)
      • latitude
      • longitude
      • pattern
      • patternDirection (overall direction of travel on route)
      • run
      • finalStop
      • operator
      • distanceIntoPattern

getBusesForRouteAll

Description: Gets information about every bus in the system.
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getBusesForRouteAll.jsp
Original Endpoint: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/map/getBusesForRouteAll.jsp
Required:
Example Request: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getBusesForRouteAll.jsp
Notes:

Result Set:

  • buses
    • bus
      • id (the bus number)
      • route (returns "OR" if bus is off-route)
      • color
      • revenue (true or false)
      • direction (direction the bus is currently facing)
      • latitude
      • longitude
      • pattern
      • patternDirection (overall direction of travel on route)
      • run
      • finalStop
      • operator

Schedule

Description: Download the Schedule
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/schedules.jsp
Original Endpoint: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/map/schedules.jsp
Required: agency, route
Example Request: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/schedules.jsp?agency=1&route=92
Notes: agency must be set to 1

getTimeAndTemp

Description: Outputs the current time and temp
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getTimeAndTemp.jsp
Original Endpoint: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/map/getTimeAndTemp.jsp
Required:
Example Request:http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/map/getTimeAndTemp.jsp
Notes: Obviously this is chicago time

Result Set:

  • timeAndTemperature
    • time
    • temperature

NEW ENDPOINTS

These endpoints are created by me. Most of them will be a mash of various endpoints to create a new compelling endpoint. Let me know if you have any ideas?

Community Upoc alerts

Description: Outputs the last alert sent from the UPOC group
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/api/alerts/upoc/latest/
Required:
Example Request:http://chicago.transitapi.com/api/alerts/upoc/latest/
Notes: JSON response of the last alert - including the time and the user who sent the alert.

Result Set:

  • body
  • date
  • sender

routeDirectionStopAsXML

Description: Outputs the Direction that routes go and the stops of that route
Proxy Endpoint: http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/eta/routeDirectionStopAsXML.jsp
Required: route, direction is optional
Example Request:http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/eta/routeDirectionStopAsXML.jsp
Example Request:http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/eta/routeDirectionStopAsXML.jsp?route=147
Example Request:http://chicago.transitapi.com/bustime/eta/routeDirectionStopAsXML.jsp?route=147&direction=north%20bound
Notes: Outputs the direction if you exclude the direction, outputs the stops if you include both

Result Set:

(If you pass all sorts of info)

  • route-list
    • route

(If you exclude the direction)

  • direction-list
    • direction

(With both direction and route)

  • stop-list
    • stop

More to come ;)

changed October 16, 2008