We applied for an API key so we could use the same exact data that is displayed at every CTA station.  This also allows us to import CTA alerts directly into EL Tracker as soon as they are posted.

Read more about the CTA's developer guidelines and offers here.

To see the run number or live location, click on the arrival time for that train and it will show you the full information for that train.  

Yes!  We offer an updated version of the CTA's elevator outage text alerts.  We know those text alerts are inconsistent.  Our notifications will send you a push notification when an elevator is out at any of your favorite stations.  It will not send you an alert for every elevator in the system, but alerts for all elevators can still be found in the Alerts tab.

These notifications can be turned on in the EL Tracker preferences tab.

Sometimes Siri just doesn't listen—most iOS users have experienced this.  

We suggest using the phrasing "Hey Siri, when's the next train on EL Tracker?"  Using the key word "EL Tracker" increases the possibility that Siri will check EL Tracker for arrivals, rather than doing a web search.

We have also ensured our software is compatible with iOS text-to-speech for accessibility.

We suggest updating your iOS and making sure you are on at least iOS 17.  EL Tracker was designed to run on iOS 17, but we have created a legacy version for earlier iOS users since we know not everyone updates their phone all the time.  The legacy version has been very successful, but occasionally we run into hiccups.

Crashes happen the most frequently on iOS 16.6.1, and Apple does not allow us to run a simulator of that iOS so we are unable to determine the problem, but we are fairly certain there is a bug in that operating system.  

SmartWalk is a feature for widgets.  When you are using a small widget, it only shows three arrival times, which is unhelpful if your walk to the station takes more than a few minutes.  Using the "closest station" widget, smart delay will use the same location data it uses to find the closest station to estimate your walking time to that station.

If your walking time is, for example, eight minutes, the "closest station" widget will factor in your walking time and only show you arrivals starting at eight minutes away.

You can turn on SmartWalk in the Preferences menu.

Ghost trains/buses happen when a train or bus is scheduled to arrive (according to the CTA's tracking data) and it simply does not show.  In other words, it ghosts you.

We allow users to report ghosts, and use a sophisticated algorithm to decide when to classify a train/bus as a ghost.  When classified, a ghost icon will appear on that arrival, and you can tap the icon to see how many other users have reported that train or bus.  

We like to use Apple's widget stacking feature so we can scroll through multiple stations in one widget.  Simply drag and drop the widgets on top of each other to create a stack!

In Preferences, you can configure favorite lines so the widget will show relevant information if you are at a busy station.  That way, you don't see lines that aren't relevant to you.

Contact us!