New pilot feature in 'Transit' app will tell TTC riders where route diversions are occurring

A screen grab from the Transit app shows a new feature that will show riders when their routes are on diversion. (Transit)

TTC riders struggling to figure out which way their next bus is heading will soon have another source of information.

Starting Tuesday, the transit agency is launching a year-long pilot with the Transit app, a third-party app which is already in use by some 300,000 TTC riders.

“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  Montreal-based company that makes the app said on its blog. “The app will also display temporary vehicle routing, allowing customers to find the next nearest stop.”

The feature comes at no cost in the Transit app.

According to the company, the app uses “machine learning” to detect when there are deviations from a planned route.

“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,” the company said. “As soon as one vehicle returns to planned routing, the app updates to show regular service has resumed.”

The TTC is the first public transit agency in the province to pilot the app’s automated detour detection feature.

TTC customers have been dealing with a flurry of route diversions – in particular along King, Queen and Spadina – in recent months. Much of the disruption is due to transit improvement projects like the Ontario Line, or updated streetcar infrastructure on Spadina Avenue.

Still, some customers have complained that it’s difficult to predict where streetcars and replacement buses will go, especially when there are additional disruptions that require routes to be altered.

Josh Colle, a former city councillor who recently became Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at the TTC, said in a statement that the feature will help customers get where they’re going.

“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,” Colle said. “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.”

David Block-Schachter, Chief Business Officer at Transit, added that communication with riders is key to making sure that transit works.

“Nobody likes that frustrating, sinking feeling of realizing at the stop that the route you normally rely on got diverted somewhere else,” Block-Schachter said in a statement. “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.”