Saskatoon Transit Launches Real Time Transit Tracking

Saskatoon Transit is excited to launch real time transit tracking through the third party developers, Transit App and Google Transit. This initiative provides improved GPS information for bus locations on individual routes throughout Saskatoon. Real time transit tracking will allow customers to see the location of their bus in real time and see how many minutes until the next bus arrives, which will limit wait times at bus stops.  

“We are very excited to announce that real time transit tracking is available on all scheduled Saskatoon Transit routes,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “This is great news for our customers because it gives them the power to better plan their day with less fear of missing the bus.”

Real time transit tracking through Transit App and Google Transit will result in better trip planning, less wait times and fewer missed connections. Customers who are currently using Transit App are not required to take any action, they will now see accurate arrival times on their selected routes within the app. Residents wishing to try Transit App on their mobile device can download it from the App Store or Google Play. Customers who prefer Google Transit can simply open Google Maps on their phone or desktop and start planning.

“Transit buses will be tracked by GPS which is huge for helping riders know exactly where their bus is. Now you can look at your phone, see that your bus is only eight minutes away and perfectly time your walk to the bus stop,” McDonald says. 

In the future, Transit App and Google Transit will allow users to receive in app notifications on transit news, major detours and delays. It is a fully functional trip planner that gives you real time information on bus locations. When planning, users will see all route options with transfer points, walk times and real time arrival information.

This service improvement falls under the Systems pillar of Service Saskatoon which aims to make it easier for citizens to access information. The data from real time transit tracking is available to other app developers through the Service Saskatoon open data license.