Which iPhone App Tracks CTA Buses Best?

By Kalyn Belsha in Miscellaneous on Apr 26, 2009 5:00PM

Because the CTA Bus Tracker website is not the easiest to use on a mobile device, such as an iPhone, when you're on the go, the folks over at Ars Technica have compiled a good breakdown of the two iPhone apps that use data from the CTA's website to help you find that bus stop or track a bus' arrival time. The apps, Buster and CTA Tracker, are both priced at 99 cents at the iTunes App Store. Neither was developed by the CTA.

Because the two apps pull from the same live data, reviewers stuck to evaluating them based on user interface and personal usage habits instead of functionality.

Buster has the preferred interface -- which reviewers said was more intuitive -- and lets you choose your bus by line number before you begin. CTA Tracker, which was developed first, sorts the bus stops by neighborhoods, which can be confusing even for a native Chicagoan. But it also comes equipped with a handy "Find Me" command that pinpoints where you are in relation to bus stops. CTA Tracker is also integrated with Google Maps, which is better for visitors and tourists, reviewers said.

For images that correspond to each of the aforementioned features, check out the full article here.