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CTA outlines 'disruption management' and canceled‑work visibility to reduce 'ghost buses' and add real‑time reroute info
Summary
CTA staff described software and operational steps to show canceled bus runs and real‑time reroute information to riders (a disruption‑management tool integrated with CAD/AVL), aiming to launch reroute features for the Chicago Marathon in October and reduce ghost‑bus confusion.
Molly Poppy, chief planning and innovation officer, told the board on Aug. 13 that CTA has launched a series of tools and practices to reduce so‑called "ghost buses"—instances where a bus appears on an app but does not arrive because the run was canceled, or because of layover and routing irregularities. Poppy said causes include operator absences, equipment failures, improper layover locations and on‑street changes that create inaccurate arrival information.
CTA has begun publishing "canceled work" in the bus tracker so riders see when a scheduled run will not operate and what service alternatives are available. "When a bus breaks down on the street ... control center then is able to go into our service now and say we're gonna cancel run 1234," Poppy said. The canceled‑work visibility is intended to reduce psychological erosion of trust when a scheduled run disappears without explanation.
Disruption management is a software layer integrated with CTA's CAD/AVL system; it will allow staff to publish real‑time reroute maps and stop‑level notices for both planned and unplanned reroutes. Staff said initial pilots were run during high‑reroute events, and the agency aims to deploy reroute features broadly, with the Chicago Marathon in October the first major test (30–40 reroutes planned). Poppy said CTA is working with third‑party app developers to ensure canceled‑work and reroute information is transmitted rather than silently deleted by apps.
Acting President Nora Lierz and other board members framed the rollout as part of a broader reliability push that also includes operator hiring, increased supervision, transit‑signal prioritization and targeted bus‑priority infrastructure. The board did not take an implementing action at the meeting; staff said pilots are continuing and broader rollout will be phased.
