Metra's "Rail-Time Tracker"

Thursday, Metra released their real-time train tracker (called "Rail-Time Tracker") which is really only a departure time tracker - getting ETAs out of it is difficult. It shows the scheduled and estimated departure times for the next three departures to a given destination. Apparently, there was a 7/1 RTA deadline they war trying to meet and in has lots of bugs:

1) Times between noon and 12:50pm are displaying as AM, not PM.

2) It appears not to be able to roll over to the next day although it's supposed to go out 24 hours. For me on the MD-W, check at 11pm and will not show the 12:40am outbound or any of the morning inbounds.

3) Today (Sunday), it is showing the Saturday schedule.

The press release:
http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home/util ... bsite.html

"The train tracker’s implementation by July 1 complies with 2011 law that required the regional mass transit service boards to make available web-based, real-time vehicle arrival information to riders. It cost about $80,000 to develop and was funded by a grant from the RTA."

And this (Monday) morning, it was showing deadhead 7201 at 6:48am as an available CUS-Roselle train. Particularly interesting since 7201 does not stop at Roselle outbound; it goes right to the Roselle West control point, reverses, and does not stop at Roselle until making the station stop as 2220.

If it's developed by the same company or uses similar technology to CTA's bus tracker, it's not the amazing app it's made out to be. Bus tracker can be five minutes off or more. I know this because I've had quite a few "arriving 3 minutes" statuses on the eastbound 74 bus and I wound up cooling my heels on the sidewalk for ten minutes.

Yesterday (Saturday), it was using the Sunday schedule for the MD-W. on 7/4, it was using the weekday schedule. I'm impressed NOT.

Is this a local law, or dis the law they reference nationwide?

This was local legislation, specifically House Bill 3597, signed into law last summer by Gov. Quinn. Scroll down to Sec. 2.35 for the pertinent details...