The CTA today announced a new initiative that will take bus supervisors out of booths and into hybrid vehicles equipped with GPS-enabled phones and computers. The CTA also announced plans to add 15 routes to an enhanced Bus Tracker service later this month.

Starting in August, supervisors will be equipped with GPS-enabled phones that will allow CTA’s control center to track and dispatch supervisors to problem areas. Additionally, wireless computers will allow supervisors to make service adjustments based on real-time information from CTA’s “Bus Tracker”:http://ctabustracker.com/. In response to delays or bunching, supervisors may make changes such as short turning a bus or having it run express.

CTA officials are hopeful that by making supervisors mobile and equipping them with additional technology, the agency will be able to reduce bus delays and bunching.

On July 21st, the CTA plans to launch improvements to its “Bus Tracker”:http://ctabustracker.com/ Web site. In addition to adding 15 new routes, the real-time location map will be enhanced to use Google’s mapping service. Customers will be able to view the location of buses for up to five routes at a time and access estimated arrival times for any given stop along a route.

The 15 new routes, which will bring the total number of routes on Bus Tracker to 67, mostly originate from “Kedzie Garage”:http://www.chicagobus.org/garage/K but also include routes 146 and 147 from “North Park Garage”:http://www.chicagobus.org/garage/P. The full list of new routes coming July 21st is as follows:

• 7 Harrison

• 8 Halsted

• 10 Museum of Science & Industry

• 12 Roosevelt

• 17 Westchester

• 18 16th/18th

• 38 Ogden/Taylor

• 52 Kedzie/California

• 125 Water Tower Express

• 126 Jackson

• 129 West Loop/South Loop

• 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express

• 147 Outer Drive Express

• 148 Clarendon/Michigan Express

• 156 LaSalle