For anyone who's ever had their commute completely thwarted by a hiccup on the TTC (so, all of us), an update in how the commission shares live vehicle information is set to better help you plan your trip, even if that trip includes a very unplanned delay.

The latest version of the Transit app now detects impromptu diversions and detours caused by construction, accidents and emergencies, extreme weather and the like, automatically alerting passengers any time three or more buses or streetcars in a row on one line have had to travel off their scheduled path.

All stops, stations and portions of a route being bypassed will be marked as such with a dotted line on the app's map right away, and adjusted back to normal once service is restored (when the app recognizes a trip has successfully been made back on the regular route).

We've partnered with our pals from @transitapp to add a new free in-app feature that will track and show in real-time any unplanned surface vehicle diversions on a one-year pilot. (Yes, planned diversions will also be there).
So when a road is blocked or closed for an emergency,… pic.twitter.com/dbMFAfKCht

— TTC Media Relations 📰🚌🚋🚈 (@TTCNewsroom) September 3, 2024

The improvement will be piloted for the next year as a natural integration into the rest of Transit's up-to-the-minute information for TTC surface routes, which include where the next bus or streetcar is, how crowded it is (when data is available) and when it will get to a specific stop.

"It's the first time that TTC riders will be able to see when their bus or streetcar is detoured in real-time, along with the location of the new temporary stops," the tool's creators state in a release.

Customers are being asked to let developers know how the new feature is working by using the "contact us" option on the platform, and also to help contribute by marking when they board using the "GO" button and rating various routes on timeliness and more.