CTA MCP Server

Returns predicted arrival times in minutes and seconds, route IDs, destination descriptions, vehicle IDs, block IDs, trip designators, and whether buses are scheduled or real-time tracked. Based on real-time vehicle tracking and schedule adherence. Essential for real-time bus arrival awareness, passenger waiting time estimation, trip timing, and connection coordination. AI agents should use this when users ask "when is the next 22 Clark bus at stop 1234", "show predictions for this stop", or need real-time arrival data for a specific CTA bus stop. Stop IDs can be found using get_bus_stops. Get next bus arrival predictions for a specific CTA bus stop

Returns route IDs, short names (e.g., "22", "36"), long names (e.g., "22-Clark", "36-Broadway"), route colors, and route directions. Covers local, limited-stop, and express services across all Chicago neighborhoods. Essential for route discovery, service area analysis, transit network understanding, and identifying route IDs for use in stop and prediction queries. AI agents should use this when users ask "list all CTA bus routes", "what routes serve downtown Chicago", or need to identify route IDs for subsequent CTA Bus Tracker queries. List all CTA bus routes in Chicago

Returns stop IDs (stpid), stop names, geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude), stop sequence order, and direction information (northbound, southbound, eastbound, westbound). Essential for stop discovery, journey planning, accessibility mapping, and identifying stop IDs for use in arrival prediction queries. AI agents should use this when users ask "list all stops on route 22 Clark", "find bus stops along Michigan Avenue", or need to identify stop IDs for use in get_bus_predictions queries. List all bus stops for a specific CTA bus route

Returns vehicle IDs (vid), route IDs, latitude/longitude coordinates, heading direction, speed, trip designators, block IDs, destination descriptions, and pattern names. Can query all buses system-wide or filter by specific route ID for targeted route-level tracking. Essential for real-time bus fleet monitoring, passenger arrival estimation, route-level service awareness, and transit operations management. AI agents should reference this when users ask "where are all the buses on route 22", "track bus positions system-wide", or need real-time vehicle position data for fleet visualization. Get real-time positions of active CTA bus vehicles system-wide or filtered by route

Returns direction IDs (0 or 1), direction names (e.g., "Northbound", "Southbound", "Eastbound", "Westbound"), and associated route metadata. Essential for understanding route patterns, direction identification for stop queries, and trip planning with correct directional awareness. AI agents should use this when users ask "what directions does route 22 serve", "is there a northbound option for route 36", or need directional metadata to understand bus route geometry and plan trips in the correct direction. Get direction information for a specific CTA bus route

Returns route IDs, route names, status indicators (GOOD DELAYS, SLOWLY, SEVERE DELAYS, PLANNED WORK, SERVICE DISRUPTION, SUSPENDED), and status descriptions. Essential for quick system-wide health checks, commute planning, and understanding overall CTA reliability at a glance. AI agents should reference this when users ask "how is CTA running today", "what lines are delayed", or need a quick overview of system-wide service status before detailed trip planning. Get current status of all CTA train lines and bus routes

Returns alert descriptions, affected routes and stations, severity levels, cause types (maintenance, incident, weather, special events, construction), start and end timestamps, detour information, and alternative service recommendations. Can query all alerts system-wide or filter by specific route. Essential for service disruption awareness, alternative route planning, passenger communication, and understanding system reliability. AI agents should use this when users ask "are there any delays on the Red Line", "is CTA running normally today", or need to check service reliability before planning CTA journeys. Get current service alerts and disruptions across the CTA system

Returns stop ID, stop name, geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude), and any associated route information. Essential for stop identification, accessibility planning, transit network analysis, and passenger information. AI agents should use this when users ask "tell me about stop 1234", "where is this bus stop located", or need detailed stop metadata to contextualize transit queries and trip planning. Get detailed information about a specific CTA bus stop

Returns the official server timestamp in standard format. Useful for synchronizing local clocks with the CTA system, verifying API connectivity, testing authentication, and timestamp alignment for real-time data correlation. AI agents should use this as a connectivity check before making more complex queries, or when users need to verify API responsiveness and authentication validity. Get the current CTA Bus Tracker system timestamp

Returns predicted arrival times in minutes, train run numbers, destination stations, line colors (Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Purple, Pink, Yellow), operating status (on-time, delayed, scheduled, unscheduled, approaching, boarding, departing), and whether the train is approaching or at the station. Essential for real-time L tracking, passenger waiting time estimation, trip timing, and connection coordination. AI agents should use this when users ask "when is the next Red Line train at Clark/Lake", "show upcoming trains at this station", or need real-time arrival predictions for a specific CTA L station. MapIds are 5-digit station identifiers (e.g., 40360 for Clark/Lake, 40900 for Jackson). Station IDs can be found in the CTA GTFS static data feed. Get real-time train arrival predictions for a specific L station

Returns train run numbers, line colors, next station IDs, service types (train, 5-car, 8-car), heading directions (North, South, East, West, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest), scheduled vs. real-time status, and delay indicators. Can query all trains system-wide or filter by specific line (Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Purple, Pink, Yellow). Essential for real-time train tracking, network-wide service awareness, fleet monitoring, and understanding train distribution across the L system. AI agents should reference this when users ask "where are all the Red Line trains", "show train positions on the Blue Line", or need to visualize train locations for operational monitoring or passenger information. Get real-time positions of all active CTA trains system-wide or filtered by line