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Connect CTA to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Get real-time L train and bus updates through your AI agent.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

ChatGPTClaudeCursorPerplexityGeminiMicrosoft CopilotRaycastMeta AI

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

A futuristic MCP client docking bay
V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 11 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 03

01-04

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 11 available through CTA.

  1. 01

    Get system time

    Returns the official CTA Bus Tracker system timestamp. This helps your agent synchronize local time with the transit network for accurate predictions.

  2. 02

    Get train arrivals

    Provides real-time arrival predictions for any L station. You get train destinations, line colors, and current operating status like on-time or delayed.

  3. 03

    Get stop details

    Retrieves specific metadata for a single CTA bus stop. This includes the stop name, ID, and geographic coordinates.

  4. 04

    Get bus predictions

    Fetches predicted arrival times for a specific CTA bus stop. It provides minutes until arrival, route IDs, and destination info based on real-time tracking.

Capability set02 / 03

05-08

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 11 available through CTA.

  1. 05

    Get bus routes

    Lists all available CTA bus routes in Chicago. It provides route IDs, names, colors, and direction patterns for local and express services.

  2. 06

    Get bus stops

    Lists all bus stops for a specific CTA route. Use this to find stop names, IDs, coordinates, and directionality like northbound or southbound.

  3. 07

    Get bus vehicles

    Tracks the live GPS positions of active CTA buses. You can filter by route to see specific vehicle IDs, speeds, and headings.

  4. 08

    Get route directions

    Provides directional metadata for a specific bus route. This helps your agent understand if a route runs northbound, southbound, eastbound, or westbound.

Capability set03 / 03

09-11

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 11 available through CTA.

  1. 09

    Get route status

    Checks the current health of all CTA train lines and bus routes. It reports statuses ranging from good to severe delays or suspended service.

  2. 10

    Get service alerts

    Retrieves current service disruptions and alerts across the CTA system. It includes details on severity, cause, and recommended detour routes.

  3. 11

    Get train positions

    Tracks the live location of all active L trains. You can filter by line color to see where specific trains are currently positioned in the system.

Real work

What teams actually run

01

Commute Planning

Ask your agent if the Red Line is delayed before you leave your house.

02

Live Vehicle Tracking

Find out exactly where the next 22 Clark bus is located on its route.

03

Station Discovery

Identify all the bus stops along a specific street or neighborhood.

04

Disruption Management

Get immediate updates on service alerts and detour information during weather events.

Automate a task

Put CTA to work on one thing.

Step-by-step automations your AI runs through this Connector: the workflow, the prompts to start with, and the exact capabilities behind each move.

One connector, every AI

CTA works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

ClaudeClaudeChatGPTChatGPTGeminiGeminiPerplexityPerplexityGrokGrokMicrosoft CopilotMicrosoft CopilotCursorCursorVS CodeVS CodeWindsurfWindsurfJetBrainsJetBrainsClineClineLangChainLangChainVercel AI SDKVercel AI SDKLovableLovableZ.aiZ.aiRaycastRaycastQwen CodeQwen CodeKimi CodeKimi CodeLe ChatLe Chat

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put CTA to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

841ms average. Fast in production.

CTA is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 975ms
Oct 3Today
Fastest day
733ms
Slowest day
975ms
14-day trend
Slowing+9%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 11 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of CTA, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with CTA. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

CTA Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_8ueRqAm68ulWomrillKp4F4nu0NNlhP88klbOPLG/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — CTA capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cta-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_8ueRqAm68ulWomrillKp4F4nu0NNlhP88klbOPLG/mcp"
    }
  }
}
  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up CTA in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work CTA owners hand off.

This MCP is built for anyone navigating the Chicago transit system who wants to use an AI agent to manage their commute.

  • 01

    Chicago Commuters

    They ask the agent to monitor specific L lines or bus routes for delays during their daily travel.

  • 02

    Transit Analysts

    They use the agent to pull vehicle positions and service reliability data for research.

  • 03

    Tourists

    They rely on the agent to find bus stops and predict arrival times while exploring the city.

FAQ

Questions CTA owners ask.

  • 01

    Do I need to pay for CTA API keys?

    No, both the CTA Train Tracker and Bus Tracker API keys are available for free through the CTA Developer Portal.

  • 02

    Which AI clients can I use with this MCP?

    You can use this MCP with any compatible client, including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.

  • 03

    Can I track both buses and trains?

    Yes, the MCP provides capabilities for real-time bus tracking, bus stop predictions, L train positions, and L train arrival times.

  • 04

    How accurate are the arrival predictions?

    Predictions are based on real-time vehicle tracking and current schedule adherence provided by the CTA.

  • 05

    Can I see if there are delays on specific lines?

    Yes, you can use the route status capability to check if lines are running on time, experiencing severe delays, or have suspended service.

  • 06

    Can my AI check when the next L train is arriving at my station?

    Yes! Use the get_train_arrivals capability with the station mapId (a 5-digit parent station ID, e.g., 40360 for Clark/Lake, 40900 for Jackson). Your AI will return all upcoming trains with destination names, line colors (Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Purple, Pink, Yellow), predicted arrival times in minutes, operating status (on-time, delayed, approaching, boarding, departing), and whether the train is scheduled or real-time tracked. If you do not know the mapId, it can be found in the CTA GTFS static data feed.

  • 07

    How do I check when the next CTA bus is arriving at a specific stop?

    First use get_bus_stops with a route ID to find the stop ID (stpid) for your location. Then use get_bus_predictions with that stop ID to get real-time estimated arrival times, route information, destination descriptions, and vehicle IDs. For route-filtered predictions, you can also pass the route ID to narrow results to a specific bus line. Stop IDs are numeric identifiers assigned by CTA to each physical bus stop across Chicago.

  • 08

    Are there any service disruptions affecting the Red Line or my bus route right now?

    Use get_service_alerts to check all active service disruptions across the CTA system. This returns alerts with affected routes and stations, disruption descriptions, severity levels, cause types (maintenance, incident, weather, special events, construction), and detour information. You can also use get_route_status for a quick system-wide health check showing which L lines and bus routes are running on-time, delayed, or have planned work. Always check this before planning any CTA journey.

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