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Port Authority Server Downtimes
As of July 28, 2017, there is no ETA when the servers will be back up. Official Statement. EDIT: Server is now up.
We get our data directly from Port Authority through a "hidden" version of this website: TrueTime Port Authority (for the more tech-savvy, through a REST-ish API). We are not in any way affiliated with Port Authority. This is the only source of realtime data from Port Authority. Most other apps on the market use a mix of both this data and static data.
Using the TrueTime data was a deliberate and philosophical design choice for our application since this is the most truthful among all other data points that we can use to tell you:
- Where a bus is
- When a bus will come based on this real data
If we add static schedule data to the app, we will have lied about when the bus is coming to your stop since that data is almost never accurate for the most used bus lines.
As a result, if the TrueTime servers are down, so is the app. If you feel you still want some sort of data, free to use any other application that gives you the static schedule data.
Here are the following ways to tell them:
- Port Authority's Online Contact Form
- Port Authority's Official Twitter Account @PGHTransit
There is currently a public discussion about this issue here on Reddit.
- Reviewing the app on the Play Store (we still welcome all candid reviews of the app!)
- Emailing us that the app is down
- Reinstalling the app
- The API is owned by Clever Devices, and the actual servers are in their Cloud.
- GPS bus trackers connect to Port Authority via cell data and connect into the Port Authority IT Network. Port Authority pass that GPS data to Clever Devices.
- They have been updating the IT Infrastructure for multiple reasons every Friday, including for the T to be on the system. Every step of the way, they've had issues.
- The breakage on May 19, 2017, was caused by a firewall upgrade that has completely borked the internal network of Port Authority and employees have limited access to their own servers. Port Authority's buses' cell data cannot connect to the Port Authority network.
This information was obtained by me contacting an internal employee.
I know when the app is down only because when I use my own app, either:
- There will be no buses on the map.
- My app will tell me that the servers are down.
In addition, we get lots of reviews, uninstalls, and emails about the issues. Again, this doesn't help me solve the issue because we are not Port Authority.
Unfortunately, by code, we are unable to find out when the servers are down. Reasons:
- If I poll for a popular bus route at 2PM and the servers are down, the TrueTime API will say that the call is successful and that no buses are on the road.
- If I poll for that same bus route at 4AM when no bus is running, the TrueTime API will say that the call is successful and that no buses are on the road.
- Because of this, I'm unable to tell the difference of when the servers are down or up unless I add my own code to look for all the route's up times. This is unneeded man hours I will be pouring into the app for this.
Ideally, what should be happening instead is that the TrueTimeAPI should give me an error response code with a message why it's down any time I request for bus locations. Currently, this isn't happening, and I am trying to get Port Authority to tell Clever Devices to make this change on the TrueTime API.