TTC Service Alerts Shortcut: Real-Time Transit Notifications Made Simple
I built this shortcut because I wanted a faster way to check TTC service alerts without digging through the website or scrolling endlessly through apps. With one tap (or a Siri command), I can now see all active alerts in a clean, styled view that’s easy to scan.
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How It Works
At the core, my shortcut pulls live data straight from the TTC’s JSON endpoint:
https://alerts.ttc.ca/api/alerts/list
Here’s the basic flow I set up:
- Fetch the feed – I use Get Contents of URL to grab the JSON.
- Parse the response – The raw data is turned into a dictionary, which makes it easy to work with inside Shortcuts.
- Check for active alerts – If the routes field has values, the shortcut moves forward.
If not, I skip right to a “No Service Alerts at this time” message.
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Iterating Through Alerts
When there are active alerts, the shortcut loops through them one by one. For each alert, it pulls out the key pieces of info:
- headerText for the main message
- lastUpdated for the timestamp
I then format the date into something readable and wrap everything in a bit of HTML. By setting font sizes, bolding headers, and adding dividers, the output looks more like a proper dashboard than just plain text.
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The Final Output
Once all the alerts are collected, I combine them into a single block of text, convert it into rich text, and name it “TTC Service Alerts.” From there, I preview it in Quick Look.
If there aren’t any alerts, the shortcut just shows me a simple popup that says: “No Service Alerts at this time.”
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Why I Made It
As someone who relies on public transit, I was tired of wasting time checking for service interruptions. This shortcut solves that problem: I get structured, up-to-date info from the official TTC feed, formatted in a way that’s quick to read.
It’s a small automation, but one that makes my daily routine less stressful.
TTC Service Alerts
