I wanted to build a project using a government dataset to learn d3.js. I decided to use the Chicago lobbyist data after looking at the information available at ChicagoLobbyists.org.
Now, to help you understand how to create your first visualization, I’ll share how I created this project.
View estimated arrival times for selected Chicago bus routes.
Windows 7 and Windows Vista compatible.
Download Chicago Bus Tracker Gadget Version 1.1
Updated October 2010: Now uses the official Bus Tracker API
Version 1.1 Changelog
Windows Gadget Build Script – A powershell script that creates a .gadget file from source
jQuery CTA BusTracker API Plugin – A jQuery plugin that wraps the Bus Tracker API endpoints into javascript methods.
The Same Origin Policy currently prevents using this script outside of a gadget since Windows gadgets do not enforce the Same Origin Policy.
Special thanks to Harper Reed for his work on the Chicago Transit API and Kevin Zolkiewicz for the Chicago Bus Tracker Widget.
This widget was not created by the Chicago Transit Authority.
The original rail system map image was found at the CTA's map page.
Runs best in a browser that has javascript acceleration (Firefox 3.5/Chrome). Trains are only added/removed at the beginning of the line.
I created this to test out some jQuery and javascript animation ideas I had. There is no
real practical use for it now. Think of it as a model railroad without the constant derailments.
Interval: 1000ms
Processing Time: 0ms
Max Trains: 25
Current Trains: 25
