Jake Jarvis, a sophomore, has created an iPhone application based on the online JoeyTracker that allows students to determine the location of the closest Joey shuttle and the time left until it arrives at their current location.
The free application, listed as "JoeyTracker" in the Apple Application Store, locates the shuttle's position on its Medford/Somerville route and calculates the minutes left for the bus to arrive at each of its numerous stops. It includes a map of the area as well as the Joey schedule.
"I just found that this was something I really needed myself," Jarvis said. "The schedule is so hard to find online."
Jarvis said he recognized how unsettling it can be to be stuck in Davis Square or the Mayer Campus Center on a cold day with no idea as to when the next shuttle bus will arrive.
"People should be able to quickly access this type of information," he said. "The JoeyTracker will allow them to do so."
Jarvis said he has experience creating similar electronic applications, including one that he created in high school that allows classmates to compare schedules and plan study sessions accordingly.
"Making apps like this one has always been a passion of mine," he said.
Using Apple's design tools, Jarvis was able to create an application that iPhone users can find to be a quicker, more reliable alternative to searching for the Joey's location online.
The application is not affiliated with Tufts University or with TuftsLife, where the online JoeyTracker is available.
TuftsLife has been working with Jarvis to ensure that he gives credit to students who have contributed to creation of the service on TuftsLife, according to sophomore Taylor Lentz, a leader of the TuftsLife team.
Several students have expressed interest in the application.
"I really like the idea of this application," Zach Johnson, a junior, said. "As an iPhone user, I think it is something that would be really convenient for me."
