Philly Trolleys
On the App Store since August 19, 2026. $4.99, pay once.
Live positions for the vintage PCC cars on Girard Avenue, alerts when they roll out or near your stop, and a widget for your home and lock screen.
Philadelphia. Music. Public Transit. Public Education. Soccer. Surfing. The Occasional Long Essay.
Hi, I'm Cris.
I am a longtime educator, a K12 education technology researcher, a musician in The Deafening Colors, a lifelong surfer, and a rabid soccer fan. I am also a forward-deployed software engineer.
Lately, I've been building apps to make public transit legible: easier to see, easier to trust, easier to use. My first one, Philly Trolleys, is in the App Store now. My second is in review with Apple.
New Essay · 24 min read
What’s Up With You and Trolleys?
A hundred years ago, an electric interurban ran every 30 minutes through the three-stoplight town where I grew up. Nobody told me. Here’s how what’s left of “The Shore Fast Line” inspired me to start connecting rides with transit apps.
The Apps
Check out what I've made so far.
NJ RIDES
Submitted to Apple, in review. Free web version available now.
Every scheduled ride in New Jersey on one map, from free community shuttles to NJ Transit, PATCO, PATH, and Amtrak, with a planner that connects them.
Say Hello
Questions? Feedback? Got a project for me? Get in touch.