How To Guide for Using Google Maps to Access CityLink Route & Schedule Information

CityLink route and schedule information is live in Google Maps and available for the general public to use.  In order to assist customers who may not be familiar with Google Maps, this service can be used as an alternative to the printed CityLink Rider’s Guide.  We have created a “How To” guide from a desktop computer to assist those who may want guidance.

We are using the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (located at 6100 Everett McKinley Dirksen Pkwy, Peoria, IL 61607) as the point of origin, and The Shoppes at Grand Prairie (located at 5201 W War Memorial Dr, Peoria, IL 61615) as the final destination for this tutorial.

1. Go to maps.google.com and click on the blue arrow icon next to the search bar. If you hover over the icon, it will say “DIRECTIONS.”

2. Enter in your point of origin in the first search bar and the final destination in the second search bar and then click on the train icon at the top. (You may need an exact address for certain locations that do not have a business name associated with them.)

These screenshots were taken at approximately 9:30 a.m. when we were on hour-service.  Google Maps showed us an overview of when the next bus would leave the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport, which bus routes would need to be taken to get to The Shoppes at Grand Prairie and an estimate on the duration of the trip.

(Please note that in order to successfully get from the point of origin and the final destination, two routes would need to be taken. In this case, it is the #7 Garden and the #16 Northwest Express.)

Google Maps also showed us the two routes we would need to take on the map, which are color-coded to help differentiate each individual route.

3. Click on “DETAILS” to view more detailed instructions for the trip, including walking directions, the amount of stops that will be made during each portion of the trip, the estimated time points of the trip, and the cost for the entire trip. (The cost shown is based on an adult cash fare of $1.00 for each ride.)

4. (Optional) Click on “SCHEDULE EXPLORER” to see the lineup times (when the buses will leave the downtown Transit Center) for the entire day in order to better plan for your future trips.

5. (Optional) If you still have the “DETAILS” tab open, you have three options to on how to save or send the trip information.  All of the options are to the right of the estimated duration of the trip (in this case it is 9:32 AM-10:57 AM).

• To send it to your mobile device, click on the first icon that looks like a mobile device with the arrow on it and send it via your Google account.
• To send or copy the link for the trip, click on the second icon that looks like a two-sided triangle.
• To print the information and instructions for the trip, click on the third icon that looks like a printer. 

After you have completed these steps, you should be well prepared to take a successful trip from the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport to The Shoppes at Grand Prairie using CityLink!

We encourage anyone who has not used Google Maps before to try using mock trips like we did in this tutorial to get more familiar with the service.

You may also easily access CityLink route and schedule information from your mobile device by visiting maps.google.com in your mobile browser or by downloading the Google Maps app in the Google Play Store for Android devices or Apple App Store for Apple devices.