The MyState app put out a warning that its information about CyRide predictions and classes may be inaccurate or incomplete while transitioning to a new developer. 

MyState is a popular app for Iowa State students for bus predictions, class schedules and locations. The app was created by Iowa State students within the College of Engineering in 2010 and the current version was launched in 2015 with its partnership with Information Technology Services (ITS). 

MyState is going through a change of developers and apps as CyRide has transitioned from the NextBus app to MyRide. Travis Ballstadt, communications specialist for the College of Engineering, said the predictions could be inaccurate due to human error, such as a driver forgetting to track their route.  

The app has been used for finding buildings, dining centers and menus. Claire Grebner, a sophomore majoring in pre-business, said she finds the app helpful for the bus notifications and maps. 

“MyState is super helpful for finding where the bus stops are and the general area they are at along the route,” said Grebner. “It’s not always accurate with times right now so I hope they get it figured out soon.” 

While MyState is going through its transitional phase, updates will be made on social media and the website, and MyRide can be used for bus updates. 

“Although MyState is being a bit temperamental, it is still useful to check on events, directories and the location of your classes,” said Roxanne Kadoun, a senior in psychology. “However, use with caution with the bussing system.” 

Jeff Sorensen, information system leader for ITS and web development manager for MyState, said MyState is working to make the bus systems more accurate but students should not be dependent on it. 

“The message we want to give is that these services are provided as a convenience and that we want to make sure that the students are aware that there’s expectations and there’s reality,” Sorensen said. “The reality is that individuals need to plan ahead and make sure that they are familiar with the busses that they’re using, they should be familiar with the times and be at the locations a few minutes early to make sure they catch that bus if it’s really important.” 

Sorensen said he wants students to use MyState as a resource but warns there could be issues due to situations out of his control. 

“At the same time we want to provide something that’s convenient for the person to use, accurate to the best of our ability,” Sorensen said. “But we want to make sure they don’t slip into a situation where they are becoming to the minute dependent on a bus arriving on a particular time and then missing a test or missing something very important because the accuracy wasn’t there.”