TransitWiki - User contributions [en]

Open-source software

2019-03-26T14:32:24Z

Barbeau:

=== Benefits ===
By investing in open-source software, government agencies, companies, and non-profit organizations can leverage their investments to create shared, public benefits. In effect, those who invest in open-source software are attempting to "pool" their investments to create software that lives in the public commons. Part of organizations' hoped-for return on their open-source investments is that other organizations will also invest in ongoing, incremental improvements to the same software, yielding continued benefits at no additional cost. Additionally, adopting open-source software can reduce vendor lock-in to high-cost, proprietary software.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/10POhMhFW6tt1a5Sad6CWCO-VfAK8i0A1yZmg5DwGV3w/edit?usp=sharing] "Can Open Source Transit Software Survive?" TransportationCamp 2018. Discussion moderated by Sean Barbeau and Kari Watkins. Retrieved 17 January 2018</ref>

=== Practices that support open-source software ===
Developing open-source software is a complex undertaking given the competing demands of software code that is both (a) sufficiently generalizable to be useful to a diverse array of users, and (b) sufficiently tailored to any given end-users' needs. It is also challenging to coordinate open-source software development, especially when there are many users likely to be impacted by any given change. Public-sector transportation agencies can advance open-source software development using the following strategies, among others:
* Adding open-source requirements to software procurements
* Adding a budget line-item and/or project task for the "open-sourcing" and related documentation of newly developed code
* Clearly communicate successes and open-source software implementations
* Coordinate with peer agencies to identify list of shared priorities and share costs for larger 'capital' improvements to open-source code blocks.

=== Transportation agencies supporting open-source software ===
* MTA
* MBTA
* Sound Transit
* Caltrans
* Oregon DOT

=== Private companies developing open-source transportation software ===
* Cambridge Systematics
* Conveyal
* IBI Group
* Interline

=== Non-profit organizations developing open-source transportation software ===
* Zephyr Foundation

== Open-source transportation software projects ==
The [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/awesome-transit Awesome Transit] Github page also provides a list of open-source software projects.

=== [[OneBusAway]]<ref>[https://onebusaway.org/] OneBusAway. Retrieved 17 January 2018</ref> ===
* Provides an API optimized for accessing real-time transit information
* Includes open-source native apps for iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa, Google Glass
* Can consume GTFS-realtime and other real-time formats
* Deployed in 10 cities with more than 1 million users
* Available for iOS and Android

=== [[OpenTripPlanner]]<ref>[http://www.opentripplanner.org/]OpenTripPlanner. Retrieved 17 January 2018</ref> ===
* Provides an API optimized for multimodal trip planning, including bikeshare
* Can consume GTFS-realtime, General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS)
* At least 13 production deployments globally, including the LA Metro and MBTA websites

=== [[TheTransitClock]]<ref>[https://github.com/TheTransitClock] TheTransitClock. Github. Retrieved on 17 January 2018. </ref> ===
* Generating arrival/departure predictions given raw vehicle data
* Can export predictions in GTFS-realtime and other formats
<references />

GTFS validators

2018-01-23T16:54:04Z

Barbeau: Update link to awesome-transit list

* [[FeedValidator]] - Google supported Python-based GTFS validator.
* [[gtfs-validator]] - A GTFS validator based on the Onebusaway GTFS Modules, runs in Java and is faster than the Google provided one. A fork was also made off of this validator offering additional checks
* [https://github.com/Stephen-Gates/GTFS GFTS format with schemas, a data package and tests] - From Stephen Gates, a [http://specs.frictionlessdata.io/data-packages/ data package specification] with validation accomplished with [http://goodtables.okfnlabs.org/ Good Tables].

Original content borrowed from [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/awesome-transit awesome-transit]

[[Category:General Transit Feed Specification]]
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]

Open-source software

2018-01-23T16:53:47Z

Barbeau: Update Awesome-transit list

=== Benefits ===
By investing in open-source software, government agencies, companies, and non-profit organizations can leverage their investments to create shared, public benefits. In effect, those who invest in open-source software are attempting to "pool" their investments to create software that lives in the public commons. Part of organizations' hoped-for return on their open-source investments is that other organizations will also invest in ongoing, incremental improvements to the same software, yielding continued benefits at no additional cost. Additionally, adopting open-source software can reduce vendor lock-in to high-cost, proprietary software.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/10POhMhFW6tt1a5Sad6CWCO-VfAK8i0A1yZmg5DwGV3w/edit?usp=sharing] "Can Open Source Transit Software Survive?" TransportationCamp 2018. Discussion moderated by Sean Barbeau and Kari Watkins. Retrieved 17 January 2018</ref>

=== Practices that support open-source software ===
Developing open-source software is a complex undertaking given the competing demands of software code that is both (a) sufficiently generalizable to be useful to a diverse array of users, and (b) sufficiently tailored to any given end-users' needs. It is also challenging to coordinate open-source software development, especially when there are many users likely to be impacted by any given change. Public-sector transportation agencies can advance open-source software development using the following strategies, among others:
* Adding open-source requirements to software procurements
* Adding a budget line-item and/or project task for the "open-sourcing" and related documentation of newly developed code
* Clearly communicate successes and open-source software implementations
* Coordinate with peer agencies to identify list of shared priorities and share costs for larger 'capital' improvements to open-source code blocks.

=== Transportation agencies supporting open-source software ===
* MTA
* MBTA
* Sound Transit
* Caltrans
* Oregon DOT

=== Private companies developing open-source transportation software ===
* Cambridge Systematics
* Conveyal
* IBI Group

=== Non-profit organizations developing open-source transportation software ===
* Zephyr Foundation

== Open-source transportation software projects ==
The [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/awesome-transit Awesome Transit] Github page also provides a list of open-source software projects.

=== [[OneBusAway]]<ref>[https://onebusaway.org/] OneBusAway. Retrieved 17 January 2018</ref> ===
* Provides an API optimized for accessing real-time transit information
* Includes open-source native apps for iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa, Google Glass
* Can consume GTFS-realtime and other real-time formats
* Deployed in 10 cities with more than 1 million users
* Available for iOS and Android

=== [[OpenTripPlanner]]<ref>[http://www.opentripplanner.org/]OpenTripPlanner. Retrieved 17 January 2018</ref> ===
* Provides an API optimized for multimodal trip planning, including bikeshare
* Can consume GTFS-realtime, General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS)
* At least 13 production deployments globally, including the LA Metro and MBTA websites

=== [[TheTransitClock]]<ref>[https://github.com/TheTransitClock] TheTransitClock. Github. Retrieved on 17 January 2018. </ref> ===
* Generating arrival/departure predictions given raw vehicle data
* Can export predictions in GTFS-realtime and other formats
<references />

GTFS-validator

2017-03-27T17:08:47Z

Barbeau: Changes from the laidig fork were merged upstream, so remove the fork

{{infobox
|title=gtfs-validator
|vendor= [[Conveyal]]
|license= [[The MIT License]]
|documentation= [https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-validator https://github.com/ conveyal/gtfs-validator]
|data_in= [[GTFS]]
|website= [https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-validator https://github.com/ conveyal/gtfs-validator]
}}

gtfs-validator is a Java framework for GTFS validation and statistics. It uses the [https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-gtfs-modules Onebusaway-GTFS] library, written in Java and is far faster at processing large feeds than the [[FeedValidator]] available from Google.

==External Links==
*[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-validator Conveyal branch]

[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]

OneBusAway

2017-03-02T21:49:10Z

Barbeau:

[http://onebusaway.org/ OneBusAway] <ref>University of Washington. "OneBusAway - Where is your bus?". Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://onebusaway.org/</ref> is an open-source software system for real-time transit information that grew out of research at the University of Washington. The initial OneBusAway deployment was in the Puget Sound area in Washington, although OneBusAway has since been deployed to many other cities including Atlanta, San Diego, Tampa, Washington, D.C., with international deployments in York (Canada), Finland, and Poland <ref>OneBusAway. "OneBusAway Deployments." Accessed March 2, 2017 from http://onebusaway.org/onebusaway-deployments/</ref>. MTA in New York is using OneBusAway software as the foundation of their Bus Time system <ref>Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "MTA Bus Time(R)." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://bustime.mta.info/</ref>.

OneBusAway uses [[General Transit Feed Specification]] data for the basic description of the transit system. Real-time information can be injected into the OneBusAway system using a variety of formats <ref>OneBusAway. "Real-Time Configuration Guide." Accessed March 2, 2017 from https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-application-modules/wiki/Real-Time-Data-Configuration-Guide</ref>, including GTFS-realtime, SIRI, and ACS Orbital Orbcad.

OneBusAway offers many native apps that are all open-source, including:

* [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joulespersecond.seattlebusbot Android]
* [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onebusaway/id329380089 iOS]
* [https://www.amazon.com/OneBusAway/dp/B01ELVUYCW/ OneBusAway skill for Amazon Alexa]
* [https://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.joulespersecond.seattlebusbot Amazon Fire Phone]
* [https://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/58321a598c7fff9ce1000137 Pebble Smartwatches]
* [https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-android/pull/219 Google Glass]

More information about deploying OneBusAway in your region is available at https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-application-modules/wiki.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Real-time applications]]
[[Category:Interactive Voice Response (IVR)]]

OneBusAway

2017-03-02T21:46:16Z

Barbeau:

[http://onebusaway.org/ OneBusAway] <ref>University of Washington. "OneBusAway - Where is your bus?". Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://onebusaway.org/</ref> is an open-source software system for real-time transit information that grew out of research at the University of Washington. The initial OneBusAway deployment was in the Puget Sound area in Washington, although OneBusAway has since been deployed to many other cities <ref>OneBusAway. "OneBusAway Deployments." Accessed March 2, 2017 from http://onebusaway.org/onebusaway-deployments/</ref>. MTA in New York is using OneBusAway software as the foundation of their Bus Time system <ref>Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "MTA Bus Time(R)." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://bustime.mta.info/</ref>.

OneBusAway uses [[General Transit Feed Specification]] data for the basic description of the transit system. Real-time information can be injected into the OneBusAway system using a variety of formats <ref>OneBusAway. "Real-Time Configuration Guide." Accessed March 2, 2017 from https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-application-modules/wiki/Real-Time-Data-Configuration-Guide</ref>, including GTFS-realtime, SIRI, and ACS Orbital Orbcad.

OneBusAway offers many native apps that are all open-source, including:

* [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joulespersecond.seattlebusbot Android]
* [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onebusaway/id329380089 iOS]
* [https://www.amazon.com/OneBusAway/dp/B01ELVUYCW/ OneBusAway skill for Amazon Alexa]
* [https://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.joulespersecond.seattlebusbot Amazon Fire Phone]
* [https://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/58321a598c7fff9ce1000137 Pebble Smartwatches]
* [https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-android/pull/219 Google Glass]

More information about deploying OneBusAway in your region is available at https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-application-modules/wiki.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Real-time applications]]
[[Category:Interactive Voice Response (IVR)]]

OneBusAway

2017-03-02T21:45:34Z

Barbeau:

[http://onebusaway.org/ OneBusAway] <ref>University of Washington. "OneBusAway - Where is your bus?". Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://onebusaway.org/</ref> is an open-source software system for real-time transit information that grew out of research at the University of Washington. The initial OneBusAway deployment was in the Puget Sound area in Washington, although OneBusAway has since been deployed to many other cities <ref>OneBusAway. "OneBusAway Deployments." Accessed March 2, 2017 from http://onebusaway.org/onebusaway-deployments/</ref>. MTA in New York is using OneBusAway software as the foundation of their Bus Time system <ref>Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "MTA Bus Time(R)." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://bustime.mta.info/</ref>.

OneBusAway uses [[General Transit Feed Specification]] data for the basic description of the transit system. Real-time information can be injected into the OneBusAway system using a variety of formats <ref>OneBusAway. "Real-Time Configuration Guide." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://developer.onebusaway.org/modules/onebusaway-application-modules/current/guides/realtime-configuration-guide.html</ref>, including GTFS-realtime, SIRI, and ACS Orbital Orbcad.

OneBusAway offers many native apps that are all open-source, including:

* [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joulespersecond.seattlebusbot Android]
* [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onebusaway/id329380089 iOS]
* [https://www.amazon.com/OneBusAway/dp/B01ELVUYCW/ OneBusAway skill for Amazon Alexa]
* [https://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.joulespersecond.seattlebusbot Amazon Fire Phone]
* [https://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/58321a598c7fff9ce1000137 Pebble Smartwatches]
* [https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-android/pull/219 Google Glass]

More information about deploying OneBusAway in your region is available at https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-application-modules/wiki.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Real-time applications]]
[[Category:Interactive Voice Response (IVR)]]

OneBusAway

2017-03-02T21:44:49Z

Barbeau: Add direct app links

[http://onebusaway.org/ OneBusAway] <ref>University of Washington. "OneBusAway - Where is your bus?". Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://onebusaway.org/</ref> is an open-source software system for real-time transit information that grew out of research at the University of Washington. The initial OneBusAway deployment was in the Puget Sound area in Washington, although OneBusAway has since been deployed to many other cities <ref>OneBusAway. "OneBusAway Deployments." Accessed March 2, 2017 from http://onebusaway.org/onebusaway-deployments/</ref>. MTA in New York is using OneBusAway software as the foundation of their Bus Time system <ref>Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "MTA Bus Time(R)." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://bustime.mta.info/</ref>.

OneBusAway uses [[General Transit Feed Specification]] data for the basic description of the transit system. Real-time information can be injected into the OneBusAway system using a variety of formats <ref>OneBusAway. "Real-Time Configuration Guide." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://developer.onebusaway.org/modules/onebusaway-application-modules/current/guides/realtime-configuration-guide.html</ref>, including GTFS-realtime, SIRI, and ACS Orbital Orbcad.

OneBusAway offers many native apps, including:

* [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joulespersecond.seattlebusbot Android]
* [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onebusaway/id329380089 iOS]
* [https://www.amazon.com/OneBusAway/dp/B01ELVUYCW/ OneBusAway skill for Amazon Alexa]
* [https://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.joulespersecond.seattlebusbot Amazon Fire Phone]
* [https://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/58321a598c7fff9ce1000137 Pebble Smartwatches]
* [https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-android/pull/219 Google Glass]

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Real-time applications]]
[[Category:Interactive Voice Response (IVR)]]

OneBusAway

2017-03-02T21:41:12Z

Barbeau:

OneBusAway

2017-03-02T20:31:31Z

Barbeau:

OneBusAway

2017-03-02T20:30:58Z

Barbeau: Update OBA links, deployments

GTFS-realtime

2017-03-02T19:27:18Z

Barbeau: Add links, update links

===Definition===

''from Google's [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ "What is GTFS-realtime?" guide'']:

GTFS-realtime is a feed specification that allows public transportation agencies to provide realtime updates about their fleet to application developers. It is an extension to GTFS ([[General Transit Feed Specification]]), an open data format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS-realtime was designed around ease of implementation, good GTFS interoperability and a focus on passenger information.

The specification was designed through a partnership of the initial Live Transit Updates partner agencies, a number of transit developers and Google. The specification is published under the Apache 2.0 License.<ref>https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/</ref>

===Components of GTFS-realtime===
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/trip-updates Trip Updates] - Predictions of when the vehicle will arrive
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/vehicle-positions Vehicle Positions] - Locations of vehicles
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/service-alerts Service Alerts] - Notifications to users that there is a disruption in the network

===How to provide GTFS-realtime===
This is a stub section that needs to be developed.

===Applications that consume GTFS-realtime data===
''List is not comprehensive''
* [[Google Maps]]
* [[OpenTripPlanner]]
* [[OneBusAway]]
* [[Bing Maps]]
* [[Transit App]]

===GTFS-realtime validation===

As of March 2017, there is no official public validation tool either endorsed by the GTFS-realtime community or provided by Google that validates that a GTFS-realtime feed contents are correct.

However, a [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-realtime-validator GTFS-realtime validation tool] is currently under development at the [https://www.cutr.usf.edu/ Center for Urban Transportation Research] at the [http://www.usf.edu/ University of South Florida] as part of a [http://nitc.trec.pdx.edu/ National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC)]-funded, based on early work from a 2015 Google Summer of Code project.

[[Category:GIS]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Open data]]

GTFS-realtime

2017-03-02T19:21:35Z

Barbeau: Update GTFS-rt validator entry

===Definition===

''from Google's [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ "What is GTFS-realtime?" guide'']:

GTFS-realtime is a feed specification that allows public transportation agencies to provide realtime updates about their fleet to application developers. It is an extension to GTFS ([[General Transit Feed Specification]]), an open data format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS-realtime was designed around ease of implementation, good GTFS interoperability and a focus on passenger information.

The specification was designed through a partnership of the initial Live Transit Updates partner agencies, a number of transit developers and Google. The specification is published under the Apache 2.0 License.<ref>https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/</ref>

===Components of GTFS-realtime===
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/trip-updates Trip Updates] - Predictions of when the vehicle will arrive
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/vehicle-positions Vehicle Positions] - Locations of vehicles
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/service-alerts Service Alerts] - Notifications to users that there is a disruption in the network

===How to provide GTFS-realtime===
This is a stub section that needs to be developed.

===Applications that consume GTFS-realtime data===
''List is not comprehensive''
* [[Google Maps]]
* [[OpenTripPlanner]]
* [[OneBusAway]]
* [[Bing Maps]]
* [[Transit App]]

===GTFS-realtime validation===

As of March 2017, there is no official public validation tool either endorsed by the GTFS-realtime community or provided by Google that validates that a GTFS-realtime feed contents are correct.

However, a GTFS-realtime validation tool is currently under development at the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida as part of a National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC)-funded, based on early work from a 2015 Google Summer of Code project - see the [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-realtime-validator gtfs-realtime-validator project].

[[Category:GIS]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Open data]]

GTFS-realtime

2017-03-02T19:19:20Z

Barbeau: Add components of GTFS-realtime

===Definition===

''from Google's [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ "What is GTFS-realtime?" guide'']:

GTFS-realtime is a feed specification that allows public transportation agencies to provide realtime updates about their fleet to application developers. It is an extension to GTFS ([[General Transit Feed Specification]]), an open data format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS-realtime was designed around ease of implementation, good GTFS interoperability and a focus on passenger information.

The specification was designed through a partnership of the initial Live Transit Updates partner agencies, a number of transit developers and Google. The specification is published under the Apache 2.0 License.<ref>https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/</ref>

===Components of GTFS-realtime===
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/trip-updates Trip Updates] - Predictions of when the vehicle will arrive
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/vehicle-positions Vehicle Positions] - Locations of vehicles
* [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/guides/service-alerts Service Alerts] - Notifications to users that there is a disruption in the network

===How to provide GTFS-realtime===
This is a stub section that needs to be developed.

===Applications that consume GTFS-realtime data===
''List is not comprehensive''
* [[Google Maps]]
* [[OpenTripPlanner]]
* [[OneBusAway]]
* [[Bing Maps]]
* [[Transit App]]

===GTFS-realtime validation===

As of July 2015, there is no official public validation tool either endorsed by the GTFS-realtime community or provided by Google that validates that a GTFS-realtime feed contents are correct. However, a GTFS-realtime validation tool is currently under development as part of a 2015 Google Summer of Code project - see the [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-realtime-validator gtfs-realtime-validator project].

[[Category:GIS]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Open data]]

Best practices for creating GTFS

2017-03-02T19:13:43Z

Barbeau: Split out official from unofficial Best Practices

The [[General Transit Feed Specification]] allows for transit features to be described using a variety of approaches. In some cases, particular approaches will result in better results in [[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications|GTFS-consuming applications]]. Various pages on the web offer advice on best practices for creating GTFS.

'''Official''':
* [http://gtfs.org/best-practices/ GTFS.org Industry-Standard Best Practices] - These Best Practices are agreed to and published by 17 industry partners. These are the most broadly-accepted and complete GTFS Best Practices.

'''Unofficial''':
* [[The Transit App]] [http://transitapp.com/developers developers page] provides "Open Data Guidelines" which includes recommendations on how to form GTFS for best results in the application.
* Google Maps has a [https://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/bestpractices.html GTFS Best Practices Guide]
* An [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FeAJNDs-1EdzcQq_daq8_uR0KIug6tzKDxdPxSdi8L4/edit?usp=sharing open Google Doc] has captured some best practices from members of the GTFS community.
* [[RideSchedules]] provides GTFS Publisher Best Practices for creating and hosting GTFS.
* [https://kurtraschke.com/2014/03/gtfs-download Kurt Raschke] provides recommendations for how to host GTFS data on a server to ensure update availability in consuming applications.
* [https://gtfsbook.com Quentin Zervaas's Book The Definitive Guide to GTFS] offers some discussion of GTFS best practices and style choices.
* [https://github.com/google/transitfeed/wiki/FeedValidatorErrorsAndWarnings FeedValidator's errors and warnings] reference provides an inventory of some common GTFS defects to avoid. feedvalidator.py software can automatically identify these potential issues.
* [https://trilliumtransit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201876369-Display-of-headsign-Google-Maps- Best practices and application-behavior context for specifying headsigns] in GTFS from [[Trillium]].
* The Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida has identified [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-realtime-validator/blob/master/Rules_Implemented.md some best practices] as part of their experience with GTFS-realtime feeds.

[[Category:General Transit Feed Specification]]
{{Template:Contributors}}

Best practices for creating GTFS

2017-03-02T19:10:46Z

Barbeau: Update GTFS-rt rules page

The [[General Transit Feed Specification]] allows for transit features to be described using a variety of approaches. In some cases, particular approaches will result in better results in [[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications|GTFS-consuming applications]]. Various pages on the web offer advice on best practices for creating GTFS.

* [http://gtfs.org/best-practices/ GTFS.org Industry-Standard Best Practices] - These Best Practices are agreed to and published by 17 industry partners. These are the most broadly-accepted and complete GTFS Best Practices.
* [[The Transit App]] [http://transitapp.com/developers developers page] provides "Open Data Guidelines" which includes recommendations on how to form GTFS for best results in the application.
* Google Maps has a [https://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/bestpractices.html GTFS Best Practices Guide]
* An [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FeAJNDs-1EdzcQq_daq8_uR0KIug6tzKDxdPxSdi8L4/edit?usp=sharing open Google Doc] has captured some best practices from members of the GTFS community.
* [[RideSchedules]] provides GTFS Publisher Best Practices for creating and hosting GTFS.
* [https://kurtraschke.com/2014/03/gtfs-download Kurt Raschke] provides recommendations for how to host GTFS data on a server to ensure update availability in consuming applications.
* [https://gtfsbook.com Quentin Zervaas's Book The Definitive Guide to GTFS] offers some discussion of GTFS best practices and style choices.
* [https://github.com/google/transitfeed/wiki/FeedValidatorErrorsAndWarnings FeedValidator's errors and warnings] reference provides an inventory of some common GTFS defects to avoid. feedvalidator.py software can automatically identify these potential issues.
* [https://trilliumtransit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201876369-Display-of-headsign-Google-Maps- Best practices and application-behavior context for specifying headsigns] in GTFS from [[Trillium]].
* The Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida has identified [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-realtime-validator/blob/master/Rules_Implemented.md some best practices] as part of their experience with GTFS-realtime feeds.

[[Category:General Transit Feed Specification]]
{{Template:Contributors}}

General Transit Feed Specification

2017-01-27T21:27:43Z

Barbeau: /* Best practices */

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

[[File:GTFS data model diagram.PNG|framed|right|GTFS data model diagram]]

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of January 15, 2016, there were are an estimated 1026 transit agencies worldwide, including 864 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed January 15, 2016 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and TripSpark (formerly Mentor Engineering) <ref>[http://www.tripspark.com/ Mentor Engineering. "TripSpark."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based tool is the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a product for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. TransLoc offers their web-based GTFS tool, TransLoc Architect<ref>[http://pages.transloc.com/architect-beta-signup/ TransLoc. "TransLoc Architect"]</ref>, to agencies for free. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>[http://trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

===GTFS Extensions===

Additional fields can be added to GTFS datasets to accommodate a variety of application-specific needs, even if these fields are not in the official specification. The following are documented examples of the GTFS spec being extended:

*'''[https://support.google.com/transitpartners/answer/2450962 Google Extensions to GTFS]''' - Includes fields for multi-agency fare attributes, maximum transfer counts per fare, additional route types, station vehicle types, station entrances, station platforms, translations, and route-to-route and trip-to-trip transfers.
*'''[https://github.com/osplanning-data-standards/GTFS-PLUS GTFS-Plus]''' - A GTFS-based data transit network data standard suitable for dynamic transit modeling.
* '''[https://groups.google.com/d/msg/gtfs-changes/TnQ80dVYA1g/DUsAT1moBAAJ Extra files for GTFS-to-HTML]''' - timetables.txt, timetable_stop_order.txt, route_pages.txt, route_page_assoc.txt] - A set of four files that are used to produce HTML timetables from GTFS datasets by the [[GTFS-to-HTML]] open-source software.
* '''[[http://www.transitwiki.org/TransitWiki/images/e/e7/GTFS%2B_Additional_Files_Format_Ver_1.7.pdf GTFS+]] in use by the SF Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission''' - Set of extra files that define discounted fares, stop attributes, and other information.
*'''[https://developer.trimet.org/gtfs_ext.shtml TriMet Extensions to GTFS]''' - Includes fields for bike_policy_url, feed_id, realtime_feeds info, route_sort_order, and continuous_stops.
*'''[[GTFS-to-HTML]]''' software utilizes extra GTFS tables to configure the construction of timetables from GTFS schedule data, documented on the project github site.

===Best practices===

See the [[Best practices for creating GTFS]] page for links to GTFS best practices documentation.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

{{Template:Contributors}}

Best practices for creating GTFS

2016-03-22T18:52:56Z

Barbeau: Add link to CUTR test cases

Best practices for creating GTFS

2016-03-22T18:50:39Z

Barbeau: Add link to open Google Doc

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-03-22T18:35:02Z

Barbeau: Add best practices link

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

[[File:GTFS data model diagram.PNG|framed|right|GTFS data model diagram]]

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of January 15, 2016, there were are an estimated 1026 transit agencies worldwide, including 864 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed January 15, 2016 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and TripSpark (formerly Mentor Engineering) <ref>[http://www.tripspark.com/ Mentor Engineering. "TripSpark."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a product for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. TransLoc offers their web-based GTFS tool, TransLoc Architect<ref>[http://pages.transloc.com/architect-beta-signup/ TransLoc. "TransLoc Architect"]</ref>, to agencies for free. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

===GTFS Extensions===

Additional fields can be added to GTFS datasets to accommodate a variety of application-specific needs, even if these fields are not in the official specification. The following are documented examples of the GTFS spec being extended:

*'''[https://support.google.com/transitpartners/answer/2450962 Google Extensions to GTFS]''' - Includes fields for multi-agency fare attributes, maximum transfer counts per fare, additional route types, station vehicle types, station entrances, station platforms, translations, and route-to-route and trip-to-trip transfers.
*'''[https://github.com/osplanning-data-standards/GTFS-PLUS GTFS-Plus]''' - A GTFS-based data transit network data standard suitable for dynamic transit modeling.
* '''[https://groups.google.com/d/msg/gtfs-changes/TnQ80dVYA1g/DUsAT1moBAAJ Extra files for GTFS-to-HTML]''' - timetables.txt, timetable_stop_order.txt, route_pages.txt, route_page_assoc.txt] - A set of four files that are used to produce HTML timetables from GTFS datasets by the [[GTFS-to-HTML]] open-source software.
* '''[[GTFS+]] in use by the SF Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission''' - Set of extra files that define discounted fares, stop attributes, and other information.
*'''[https://developer.trimet.org/gtfs_ext.shtml TriMet Extensions to GTFS]''' - Includes fields for bike_policy_url, feed_id, realtime_feeds info, route_sort_order, and continuous_stops.

===Best practices===

See the [http://www.transitwiki.org/TransitWiki/index.php?title=Best_practices_for_creating_GTFS GTFS Best Practices] page for links to GTFS best practices documentation.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-03-17T20:20:21Z

Barbeau: Add TriMet GTFS extensions

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

[[File:GTFS data model diagram.PNG|framed|right|GTFS data model diagram]]

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of January 15, 2016, there were are an estimated 1026 transit agencies worldwide, including 864 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed January 15, 2016 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and TripSpark (formerly Mentor Engineering) <ref>[http://www.tripspark.com/ Mentor Engineering. "TripSpark."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a product for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. TransLoc offers their web-based GTFS tool, TransLoc Architect<ref>[http://pages.transloc.com/architect-beta-signup/ TransLoc. "TransLoc Architect"]</ref>, to agencies for free. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

===GTFS Extensions===

Additional fields can be added to GTFS datasets to accommodate a variety of application-specific needs, even if these fields are not in the official specification. The following are documented examples of the GTFS spec being extended:

*'''[https://support.google.com/transitpartners/answer/2450962 Google Extensions to GTFS]''' - Includes fields for multi-agency fare attributes, maximum transfer counts per fare, additional route types, station vehicle types, station entrances, station platforms, translations, and route-to-route and trip-to-trip transfers.
*'''[https://github.com/osplanning-data-standards/GTFS-PLUS GTFS-Plus]''' - A GTFS-based data transit network data standard suitable for dynamic transit modeling.
* '''[https://groups.google.com/d/msg/gtfs-changes/TnQ80dVYA1g/DUsAT1moBAAJ Extra files for GTFS-to-HTML]''' - timetables.txt, timetable_stop_order.txt, route_pages.txt, route_page_assoc.txt] - A set of four files that are used to produce HTML timetables from GTFS datasets by the [[GTFS-to-HTML]] open-source software.
* '''[https://groups.google.com/d/msg/gtfs-fare-wg/b4is0BrzVLI/SRf4MYq-YYQJ GTFS+ (Extended) in use by the SF Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission]''' - Set of extra files that define discounted fares, stop attributes, and other information. Though in-use, documentation appears to be unavailable online. Link is to discussion at gtfs-changes.
*'''[https://developer.trimet.org/gtfs_ext.shtml TriMet Extensions to GTFS]''' - Includes fields for bike_policy_url, feed_id, realtime_feeds info, route_sort_order, and continuous_stops.

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

Best practices for creating GTFS

2016-02-26T22:11:21Z

Barbeau:

Best practices for creating GTFS

2016-02-26T22:10:51Z

Barbeau: Add Google Transit best practices

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-02-08T21:55:23Z

Barbeau: Add GTFS-Plus

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

[[File:GTFS data model diagram.PNG|framed|right|GTFS data model diagram]]

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of January 15, 2016, there were are an estimated 1026 transit agencies worldwide, including 864 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed January 15, 2016 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and TripSpark (formerly Mentor Engineering) <ref>[http://www.tripspark.com/ Mentor Engineering. "TripSpark."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a product for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. TransLoc offers their web-based GTFS tool, TransLoc Architect<ref>[http://pages.transloc.com/architect-beta-signup/ TransLoc. "TransLoc Architect"]</ref>, to agencies for free. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

===GTFS Extensions===

Additional fields can be added to GTFS datasets to accommodate a variety of application-specific needs, even if these fields are not in the official specification. The following are documented examples of the GTFS spec being extended:

*'''[https://support.google.com/transitpartners/answer/2450962 Google Extensions to GTFS]''' - Includes fields for multi-agency fare attributes, maximum transfer counts per fare, additional route types, station vehicle types, station entrances, station platforms, translations, and route-to-route and trip-to-trip transfers.
*'''[https://github.com/osplanning-data-standards/GTFS-PLUS GTFS-Plus]''' - A GTFS-based data transit network data standard suitable for dynamic transit modeling.

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-02-08T21:50:23Z

Barbeau:

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

[[File:GTFS data model diagram.PNG|framed|right|GTFS data model diagram]]

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of January 15, 2016, there were are an estimated 1026 transit agencies worldwide, including 864 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed January 15, 2016 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and TripSpark (formerly Mentor Engineering) <ref>[http://www.tripspark.com/ Mentor Engineering. "TripSpark."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a product for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. TransLoc offers their web-based GTFS tool, TransLoc Architect<ref>[http://pages.transloc.com/architect-beta-signup/ TransLoc. "TransLoc Architect"]</ref>, to agencies for free. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

===GTFS Extensions===

Additional fields can be added to GTFS datasets to accommodate a variety of application-specific needs, even if these fields are not in the official specification. The following are documented examples of the GTFS spec being extended:

*'''[https://support.google.com/transitpartners/answer/2450962 Google Extensions to GTFS]''' - Includes fields for multi-agency fare attributes, maximum transfer counts per fare, additional route types, station vehicle types, station entrances, station platforms, translations, and route-to-route and trip-to-trip transfers.

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-02-03T20:00:02Z

Barbeau: Add TransLoc Architect

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

[[File:GTFS data model diagram.PNG|framed|right|GTFS data model diagram]]

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of January 15, 2016, there were are an estimated 1026 transit agencies worldwide, including 864 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed January 15, 2016 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and TripSpark (formerly Mentor Engineering) <ref>[http://www.tripspark.com/ Mentor Engineering. "TripSpark."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a product for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. TransLoc offers their web-based GTFS tool, TransLoc Architect<ref>[http://pages.transloc.com/architect-beta-signup/ TransLoc. "TransLoc Architect"]</ref>, to agencies for free. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-01-15T16:27:00Z

Barbeau: /* Origins & history */

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

[[File:GTFS data model diagram.PNG|framed|right|GTFS data model diagram]]

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of January 15, 2016, there were are an estimated 1026 transit agencies worldwide, including 864 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed January 15, 2016 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and TripSpark (formerly Mentor Engineering) <ref>[http://www.tripspark.com/ Mentor Engineering. "TripSpark."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a vendor-based tool for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-01-15T15:12:21Z

Barbeau: Change Mentor name

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

[[File:GTFS data model diagram.PNG|framed|right|GTFS data model diagram]]

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of March 2012, there were are an estimated 261 transit agencies worldwide, including 227 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed March 1, 2012 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and TripSpark (formerly Mentor Engineering) <ref>[http://www.tripspark.com/ Mentor Engineering. "TripSpark."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a vendor-based tool for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-01-05T14:52:21Z

Barbeau: Add link to add vendor/product for in-house tools

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of March 2012, there were are an estimated 261 transit agencies worldwide, including 227 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed March 1, 2012 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and Mentor Engineering <ref>[http://www.mentoreng.com/products/streets-transit/streets-schedule/schedule.html Mentor Engineering. "Transit Scheduling Software."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a vendor-based tool for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor/product to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-01-05T14:50:58Z

Barbeau: /* Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset */

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of March 2012, there were are an estimated 261 transit agencies worldwide, including 227 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed March 1, 2012 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and Mentor Engineering <ref>[http://www.mentoreng.com/products/streets-transit/streets-schedule/schedule.html Mentor Engineering. "Transit Scheduling Software."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a vendor-based tool for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. A list of vendors that provide self-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here].

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2016-01-05T14:49:17Z

Barbeau: Add Remix and TransitWand

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of March 2012, there were are an estimated 261 transit agencies worldwide, including 227 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed March 1, 2012 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and Mentor Engineering <ref>[http://www.mentoreng.com/products/streets-transit/streets-schedule/schedule.html Mentor Engineering. "Transit Scheduling Software."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are a variety of open-source and vendor-based tools that can be used for creating and maintaining GTFS data. One free spreadsheet-based toolis the XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. Remix<ref>[http://getremix.com/ Get Remix Team. "Get Remix"]</ref> is a vendor-based tool for quickly sketching out transit routes and generating GTFS data. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. The open-source mobile app TransitWand<ref>[http://transitwand.com/ Conveyal. "TransitWand"]</ref> can also help when in the data collection process when creating a new GTFS dataset. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>.

In order to create and maintain GTFS, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the specification. Several [[GTFS training materials]] are available.

GTFS leaves many options available for how to describe transit services. See [[best practices for creating GTFS]] for recommendations on how to form GTFS datasets that will provide the best results in applications.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide self-service or full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. '''[[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] is directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.'''
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:There are a variety of applications that assist a transit customer in planning a trip from one location to another using public transportation. These provide step-by-step information on how to use various transportation options to reach a custom destination. See [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
*'''Timetable creation'''
:There applications create a printable list of the agency’s schedule in a timetable format. They can also take the form of an HTML friendly or plain-text timetable. See [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
*'''Data visualization'''
:Various applications provide graphic visualizations of transit routes, stops, and schedule data. They can provide details such as the walkability, the quality of public transportation serving the area, and relate those factors to a third criteria specific to the service (i.e. apartments available in the area.) See [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
*'''Accessibility'''
:These include applications that assist transit riders with disabilities in using public transportation. See [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:These applications that use GTFS data along with a real-time information source to provide estimated arrival information to transit riders. Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]]. See [[:Category:Real-time applications]]

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

Publicly-accessible public transportation data

2015-12-09T14:37:59Z

Barbeau: Fix HART GTFS link

=Publicly-accessible public transportation data=
Spearheaded by a small group of transit agencies in the [[United States]], public transportation operators started publishing their transportation network and schedule data in electronic form, accessible to the public through the [[Internet]] for bulk download in a [[Zip (file format)|Zip]] archive. The data format used in the publications is [[GTFS]], which was incubated for this purpose. GTFS has become an industry standard for publishing transportation network and schedule data, as more and more agencies and operators followed the example that the initial group had set.
The audience for the published data consists of software developers and web services such as [[Google]], who use the data to provide content to their apps and web services.
The following two lists contain references to the published data. The first list contains references to schedule and network data published in GTFS. The second list contains references to data feeds that are published in formats other than GTFS. It also includes references to dynamic data that contains next bus and train departure data and transit vehicle locations in "real time".
Both lists include references to applicable terms and conditions or data licensing requirements as stated by the data publishers.

==List of publicly-accessible public transportation data feeds: static data in the GTFS format==

This is a list of references to public transportation data feeds that contain static data, and that are published by transit agencies and transit operators in the GTFS format. The feeds contain data about scheduled times, stop locations, route information and optionally fare information and route shape details over a scheduling period, which is defined in the feed. For the GTFS format specification, see the [http://code.google.com/transit/spec/transit_feed_specification.html General Transit Feed Specification] document.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Agency !! Area !! Feed Location !! Notes
|-
| [http://www.trimet.org/ TriMet] || Portland, OR || http://developer.trimet.org/schedule/gtfs.zip || Use is subject to the terms of their [http://developer.trimet.org/terms_of_use.shtml developer license]
|-
| [http://www.bart.gov/ BART] || San Francisco Bay Area, CA || http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/open.aspx || Use is subject to the terms of their [http://www.bart.gov/dev/schedules/license.htm developer license]. Additional information at [http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/open.aspx]
|-
| [http://www.caltrain.com/ Caltrain] || San Francisco Bay Area, CA || http://www.caltrain.com/developer.html || Use is subject to the terms of their [http://www.smctd.com/dla.html Developer License Agreement].
|-
| [http://www.dart.org DART] || Dallas, TX || http://www.dart.org/transitdata/ || Please read [http://www.dart.org/transitdata/legalnotices.asp legal notice]
|-
| [http://www.octa.net OCTA] || Orange County, CA || http://www.octa.net/current/google_transit.zip || Use subject to [http://www.octa.net/disclaimer.aspx disclaimer]
|-
| [http://www.sacrt.com Sacramento RT] || Sacramento, CA || http://iportal.sacrt.com/GTFS/SRTD || [http://www.sacrt.com/gtfs.stm License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.capmetro.org Capital Metro] || Austin, TX || http://www.capmetro.org/gisdata/google_transit.zip || Disclaimer and additional files/formats available on [http://www.capmetro.org/gisdata/gisdata.asp their GIS Data page]
|-
| [http://www.hta.org/ Humboldt Transit Authority] || Humboldt County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/humboldtcounty-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.rio-vista-ca.com/transit/ Rio Vista Delta Breeze] || Rio Vista, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/riovista-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://unitrans.ucdavis.edu/ Unitrans] || Davis, CA || http://iportal.sacrt.com/GTFS/Unitrans || [http://www.sacrt.com/gtfs.stm License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.rtd-denver.com Regional Transportation District] || Denver, CO || http://www.rtd-denver.com/GoogleFeeder/ || [http://www.rtd-denver.com/License_Agreement/License_Agreement.pdf License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/ Transperth] || Perth, WA (Australia) || http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/About/Spatial-Data-Access || [http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/TimetablesMaps/SpatialDataAccess/tabid/254/language/en-AU/Default.aspx License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.yrt.ca York Region Transit] || York County, ON || http://www.yrt.ca/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridemcts.com/ Milwaukee County Transit System] || Milwaukee, WI || http://kamino.mcts.org/gtfs/google_transit.zip || [http://kamino.mcts.org/gtfs/ Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.thebus.org Oahu Transit Services, Inc] || Honolulu, HI || http://webapps.thebus.org/transitdata/Production/google_transit.zip || [http://www.thebus.org/transitfeed/terms-of-use.asp Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.gohrt.com/ Hampton Roads Transit] || Hampton Roads, VA || http://googletf.gohrt.com/ ||
|-
| [http://www.metrolinktrains.com/ Metrolink] || Southern California || http://www.metrolinktrains.com/help/page/title/developer_resources ||
|-
| [http://www.gomcta.com/ Monroe County Transit Authority] || Monroe County, PA || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/monroe-county-transit-authority/ ||
|-
| [http://www.naipta.az.gov/ Mountain Line] || Flagstaff, AZ || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/naipta-az-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.jeffersontransit.com/ Jefferson Transit Authority] || Port Townsend, WA || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/jefferson-transit-authority/ || [http://www.jeffersontransit.com/information.html License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.islandtransit.org/ Island Transit] || Island County, WA || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/island-transit/ || [http://islandtransit.org/license_agreement/ License Agreement]
|-
| [http://ridemetro.org/ METRO] || Houston, TX || http://www.ridemetro.org/Pages/NewsDownloads.aspx || [http://ridemetro.org/AboutUs/Publications/DataDownloads.aspx Legal Notice]
|-
| [http://www.sfmta.com SFMTA (Muni)] || San Francisco, CA || http://www.sfmta.com/transitdata || [http://www.sfmta.com/transitdata License Agreement]
|-
| [http://irvineshuttle.net/ The Irvine Shuttle] || Irvine, CA || http://irvineshuttle.net/files/managed/Document/70/google_transit.zip || [http://www.cityofirvine.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=12803 Website Policy]
|-
| [http://www.broward.org/bct/ Broward County Transit] || Broward County, FL || http://www.broward.org/bct/google/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.btransit.org/ Blacksburg Transit] || Blacksburg, VA || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/blacksburg-transit/ ||
|-
| [http://www.wmata.com/ Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority] || Washington, DC || http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/developer_resources.cfm || [http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/license_agreement.cfm License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.mountainline.com/ Mountain Line] || Missoula, MT || http://www.montanatransit.com/googletransit/MUTD/ ||
|-
| [http://www.takeets.com/ Edmonton Transit System (ETS)] || Edmonton, AB || http://webdocs.edmonton.ca/transit/etsdatafeed/google_transit.zip || [http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/ets/about_ets/ets-data-for-developers.aspx Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.metro.net/ Los Angeles County Metro] || Los Angeles, CA || http://developer.metro.net/gtfs/google_transit.zip || [http://developer.metro.net/policies/terms/ Terms and Conditions]
|-
| [http://www.septa.org/ SEPTA] || Philadelphia, PA || http://www2.septa.org/developer/index.php ||
|-
| [http://www.sdmts.com/ San Diego MTS] || San Diego, CA || http://www.sdmts.com/google_transit_files/google_transit.zip || [http://www.sdmts.com/Planning/Developers_TermsAndConditions.asp Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.tillamookbus.com/ Tillamook County Transportation District] || Tillamook County, OR || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/tillamook-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/ Massachusetts] || Massachusetts EOT || http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers || http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/0/docs/developers/develop_license_agree.pdf
|-
| [http://parking.uark.edu/26.php Razorback Transit] || Fayetteville, AR || http://www.ozarkwebtech.com/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.laketahoetransit.com/home Truckee / North Tahoe Transportation Management Association] || North Lake Tahoe, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/laketahoe-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://www.bluego.org/ TTD-South Shore Services (BlueGo)] || Tahoe Basin Area, CA || ||
|-
| [http://www.mbta.com/ MBTA] || Boston, MA || http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/developers/default.asp?id=21895 || [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/downloads/TOS.pdf Developer's License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation] || Massachusetts || [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers Links to bay, regional and ferry GTFS] || [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/downloads/TOS.pdf Developer's License Agreement]
|-
| All SF Bay ferry operators || San Francisco Bay, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/sfbay-ferries-ca-us/ ||
|-
| The JO || Johnson County, KS || http://www.jocogov.org/sites/default/files/documents/TRN/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.tankbus.org TANK] || Covington, KY || http://caistage.nku.edu/tankgoogletransit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rabaride.com Redding Area Bus Authority] || Redding, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/redding-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.gonctd.com/ North County Transit District] || North San Diego County, CA || http://www.gonctd.com/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.kcata.org/ Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA)] || Kansas City, MO || http://www.kcata.org/transit_data ||
|-
| [http://www.riderta.com/ Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority] || Cleveland, Ohio || http://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/gtfs/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rtcsnv.com/ Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada] || Southern Nevada || http://rtcws.rtcsnv.com/g/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ltd.org Lane Transit District] || Lane County, Oregon || http://www.ltd.org/googlepublic/ ||
|-
| [http://metro.kingcounty.gov/ King County Metro Transit] || King County, WA || http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/MetroTransit/Developers.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.translink.ca/ TransLink] || Vancouver, BC || http://www.translink.ca/en/Schedules-and-Maps/Developer-Resources/GTFS-Data.aspx || Terms of Use shown on the download page
|-
| [http://www.cdta.org/ CDTA] || Albany, NY || http://www.cdta.org/schedules/google_transit.zip || [http://www.cdta.org/schedules_developer_tools_developer_license.php Developer license] and [http://www.cdta.org/schedules_developer_tools.php developer page]
|-
| [http://community.gorge.net/hrctd/Dial-A-Ride.htm Columbia Area Transit] || Hood River County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/hoodriver-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.trinitytransit.org Trinity Transit] || Trinity County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/trinity-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.fasttransit.org/ Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST)] || Fairfield and Suisun City, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/fairfield-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://www.metrostlouis.org/ Metro Saint Louis] || St. Louis, MO || ftp://www.metrostlouis.org/transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridesmart.com/ South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART)] || Wilsonville, OR || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/wilsonville-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/gensvcs/transportation.htm Siskiyou Transit and General Express (STAGE)] || Siskiyou County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/siskiyou-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.transitchicago.com Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)] || Chicago area, IL || http://www.transitchicago.com/developers/gtfs.aspx || Use is subject to terms of CTA's [http://www.transitchicago.com/developers Developer License Agreement]. More data/feeds at the [http://www.transitchicago.com/developers CTA Developer Center].
|-
| [http://www.ridethebus.org/ Sunset Empire Transportation District] || Clatsop County, OR || http://www.ridethebus.org/Google_Transit/ ||
|-
| [http://www.portauthority.org Port Authority of Allegheny County] || Pittsburgh, PA || http://www.portauthority.org/GoogleTransitFeed || Use is subject to the terms and conditions of [http://www.portauthority.org/PAAC/CompanyInfo/DeveloperResources/DeveloperLicenseAgreement/tabid/521/Default.aspx Port Authority's License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.mta.info MTA] || New York, NY || http://www.mta.info/developers/ ||
|-
| [http://www.hsvcity.com Huntsville Shuttle] || Huntsville, AL || [http://maps.hsvcity.com/GoogleTransit/google_transit.zip] ||
|-
| [http://www.arlingtontransit.com Arlington Transit] || Arlington, VA || http://realtime.commuterpage.com/RTT/Public/Utility/GTFS.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.cityofescalon.org/transit.htm eTrans] || Escalon, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/escalon-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://northwest-point.com/ NorthWest POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/northwestpoint-or-us || [http://oregon-gtfs.com/ Terms of use]
|-
| [http://southwest-point.com/ SouthWest POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/southwestpoint-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.catbus.com/ Clemson Area Transit (CAT)] || Clemson, SC || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/clemson-sc-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.taketrax.com/ Tehama Area Rural eXpress (TRAX)] || Tehama County, CA. Including Susanville Indian Rancheria Public Transportation Program between Redding, Red Bluff, and Susanville. || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/tehama-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.duluthtransit.com/ Duluth Transit] || Duluth, MN || http://www.duluthtransit.com/gtf/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.metlink.org.nz/google-transit-feed/ Metlink] || Wellington (New Zealand) || http://www.metlink.org.nz/customer-services/general-transit-feed-specification/ ||
|-
| [http://www.soundtransit.org/ Sound Transit] || Puget Sound Region, WA || http://www.soundtransit.org/Developer-resources || [http://developer.soundtransit.org/documents/developer/pdf/electronicdatatermsofuse.pdf Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.maxx.co.nz/ ARTA] || Auckland (New Zealand) || https://api.at.govt.nz/docs/v1#GTFS-downloads ||
|-
| [http://www.miamidade.gov/ Miami-Dade Transit] || Miami-Dade, FL || http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/googletransit/current/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.mvta.com/ Minnesota Valley Transit Authority] || Minnesota Valley || http://wiki.mvta.com/files/Home/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/transit/CityBus/ City of Santa Rosa CityBus] || Santa Rosa, CA || ftp://ftp.ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/SantaRosaCityBus/ || [http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/transit/CityBus/Pages/GTSFOpenSourceData.aspx Developer License Agreement]
|-
| [http://caravanairporttransportation.com Caravan Airport Shuttle] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/caravan-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.cascadeseasttransit.com Cascades East Transit] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/cascadeseast-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.hutshuttle.com HUT Airport Shuttle] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/hut-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.grantcountypeoplemover.com People Mover] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/peoplemover-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.porterstageline.com Porter Stage Lines] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/porterstage-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.kokkola-bus.com/ValleyRetrieverBuslines.html Valley Retriever] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/valleyretriever-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.cumtd.com/ Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District] || Champaign-Urbana, IL || http://www.cumtd.com/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Rockland County || Rockland County, NY || https://geopower.jws.com/rockland/DataPage.jsp# ||
|-
| [http://www.dartfirststate.com/ Delaware First State] || Delaware || http://www.dartfirststate.com/information/routes/gtfs_data/dartfirststate_de_us.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridescat.com SpaceCoast FL US] || Space Coast, FL || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/spacecoast-fl-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.srt.org Stanislaus County, CA] || Stanislaus County || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/stanislaus-ca-us/ || Stanislaus Area Regional Transit (Stanislaus County), Bus Line Service of Turlock (Turlock, California), Ceres Area Transit (Ceres, California)
|-
| [http://www.rvtd.org/ Rogue Valley Transportation District ] || Rogue Valley, OR || http://www.rvtd.org/images/subpages/GTFS_feed.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.calgarytransit.com/ Calgary Transit ] || Calgary, AB || https://data.calgary.ca/OpenData/Pages/DatasetDetails.aspx?DatasetID=PDC0-99999-99999-00501-P%28CITYonlineDefault%29 || https://data.calgary.ca/OpenData/Pages/TermsOfUse.aspx
|-
| [http://www.metlink.org.nz// Greater Wellington's public transportation network ] || Greater Wellington (New Zealand) || http://www.metlink.org.nz/googletransit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.halifax.ca// Halifax Metro] || Halifax, NS || http://halifax.ca/GoogleTransit/developerdata.html ||
|-
| [http://www.cota.com/ Central Ohio Transit Authority] || Columbus, OH || http://www.cota.com/Auxiliary/Data.aspx ||
|-
| [http://sites.google.com/site/gotrianglegtfs/ GoTriangle] || Research Triangle, NC || http://sites.google.com/site/gotrianglegtfs/google-transit ||
|-
| [http://www.vitoria-gasteiz.org/ Red de Transporte urbano de Vitoria-Gasteiz] || Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) || http://www.vitoria-gasteiz.org/we001/http/vgTransit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/ Adelaide Metro] || Adelaide (Australia) || http://adelaidemetro.com.au/GTFS/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.toronto.ca/ TTC] || Toronto, ON || http://www.toronto.ca/open/datasets/ttc-routes/ || http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=4a37e03bb8d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
|-
| [http://www.hamilton.ca/ Hamilton Street Railway] || Hamilton, ON || http://www.hamilton.ca/ProjectsInitiatives/OpenData/ ||
|-
| [http://www.vvta.org/ Victor Valley Transit Authority] || Victor Valley, CA ||http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/victorville-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://data.keolis-rennes.com Rennes] || Rennes (France) || http://data.keolis-rennes.com/fr/les-donnees/donnees-telechargeables.html ||
|-
| [http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov Montgomery County] || Montgomery County, MD || http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dot/transit/news/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.spokanetransit.com Spokane Transit Authority] || Spokane, WA || http://198.1.35.130/sta/gmap-data/SpokaneTransitGTFS.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.pacebus.com Pace Bus] || Chicago, IL || http://www.pacebus.com/gtfs/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.roseville.ca.us/transportation/roseville_transit/default.asp Roseville Transit] || Roseville, CA || http://iportal.sacrt.com/GTFS/Roseville ||
|-
| [http://www.yolobus.com/ Yolobus] || Yolo County, CA || http://iportal.sacrt.com/GTFS/Yolobus ||
|-
| [http://www.yubasuttertransit.com/ Yuba-Sutter Transit] || Yuba City, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/yubasutter-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.norwalktransit.com/ Norwalk Transit District] || Norwalk, CT || http://rfshared.s3.amazonaws.com/gtfs/norwalk_gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cccta.org/ County Transit] || Central Contra Costa County, CA || http://cccta.org/GTFS/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.wavetransit.com/ Wave Transit] || Wilmington, NC || http://www.wavetransit.com/gtransit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://gov.allconet.org/act/ Allegany County Transit] || Allegany County, MD || http://gov.allconet.org/ACT/ggl/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.scgov.net/scat/ Sarasota County Area Transit] || Sarasota, FL || https://www.scgov.net/SCAT/Google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.gmpte.com Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive] || Manchester (Great Britain) || http://store.datagm.org.uk/sets/tfgm/tfgmgtfs.zip || http://store.datagm.org.uk/sets/tfgm/FreeToUseData_SubLicence_G_V4.pdf
|-
| [http://www.gtt.to.it Gruppo Torinese Trasporti] || Torino (Italy) || http://opendata.5t.torino.it/gtfs/torino_it.zip ||
|-
| [http://macog.com Michiana Area Council Of Governments] || South Bend, IN || http://macog.com/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://columbiacountyrider.com/ Columbia County Rider] || Columbia County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/columbiacounty-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.ci.sandy.or.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={BF6D9F91-1204-479D-B3A5-B12572DA8DD1} Sandy Area Metro] || Sandy, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/sandy-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.nfta.com/ NFTA Metro] || Buffalo - Niagara Region, NY || http://metro.nfta.com/Contact/Developers.aspx ||
|-
| [http://sanjoaquinrtd.com San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD)] || San Joaquin Valley, CA || http://sanjoaquinrtd.com/RTD-GTFS/RTD-GTFS.zip || [http://sanjoaquinrtd.com/legal/default.php Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://scmtd.com/ Santa Cruz Metro Transit District] || Santa Cruz, CA || http://scmtd.com/google_transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ci.green-bay.wi.us/transit/ Brown County / Green Bay Metro Transit] || Green Bay, WI || http://maps.gis.co.brown.wi.us/web_documents/Planning/Google_Transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cherriots.com Salem-Keizer Transit (Cherriots)] || Salem, OR || http://www.cherriots.org/developer/gtfs.zip || Developer area and usage agreement are available [http://www.cherriots.org/developer/agreement.htm here]
|-
| [http://www.co.coos.or.us Coos County Area Transit] || Coos County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/cooscounty-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.linnshuttle.com Linn Shuttle] || Linn County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/linnshuttle-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.charlottesville.org Charlottesville Area Transit] || Charlottesville, VA || http://avlweb.charlottesville.org/rtt/public/utility/GTFS.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.co.josephine.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=628 Josephine County Transit] || Josephine County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/josephinecounty-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.umpquatransit.com/ U-Trans] || Roseburg, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/umpquatransit-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.panynj.gov/path/ Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)] || New York/New Jersey || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/path-nj-us/ || [http://www.panynj.gov/path/developers.html Developer page & terms of use]
|-
| [http://www.discovercorona.com/City-Departments/Public-Works/Public-Services-and-Information/Corona-Cruiser.aspx Corona Cruiser] || Corona, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/corona-ca-us/ || [http://www.discovercorona.com/City-Departments/Public-Works/Transportation/GTFS.aspx License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.mymetrobus.com Metro Transit] || Madison, WI || http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/gtfs/mmt_gtfs.zip || [http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/Apps/terms.cfm Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://modestoareaexpress.com Modesto Area Express] || Modesto, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/modesto-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.grt.ca Grand River Transit] || Cambridge/Kitchener-Waterloo, ON || http://www.grt.ca/en/doingBusiness/supportingsoftwareapplications.asp?_mid_=18101 ||
|-
| [http://bctransit.com BC Transit] || Victoria / Whistler, BC || http://bctransit.com/data/default.cfm ||
|-
| [http://vta.org Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority] || Santa Clara, CA || http://www.vta.org/getting-around/gtfs-info/data-file || [http://www.vta.org/getting-around/gtfs-info/dev-terms-of-use Terms and Conditions]
|-
| [http://www.sunline.org Sunline] || Palm Springs, CA || http://www.sunline.org/transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rkt.no/ Rogaland Kollektivtrafikk FKF] || Kolumbus (Norway) || http://www.rkt.no/gt/google_transit.zip || [http://next.kolumbus.no/rutedata/rutedata-registrering/ Registration required]
|-
| [http://www.bkk.hu Budapesti Közlekedési Központ] || Budapest (Hungary) || http://www.bkk.hu/gtfs/budapest_gtfs.zip || http://www.bkk.hu/magunkrol/fejlesztoknek/
|-
| [http://www.gohart.org HART] || Hillsborough County, FL || http://www.gohart.org/google/google_transit.zip || [http://groups.google.com/group/googletransitdatafeed/browse_thread/thread/798e2af28996fac2 License Agreement]
|-
| Ponferada || León (Spain) || https://sites.google.com/site/pruebasgeoreferencesimplygo/lineabus1-kml/
|-
| [http://www.co.lincoln.or.us/transit/ Lincoln County Transit] || Lincoln County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/lincolncounty-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.yctransitarea.org/ Yamhill County Area Transit] || Yamhill County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/yamhill-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.rgrta.com/ Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority] || Rochester, NY || http://scheduledata.rgrta.com/ || [http://scheduledata.rgrta.com/License%20Agreement%20and%20Terms%20of%20Use.pdf License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.rtl-longueuil.qc.ca Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL)] || Longueuil, QC || http://www.rtl-longueuil.qc.ca/Contenu.aspx?NavID=1158 ||
|-
| [http://www.friweb.hu/vonalhalozat/ Szeged] || Szeged (Hungary) || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/szkt/latest.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cata.org/ CATA] || Lansing, MI || http://www.cata.org/AboutCATA/DeveloperResources/tabid/555/Default.aspx || [http://www.cata.org/AboutCATA/DeveloperResources/GTFS/tabid/556/Default.aspx License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.emtmadrid.es/ EMT] || Madrid (Spain) || https://servicios.emtmadrid.es:8443/gtfs/transitemt.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rtcwashie.com/ RTC Washoe] || Washoe County, NV || http://www.rtcwashoe.com/googletransit/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.psta.net/ Penillas Suncoast Transit Authority] || Penillas County, FL || http://www.psta.net/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rtcquebec.ca/ RTC Quebec] || Quebec (Canada) || http://www.rtcquebec.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=192&language=fr-CA ||
|-
| [http://www.viainfo.net/ San Antonio VIA] || San Antonio, TX || http://www.viainfo.net/BusService/google_transit.zip || http://www.viainfo.net/Opportunities/DevLicense.aspx
|-
| [http://www.corvallistransit.com/ Corvallis Transit] || Corvallis, OR || ftp://ftp.ci.corvallis.or.us/pw/Transportation/GoogleTransitFeed/ ||
|-
| Rockland County Department of Public Transportation || Rockland and Westchester Counties, NY || https://geopower.jws.com/rockland/DataPage.jsp# ||
|-
| [http://www.intercitytransit.com/ Intercity Transit] || Olympia, WA || http://www.intercitytransit.com/googledata/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridetarc.org/ TARC] || Louisville, KY || http://googletransit.ridetarc.org/feed ||
|-
| [http://cobreeze.com/ Central Oregon Breeze] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/centraloregonbreeze-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.umatilla.nsn.us/bus.html Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation] || Oregon || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/confederated-tribes-of-the-umatilla-indian-reservation ||
|-
| [http://www.currypublictransit.org/ Curry Public Transit] || Curry, OR || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/curry-public-transit/ ||
|-
| [http://www.mfcity.com/transport City of Milton-Freewater] || Milton-Freewater, OR || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/city-of-milton-freewater-oregon/ ||
|-
| [http://www.amt.qc.ca/developpeurs Agence métropolitaine de transport] || Montreal, QC || http://www.amt.qc.ca/developpeurs/ ||
|-
| [http://www.basintransit.com/ Basin Transit Service] || Klamath Falls, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/basin-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.woodburn-or.gov/?q=transit Woodburn Transit] || Woodburn, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/woodburn-or-us ||
|-
| [http://southlanewheels.org/ South Lane Wheels] || South Lane, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/southlanewheels-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.rideconnection.org/ride/default.aspx Ride Connection] || Portland Metro Area, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/rideconnection-or-us || [http://www.rideconnection.org/ride/AboutUs/GTFSLicensingAgreement.aspx Terms of use]
|-
| [http://www.go-metro.com Cincinnati Metro] || Cincinnati, OH || http://www.go-metro.com/uploads/google_transit.zip || [http://www.go-metro.com/about-metro/developer-data Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.go-metro.com Washington State Ferries] || Washington State || https://business.wsdot.wa.gov/Transit/csv_files/wsf/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.sanbenitocountyexpress.org/ San Benito County Express] || San Benito County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/sanbenito-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.theride.org/ Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority] || Ann Arbor, MI || http://www.theride.org/google/ ||
|-
| [http://www.metroplan.org/ Central Arkansas Transit Authority] || Central Arkansas, AR || http://metroplan.org/maps/transit/ ||
|-
| [http://www.4mta.org/ Mendocino Transit Authority] || Mendocino County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/mendocino-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://cabq.gov/ City of Albuquerque] || Albuquerque, NM || http://data.cabq.gov/transit/gtfs/ ||
|-
| [http://transport.nsw.gov.au/ Transport of NSW] || Sydney and New South Wales (Australia) || https://tdx.transportnsw.info || https://tdx.transportnsw.info/terms-conditions.php
|-
| [http://kingsporttransit.org Kingsport Transit] || Kingsport, TN || http://kingsporttransit.org/GTFS/gtfs ||
|-
| [http://pts.umich.edu/ University of Michigan Transit Services] || University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI || http://pts.umich.edu/gtfs/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.trafiklab.se/ Sweden] || Sweden || http://www.trafiklab.se/api/gtfs-sverige ||
|-
| [http://cottonwoodaz.gov/cat.php Cottonwood Area Transit] || Cottonwood, AZ || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/cottonwood-az-us/ ||
|-
| [http://cottonwoodaz.gov/cat-verde_lynx.php Verde Lynx] || Cottonwood and Sedona area, AZ || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/verdelynx-az-us/ ||
|-
| [http://actransit.org AC Transit] || Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, CA || http://www.actransit.org/wp-content/uploads/ ||
|-
| [http://www.valleymetro.org Valley Metro] || Phoenix, AZ || http://www.valleymetro.org/developers ||
|-
| [http://www.getbus.org Golden Empire Transit District] || Bakersfield, CA || http://www.getbus.org/google-transit-data-download/ || [http://www.getbus.org/googletransit/GET-GTFS-License_Agreement.txt/ License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.amadortransit.com Amador Regional Transit] || Amador County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/amador-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://transit.calaverasgov.us Calaveras Transit] || Calaveras County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/calaveras-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.estransit.com Eastern Sierra Transit Authority] || Inyo and Mono Counties, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/easternsierra-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/easternsierra-ca-us/ESTA%20Data%20License%20Agreement.html Data License Agreement] ||
|-
| [http://www.maderactc.org/translinks.html Madera County Transit] || Madera County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/madera-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.plumastransit.com/default.html Plumas Transit] || Plumas County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/plumas-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.yarts.com Yosemite Area Regional Transit] || Yosemite Area, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/yosemite-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.lassentransportation.org/a/Lassen-Rural-Bus-LRB.php Lassen Rural Bus] || Lassen County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/lassen-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.indygo.net/ IndyGo] || Indianapolis, IN || http://www.indygo.net/pages/indygo-developer-content-area ||
|-
| [http://www.itsmarta.com/ MARTA] || Atlanta, GA || http://itsmarta.com/marta-developer-resources.aspx ||
|-
| [http://bloomingtontransit.com/ Bloomington Transit] || Bloomington, IN || http://bloomington.in.gov/transit/gtfeed/GoogleTransitFeed.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ Fairfax County] || Fairfax County, VA || http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/connector_gtfs.zip || [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/data/ Terms and Conditions]
|-
| [http://www.njtransit.com/ New Jersey Transit] || New Jersey || https://www.njtransit.com/developer ||
|-
| [http://www.marintransit.org/ Marin Transit] || Marin, CA || http://www.marintransit.org/data/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rochestercitylines.com/ Rochester City Lines] || Rochester, MN || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/rochestercitylines-mn-us ||
|-
| [http://www.palosverdes.com/pvtransit/ PVPTA] || Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/pvpta-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://www.buttebus.org/ Butte Silver-Bow] || Butte, MT || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/butte-mt-us ||
|-
| [http://www.thunderbay.ca/ Thunder Bay Transit] || Thunder Bay, ON || http://api.nextlift.ca/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://swanislandtma.org Swan Island TMA] || Portland, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/swanisland-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.mymanatee.org/mcat Manatee County Area Transit] || Bradenton, FL || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/manatee-fl-us ||
|-
| [http://www.neotransit.org Northeast Oregon Public Transit] || La Grand, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/northeast-or-us ||
|-
| [http://dati.trentino.it Trentino] || Trentino (Italy) || http://www.dati.trentino.it/dataset/trasporti-pubblici-del-trentino-formato-gtfs || http://dati.trentino.it/it/storage/f/2013-03-15T085950/mitt_opendata.zip
|-
| [http://www.springsgov.com Mountain Metro Transit] || Colorado Springs, CO || http://www.springsgov.com/units/transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridewta.com Whatcom Transportation Authority] || Whatcom County, WA || https://github.com/whatcomtrans/publicwtadata/raw/master/GTFS/wta_gtfs_latest.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cmrtransit.org Central Maryland Regional Transit] || Central Maryland || http://www.cmrtransit.org/about/developer-resources/ ||
|-
| [http://www.lagunabeachcity.net/cityhall/pw/transit/ Laguna Beach Transit] || Laguna Beach, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/lagunabeach-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://www.amtrakcascades.com/ Cascades POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/cascadespoint-or-us || [http://oregon-gtfs.com/ Terms of use]
|-
| [http://www.nashvillemta.org/ Nashville MTA] || Nashville, TN || http://www.nashvillemta.org/Nashville-MTA-Developer-Data-Request.asp ||
|-
| [http://www.511ny.org/ 511 New York] || New York || http://www.511ny.org/developer.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.stm.info/ Société de transport de Montréal] || Montréal, QC || http://www.stm.info/en/about/developers || http://www.stm.info/en/about/developers/terms-use
|-
| [http://www.rideuta.com Utah Transit Authority] || Salt Lake City, UT || http://developer.rideuta.com/DeveloperResources/developer.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.winnipegtransit.com Winnipeg Transit] || Winnipeg, MB || http://gtfs.winnipegtransit.com/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.gotransit.com GO Ontario] || Ontario || http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/gtfs/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ripta.com Rhode Island Public Transit Authority ] || Rhode Island || http://www.ripta.com/googledata/current/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.fivecounty.utah.gov SunTran] || Five Counties, UT || http://www.fivecounty.utah.gov/transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.slorta.org SLORTA] || San Luis Obispo, CA || https://sites.google.com/site/slocountytransit/google-transit-docs/slorta_datafiles/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ruraltransit.org// Fresno County Rural Transit Agency] || Fresno, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/fresnocounty-ca-us ||
|-
| Minneapolis-St.Paul Regional GIS Consortium || Minnepolis-St.Paul, MN || ftp://gisftp.metc.state.mn.us ||
|-
| [http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/Transit// Go Transit] || Oshkosh, WI || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/oshkosh-wi-us ||
|-
| [http://www.rvarc.org/ Roanoke Valley Region], ([http://www.valleymetro.com Valley Metro], [http://www.radartransit.org/ Radar Transit]) || Roanoke Valley Region, VA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/roanoke-va-us ||
|-
| [https://data.qld.gov.au/ Queensland] || Queensland (Australia) || translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/resources/about-translink/reporting-and-publications/open-data/gtfs/SEQ.zip?140718 ||
|-
| Mexico City || Mexico City (Mexico) || http://datosabiertos.df.gob.mx/sigdata/index.php/Publicacion/busquedaxdepe/20 ||
|-
| [http://mot.gov.il Israel Public Transportation] || Israel || ftp://gtfs.mot.gov.il/israel-public-transportation.zip || Note: Requires right-to-left text processing capability
|-
| [http://mot.gov.il Israel Railways] || Israel || ftp://gtfs.mot.gov.il/irw_gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.vbb.de Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg] || Berlin and Brandenburg (Germany) || http://www.vbb.de/de/datei/gtfs-daten.zip || gtfs by CC BY Attribution
|-
| [http://www.sctransit.com/ Sonoma County Transit] || Santa Rosa, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/sonomacounty-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://myciti.org.za/ MyCiTi] || Cape Town (South Africa) || http://myciti.org.za/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.nictd.com/ Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District] || Chesterton, IN || http://www.nictd.com/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.octranspo1.com/ OC Transpo] || Ottawa, ON || http://data.ottawa.ca/en/dataset/oc-transpo-schedules ||
|-
| [http://www.highdesert-point.com/high-desert-point/ HighDesert POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/highdesertpoint-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.highdesert-point.com/eastern-point/ Eastern POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/easternpoint-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.highdesert-point.com/eugene-to-bend/ Eugene to BEND] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/eugenetobend-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.ltd.org/diamondex/ Diamond Express] || Oakridge, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/diamondexpress-or-us ||
|-
| Tisséo || Toulouse (France) || http://data.toulouse-metropole.fr/les-donnees/-/opendata/card/16271-reseau-tisseo-metro-bus-tram-gtfs ||
|-
| [http://www.radfordtransit.com/ Radford Transit] || Radford, VA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/radford-va-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.c-tran.com/ C-Tran] || Clark County, WA || http://www.c-tran.com/images/Google/GoogleTransitUpload.zip || http://www.c-tran.com/about-c-tran/business/c-tran-gtfs-data
|-
| [http://www.mthoodexpress.com// Mt. Hood Express] || Clackamas County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/mthoodexpress-or-us/ ||
|-
| The Netherlands || The Netherlands || http://gtfs.ovapi.nl/nl/gtfs-nl.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ci.beaumont.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=160 Beaumont Transit System] || Beaumont, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/beaumont-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.linktransit.com/ Link Transit] || Wenatchee, WA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/linktransit-wa-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.athenstransit.org/ Athens Transit] || Athens, OH || http://www.athenstransit.org/code/wp-content/athenstransit-athens-oh-us/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://transit.torranceca.gov/ Torrance Transit] || Torrance, CA || http://transit.torranceca.gov/24436.htm ||
|-
| [http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Departments/Transit.aspx Asheville Redefines Transit] || Asheville, NC || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/asheville-nc-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.pulaskitransit.org/ Pulaski Area Transit] || Pulaski, VA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/pulaski-va-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.marta.cc/ Mountain Transit] || Big Bear Lake, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/bigbear-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.clallamtransit.com/ Clallam Transit] || Clallam County and Olympic Peninsula, WA || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/clallam_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://makah.com/transit/ Makah Public Transit] || Makah Tribe || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/makah_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| People for People || || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/pfp_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.yakimatransit.org/ Yakima Transit] || Yakima, WA || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/yakima_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://tapsbus.com/ TAPS Bus] || Texoma Area || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/taps_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.sctlink.com/ South County Transit] || South County, CA || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/southcounty_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/miway MiWay] || Mississauga, ON || https://www.miapp.ca/GTFS/google_transit.zip?# ||
|-
| [http://www.omnitrans.org OmniTrans] || San Bernardino County, CA || http://www.omnitrans.org/google/ ||
|-
| [http://www.lawrenceks.org Lawrence Transit] || Lawrence, KS || http://lawrenceks.org/assets/gis/google-transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://ladot.lacity.org/index.htm LA DOT] || Los Angeles, CA || http://lacitydot.com/gtfs/administrator/gtfszip/ladotgtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.suntran.com Suntran] || Tucson, AZ || http://www.suntran.com/developers.php ||
|-
| [http://www.cityofkinston.ca City of Kingston] || Kingston, ON || http://www.cityofkingston.ca/cok/data/transit_feeds/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Société de transport de Sherbrooke (STS) || Sherbrooke, QC || http://donnees.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/dataset/transpo || http://donnees.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/licence
|-
| [http://gis.nevcounty.net Gold Country Stage] || Western Nevada County, CA || http://gis.nevcounty.net/GTFS/GTFS.zip ||
|-
| [https://gocarta.com CARTA] || Chattanooga, TN || http://carta-gtfs.herokuapp.com ||
|-
| [https://toaks.org City of Thousand Oaks] || Thousand Oaks, CA || http://www.toaks.org/GoogleTransit/thousandoaks/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.brampton.ca Brampton Transit] || Brampton, ON || http://www.brampton.ca/en/City-Hall/OpenGov/Open-Data-Catalogue/Pages/Welcome.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.strathcona.ca Strathcona County] || Strathcona County, AB || https://data.strathcona.ca/Transportation/Strathcona-County-Transit-Bus-Schedule-GFTS-Data-F/cvta-prr6 ||
|-
| [http://www.agenziamobilita.roma.it Agenzia per la mobilità] || Roma (Italy) || http://dati.muovi.roma.it/gtfs/google_transit.zip || http://www.agenziamobilita.roma.it/it/servizi/open-data/dataset.html
|-
| [http://www.norta.com Norta] || New Orleans, LA || http://www.norta.com/myrta || Requires sign up to MY RTA
|-
| Mornington Railway || Moorooduc/Mornington in Victoria, Australia || http://addtransit.com/gtfs/MorningtonRailway/MorningtonRailway.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.wichita.gov Wichita Transit] || Wichita, KS || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/wichita-transit/ || [http://www.wichitatransit.org/Policy/Pages/default.aspx Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.action.act.gov.au/ ACTION Buses] || Canberra (Australia) || http://www.action.act.gov.au/timetables_and_maps/Plan-Your-Trip ||
|-
| [http://www.piercetransit.org Pierce Transit] || Pierce County, WA || ftp://ops.piercetranst.org/schedulefeed || Submission of signed disclaimer required
|-
| [http://www.comune.palermo.it AMAT Palermo SPA] || Palermo (Italy) || http://www.comune.palermo.it/gtfs/amat_feed_gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.redwoodcoasttransit.org Redwood Coast Transit] || Del Norte County, California || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/delnorte-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.kerntransit.org Kern Transit] || Kern County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/kerncounty-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.jeffcoexpress.org JeffCo Express] || Jefferson County, MO || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/jeffersoncounty-mo-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.mercedthebus.com The Bus (Merced)] || Merced County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/mercedthebus-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://siouxfalls.org/sam Sioux Area Metro] || Sioux Falls, SD || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/siouxareametro-sd-us/ ||
|-
| [http://thebus.com The Bus (Marble Valley Regional Transit District] || Marble Valley, VT || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/thebus-vt-us/ ||
|-
| [https://sites.google.com/a/rctvt.org/riderct/ Rural Community Transportation] || Rural VT || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/ruralcommunity-vt-us/ ||
|-
| [http://us.megabus.com/burlington.aspx Megabus] || Nationwide US and Canada || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/megabus-ct-us/ ||
|-
| [http://elevatedtransit.com Elevated Transit] || Statewide Utah || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/elevatedtransit-ut-us/ ||
|-
| Kakegawa City || Kagewa (Japan) || http://opentrans.it/feed/gtfs/5707702298738688/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Omaezaki City || Omaezaki (Japan) || http://opentrans.it/feed/gtfs/5634472569470976/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Susono City || Susono (Japan) || http://opentrans.it/feed/gtfs/5649391675244544/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://go-rts.com Regional Transit System] || Gainesville, FL || http://go-rts.com/about-rts/ ||
|-
| [http://pt.berkeley.edu/around/beartransit Bear Transit] || University of California, Berkeley shuttle system || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/beartransit-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.cttransit.com Conneticut Department of Transportation] || Conneticut || http://www.cttransit.com/about/developers/gtfsdata/ ||
|-
| [https://www.rigassatiksme.lv/lv/ Riga Satiksme] || Riga (Latvia) || http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/riga/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://amat-mi.it/it/ AMAT] || Milan (Italy) || http://amat-mi.it/it/downloads/data/gtfs/current/Export_OpenDataTPL_Current.zip ||
|-
| Paris || Paris (France) || http://dataratp.download.opendatasoft.com/RATP_GTFS_FULL.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.mtmmolfetta.it/ MTM Molfetta] || Molfetta (Italy) || http://www.mtmmolfetta.it/transit/mtm-feed-gtfs.zip ||
|-
| Sussex County || Sussex County, NJ || http://www.sussex.nj.us/documents/transit/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://rctransit.org River Cities Transit] || Kelso-Longview, WA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/rivercitiestransit-wa-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.muni.org/Departments/transit/PeopleMover/Pages/default.aspx Anchorage People Mover] || Anchorage, AK || http://gtfs.muni.org/People_Mover.gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.dashbus.com Alexandria Transit Company (DASH)] || Alexandria, VA || http://www.dashbus.com/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.golynx.com Orlando FL LYNX Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority] || Orlando, FL || http://www.golynx.com/maps-schedules/data-download.stml ||
|-
| Metro Tasmania || Hobart, Launceston and Burnie (Australia) || http://www.metrotas.com.au/community/gtfs/ ||
|-
| Biella e Vercelli Province || Piedmont (Italy) || http://www.magellanoprogetti.it/atap/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Biella e Vercelli Province || Piedmont (Italy) || http://www.magellanoprogetti.it/atap/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Pamplona || Pamplona (Spain) || 86.109.125.18:88/gt/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.vic.gov.au Public Transport Victoria] || Victoria (Australia) || https://www.data.vic.gov.au/data/dataset/ptv-timetable-and-geographic-information-2015-gtfs ||
|-
| [http://www.ridetransfort.com Transfort] || Fort Collins, CO || http://www.ridetransfort.com/developers ||
|-
| [http://www.zditm.szczecin.pl/ ZDiTM Szczecin] || Szczecin (Poland) || http://www.zditm.szczecin.pl/rozklady/GTFS/latest/google_gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ruhrtalbahn.de/ Ruhrtalbahn] || Ruhrgebiet (Germany) || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/ruhrtalbahn/ ||
|-
| [http://www.eisenbahnmuseum-bochum.de/ Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum] || Bochum (Germany) || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/eisenbahnmuseum-bochum/ ||
|-
| [http://www.peatus.ee Estonia] || Estonia || http://www.peatus.ee/gtfs/ ||
|-
| [http://www.actv.it/ Venice] || Venice (Italy) || http://www.actv.it/opendata/ ||
|-
| Palo Verde Valley Transit Agency || East Riverside County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/paloverde_valley-ca-us/paloverde_valley-ca-us.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.bigbluebus.com Big Blue Bus] || Santa Monica, CA || http://gtfs.bigbluebus.com/ ||
|-
| [http://www.navarra.es Navarra] || Navarra (Spain) || https://gobiernoabierto.navarra.es/sites/all/modules/pubdlcnt/pubdlcnt.php?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.navarra.es%2Fappsext%2FDescargarFichero%2Fdefault.aspx%3FcodigoAcceso%3DOpenData%26fichero%3DTransporteInterurbano%2Fgtfs.zip&nid=2082 ||
|-
| [http://www.cts-strasbourg.eu CTS Strasbourg] || Strasbourg (France) || http://www.cts-strasbourg.eu/fr/portail-open-data/ ||
|-
| [http://www.tulsatransit.com Tulsa Transit] || Tulsa, OK || http://www.tulsatransit.org/gtfs/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cityofbarriesites.com/ City of Barrie] || Barrie, ON || http://transit.cityofbarriesites.com/files/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Terre Haute Transit || Terre Haute, IN || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/terrehautetransit-in-us/terrehautetransit-in-us.zip ||
|-
| Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) || Des Moines, IA || http://api.ridedart.com/gtfs/file?key=ef0bd8fa9ef652bcfaea713da3b64078 ||
|-
| Belgian railwaycompany NMBS || Belgium || http://gtfs.irail.be/nmbs/ ||
|-
| [http://www.reittiopas.fi Reittiopas] || Helsinki (Finland) || http://developer.reittiopas.fi/pages/en/other-apis.php ||
|-
| [http://www.peatus.ee PATUS] || Estonia || http://www.peatus.ee/gtfs/ ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt Vilnius] || Vilnius (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/vilnius/vilnius/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt/kaunas Kaunas] || Kaunas (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/kaunas/kaunas/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt/klaipeda Klaipėda] || Klaipėda (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/klaipeda/klaipeda/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt/panevezys Panevėžys] || Panevėžys (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/panevezys/panevezys/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt/druskininkai Druskininkai] || Druskininkai (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/druskininkai/druskininkai/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| La Palma Island || La Palma Island (Balearic Islands, Spain) || http://194.179.122.188/files/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Mallorca Island || Mallorca Island (Balearic Islands, Spain) || http://www.tib.org/portal/documents/10286/110211/es-ctm-mallorca.zip ||
|-
| Bologna || Bologna (Italy) || https://solweb.tper.it/web/tools/open-data/open-data-download.aspx?source=tper.it&filename=gommagtfsbo&version=20150512&format=zip ||
|-
| Ferrara || Ferrara (Italy) || https://solweb.tper.it/web/tools/open-data/open-data-download.aspx?source=tper.it&filename=gommagtfsfe&version=20150512&format=zip ||
|-
| AMTAB S.p.A. Bari || Bari (Italy) || http://bari.opendata.planetek.it/OrariBus/v2.1/ ||
|-
| [http://www.smtd.org Springfield Mass Transit District] || Springfield, IL || http://data.smtd.org/gtfs/smtd_gtfs_feed.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/ Melbourne Public Transport] || Melbourne (Australia) || https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/melbourne-pt-gtfs/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.gocitybus.com/ Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation (CityBus)] || Lafayette, IN || http://myride.gocitybus.com/public/laf/google/google_transit.zip ||
|}

==List of publicly-accessible public transportation data feeds: dynamic data and others==
This is a list of references to static public transportation data published by transit agencies and transit operators in formats other than GTFS. It also includes dynamic data feeds in [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ GTFS-realtime]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Agency !! Area !! Feed Location !! Type !! Format !! Notes
|-
| [http://www.trimet.org/ TriMet] || Portland, OR || http://developer.trimet.org/ws_docs/ || Real time departure predictions and vehicle locations || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.trimet.org/ TriMet] || Portland, OR || http://developer.trimet.org/GTFS.shtml || GTFS-realtime || GTFS-realtime || [http://developer.trimet.org/terms_of_use.shtml Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.bart.gov/ BART] || San Francisco Bay Area || http://api.bart.gov/docs/overview/index.aspx || Real time departure predictions, route and schedule information || REST/XML || [http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/api.aspx Developer page]
|-
| [http://www.bart.gov/ BART] || San Francisco Bay Area || http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/gtfs-realtime.aspx || BART GTFS-Real Time || GTFS-realtime || [http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/api.aspx Developer page]
|-
| King County METRO || Seattle, WA || http://www.its.washington.edu/its_ws.html || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.metro.net L.A. Metro] || Los Angeles, CA || [http://developer.metro.net] || Trip planner API, Real time departure predictions (buses) || REST/XML || Trip planner: Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://transport.nsw.gov.au/ Transport for NSW] || New South Wales and Sydney (Australia) || https://tdx.131500.com.au || Network and schedule data || File set TransXChange || Registration required
|-
| [http://www.transitchicago.com/ CTA Bus] || Chicago, IL || http://www.ctabustracker.com/bustime/APIDocument.jsp || Real time departure predictions and bus locations || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.sfmta.com SFMTA] || San Francisco, CA || http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asite/nextmunidata.htm || Real time departure predictions and vehicle locations || REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.ytv.fi/fin ytv] || Helsinki Metro (Finland) || http://developer.reittiopas.fi/pages/en/home.php || Trip planner API || REST/XML || Registration required, non-commercial use (test and development)
|-
| [http://www.traveline.info/mobile.html Traveline NextBuses] || England, Wales and Scotland || || Scheduled and some real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration required, commercial license
|-
| [http://www.traveline.info/mobile.html Traveline NextBuses] || England, Wales and Scotland || || Scheduled and some real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration required, commercial license
|-
| [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers MBTA/EOT] || Boston, MA || http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers || Real time departure predictions and bus locations || REST/XML || Bus, Subway and Commuter Rail
|-
| [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers MBTA/EOT] || Boston, MA || http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers || Real-Time Data in GTFS-realtime Format || GTFS-realtime || [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/downloads/DLA_11-13-09.pdf License]
|-
| [http://www.wmata.com WMATA] || Washington, D.C. || http://developer.wmata.com/ || Real time departure predictions for Metro Rail and Bus || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.actransit.org/ AC Transit] || Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, CA || http://www.actransit.org/rider-info/nextbus-xml-data/ || Real time departure predictions and bus locations || REST/XML || 110 out of 175 routes
|-
| [http://data.london.gov.uk/datastore/ London Datastore] || London (UK) || http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartners/syndication/16492.aspx || Various datasets and real time feeds || ||
|-
| [http://www.ttc.ca/ Toronto Transit Commission] || Toronto, ON || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| Various Universities || US || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| DC Circulator, Charm City Circulator, US || Maryland, Virginia || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| Portland Streetcar || Portland, OR || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| MTA || New York, NY || [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/Index] || Bus locations route B63|| REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://triangletransit.org/ Triangle Transit] || Chapel Hill, NC || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| Dutch Railways (NS) || The Netherlands || [http://ns.nl/api] || Trip planning, station list, live departures, prices and service disruptions || REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.cumtd.com CUMTD] || Champaign-Urbana, IL || [http://developer.cumtd.com/] || Real time departure predictions|| REST/XML || [http://developer.cumtd.com/terms-of-use Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.mtc.ca.gov/ MTC] || San Francisco Bay Area, CA || [http://511.org/developer-resources_transit-api.asp] || Real time departure predictions|| REST/XML || [http://511portalstaging.lan.511.org/developer-resources_api-terms_rtt.asp Terms and Conditions]
|-
| [http://www.transitchicago.com/ CTA Customer Alerts] || Chicago, IL || http://www.transitchicago.com/developers/alerts.aspx || Real time service messages|| REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.transitchicago.com/ CTA Train Tracker] || Chicago, IL || http://www.transitchicago.com/developers/traintracker.aspx || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.thebus.org/ OTS] || Oahu, HI || http://hea.thebus.org/api_info.asp || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.psta.net/ PSTA] || Pinellas County, FL || http://psta.net/developers/ridepsta_API.php || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.itsmarta.com/ MARTA] || Atlanta, GA || http://www.itsmarta.com/marta-developer-resources.aspx || Real time departure predictions || REST/Json ||
|-
| [http://www.mta.info/ MTA] || New York, NY || http://datamine.mta.info/ || Subway real-time data feeds (Beta) || GTFS-realtime ||
|-
| [http://www.rideuta.com/ UTA] || Salt Lake City, UT || http://developer.rideuta.com/DeveloperResources/DataInstructions.aspx || Next bus and train times || REST/XML/SIRI ||
|-
| [http://www.opendata.ch/ OpenData.ch] || Switzerland || http://transport.opendata.ch/ || Public timetable data || REST/JSON ||
|-
| [http://www.octranspo1.com OC Transpo] || Ottawa, ON || http://www.octranspo1.com/developers || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.vic.gov.au/ Victorian Government] || Victoria (Australia) || https://www.data.vic.gov.au/raw_data/ptv-timetable-api/6056 || Timetable API || REST/JSON || Documentation at http://stevage.github.io/PTV-API-doc/
|-
| [http://www.ridetarc.org/ Transit Authority of River City] || Louisville, KY || http://gtfsrealtime.ridetarc.org/ || Real-Time Data in GTFS-realtime Format || GTFS-realtime ||
|-
|-
|}

Publicly-accessible public transportation data

2015-12-09T14:36:44Z

Barbeau: /* List of publicly-accessible public transportation data feeds: dynamic data and others */

=Publicly-accessible public transportation data=
Spearheaded by a small group of transit agencies in the [[United States]], public transportation operators started publishing their transportation network and schedule data in electronic form, accessible to the public through the [[Internet]] for bulk download in a [[Zip (file format)|Zip]] archive. The data format used in the publications is [[GTFS]], which was incubated for this purpose. GTFS has become an industry standard for publishing transportation network and schedule data, as more and more agencies and operators followed the example that the initial group had set.
The audience for the published data consists of software developers and web services such as [[Google]], who use the data to provide content to their apps and web services.
The following two lists contain references to the published data. The first list contains references to schedule and network data published in GTFS. The second list contains references to data feeds that are published in formats other than GTFS. It also includes references to dynamic data that contains next bus and train departure data and transit vehicle locations in "real time".
Both lists include references to applicable terms and conditions or data licensing requirements as stated by the data publishers.

==List of publicly-accessible public transportation data feeds: static data in the GTFS format==

This is a list of references to public transportation data feeds that contain static data, and that are published by transit agencies and transit operators in the GTFS format. The feeds contain data about scheduled times, stop locations, route information and optionally fare information and route shape details over a scheduling period, which is defined in the feed. For the GTFS format specification, see the [http://code.google.com/transit/spec/transit_feed_specification.html General Transit Feed Specification] document.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Agency !! Area !! Feed Location !! Notes
|-
| [http://www.trimet.org/ TriMet] || Portland, OR || http://developer.trimet.org/schedule/gtfs.zip || Use is subject to the terms of their [http://developer.trimet.org/terms_of_use.shtml developer license]
|-
| [http://www.bart.gov/ BART] || San Francisco Bay Area, CA || http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/open.aspx || Use is subject to the terms of their [http://www.bart.gov/dev/schedules/license.htm developer license]. Additional information at [http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/open.aspx]
|-
| [http://www.caltrain.com/ Caltrain] || San Francisco Bay Area, CA || http://www.caltrain.com/developer.html || Use is subject to the terms of their [http://www.smctd.com/dla.html Developer License Agreement].
|-
| [http://www.dart.org DART] || Dallas, TX || http://www.dart.org/transitdata/ || Please read [http://www.dart.org/transitdata/legalnotices.asp legal notice]
|-
| [http://www.octa.net OCTA] || Orange County, CA || http://www.octa.net/current/google_transit.zip || Use subject to [http://www.octa.net/disclaimer.aspx disclaimer]
|-
| [http://www.sacrt.com Sacramento RT] || Sacramento, CA || http://iportal.sacrt.com/GTFS/SRTD || [http://www.sacrt.com/gtfs.stm License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.capmetro.org Capital Metro] || Austin, TX || http://www.capmetro.org/gisdata/google_transit.zip || Disclaimer and additional files/formats available on [http://www.capmetro.org/gisdata/gisdata.asp their GIS Data page]
|-
| [http://www.hta.org/ Humboldt Transit Authority] || Humboldt County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/humboldtcounty-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.rio-vista-ca.com/transit/ Rio Vista Delta Breeze] || Rio Vista, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/riovista-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://unitrans.ucdavis.edu/ Unitrans] || Davis, CA || http://iportal.sacrt.com/GTFS/Unitrans || [http://www.sacrt.com/gtfs.stm License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.rtd-denver.com Regional Transportation District] || Denver, CO || http://www.rtd-denver.com/GoogleFeeder/ || [http://www.rtd-denver.com/License_Agreement/License_Agreement.pdf License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/ Transperth] || Perth, WA (Australia) || http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/About/Spatial-Data-Access || [http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/TimetablesMaps/SpatialDataAccess/tabid/254/language/en-AU/Default.aspx License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.yrt.ca York Region Transit] || York County, ON || http://www.yrt.ca/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridemcts.com/ Milwaukee County Transit System] || Milwaukee, WI || http://kamino.mcts.org/gtfs/google_transit.zip || [http://kamino.mcts.org/gtfs/ Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.thebus.org Oahu Transit Services, Inc] || Honolulu, HI || http://webapps.thebus.org/transitdata/Production/google_transit.zip || [http://www.thebus.org/transitfeed/terms-of-use.asp Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.gohrt.com/ Hampton Roads Transit] || Hampton Roads, VA || http://googletf.gohrt.com/ ||
|-
| [http://www.metrolinktrains.com/ Metrolink] || Southern California || http://www.metrolinktrains.com/help/page/title/developer_resources ||
|-
| [http://www.gomcta.com/ Monroe County Transit Authority] || Monroe County, PA || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/monroe-county-transit-authority/ ||
|-
| [http://www.naipta.az.gov/ Mountain Line] || Flagstaff, AZ || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/naipta-az-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.jeffersontransit.com/ Jefferson Transit Authority] || Port Townsend, WA || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/jefferson-transit-authority/ || [http://www.jeffersontransit.com/information.html License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.islandtransit.org/ Island Transit] || Island County, WA || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/island-transit/ || [http://islandtransit.org/license_agreement/ License Agreement]
|-
| [http://ridemetro.org/ METRO] || Houston, TX || http://www.ridemetro.org/Pages/NewsDownloads.aspx || [http://ridemetro.org/AboutUs/Publications/DataDownloads.aspx Legal Notice]
|-
| [http://www.sfmta.com SFMTA (Muni)] || San Francisco, CA || http://www.sfmta.com/transitdata || [http://www.sfmta.com/transitdata License Agreement]
|-
| [http://irvineshuttle.net/ The Irvine Shuttle] || Irvine, CA || http://irvineshuttle.net/files/managed/Document/70/google_transit.zip || [http://www.cityofirvine.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=12803 Website Policy]
|-
| [http://www.broward.org/bct/ Broward County Transit] || Broward County, FL || http://www.broward.org/bct/google/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.btransit.org/ Blacksburg Transit] || Blacksburg, VA || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/blacksburg-transit/ ||
|-
| [http://www.wmata.com/ Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority] || Washington, DC || http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/developer_resources.cfm || [http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/license_agreement.cfm License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.mountainline.com/ Mountain Line] || Missoula, MT || http://www.montanatransit.com/googletransit/MUTD/ ||
|-
| [http://www.takeets.com/ Edmonton Transit System (ETS)] || Edmonton, AB || http://webdocs.edmonton.ca/transit/etsdatafeed/google_transit.zip || [http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/ets/about_ets/ets-data-for-developers.aspx Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.metro.net/ Los Angeles County Metro] || Los Angeles, CA || http://developer.metro.net/gtfs/google_transit.zip || [http://developer.metro.net/policies/terms/ Terms and Conditions]
|-
| [http://www.septa.org/ SEPTA] || Philadelphia, PA || http://www2.septa.org/developer/index.php ||
|-
| [http://www.sdmts.com/ San Diego MTS] || San Diego, CA || http://www.sdmts.com/google_transit_files/google_transit.zip || [http://www.sdmts.com/Planning/Developers_TermsAndConditions.asp Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.tillamookbus.com/ Tillamook County Transportation District] || Tillamook County, OR || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/tillamook-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/ Massachusetts] || Massachusetts EOT || http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers || http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/0/docs/developers/develop_license_agree.pdf
|-
| [http://parking.uark.edu/26.php Razorback Transit] || Fayetteville, AR || http://www.ozarkwebtech.com/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.laketahoetransit.com/home Truckee / North Tahoe Transportation Management Association] || North Lake Tahoe, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/laketahoe-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://www.bluego.org/ TTD-South Shore Services (BlueGo)] || Tahoe Basin Area, CA || ||
|-
| [http://www.mbta.com/ MBTA] || Boston, MA || http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/developers/default.asp?id=21895 || [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/downloads/TOS.pdf Developer's License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation] || Massachusetts || [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers Links to bay, regional and ferry GTFS] || [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/downloads/TOS.pdf Developer's License Agreement]
|-
| All SF Bay ferry operators || San Francisco Bay, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/sfbay-ferries-ca-us/ ||
|-
| The JO || Johnson County, KS || http://www.jocogov.org/sites/default/files/documents/TRN/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.tankbus.org TANK] || Covington, KY || http://caistage.nku.edu/tankgoogletransit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rabaride.com Redding Area Bus Authority] || Redding, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/redding-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.gonctd.com/ North County Transit District] || North San Diego County, CA || http://www.gonctd.com/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.kcata.org/ Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA)] || Kansas City, MO || http://www.kcata.org/transit_data ||
|-
| [http://www.riderta.com/ Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority] || Cleveland, Ohio || http://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/gtfs/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rtcsnv.com/ Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada] || Southern Nevada || http://rtcws.rtcsnv.com/g/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ltd.org Lane Transit District] || Lane County, Oregon || http://www.ltd.org/googlepublic/ ||
|-
| [http://metro.kingcounty.gov/ King County Metro Transit] || King County, WA || http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/MetroTransit/Developers.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.translink.ca/ TransLink] || Vancouver, BC || http://www.translink.ca/en/Schedules-and-Maps/Developer-Resources/GTFS-Data.aspx || Terms of Use shown on the download page
|-
| [http://www.cdta.org/ CDTA] || Albany, NY || http://www.cdta.org/schedules/google_transit.zip || [http://www.cdta.org/schedules_developer_tools_developer_license.php Developer license] and [http://www.cdta.org/schedules_developer_tools.php developer page]
|-
| [http://community.gorge.net/hrctd/Dial-A-Ride.htm Columbia Area Transit] || Hood River County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/hoodriver-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.trinitytransit.org Trinity Transit] || Trinity County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/trinity-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.fasttransit.org/ Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST)] || Fairfield and Suisun City, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/fairfield-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://www.metrostlouis.org/ Metro Saint Louis] || St. Louis, MO || ftp://www.metrostlouis.org/transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridesmart.com/ South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART)] || Wilsonville, OR || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/wilsonville-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/gensvcs/transportation.htm Siskiyou Transit and General Express (STAGE)] || Siskiyou County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/siskiyou-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.transitchicago.com Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)] || Chicago area, IL || http://www.transitchicago.com/developers/gtfs.aspx || Use is subject to terms of CTA's [http://www.transitchicago.com/developers Developer License Agreement]. More data/feeds at the [http://www.transitchicago.com/developers CTA Developer Center].
|-
| [http://www.ridethebus.org/ Sunset Empire Transportation District] || Clatsop County, OR || http://www.ridethebus.org/Google_Transit/ ||
|-
| [http://www.portauthority.org Port Authority of Allegheny County] || Pittsburgh, PA || http://www.portauthority.org/GoogleTransitFeed || Use is subject to the terms and conditions of [http://www.portauthority.org/PAAC/CompanyInfo/DeveloperResources/DeveloperLicenseAgreement/tabid/521/Default.aspx Port Authority's License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.mta.info MTA] || New York, NY || http://www.mta.info/developers/ ||
|-
| [http://www.hsvcity.com Huntsville Shuttle] || Huntsville, AL || [http://maps.hsvcity.com/GoogleTransit/google_transit.zip] ||
|-
| [http://www.arlingtontransit.com Arlington Transit] || Arlington, VA || http://realtime.commuterpage.com/RTT/Public/Utility/GTFS.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.cityofescalon.org/transit.htm eTrans] || Escalon, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/escalon-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://northwest-point.com/ NorthWest POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/northwestpoint-or-us || [http://oregon-gtfs.com/ Terms of use]
|-
| [http://southwest-point.com/ SouthWest POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/southwestpoint-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.catbus.com/ Clemson Area Transit (CAT)] || Clemson, SC || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/clemson-sc-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.taketrax.com/ Tehama Area Rural eXpress (TRAX)] || Tehama County, CA. Including Susanville Indian Rancheria Public Transportation Program between Redding, Red Bluff, and Susanville. || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/tehama-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.duluthtransit.com/ Duluth Transit] || Duluth, MN || http://www.duluthtransit.com/gtf/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.metlink.org.nz/google-transit-feed/ Metlink] || Wellington (New Zealand) || http://www.metlink.org.nz/customer-services/general-transit-feed-specification/ ||
|-
| [http://www.soundtransit.org/ Sound Transit] || Puget Sound Region, WA || http://www.soundtransit.org/Developer-resources || [http://developer.soundtransit.org/documents/developer/pdf/electronicdatatermsofuse.pdf Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.maxx.co.nz/ ARTA] || Auckland (New Zealand) || https://api.at.govt.nz/docs/v1#GTFS-downloads ||
|-
| [http://www.miamidade.gov/ Miami-Dade Transit] || Miami-Dade, FL || http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/googletransit/current/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.mvta.com/ Minnesota Valley Transit Authority] || Minnesota Valley || http://wiki.mvta.com/files/Home/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/transit/CityBus/ City of Santa Rosa CityBus] || Santa Rosa, CA || ftp://ftp.ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/SantaRosaCityBus/ || [http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/transit/CityBus/Pages/GTSFOpenSourceData.aspx Developer License Agreement]
|-
| [http://caravanairporttransportation.com Caravan Airport Shuttle] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/caravan-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.cascadeseasttransit.com Cascades East Transit] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/cascadeseast-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.hutshuttle.com HUT Airport Shuttle] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/hut-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.grantcountypeoplemover.com People Mover] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/peoplemover-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.porterstageline.com Porter Stage Lines] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/porterstage-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.kokkola-bus.com/ValleyRetrieverBuslines.html Valley Retriever] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/valleyretriever-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.cumtd.com/ Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District] || Champaign-Urbana, IL || http://www.cumtd.com/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Rockland County || Rockland County, NY || https://geopower.jws.com/rockland/DataPage.jsp# ||
|-
| [http://www.dartfirststate.com/ Delaware First State] || Delaware || http://www.dartfirststate.com/information/routes/gtfs_data/dartfirststate_de_us.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridescat.com SpaceCoast FL US] || Space Coast, FL || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/spacecoast-fl-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.srt.org Stanislaus County, CA] || Stanislaus County || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/stanislaus-ca-us/ || Stanislaus Area Regional Transit (Stanislaus County), Bus Line Service of Turlock (Turlock, California), Ceres Area Transit (Ceres, California)
|-
| [http://www.rvtd.org/ Rogue Valley Transportation District ] || Rogue Valley, OR || http://www.rvtd.org/images/subpages/GTFS_feed.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.calgarytransit.com/ Calgary Transit ] || Calgary, AB || https://data.calgary.ca/OpenData/Pages/DatasetDetails.aspx?DatasetID=PDC0-99999-99999-00501-P%28CITYonlineDefault%29 || https://data.calgary.ca/OpenData/Pages/TermsOfUse.aspx
|-
| [http://www.metlink.org.nz// Greater Wellington's public transportation network ] || Greater Wellington (New Zealand) || http://www.metlink.org.nz/googletransit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.halifax.ca// Halifax Metro] || Halifax, NS || http://halifax.ca/GoogleTransit/developerdata.html ||
|-
| [http://www.cota.com/ Central Ohio Transit Authority] || Columbus, OH || http://www.cota.com/Auxiliary/Data.aspx ||
|-
| [http://sites.google.com/site/gotrianglegtfs/ GoTriangle] || Research Triangle, NC || http://sites.google.com/site/gotrianglegtfs/google-transit ||
|-
| [http://www.vitoria-gasteiz.org/ Red de Transporte urbano de Vitoria-Gasteiz] || Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) || http://www.vitoria-gasteiz.org/we001/http/vgTransit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/ Adelaide Metro] || Adelaide (Australia) || http://adelaidemetro.com.au/GTFS/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.toronto.ca/ TTC] || Toronto, ON || http://www.toronto.ca/open/datasets/ttc-routes/ || http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=4a37e03bb8d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
|-
| [http://www.hamilton.ca/ Hamilton Street Railway] || Hamilton, ON || http://www.hamilton.ca/ProjectsInitiatives/OpenData/ ||
|-
| [http://www.vvta.org/ Victor Valley Transit Authority] || Victor Valley, CA ||http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/victorville-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://data.keolis-rennes.com Rennes] || Rennes (France) || http://data.keolis-rennes.com/fr/les-donnees/donnees-telechargeables.html ||
|-
| [http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov Montgomery County] || Montgomery County, MD || http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dot/transit/news/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.spokanetransit.com Spokane Transit Authority] || Spokane, WA || http://198.1.35.130/sta/gmap-data/SpokaneTransitGTFS.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.pacebus.com Pace Bus] || Chicago, IL || http://www.pacebus.com/gtfs/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.roseville.ca.us/transportation/roseville_transit/default.asp Roseville Transit] || Roseville, CA || http://iportal.sacrt.com/GTFS/Roseville ||
|-
| [http://www.yolobus.com/ Yolobus] || Yolo County, CA || http://iportal.sacrt.com/GTFS/Yolobus ||
|-
| [http://www.yubasuttertransit.com/ Yuba-Sutter Transit] || Yuba City, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/yubasutter-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.norwalktransit.com/ Norwalk Transit District] || Norwalk, CT || http://rfshared.s3.amazonaws.com/gtfs/norwalk_gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cccta.org/ County Transit] || Central Contra Costa County, CA || http://cccta.org/GTFS/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.wavetransit.com/ Wave Transit] || Wilmington, NC || http://www.wavetransit.com/gtransit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://gov.allconet.org/act/ Allegany County Transit] || Allegany County, MD || http://gov.allconet.org/ACT/ggl/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.scgov.net/scat/ Sarasota County Area Transit] || Sarasota, FL || https://www.scgov.net/SCAT/Google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.gmpte.com Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive] || Manchester (Great Britain) || http://store.datagm.org.uk/sets/tfgm/tfgmgtfs.zip || http://store.datagm.org.uk/sets/tfgm/FreeToUseData_SubLicence_G_V4.pdf
|-
| [http://www.gtt.to.it Gruppo Torinese Trasporti] || Torino (Italy) || http://opendata.5t.torino.it/gtfs/torino_it.zip ||
|-
| [http://macog.com Michiana Area Council Of Governments] || South Bend, IN || http://macog.com/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://columbiacountyrider.com/ Columbia County Rider] || Columbia County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/columbiacounty-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.ci.sandy.or.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={BF6D9F91-1204-479D-B3A5-B12572DA8DD1} Sandy Area Metro] || Sandy, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/sandy-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.nfta.com/ NFTA Metro] || Buffalo - Niagara Region, NY || http://metro.nfta.com/Contact/Developers.aspx ||
|-
| [http://sanjoaquinrtd.com San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD)] || San Joaquin Valley, CA || http://sanjoaquinrtd.com/RTD-GTFS/RTD-GTFS.zip || [http://sanjoaquinrtd.com/legal/default.php Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://scmtd.com/ Santa Cruz Metro Transit District] || Santa Cruz, CA || http://scmtd.com/google_transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ci.green-bay.wi.us/transit/ Brown County / Green Bay Metro Transit] || Green Bay, WI || http://maps.gis.co.brown.wi.us/web_documents/Planning/Google_Transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cherriots.com Salem-Keizer Transit (Cherriots)] || Salem, OR || http://www.cherriots.org/developer/gtfs.zip || Developer area and usage agreement are available [http://www.cherriots.org/developer/agreement.htm here]
|-
| [http://www.co.coos.or.us Coos County Area Transit] || Coos County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/cooscounty-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.linnshuttle.com Linn Shuttle] || Linn County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/linnshuttle-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.charlottesville.org Charlottesville Area Transit] || Charlottesville, VA || http://avlweb.charlottesville.org/rtt/public/utility/GTFS.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.co.josephine.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=628 Josephine County Transit] || Josephine County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/josephinecounty-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.umpquatransit.com/ U-Trans] || Roseburg, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/umpquatransit-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.panynj.gov/path/ Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)] || New York/New Jersey || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/path-nj-us/ || [http://www.panynj.gov/path/developers.html Developer page & terms of use]
|-
| [http://www.discovercorona.com/City-Departments/Public-Works/Public-Services-and-Information/Corona-Cruiser.aspx Corona Cruiser] || Corona, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/corona-ca-us/ || [http://www.discovercorona.com/City-Departments/Public-Works/Transportation/GTFS.aspx License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.mymetrobus.com Metro Transit] || Madison, WI || http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/gtfs/mmt_gtfs.zip || [http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/Apps/terms.cfm Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://modestoareaexpress.com Modesto Area Express] || Modesto, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/modesto-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.grt.ca Grand River Transit] || Cambridge/Kitchener-Waterloo, ON || http://www.grt.ca/en/doingBusiness/supportingsoftwareapplications.asp?_mid_=18101 ||
|-
| [http://bctransit.com BC Transit] || Victoria / Whistler, BC || http://bctransit.com/data/default.cfm ||
|-
| [http://vta.org Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority] || Santa Clara, CA || http://www.vta.org/getting-around/gtfs-info/data-file || [http://www.vta.org/getting-around/gtfs-info/dev-terms-of-use Terms and Conditions]
|-
| [http://www.sunline.org Sunline] || Palm Springs, CA || http://www.sunline.org/transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rkt.no/ Rogaland Kollektivtrafikk FKF] || Kolumbus (Norway) || http://www.rkt.no/gt/google_transit.zip || [http://next.kolumbus.no/rutedata/rutedata-registrering/ Registration required]
|-
| [http://www.bkk.hu Budapesti Közlekedési Központ] || Budapest (Hungary) || http://www.bkk.hu/gtfs/budapest_gtfs.zip || http://www.bkk.hu/magunkrol/fejlesztoknek/
|-
| [http://www.gohart.org HART] || Hillsborough County, FL || http://www.gohart.org/google/ || [http://groups.google.com/group/googletransitdatafeed/browse_thread/thread/798e2af28996fac2 License Agreement]
|-
| Ponferada || León (Spain) || https://sites.google.com/site/pruebasgeoreferencesimplygo/lineabus1-kml/
|-
| [http://www.co.lincoln.or.us/transit/ Lincoln County Transit] || Lincoln County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/lincolncounty-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.yctransitarea.org/ Yamhill County Area Transit] || Yamhill County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/yamhill-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.rgrta.com/ Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority] || Rochester, NY || http://scheduledata.rgrta.com/ || [http://scheduledata.rgrta.com/License%20Agreement%20and%20Terms%20of%20Use.pdf License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.rtl-longueuil.qc.ca Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL)] || Longueuil, QC || http://www.rtl-longueuil.qc.ca/Contenu.aspx?NavID=1158 ||
|-
| [http://www.friweb.hu/vonalhalozat/ Szeged] || Szeged (Hungary) || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/szkt/latest.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cata.org/ CATA] || Lansing, MI || http://www.cata.org/AboutCATA/DeveloperResources/tabid/555/Default.aspx || [http://www.cata.org/AboutCATA/DeveloperResources/GTFS/tabid/556/Default.aspx License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.emtmadrid.es/ EMT] || Madrid (Spain) || https://servicios.emtmadrid.es:8443/gtfs/transitemt.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rtcwashie.com/ RTC Washoe] || Washoe County, NV || http://www.rtcwashoe.com/googletransit/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.psta.net/ Penillas Suncoast Transit Authority] || Penillas County, FL || http://www.psta.net/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rtcquebec.ca/ RTC Quebec] || Quebec (Canada) || http://www.rtcquebec.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=192&language=fr-CA ||
|-
| [http://www.viainfo.net/ San Antonio VIA] || San Antonio, TX || http://www.viainfo.net/BusService/google_transit.zip || http://www.viainfo.net/Opportunities/DevLicense.aspx
|-
| [http://www.corvallistransit.com/ Corvallis Transit] || Corvallis, OR || ftp://ftp.ci.corvallis.or.us/pw/Transportation/GoogleTransitFeed/ ||
|-
| Rockland County Department of Public Transportation || Rockland and Westchester Counties, NY || https://geopower.jws.com/rockland/DataPage.jsp# ||
|-
| [http://www.intercitytransit.com/ Intercity Transit] || Olympia, WA || http://www.intercitytransit.com/googledata/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridetarc.org/ TARC] || Louisville, KY || http://googletransit.ridetarc.org/feed ||
|-
| [http://cobreeze.com/ Central Oregon Breeze] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/centraloregonbreeze-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.umatilla.nsn.us/bus.html Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation] || Oregon || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/confederated-tribes-of-the-umatilla-indian-reservation ||
|-
| [http://www.currypublictransit.org/ Curry Public Transit] || Curry, OR || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/curry-public-transit/ ||
|-
| [http://www.mfcity.com/transport City of Milton-Freewater] || Milton-Freewater, OR || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/city-of-milton-freewater-oregon/ ||
|-
| [http://www.amt.qc.ca/developpeurs Agence métropolitaine de transport] || Montreal, QC || http://www.amt.qc.ca/developpeurs/ ||
|-
| [http://www.basintransit.com/ Basin Transit Service] || Klamath Falls, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/basin-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.woodburn-or.gov/?q=transit Woodburn Transit] || Woodburn, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/woodburn-or-us ||
|-
| [http://southlanewheels.org/ South Lane Wheels] || South Lane, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/southlanewheels-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.rideconnection.org/ride/default.aspx Ride Connection] || Portland Metro Area, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/rideconnection-or-us || [http://www.rideconnection.org/ride/AboutUs/GTFSLicensingAgreement.aspx Terms of use]
|-
| [http://www.go-metro.com Cincinnati Metro] || Cincinnati, OH || http://www.go-metro.com/uploads/google_transit.zip || [http://www.go-metro.com/about-metro/developer-data Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.go-metro.com Washington State Ferries] || Washington State || https://business.wsdot.wa.gov/Transit/csv_files/wsf/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.sanbenitocountyexpress.org/ San Benito County Express] || San Benito County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/sanbenito-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.theride.org/ Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority] || Ann Arbor, MI || http://www.theride.org/google/ ||
|-
| [http://www.metroplan.org/ Central Arkansas Transit Authority] || Central Arkansas, AR || http://metroplan.org/maps/transit/ ||
|-
| [http://www.4mta.org/ Mendocino Transit Authority] || Mendocino County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/mendocino-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://cabq.gov/ City of Albuquerque] || Albuquerque, NM || http://data.cabq.gov/transit/gtfs/ ||
|-
| [http://transport.nsw.gov.au/ Transport of NSW] || Sydney and New South Wales (Australia) || https://tdx.transportnsw.info || https://tdx.transportnsw.info/terms-conditions.php
|-
| [http://kingsporttransit.org Kingsport Transit] || Kingsport, TN || http://kingsporttransit.org/GTFS/gtfs ||
|-
| [http://pts.umich.edu/ University of Michigan Transit Services] || University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI || http://pts.umich.edu/gtfs/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.trafiklab.se/ Sweden] || Sweden || http://www.trafiklab.se/api/gtfs-sverige ||
|-
| [http://cottonwoodaz.gov/cat.php Cottonwood Area Transit] || Cottonwood, AZ || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/cottonwood-az-us/ ||
|-
| [http://cottonwoodaz.gov/cat-verde_lynx.php Verde Lynx] || Cottonwood and Sedona area, AZ || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/verdelynx-az-us/ ||
|-
| [http://actransit.org AC Transit] || Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, CA || http://www.actransit.org/wp-content/uploads/ ||
|-
| [http://www.valleymetro.org Valley Metro] || Phoenix, AZ || http://www.valleymetro.org/developers ||
|-
| [http://www.getbus.org Golden Empire Transit District] || Bakersfield, CA || http://www.getbus.org/google-transit-data-download/ || [http://www.getbus.org/googletransit/GET-GTFS-License_Agreement.txt/ License Agreement]
|-
| [http://www.amadortransit.com Amador Regional Transit] || Amador County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/amador-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://transit.calaverasgov.us Calaveras Transit] || Calaveras County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/calaveras-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.estransit.com Eastern Sierra Transit Authority] || Inyo and Mono Counties, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/easternsierra-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/easternsierra-ca-us/ESTA%20Data%20License%20Agreement.html Data License Agreement] ||
|-
| [http://www.maderactc.org/translinks.html Madera County Transit] || Madera County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/madera-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.plumastransit.com/default.html Plumas Transit] || Plumas County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/plumas-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.yarts.com Yosemite Area Regional Transit] || Yosemite Area, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/yosemite-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.lassentransportation.org/a/Lassen-Rural-Bus-LRB.php Lassen Rural Bus] || Lassen County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/lassen-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.indygo.net/ IndyGo] || Indianapolis, IN || http://www.indygo.net/pages/indygo-developer-content-area ||
|-
| [http://www.itsmarta.com/ MARTA] || Atlanta, GA || http://itsmarta.com/marta-developer-resources.aspx ||
|-
| [http://bloomingtontransit.com/ Bloomington Transit] || Bloomington, IN || http://bloomington.in.gov/transit/gtfeed/GoogleTransitFeed.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ Fairfax County] || Fairfax County, VA || http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/connector_gtfs.zip || [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/data/ Terms and Conditions]
|-
| [http://www.njtransit.com/ New Jersey Transit] || New Jersey || https://www.njtransit.com/developer ||
|-
| [http://www.marintransit.org/ Marin Transit] || Marin, CA || http://www.marintransit.org/data/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.rochestercitylines.com/ Rochester City Lines] || Rochester, MN || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/rochestercitylines-mn-us ||
|-
| [http://www.palosverdes.com/pvtransit/ PVPTA] || Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/pvpta-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://www.buttebus.org/ Butte Silver-Bow] || Butte, MT || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/butte-mt-us ||
|-
| [http://www.thunderbay.ca/ Thunder Bay Transit] || Thunder Bay, ON || http://api.nextlift.ca/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://swanislandtma.org Swan Island TMA] || Portland, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/swanisland-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.mymanatee.org/mcat Manatee County Area Transit] || Bradenton, FL || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/manatee-fl-us ||
|-
| [http://www.neotransit.org Northeast Oregon Public Transit] || La Grand, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/northeast-or-us ||
|-
| [http://dati.trentino.it Trentino] || Trentino (Italy) || http://www.dati.trentino.it/dataset/trasporti-pubblici-del-trentino-formato-gtfs || http://dati.trentino.it/it/storage/f/2013-03-15T085950/mitt_opendata.zip
|-
| [http://www.springsgov.com Mountain Metro Transit] || Colorado Springs, CO || http://www.springsgov.com/units/transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ridewta.com Whatcom Transportation Authority] || Whatcom County, WA || https://github.com/whatcomtrans/publicwtadata/raw/master/GTFS/wta_gtfs_latest.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cmrtransit.org Central Maryland Regional Transit] || Central Maryland || http://www.cmrtransit.org/about/developer-resources/ ||
|-
| [http://www.lagunabeachcity.net/cityhall/pw/transit/ Laguna Beach Transit] || Laguna Beach, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/lagunabeach-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://www.amtrakcascades.com/ Cascades POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/cascadespoint-or-us || [http://oregon-gtfs.com/ Terms of use]
|-
| [http://www.nashvillemta.org/ Nashville MTA] || Nashville, TN || http://www.nashvillemta.org/Nashville-MTA-Developer-Data-Request.asp ||
|-
| [http://www.511ny.org/ 511 New York] || New York || http://www.511ny.org/developer.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.stm.info/ Société de transport de Montréal] || Montréal, QC || http://www.stm.info/en/about/developers || http://www.stm.info/en/about/developers/terms-use
|-
| [http://www.rideuta.com Utah Transit Authority] || Salt Lake City, UT || http://developer.rideuta.com/DeveloperResources/developer.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.winnipegtransit.com Winnipeg Transit] || Winnipeg, MB || http://gtfs.winnipegtransit.com/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.gotransit.com GO Ontario] || Ontario || http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/gtfs/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ripta.com Rhode Island Public Transit Authority ] || Rhode Island || http://www.ripta.com/googledata/current/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.fivecounty.utah.gov SunTran] || Five Counties, UT || http://www.fivecounty.utah.gov/transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.slorta.org SLORTA] || San Luis Obispo, CA || https://sites.google.com/site/slocountytransit/google-transit-docs/slorta_datafiles/latest/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ruraltransit.org// Fresno County Rural Transit Agency] || Fresno, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/fresnocounty-ca-us ||
|-
| Minneapolis-St.Paul Regional GIS Consortium || Minnepolis-St.Paul, MN || ftp://gisftp.metc.state.mn.us ||
|-
| [http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/Transit// Go Transit] || Oshkosh, WI || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/oshkosh-wi-us ||
|-
| [http://www.rvarc.org/ Roanoke Valley Region], ([http://www.valleymetro.com Valley Metro], [http://www.radartransit.org/ Radar Transit]) || Roanoke Valley Region, VA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/roanoke-va-us ||
|-
| [https://data.qld.gov.au/ Queensland] || Queensland (Australia) || translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/resources/about-translink/reporting-and-publications/open-data/gtfs/SEQ.zip?140718 ||
|-
| Mexico City || Mexico City (Mexico) || http://datosabiertos.df.gob.mx/sigdata/index.php/Publicacion/busquedaxdepe/20 ||
|-
| [http://mot.gov.il Israel Public Transportation] || Israel || ftp://gtfs.mot.gov.il/israel-public-transportation.zip || Note: Requires right-to-left text processing capability
|-
| [http://mot.gov.il Israel Railways] || Israel || ftp://gtfs.mot.gov.il/irw_gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.vbb.de Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg] || Berlin and Brandenburg (Germany) || http://www.vbb.de/de/datei/gtfs-daten.zip || gtfs by CC BY Attribution
|-
| [http://www.sctransit.com/ Sonoma County Transit] || Santa Rosa, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/sonomacounty-ca-us ||
|-
| [http://myciti.org.za/ MyCiTi] || Cape Town (South Africa) || http://myciti.org.za/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.nictd.com/ Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District] || Chesterton, IN || http://www.nictd.com/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.octranspo1.com/ OC Transpo] || Ottawa, ON || http://data.ottawa.ca/en/dataset/oc-transpo-schedules ||
|-
| [http://www.highdesert-point.com/high-desert-point/ HighDesert POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/highdesertpoint-or-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.highdesert-point.com/eastern-point/ Eastern POINT] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/easternpoint-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.highdesert-point.com/eugene-to-bend/ Eugene to BEND] || Oregon || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/eugenetobend-or-us ||
|-
| [http://www.ltd.org/diamondex/ Diamond Express] || Oakridge, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/diamondexpress-or-us ||
|-
| Tisséo || Toulouse (France) || http://data.toulouse-metropole.fr/les-donnees/-/opendata/card/16271-reseau-tisseo-metro-bus-tram-gtfs ||
|-
| [http://www.radfordtransit.com/ Radford Transit] || Radford, VA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/radford-va-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.c-tran.com/ C-Tran] || Clark County, WA || http://www.c-tran.com/images/Google/GoogleTransitUpload.zip || http://www.c-tran.com/about-c-tran/business/c-tran-gtfs-data
|-
| [http://www.mthoodexpress.com// Mt. Hood Express] || Clackamas County, OR || http://oregon-gtfs.com/gtfs_data/mthoodexpress-or-us/ ||
|-
| The Netherlands || The Netherlands || http://gtfs.ovapi.nl/nl/gtfs-nl.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ci.beaumont.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=160 Beaumont Transit System] || Beaumont, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/beaumont-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.linktransit.com/ Link Transit] || Wenatchee, WA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/linktransit-wa-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.athenstransit.org/ Athens Transit] || Athens, OH || http://www.athenstransit.org/code/wp-content/athenstransit-athens-oh-us/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://transit.torranceca.gov/ Torrance Transit] || Torrance, CA || http://transit.torranceca.gov/24436.htm ||
|-
| [http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Departments/Transit.aspx Asheville Redefines Transit] || Asheville, NC || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/asheville-nc-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.pulaskitransit.org/ Pulaski Area Transit] || Pulaski, VA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/pulaski-va-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.marta.cc/ Mountain Transit] || Big Bear Lake, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/bigbear-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.clallamtransit.com/ Clallam Transit] || Clallam County and Olympic Peninsula, WA || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/clallam_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://makah.com/transit/ Makah Public Transit] || Makah Tribe || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/makah_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| People for People || || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/pfp_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.yakimatransit.org/ Yakima Transit] || Yakima, WA || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/yakima_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://tapsbus.com/ TAPS Bus] || Texoma Area || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/taps_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.sctlink.com/ South County Transit] || South County, CA || http://mjcaction.com/MJC_GTFS_Public/southcounty_google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/miway MiWay] || Mississauga, ON || https://www.miapp.ca/GTFS/google_transit.zip?# ||
|-
| [http://www.omnitrans.org OmniTrans] || San Bernardino County, CA || http://www.omnitrans.org/google/ ||
|-
| [http://www.lawrenceks.org Lawrence Transit] || Lawrence, KS || http://lawrenceks.org/assets/gis/google-transit/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://ladot.lacity.org/index.htm LA DOT] || Los Angeles, CA || http://lacitydot.com/gtfs/administrator/gtfszip/ladotgtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.suntran.com Suntran] || Tucson, AZ || http://www.suntran.com/developers.php ||
|-
| [http://www.cityofkinston.ca City of Kingston] || Kingston, ON || http://www.cityofkingston.ca/cok/data/transit_feeds/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Société de transport de Sherbrooke (STS) || Sherbrooke, QC || http://donnees.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/dataset/transpo || http://donnees.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/licence
|-
| [http://gis.nevcounty.net Gold Country Stage] || Western Nevada County, CA || http://gis.nevcounty.net/GTFS/GTFS.zip ||
|-
| [https://gocarta.com CARTA] || Chattanooga, TN || http://carta-gtfs.herokuapp.com ||
|-
| [https://toaks.org City of Thousand Oaks] || Thousand Oaks, CA || http://www.toaks.org/GoogleTransit/thousandoaks/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.brampton.ca Brampton Transit] || Brampton, ON || http://www.brampton.ca/en/City-Hall/OpenGov/Open-Data-Catalogue/Pages/Welcome.aspx ||
|-
| [http://www.strathcona.ca Strathcona County] || Strathcona County, AB || https://data.strathcona.ca/Transportation/Strathcona-County-Transit-Bus-Schedule-GFTS-Data-F/cvta-prr6 ||
|-
| [http://www.agenziamobilita.roma.it Agenzia per la mobilità] || Roma (Italy) || http://dati.muovi.roma.it/gtfs/google_transit.zip || http://www.agenziamobilita.roma.it/it/servizi/open-data/dataset.html
|-
| [http://www.norta.com Norta] || New Orleans, LA || http://www.norta.com/myrta || Requires sign up to MY RTA
|-
| Mornington Railway || Moorooduc/Mornington in Victoria, Australia || http://addtransit.com/gtfs/MorningtonRailway/MorningtonRailway.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.wichita.gov Wichita Transit] || Wichita, KS || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/wichita-transit/ || [http://www.wichitatransit.org/Policy/Pages/default.aspx Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.action.act.gov.au/ ACTION Buses] || Canberra (Australia) || http://www.action.act.gov.au/timetables_and_maps/Plan-Your-Trip ||
|-
| [http://www.piercetransit.org Pierce Transit] || Pierce County, WA || ftp://ops.piercetranst.org/schedulefeed || Submission of signed disclaimer required
|-
| [http://www.comune.palermo.it AMAT Palermo SPA] || Palermo (Italy) || http://www.comune.palermo.it/gtfs/amat_feed_gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.redwoodcoasttransit.org Redwood Coast Transit] || Del Norte County, California || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/delnorte-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.kerntransit.org Kern Transit] || Kern County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/kerncounty-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.jeffcoexpress.org JeffCo Express] || Jefferson County, MO || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/jeffersoncounty-mo-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.mercedthebus.com The Bus (Merced)] || Merced County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/mercedthebus-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://siouxfalls.org/sam Sioux Area Metro] || Sioux Falls, SD || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/siouxareametro-sd-us/ ||
|-
| [http://thebus.com The Bus (Marble Valley Regional Transit District] || Marble Valley, VT || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/thebus-vt-us/ ||
|-
| [https://sites.google.com/a/rctvt.org/riderct/ Rural Community Transportation] || Rural VT || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/ruralcommunity-vt-us/ ||
|-
| [http://us.megabus.com/burlington.aspx Megabus] || Nationwide US and Canada || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/megabus-ct-us/ ||
|-
| [http://elevatedtransit.com Elevated Transit] || Statewide Utah || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/elevatedtransit-ut-us/ ||
|-
| Kakegawa City || Kagewa (Japan) || http://opentrans.it/feed/gtfs/5707702298738688/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Omaezaki City || Omaezaki (Japan) || http://opentrans.it/feed/gtfs/5634472569470976/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Susono City || Susono (Japan) || http://opentrans.it/feed/gtfs/5649391675244544/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://go-rts.com Regional Transit System] || Gainesville, FL || http://go-rts.com/about-rts/ ||
|-
| [http://pt.berkeley.edu/around/beartransit Bear Transit] || University of California, Berkeley shuttle system || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/beartransit-ca-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.cttransit.com Conneticut Department of Transportation] || Conneticut || http://www.cttransit.com/about/developers/gtfsdata/ ||
|-
| [https://www.rigassatiksme.lv/lv/ Riga Satiksme] || Riga (Latvia) || http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/riga/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://amat-mi.it/it/ AMAT] || Milan (Italy) || http://amat-mi.it/it/downloads/data/gtfs/current/Export_OpenDataTPL_Current.zip ||
|-
| Paris || Paris (France) || http://dataratp.download.opendatasoft.com/RATP_GTFS_FULL.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.mtmmolfetta.it/ MTM Molfetta] || Molfetta (Italy) || http://www.mtmmolfetta.it/transit/mtm-feed-gtfs.zip ||
|-
| Sussex County || Sussex County, NJ || http://www.sussex.nj.us/documents/transit/google/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://rctransit.org River Cities Transit] || Kelso-Longview, WA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/rivercitiestransit-wa-us/ ||
|-
| [http://www.muni.org/Departments/transit/PeopleMover/Pages/default.aspx Anchorage People Mover] || Anchorage, AK || http://gtfs.muni.org/People_Mover.gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.dashbus.com Alexandria Transit Company (DASH)] || Alexandria, VA || http://www.dashbus.com/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.golynx.com Orlando FL LYNX Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority] || Orlando, FL || http://www.golynx.com/maps-schedules/data-download.stml ||
|-
| Metro Tasmania || Hobart, Launceston and Burnie (Australia) || http://www.metrotas.com.au/community/gtfs/ ||
|-
| Biella e Vercelli Province || Piedmont (Italy) || http://www.magellanoprogetti.it/atap/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Biella e Vercelli Province || Piedmont (Italy) || http://www.magellanoprogetti.it/atap/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Pamplona || Pamplona (Spain) || 86.109.125.18:88/gt/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.vic.gov.au Public Transport Victoria] || Victoria (Australia) || https://www.data.vic.gov.au/data/dataset/ptv-timetable-and-geographic-information-2015-gtfs ||
|-
| [http://www.ridetransfort.com Transfort] || Fort Collins, CO || http://www.ridetransfort.com/developers ||
|-
| [http://www.zditm.szczecin.pl/ ZDiTM Szczecin] || Szczecin (Poland) || http://www.zditm.szczecin.pl/rozklady/GTFS/latest/google_gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.ruhrtalbahn.de/ Ruhrtalbahn] || Ruhrgebiet (Germany) || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/ruhrtalbahn/ ||
|-
| [http://www.eisenbahnmuseum-bochum.de/ Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum] || Bochum (Germany) || http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/agency/eisenbahnmuseum-bochum/ ||
|-
| [http://www.peatus.ee Estonia] || Estonia || http://www.peatus.ee/gtfs/ ||
|-
| [http://www.actv.it/ Venice] || Venice (Italy) || http://www.actv.it/opendata/ ||
|-
| Palo Verde Valley Transit Agency || East Riverside County, CA || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/paloverde_valley-ca-us/paloverde_valley-ca-us.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.bigbluebus.com Big Blue Bus] || Santa Monica, CA || http://gtfs.bigbluebus.com/ ||
|-
| [http://www.navarra.es Navarra] || Navarra (Spain) || https://gobiernoabierto.navarra.es/sites/all/modules/pubdlcnt/pubdlcnt.php?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.navarra.es%2Fappsext%2FDescargarFichero%2Fdefault.aspx%3FcodigoAcceso%3DOpenData%26fichero%3DTransporteInterurbano%2Fgtfs.zip&nid=2082 ||
|-
| [http://www.cts-strasbourg.eu CTS Strasbourg] || Strasbourg (France) || http://www.cts-strasbourg.eu/fr/portail-open-data/ ||
|-
| [http://www.tulsatransit.com Tulsa Transit] || Tulsa, OK || http://www.tulsatransit.org/gtfs/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.cityofbarriesites.com/ City of Barrie] || Barrie, ON || http://transit.cityofbarriesites.com/files/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Terre Haute Transit || Terre Haute, IN || http://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/terrehautetransit-in-us/terrehautetransit-in-us.zip ||
|-
| Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) || Des Moines, IA || http://api.ridedart.com/gtfs/file?key=ef0bd8fa9ef652bcfaea713da3b64078 ||
|-
| Belgian railwaycompany NMBS || Belgium || http://gtfs.irail.be/nmbs/ ||
|-
| [http://www.reittiopas.fi Reittiopas] || Helsinki (Finland) || http://developer.reittiopas.fi/pages/en/other-apis.php ||
|-
| [http://www.peatus.ee PATUS] || Estonia || http://www.peatus.ee/gtfs/ ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt Vilnius] || Vilnius (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/vilnius/vilnius/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt/kaunas Kaunas] || Kaunas (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/kaunas/kaunas/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt/klaipeda Klaipėda] || Klaipėda (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/klaipeda/klaipeda/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt/panevezys Panevėžys] || Panevėžys (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/panevezys/panevezys/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.stops.lt/druskininkai Druskininkai] || Druskininkai (Lithuania) || http://www.stops.lt/druskininkai/druskininkai/gtfs.zip ||
|-
| La Palma Island || La Palma Island (Balearic Islands, Spain) || http://194.179.122.188/files/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| Mallorca Island || Mallorca Island (Balearic Islands, Spain) || http://www.tib.org/portal/documents/10286/110211/es-ctm-mallorca.zip ||
|-
| Bologna || Bologna (Italy) || https://solweb.tper.it/web/tools/open-data/open-data-download.aspx?source=tper.it&filename=gommagtfsbo&version=20150512&format=zip ||
|-
| Ferrara || Ferrara (Italy) || https://solweb.tper.it/web/tools/open-data/open-data-download.aspx?source=tper.it&filename=gommagtfsfe&version=20150512&format=zip ||
|-
| AMTAB S.p.A. Bari || Bari (Italy) || http://bari.opendata.planetek.it/OrariBus/v2.1/ ||
|-
| [http://www.smtd.org Springfield Mass Transit District] || Springfield, IL || http://data.smtd.org/gtfs/smtd_gtfs_feed.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/ Melbourne Public Transport] || Melbourne (Australia) || https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/melbourne-pt-gtfs/google_transit.zip ||
|-
| [http://www.gocitybus.com/ Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation (CityBus)] || Lafayette, IN || http://myride.gocitybus.com/public/laf/google/google_transit.zip ||
|}

==List of publicly-accessible public transportation data feeds: dynamic data and others==
This is a list of references to static public transportation data published by transit agencies and transit operators in formats other than GTFS. It also includes dynamic data feeds in [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ GTFS-realtime]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Agency !! Area !! Feed Location !! Type !! Format !! Notes
|-
| [http://www.trimet.org/ TriMet] || Portland, OR || http://developer.trimet.org/ws_docs/ || Real time departure predictions and vehicle locations || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.trimet.org/ TriMet] || Portland, OR || http://developer.trimet.org/GTFS.shtml || GTFS-realtime || GTFS-realtime || [http://developer.trimet.org/terms_of_use.shtml Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.bart.gov/ BART] || San Francisco Bay Area || http://api.bart.gov/docs/overview/index.aspx || Real time departure predictions, route and schedule information || REST/XML || [http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/api.aspx Developer page]
|-
| [http://www.bart.gov/ BART] || San Francisco Bay Area || http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/gtfs-realtime.aspx || BART GTFS-Real Time || GTFS-realtime || [http://www.bart.gov/schedules/developers/api.aspx Developer page]
|-
| King County METRO || Seattle, WA || http://www.its.washington.edu/its_ws.html || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.metro.net L.A. Metro] || Los Angeles, CA || [http://developer.metro.net] || Trip planner API, Real time departure predictions (buses) || REST/XML || Trip planner: Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://transport.nsw.gov.au/ Transport for NSW] || New South Wales and Sydney (Australia) || https://tdx.131500.com.au || Network and schedule data || File set TransXChange || Registration required
|-
| [http://www.transitchicago.com/ CTA Bus] || Chicago, IL || http://www.ctabustracker.com/bustime/APIDocument.jsp || Real time departure predictions and bus locations || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.sfmta.com SFMTA] || San Francisco, CA || http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asite/nextmunidata.htm || Real time departure predictions and vehicle locations || REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.ytv.fi/fin ytv] || Helsinki Metro (Finland) || http://developer.reittiopas.fi/pages/en/home.php || Trip planner API || REST/XML || Registration required, non-commercial use (test and development)
|-
| [http://www.traveline.info/mobile.html Traveline NextBuses] || England, Wales and Scotland || || Scheduled and some real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration required, commercial license
|-
| [http://www.traveline.info/mobile.html Traveline NextBuses] || England, Wales and Scotland || || Scheduled and some real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration required, commercial license
|-
| [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers MBTA/EOT] || Boston, MA || http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers || Real time departure predictions and bus locations || REST/XML || Bus, Subway and Commuter Rail
|-
| [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers MBTA/EOT] || Boston, MA || http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers || Real-Time Data in GTFS-realtime Format || GTFS-realtime || [http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/downloads/DLA_11-13-09.pdf License]
|-
| [http://www.wmata.com WMATA] || Washington, D.C. || http://developer.wmata.com/ || Real time departure predictions for Metro Rail and Bus || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.actransit.org/ AC Transit] || Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, CA || http://www.actransit.org/rider-info/nextbus-xml-data/ || Real time departure predictions and bus locations || REST/XML || 110 out of 175 routes
|-
| [http://data.london.gov.uk/datastore/ London Datastore] || London (UK) || http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartners/syndication/16492.aspx || Various datasets and real time feeds || ||
|-
| [http://www.ttc.ca/ Toronto Transit Commission] || Toronto, ON || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| Various Universities || US || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| DC Circulator, Charm City Circulator, US || Maryland, Virginia || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| Portland Streetcar || Portland, OR || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| MTA || New York, NY || [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/Index] || Bus locations route B63|| REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://triangletransit.org/ Triangle Transit] || Chapel Hill, NC || [http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList NextBus Webservices] || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| Dutch Railways (NS) || The Netherlands || [http://ns.nl/api] || Trip planning, station list, live departures, prices and service disruptions || REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.cumtd.com CUMTD] || Champaign-Urbana, IL || [http://developer.cumtd.com/] || Real time departure predictions|| REST/XML || [http://developer.cumtd.com/terms-of-use Terms of Use]
|-
| [http://www.mtc.ca.gov/ MTC] || San Francisco Bay Area, CA || [http://511.org/developer-resources_transit-api.asp] || Real time departure predictions|| REST/XML || [http://511portalstaging.lan.511.org/developer-resources_api-terms_rtt.asp Terms and Conditions]
|-
| [http://www.transitchicago.com/ CTA Customer Alerts] || Chicago, IL || http://www.transitchicago.com/developers/alerts.aspx || Real time service messages|| REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.transitchicago.com/ CTA Train Tracker] || Chicago, IL || http://www.transitchicago.com/developers/traintracker.aspx || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.thebus.org/ OTS] || Oahu, HI || http://hea.thebus.org/api_info.asp || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.psta.net/ PSTA] || Pinellas County, FL || http://psta.net/developers/ridepsta_API.php || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML || Registration for API key required
|-
| [http://www.itsmarta.com/ MARTA] || Atlanta, GA || http://www.itsmarta.com/marta-developer-resources.aspx || Real time departure predictions || REST/Json ||
|-
| [http://www.mta.info/ MTA] || New York, NY || http://datamine.mta.info/ || Subway real-time data feeds (Beta) || GTFS-realtime ||
|-
| [http://www.rideuta.com/ UTA] || Salt Lake City, UT || http://developer.rideuta.com/DeveloperResources/DataInstructions.aspx || Next bus and train times || REST/XML/SIRI ||
|-
| [http://www.opendata.ch/ OpenData.ch] || Switzerland || http://transport.opendata.ch/ || Public timetable data || REST/JSON ||
|-
| [http://www.octranspo1.com OC Transpo] || Ottawa, ON || http://www.octranspo1.com/developers || Real time departure predictions || REST/XML ||
|-
| [http://www.vic.gov.au/ Victorian Government] || Victoria (Australia) || https://www.data.vic.gov.au/raw_data/ptv-timetable-api/6056 || Timetable API || REST/JSON || Documentation at http://stevage.github.io/PTV-API-doc/
|-
| [http://www.ridetarc.org/ Transit Authority of River City] || Louisville, KY || http://gtfsrealtime.ridetarc.org/ || Real-Time Data in GTFS-realtime Format || GTFS-realtime ||
|-
|-
|}

Public Feeds wiki page on Google Transit Data Feed Google Code project

2015-11-12T14:57:38Z

Barbeau: Fix link

Many agencies have added links to their GTFS data on the [https://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/PublicFeeds Public Feeds wiki page] on [https://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/ Google Transit Data Feed Google Code project].

As of November 2015, the above page has been changed to read-only (due to the discontinuation of Google Code) and mostly exists for historical sake (the source code for the project has been moved to [https://github.com/google/transitfeed Github], and it appears the GTFS list of agencies did not make the transition).

If you'd like to openly share your GTFS data, please see other sites on the [http://www.transitwiki.org/TransitWiki/index.php?title=Category:GTFS_feed_registry GTFS feed registry category page] such as [[GTFS_Data_Exchange|GTFS Data Exchange]].

Public Feeds wiki page on Google Transit Data Feed Google Code project

2015-11-12T14:56:47Z

Barbeau: Add Google code GTFS agency list page

Many agencies have added links to their GTFS data on the [https://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/PublicFeeds Public Feeds wiki page] on [https://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/ Google Transit Data Feed Google Code project].

As of November 2015, the above page has been changed to read-only (due to the discontinuation of Google Code) and mostly exists for historical sake (the source code for the project has been moved to [https://github.com/google/transitfeed Github], and it appears the GTFS list of agencies did not make the transition).

If you'd like to openly share your GTFS data, please see other pages in the [[Category:GTFS_feed_registry|GTFS feed registry category]] such as [[GTFS_Data_Exchange|GTFS Data Exchange]].

GTFS Data Exchange

2015-11-12T14:49:37Z

Barbeau:

[http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] is the largest global GTFS feed registry for schedule transit data, and is used by many 3rd party application developers to discover GTFS data for various cities around the world. Agencies can register their GTFS feed URL (e.g., http://my.agency.org/google/google_transit.zip) with GTFS Data Exchange, and GTFS Data Exchange automatically regularly retrieves and archives a copy of the data if it has changed. As a result, many agencies' GTFS data is archived going back years on the site.

If you are a transit agency and would like your name and data to appear on GTFS Data Exchange, see the instructions to be added [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/how-to-provide-open-data here].

[[Category:GTFS feed registry]]

GTFS Data Exchange

2015-11-12T14:47:37Z

Barbeau: Created page with "[http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] is the largest global GTFS feed registry for schedule transit data, and is used by many 3rd party application developer..."

GTFS Data Dissemination

2015-11-12T14:43:31Z

Barbeau: Remove bad references

After agencies determine how they plan to create and maintain their data, they must select a process for GTFS dissemination.

== Dissemination Methods for Public GTFS Datasets ==
After the transit agency has created the GTFS zip file and decided whether or not to include data use guidelines, it can be shared with application developers so that applications (e.g., Google Transit) can use the data.
=== Global Directories ===
GTFS data is typically made publicly available by sharing the data at a publicized URL. Developers and consuming applications can download GTFS data from the specified URL.

Two websites currently serve as the primary global directories of publicly accessible data:
* [[GTFS Data Exchange]]
* [[Public Feeds wiki page on Google Transit Data Feed Google Code project]]

Transit agencies with GTFS data should consider making this data public to best leverage their investment and maximize the availability of applications based on their GTFS data<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>. The data can be made available on the websites listed above, as well as at the individual agency websites. Trinity Transit<ref>[http://www.trinitytransit.org/gtfs/ Trinity Transit. "Google Maps and Mobile Applications."]</ref> is an example of a small agency that has chosen to make GTFS publicly available through its website, as has HART<ref>[http://www.gohart.org/developers/ Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. "Build your own HART apps."]</ref> and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area of Florida<ref>[http://www.psta.net/developers/ Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. "PSTA Developer Resources."]</ref>.

=== Regional Directories ===
Another example of GTFS data publishing is a regional approach where all GTFS data feeds for a number of nearby agencies are listed on a single centralized site so they are easily discoverable by application developers. The following agencies publish a list of all the publicly available GTFS data for all agencies in the respective state:
* Oregon Department of Transportation Public Transit Division<ref>[http://www.oregon-gtfs.com/ Oregon Department of Transportation Public Transit Division. "GTFS Data Download Links."]</ref>
* New York State Department of Transportation<ref>[http://511ny.org/developer.aspx New York State Department of Transportation]</ref>
* Massachusetts Department of Transportation <ref>[http://www.eot.state.ma.us/developers/ Massachusetts Department of Transportation. "MassDOT Developers Page."]</ref>
* trafiklab.se (Country of Sweden)

Sweden has released GTFS data for 58 public transportation services in the country in August 2012<ref>https://groups.google.com/d/topic/googletransitdatafeed/pl_ByBZhJcE/discussion</ref>. Elias Arnestrad with Samtrafiken discussed Sweden’s approach toward open public transport data. The data is released through an organization called Samtrafiken<ref>www.samtrafiken.se</ref>, which is an organization jointly-owned by about 30 public and private transportation providers. Samtrafiken consolidates open data, and provides technical consulting services and guidance to transport providers. Open data was released following a partnership with Google that began in 2011. This occurred as a result of a legislative mandate, concurrently with a “mind shift in the public transport industry about how [to] define [its] core business.” In addition to GTFS data, Samtrafiken provides several APIs for transit data at www.trafiklab.se. Trafiklab.se includes a blog with news, and a forum for people to propose projects and find collaborators. Elias states the reason this is done through Samtrafiken “is to share the costs for developing those services.”

== Demonstrating Applied Uses of GTFS Data ==

With the GTFS readily available, mobile app developers may create different applications for riders. When applications are created by third-party developers using a transit agency’s GTFS data, the agency may choose to make transit riders aware of these applications. One method of increasing awareness is to showcase certain applications on the agency’s website.

TriMet<ref>[http://trimet.org/apps/ TriMet. "TriMet App Center."]</ref>, BART in San Francisco<ref>[http://www.bart.gov/schedules/appcenter/ San Fransisco Bay Area Rabid Transit District. "Third Party Apps."]</ref>, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York<ref>[http://www.mta.info/apps/ Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "App Center."]</ref>, Chicago Transit Authority<ref>[http://www.transitchicago.com/apps Chicago Transit Authority. "App Center."/]</ref>, GoTriangle in North Carolina<ref>[http://www.gotriangle.org/developers/transit_apps GoTriangle. "App Center."]</ref>, HART in Tampa, FL<ref>[http://www.gohart.org/developers/appcenter.html Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. "App Center."]</ref>, MBTA in Massachusetts<ref>[http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/apps/ Massaschusetts Bay Transportation Authority. "App Center."]</ref>, KCATA in Kansas City <ref>[http://www.kcata.org/maps_schedules/app_center/ Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. "App Center."]</ref>, and Utah Transit Authority<ref>[http://developer.rideuta.com/DeveloperApps.aspx Utah Transit Authority. "App Center."]</ref> are all examples of medium to large transit agencies that publishes information about 3rd party applications in “App Center” websites. Mendocino Transit Authority is an example of a small transit agency that provides an “App Center”<ref>[http://www.mendocinotransit.org/app-center/ Mendocino Transit Authority. "App Center."]</ref>. City-Go-Round<ref>[http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round."]</ref> is a global directory of third-party transit applications.

If an agency produces such a showecase, these showcased applications should be selected by the agency based on clear, defined criteria. McHugh from TriMet explains their methodology for showcasing applications. “Our philosophy has always been not to police applications. We have two criteria [we examine for before] posting: (1) The App must work as it says it does, and (2) the App must use our developer resources/data. This is to discourage screen scraping [and encourage use of the official GTFS dataset]”<ref>Bibiana McHugh, "Leveraging GTFS paper," ed, 2012.</ref>.

Wong et al. also encourage an active relationship with the third-party software developer community when openly sharing GTFS data<ref>James Wong, Landon Reed, Kari Watkins, and Regan Hammond (2013), "Open Transit Data: State of the Practice and Experiences from Participating Agencies in the United States," in Transportation ResearchBoard 92nd Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., USA, p. 15, January 13-17, 2013.</ref>.

Transitland

2015-11-12T14:38:00Z

Barbeau: add Transitland

Transitland (https://transit.land/) is an open-source registry of GTFS feeds, as well as a data visualization tool and open application programming interface, based on registered feeds.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Map applications]]
[[Category:Data Visualization applications]]
[[Category:GTFS feed registry]]

General Transit Feed Specification

2015-10-07T21:05:34Z

Barbeau: Add vendor form and list links

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of March 2012, there were are an estimated 261 transit agencies worldwide, including 227 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed March 1, 2012 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and Mentor Engineering <ref>[http://www.mentoreng.com/products/streets-transit/streets-schedule/schedule.html Mentor Engineering. "Transit Scheduling Software."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are free spreadsheet-based tools for creating and maintaining GTFS data such as and XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency. A list of vendors that provide self-service or full-service products and services for GTFS creation and maintenance can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gc9mu4BIYC8ORpv2IbbVnT3q8VQ3xkeY7Hz068vT_GQ/pubhtml here]. If you'd like to add a vendor to this list, please use [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XZl1cHDh9NUl9r7Eq-j9RuwVJlfjgPE8IBOb54oe138/viewform this form]

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. The [[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] page aims to be a directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:[https://maps.google.com Google Maps] is currently implemented for most transit agencies that publish GTFS. Other examples of trip planning applications are [https://www.bing.com/maps/ Bing Maps] and [http://www.opentripplanner.org/ OpenTripPlanner]. A number of other websites graphically map where GTFS data is available (e.g. [http://tracker.geops.ch/ TRAVIC: Transit Visualization Client]) and the types of data available.
*'''Timetable creation'''
:Timetable Publisher is free, open-source software that creates timetables in both HTML and PDF formats. TriMet in Portland, Oregon uses TimeTable Publisher to create all its timetables, as does Hampton Roads Transit in the south-eastern Virginia area.
*'''Data visualization'''
:[https://www.walkscore.com/ WalkScore] is a website that helps people quantify “walkability” of an area by showing the nearby amenities within walking distance. The website also has a Transit Score, that rates how well an address is served by public transportation. These Transit Scores are now shown on a number of other websites, such as real estate websites where they assist potential purchasers rank how well a property is served by public transport.
*'''Accessibility'''
:The Travel Assistant Device (TAD) is designed for sight-impaired or intellectually-disabled passengers. Phones with the application installed give audio and vibrating alerts when it is time for the passenger to pull the stop cord and alight from the bus
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]].

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

Timetable Publisher

2015-09-17T13:34:47Z

Barbeau: Fix category

TimeTable Publisher <ref>TriMet. "TimeTable Publisher." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://code.google.com/p/timetablepublisher/</ref> is free, open source software that creates HTML (web-ready) and PDF (print-ready) timetables from information contained in a connected database or GTFS data file. TriMet <ref>TriMet. "TriMet: Public Transit in the Portland Area." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://trimet.org/</ref> in Portland, Oregon uses TimeTable Publisher to create all its timetables, as does Hampton Roads Transit <ref>Hampton Roads Transit. "Hampton Roads Transit." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.gohrt.com/</ref> in the south-eastern Virginia area. TimeTable Publisher includes a “compare differences” tool to find differences between schedule updates. The “compare differences” tool is only available when TimeTable Publisher is connected directly to a schedule database.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Timetable generation software]]

Timetable Publisher

2015-09-17T13:34:00Z

Barbeau: Add category

Category:Map applications

2015-09-10T15:26:49Z

Barbeau:

There are many different applications that visualize transit data on the map using data in the General Transit Feed Specification ([[GTFS]] ) format:
* [[Mapnificent]] - Shows travel time maps to destinations in multiple cities around the globe.

[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]

Category:Map applications

2015-09-10T15:26:18Z

Barbeau: Fix typo

There are many different applications that visualize transit data on the map using data in the General Transit Feed Specification ([[GTFS]] ) format:
* [[Mapnificent]] - Show travel time maps to destinations in multiple cities around the globe.

[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]

Category:Map applications

2015-09-10T15:25:35Z

Barbeau: Add initial content

There are many different applications that visualize transit data on the map using data in the General Transit Feed Specification ([[GTFS]] ) format:
* [[Mapnificient]] - Show travel time maps to destinations in multiple cities around the globe.

[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]

General Transit Feed Specification

2015-08-28T14:28:28Z

Barbeau: Fix refs

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of March 2012, there were are an estimated 261 transit agencies worldwide, including 227 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed March 1, 2012 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and Mentor Engineering <ref>[http://www.mentoreng.com/products/streets-transit/streets-schedule/schedule.html Mentor Engineering. "Transit Scheduling Software."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are free spreadsheet-based tools for creating and maintaining GTFS data such as and XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[https://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-osm-sync Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency.

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. The [[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] page aims to be a directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:[https://maps.google.com Google Maps] is currently implemented for most transit agencies that publish GTFS. Other examples of trip planning applications are [https://www.bing.com/maps/ Bing Maps] and [http://www.opentripplanner.org/ OpenTripPlanner]. A number of other websites graphically map where GTFS data is available (e.g. [http://tracker.geops.ch/ TRAVIC: Transit Visualization Client]) and the types of data available.
*'''Timetable creation'''
:Timetable Publisher is free, open-source software that creates timetables in both HTML and PDF formats. TriMet in Portland, Oregon uses TimeTable Publisher to create all its timetables, as does Hampton Roads Transit in the south-eastern Virginia area.
*'''Data visualization'''
:[https://www.walkscore.com/ WalkScore] is a website that helps people quantify “walkability” of an area by showing the nearby amenities within walking distance. The website also has a Transit Score, that rates how well an address is served by public transportation. These Transit Scores are now shown on a number of other websites, such as real estate websites where they assist potential purchasers rank how well a property is served by public transport.
*'''Accessibility'''
:The Travel Assistant Device (TAD) is designed for sight-impaired or intellectually-disabled passengers. Phones with the application installed give audio and vibrating alerts when it is time for the passenger to pull the stop cord and alight from the bus
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]].

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2015-08-28T14:25:17Z

Barbeau: Change open-source GTFS editing tool reference

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of March 2012, there were are an estimated 261 transit agencies worldwide, including 227 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed March 1, 2012 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and Mentor Engineering <ref>[http://www.mentoreng.com/products/streets-transit/streets-schedule/schedule.html Mentor Engineering. "Transit Scheduling Software."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are free spreadsheet-based tools for creating and maintaining GTFS data such as and XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, started an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool that is now maintained by Conveyal <ref>[hhttps://github.com/conveyal/gtfs-editor Conveyal. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency.

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. The [[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] page aims to be a directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:[https://maps.google.com Google Maps] is currently implemented for most transit agencies that publish GTFS. Other examples of trip planning applications are [https://www.bing.com/maps/ Bing Maps] and [http://www.opentripplanner.org/ OpenTripPlanner]. A number of other websites graphically map where GTFS data is available (e.g. [http://tracker.geops.ch/ TRAVIC: Transit Visualization Client]) and the types of data available.
*'''Timetable creation'''
:Timetable Publisher is free, open-source software that creates timetables in both HTML and PDF formats. TriMet in Portland, Oregon uses TimeTable Publisher to create all its timetables, as does Hampton Roads Transit in the south-eastern Virginia area.
*'''Data visualization'''
:[https://www.walkscore.com/ WalkScore] is a website that helps people quantify “walkability” of an area by showing the nearby amenities within walking distance. The website also has a Transit Score, that rates how well an address is served by public transportation. These Transit Scores are now shown on a number of other websites, such as real estate websites where they assist potential purchasers rank how well a property is served by public transport.
*'''Accessibility'''
:The Travel Assistant Device (TAD) is designed for sight-impaired or intellectually-disabled passengers. Phones with the application installed give audio and vibrating alerts when it is time for the passenger to pull the stop cord and alight from the bus
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]].

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

General Transit Feed Specification

2015-08-27T15:32:02Z

Barbeau: Add APTA and TCRP papers

[[Image:GTFS.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A GTFS dataset from a transit agency, showing the schedules, routes, and shapes files. Dataset from San Francisco BART.]]
[[Category:Technology]]
==Introduction==
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines a common format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS "feeds" allow public transit agencies to publish their transit data and developers to use that data to write applications. The feeds are represented in a series of text files that are compressed into a ZIP file, and include information such as fixed-route schedules, routes, and bus stop data. GTFS datasets are used in a variety of types of applications, including trip planners such as Google Maps, mobile applications, timetable generation software, tools for transit planning and operations analysis, and other categories of applications outlined in this article.

==Origins & history==
[http://trimet.org TriMet] in Portland, Oregon was one of the first public agencies to try and tackle the problem of online transit trip planners through the use of open datasets that are shared with the general public. In 2005, TriMet approached Google, as well as a few other driving trip planner vendors, and asked if they had any plans on incorporating transit in their trip planners based on public TriMet data<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>. Google was the only vendor to reply to TriMet’s request. TriMet and Google then decided to team up to implement one of the first transit trip planners in Portland.

One of the first issues that TriMet and Google faced was the problem of sustainable data – in order to provide quality trips, the trip planner would need quality transit schedule, route, and stop data in an electronic format that was constantly up-to-date. TriMet worked with Google to format their transit data into an easily maintainable and consumable format that could be imported into Google Maps. This transit data format became known as the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)<ref>Google, Inc. "General Transit Feed Specification Reference." Accessed February 24, 2012 from http://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference</ref>. In 2005, this trip planning service was launched as Google Transit<ref>Matthew Roth. (2012). "How Google and Portland’s TriMet Set the Standard for Open Transit Data." SF.STREETSBLOG.ORG. January 5, 2010. Accessed: from http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/01/05/how-google-and-portlands-trimet-set-the-standard-for-open-transit-data/</ref>.

After a successful launch with TriMet, Google Transit offered their trip planner service for free to any agency that formatted and maintained their data in the GTFS format. In 2006, five more agencies were added. Google Transit’s success continued as more and more agencies wanted access to a free trip planner, and were willing to put their data into the GTFS format to get it.

Since its creation in 2005, GTFS has become the most popularly-used data format to describe fixed-route transit services in the world. Many agencies have decided to share their GTFS data openly with the public, while others choose to restrict access only to select partners (e.g., Google Maps). As of March 2012, there were are an estimated 261 transit agencies worldwide, including 227 transit agencies in the U.S., that share their GTFS data openly with the general public<ref>Front Seat Management, LLC. "City-Go-Round." Accessed March 1, 2012 from http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/</ref>. As of August 20, 2015, Google lists approximately 5900 agencies around the world for Google Transit coverage<ref>Google, Inc. "Transit – Google Maps." Accessed August 20, 2015 from http://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html</ref>, however, some of this transit information is probably derived from sources other than GTFS.

Even though many transit agencies created GTFS feeds with the primary purpose of benefiting from the free Google Transit trip planner, application developers, often not affiliated with the agency or Google, quickly realized that they could also create many new types of services based on the same GTFS transit data.

As a result of third-party developer innovation, GTFS data is now being used by a variety of third-party software applications for many different purposes, including trip planning, maps, timetable creation, mobile data, visualization, accessibility, analysis tools for planning, and real-time information systems. In 2010, the GTFS format name was changed to the General Transit Feed Specification<ref>Joe Hughes, gtfs-changes list, "Spec update for January 11, 2010." https://groups.google.com/d/topic/gtfs-changes/iC18a8NY6N4/discussion</ref> to accurately represent its use in many different applications outside of Google products.

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

==The Many Uses of GTFS Data--A Summary==
"The Many Uses of GTFS Data", published by Antrim and Barbeau (2013), provides an overview of the GTFS opportunities for transit agencies and describes many different uses and benefits that can assist agencies in maximizing their investment in GTFS data.<ref>[https://www.dropbox.com/s/jq2ko64j2eth5mt/The%20Many%20Uses%20of%20GTFS%20Data%20%E2%80%93%20Opening%20the%20Door%20to%20Transit%20Applications-postTRB4%20-%20changes%20accepted.docx?dl=0 The Many Uses of GTFS Data]</ref>

===Creating and Maintaining a GTFS Dataset===
Before transit agencies can benefit from Google Transit and many other transit applications, they must create and disseminate their data in the GTFS format. First, agencies should understand the GTFS format, and determine how their data will fit into this format. Second, transit agencies must choose between formatting a GTFS dataset in-house or outsourcing the task. The datasets have to be updated when there are schedule changes, and since major transit agencies update their schedules several times a year, some agencies might find greater benefits to outsourcing.

*'''In-House'''
:If the agency has sufficient in-house technical expertise, they may wish to produce and maintain the GTFS feed themselves. Several of the industry-standard scheduling software packages from vendors such as Trapeze<ref>[http://www.trapezegroup.com/ Trapeze Group Limited]</ref>, HASTUS <ref>[http://www.giro.ca/en/products/hastus/index.htm Giro, Inc. "HASTUS - Transit scheduling and operations."]</ref> , Connexionz<ref>[http://www.connexionz.us/home Connexionz Limited. "Smart Transit Solutions."]</ref>, and Mentor Engineering <ref>[http://www.mentoreng.com/products/streets-transit/streets-schedule/schedule.html Mentor Engineering. "Transit Scheduling Software."]</ref> can often export agency data into the GTFS format, facilitating the GTFS creation & maintenance process. However, agencies should not necessarily assume that the output of these tools produces perfect GTFS data, as agencies have indicated that they often still need to perform manual data processing on the GTFS data exported from these tools before it will be acceptable for application use <ref>[http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/34000/34000/34053/FDOT_BDK85_977-12_rpt.pdf Sean Barbeau, Nevine Labib Georggi, and Philip Winters (2010). "Travel Assistance Device (TAD) -- Deployment to Transit Agencies," National Center for Transit Research.]</ref>.

:For agencies who do not have access to sophisticated scheduling software, there are free spreadsheet-based tools for creating and maintaining GTFS data such as and XLS Tools for Google Transit by Bob Heitzman<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/rheitzman/ Bob Heitzman. "XLS Tools for Google Transit."]</ref>, which were repackaged as “GTFS Builder” by the Rural Transit Assistance Program <ref>[http://www.nationalrtap.org/public/WebApps/GTFSBuilder.aspx National Rural Transit Assistance Program. "GTFS Builder."]</ref>. OpenPlans, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that produces open-source civic software, is working on an open-source web-based GTFS Editing Tool <ref>[https://github.com/openplans/gtfs-editor OpenPlans. "GTFS Editor."]</ref>. For agencies without high-quality bus stop inventories, the open-source GTFS-OpenStreetMap Synchronization tool (GO-Sync) can help leverage crowd-sourced improvements of their GTFS bus stop inventory<ref>[Khoa Tran, Edward L. Hillsman, S. Barbeau, and M. A. Labrador (2011), "GO-Sync- A Framework to Synchronize Crowd-Sourced Mapping Contributions from Online Communities and Transit Agency Bus Stop Inventories," in ITS World Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, October 16, 2011.]</ref>. There are also many educational resources available online from the transit developer community for agencies interested in creating a GTFS feed<ref>[http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/wiki/OtherGTFSTools Google Transit Data Feed. "Other GTFS Tools."]</ref> <ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/google-transit-partner-support Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Support Google Group."]</ref>.

*'''Outsource'''
:Vendors such as Trillium Solutions, Inc. <ref>['http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/ Trillium Solutions, Inc.]</ref>, TransitEditor<ref>[http://www.transiteditor.com/index.php?q=en/home TransitEditor. "TransitEditor."]</ref>, and Next Insight Transportation Software<ref>[http://nextinsight.com/services.php Next Insight Transportation Software. "Conductor."]</ref> provide tools and services that can aid agencies in formatting and maintaining their data in GTFS format, ranging from online tools that are operated by the agency to a full service model where the vendor creates the GTFS data for the agency.

:The cost for a transit agency to hire a vendor or consultant to create GTFS data is usually around $200-$500 per route, depending on the level of effort required<ref> [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study] </ref>. Level of effort is determined by the number of stops, complexity and variation of the routes and schedules, and the availability and quality of existing stop location, schedule, and route alignment data.

===Disseminating GTFS Data===
Read full page on GTFS Data Dissemination here: [[GTFS Data Dissemination]]

Some agencies have chosen to share their transit data with select vendors such as Google Transit. They are typically concerned with legal exposure due to the lack of accuracy of data, loss of control of agency brand, and loss of control of dissemination of transit service information. However, many others feel the benefits of open transit data outweigh the risks, since developers can screen-scrape agency websites, which is not ideal for either party. Currently, over 200 transit agencies in the United States have chosen to openly share their GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.citygoround.org/agencies/ City-Go-Round] </ref>

The Google Transit Partner Program allows public transportation agencies to provide schedules and geographic information to Google Maps and other Google applications that show transit information. The website provides instructions for agencies just starting the GTFS sharing process and gives suggestions on how to create high-quality feeds. <ref> [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/index.html Google Transit Partner Program] </ref> For agencies that wish to make their data available to everyone, they can share the feeds on websites such as GTFS Data Exchange, which was designed to help developers and transit agencies efficiently share and retrieve GTFS data. <ref> [http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/ GTFS Data Exchange] </ref>

===Applications Based on GTFS===
The following are just a few examples of the types of applications and names of existing application that use GTFS. The [[:Category:GTFS-consuming applications]] page aims to be a directory of applications that utilize GTFS data for various purposes.
*'''Trip planning and maps'''
:[https://maps.google.com Google Maps] is currently implemented for most transit agencies that publish GTFS. Other examples of trip planning applications are [https://www.bing.com/maps/ Bing Maps] and [http://www.opentripplanner.org/ OpenTripPlanner]. A number of other websites graphically map where GTFS data is available (e.g. [http://tracker.geops.ch/ TRAVIC: Transit Visualization Client]) and the types of data available.
*'''Timetable creation'''
:Timetable Publisher is free, open-source software that creates timetables in both HTML and PDF formats. TriMet in Portland, Oregon uses TimeTable Publisher to create all its timetables, as does Hampton Roads Transit in the south-eastern Virginia area.
*'''Data visualization'''
:[https://www.walkscore.com/ WalkScore] is a website that helps people quantify “walkability” of an area by showing the nearby amenities within walking distance. The website also has a Transit Score, that rates how well an address is served by public transportation. These Transit Scores are now shown on a number of other websites, such as real estate websites where they assist potential purchasers rank how well a property is served by public transport.
*'''Accessibility'''
:The Travel Assistant Device (TAD) is designed for sight-impaired or intellectually-disabled passengers. Phones with the application installed give audio and vibrating alerts when it is time for the passenger to pull the stop cord and alight from the bus
*'''Real-time transit information'''
:Newer formats, such as [[GTFS-realtime]] and [http://bustime.mta.info/wiki/Developers/SIRIIntro SIRI], can be added as an extension to a basic GTFS format so transit agencies can share [[real-time information]].

==External Links==
* [http://transitfeeds.com/ TransitFeeds.com] - An extensive collection of official public transit data from around the world, including GTFS, GTFS-RealTime and more.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Transit_Feed_Specification Wikipedia page on GTFS]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/General_Transit_Feed_Specification The GTFS page on the Appropedia Wiki], which includes links to [http://www.appropedia.org/Open_Source_Transport_Informatics_tools pages on useful tools for working GTFS data].
* [http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Embracing-Open-Data.pdf APTA Policy Development and Research - Public Transportation Embracing Open Data] - APTA's discussion of the benefits and challenges of open data.
* [http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_115.pdf TCRP Synthesis 115 - Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies] - A report looking at the benefits and challenges of open transit data.

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency. [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/MassTrans/Docs-Pdfs/CoordinatedPlng/google.feasibility.study.pdf "Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study."]. (2009).
:The Shasta RTPA led a study on the feasibility of integrating small-urban and rural public transit service schedules and geographic information with Google Transit. The study makes recommendations on how Google Transit can be improved to address the needs of small rural agencies.

Florida Department of Transportation. [http://www.locationaware.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SunRail-Electronic-Trip-Planning-Study-Final-Report.pdf "SunRail Electronic Trip Planning Study Final Report"] (2013).
:This report was prepared for the FDOT in advance of their SunRail launch; it analyzes various online trip planning options for SunRail to consider, and includes a section on GTFS's benefits, risks, and applications.

OpenTripPlanner

2015-08-05T21:39:27Z

Barbeau: Add info about OTP deployments

TODO - fill in more information about OTP

'''Known OpenTripPlanner-based Deployments'''

* TriMet - http://ride.trimet.org/#/
* VTA - http://tripplanner.vta.org/planner

GTFS-realtime

2015-07-30T18:46:48Z

Barbeau: Add OneBusAway

===Definition===

''from Google's [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ "What is GTFS-realtime?" guide'']:

GTFS-realtime is a feed specification that allows public transportation agencies to provide realtime updates about their fleet to application developers. It is an extension to GTFS ([[General Transit Feed Specification]]), an open data format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS-realtime was designed around ease of implementation, good GTFS interoperability and a focus on passenger information.

The specification was designed through a partnership of the initial Live Transit Updates partner agencies, a number of transit developers and Google. The specification is published under the Apache 2.0 License.<ref>https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/</ref>

===Components of GTFS-realtime===
This is a stub section that needs to be developed. See [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/feed-types "feed types"].

===How to provide GTFS-realtime===
This is a stub section that needs to be developed.

===Applications that consume GTFS-realtime data===
''List is not comprehensive''
* [[Google Maps]]
* [[OpenTripPlanner]]
* [[OneBusAway]]
* [[Bing Maps]]
* [[Transit App]]

===GTFS-realtime validation===

As of July 2015, there is no official public validation tool either endorsed by the GTFS-realtime community or provided by Google that validates that a GTFS-realtime feed contents are correct. However, a GTFS-realtime validation tool is currently under development as part of a 2015 Google Summer of Code project - see the [https://github.com/CUTR-at-USF/gtfs-realtime-validator gtfs-realtime-validator project].

[[Category:GIS]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Open data]]