TransitWiki - User contributions [en]

General Transit Feed Specification

2015-10-19T02:16:22Z

Simone: Added links to Applications section

[[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>.

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

*'''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'''
: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.

Mapnificent

2015-10-19T01:53:42Z

Simone:

[[Image:Mapnificent-Bris.PNG|thumb|right|Fig 1: Sample Mapnificent Travel Time Map showing destinations estimated to be reachable in a given time (default of 30 minutes) by public transport from a starting point in Brisbane, Australia.]]

Mapnificent (http://mapnificent.net) was developed by Stefan Wehrmayer, and was “inspired by [[Mapumental]]”. The application can parse [[GTFS]] data to show travel time maps to destinations in multiple cities around the globe, and is currently free to use.

The results are displayed with Google Maps.

The first version’s source code is available, whilst the developer claims later versions will be published soon.

Credit to [http://www.appropedia.org/Mapnificent Appropedia] for the initial content.

Mapnificent <ref>Stefan Wehrmeyer. "Mapnificent." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.mapnificent.net/</ref> shows how far it is possible to travel on public transportation from a given location for over 50 cities throughout the world. The application interface provides a slider control to adjust maximum travel time. As the slider is adjusted, the highlighted area on the map showing travel range expands and contracts. Mapnificent also includes a JavaScript API that lets developers integrate a Mapnificent overlay into applications that use the Google Maps API.
Mapnificent uses public GTFS from GTFS Data Exchange [33]. Not every agency with a public feed is included, but the developer, Stefan Wehrmeyer, will often add agencies if requested. It is cost-free for transit agencies to participate.

==References==
<references />

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

Data Visualization

2015-10-19T01:52:52Z

Simone:

Several apps that visualize a transit system by leveraging the GTFS data format are available. Apps such as [[Walk Score]], Apartment Search, which is a feature contained by [[Walk Score]], and [[Mapnificent]].

Data Visualization

2015-10-19T01:52:27Z

Simone: Edited page so that it's not redundant with Walk Score page

Several apps that visualize a transit system by leveraging the GTFS data format are available. Apps such as [[Walk Score]], Apartment Search, which is a feature contained by Walk Score, and [[Mapnificent]].

Category:Data Visualization applications

2015-10-19T01:51:56Z

Simone: added brief description

Several apps that visualize a transit system by leveraging the GTFS data format are available. These apps demonstrate some of the way GTFS data can be leveraged to display information in a variety of ways, and adapted to different types of user applications.

Walk Score

2015-10-19T01:44:34Z

Simone: added page for walk score

[[Image:walkscore.png|thumb|right|Fig 1: Screenshot of Walk Score Apartment Search feature.]]

Several apps that visualize a transit system by leveraging the GTFS data format are available.

Walk Score <ref>Walk Score. "Walk Score (R)." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.walkscore.com/</ref> is a website created by the not-for-profit organization Front Seat (Figure 5). The purpose of the website is the help people quantify “walkability” through a numerical score. “Walk Scores” indicate the number of nearby amenities that are within walking distance. Walk Score’s primary use has been for buyers of real estate who wish to convenience access to amenities. Walk Score is also used by people selecting an apartment or home to rent. In mid-2012, the travel booking site Hipmunk <ref>Hipmunk, Inc. "Hipmunk." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.hipmunk.com/</ref> added a “Walk Score” layer in its hotel mapping feature. This allows travelers to discover and select hotels that are located in convenient areas of a city.

In August 2010, Walk Score incorporated Transit Score and commute reports <ref>Aleisha Jacobson. (2012). "Walk Score(R) Launches Transit Score(TM) and Commute Reports." August 16, 2010. Accessed: from http://blog.walkscore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Walk_Score_Launches_Transit_Score_16Aug10.pdf</ref>. According to the Front Seat press release, “Transit Score provides a 0-100 rating indicating how well an address is served by public transportation. Ratings range from ‘Rider’s Paradises’ where multiple transit options are available within a quarter of a mile to areas with limited or no nearby public transportation.”

Also in August 2010, Walk Score began offering a Public Transit API. According to Front Seat, “With the Public Transit API, real estate and other website owners can show nearby public transit stops on a map, show a text description of nearby transit stops and routes, and show the Transit Score of a specific location.” <ref>Aleisha Jacobson. (2012). "Walk Score(R) Launches Transit Score(TM) and Commute Reports." August 16, 2010. Accessed: from http://blog.walkscore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Walk_Score_Launches_Transit_Score_16Aug10.pdf</ref>

In September 2011, Walk Score added a feature called “Apartment Search.” The feature allows its users to see apartments and house rentals listed in Craigslist within a given transit commute time of their work or school. In addition, a “Near Transit” button allows the user to see all properties that are within a given distance to a transit stop. When this filter is turned on, transit routes appear and the area with a specified proximity of stops is highlighted.

Applications such as Apartment Search and Walk Score can help induce more regular ridership. These applications helps transit agencies’ target customers (whether discretionary riders or transit-dependent riders) locate themselves in such a way that they’ll become more inclined ride transit frequently. These applications can help a community to value transit service and walkability. Real-estate agents can also use these resources with their clients to emphasize properties that are easily accessible via walking or transit.

It is recommended that transit agencies link to Apartment Search from its website. This will help customers locate themselves in a way that provides convenient access to transit services. This may help to provide residents more mobility options, increase ridership and fare box returns, and/or reduce demand for dial-a-ride services. It is also recommended to integrate Apartment Search into “travel training” programs, or one-on-one instruction for riding public transportation, if they exist. Walk Score uses public GTFS from GTFS Data Exchange <ref>Jehiah Czebotar. "GTFS Data Exchange." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/</ref>. It is cost-free for transit agencies to participate.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Map applications]]
[[Category:Data Visualization applications]]

Category:GTFS-consuming applications

2015-10-19T01:40:51Z

Simone: Added data visualization as a category

This category is for applications that utilize [[General Transit Feed Specification]] data.

GTFS-consuming applications serve the following categories of functions:

* [[:Category:Accessibility devices and applications]]
* [[:Category:Data Visualization applications]]
* [[:Category:Frameworks and database tools]]
* [[:Category:Interactive Voice Response (IVR)]]
* [[:Category:Map applications]]
* [[:Category:Mobile applications]]
* [[:Category:Network planning software]]
* [[:Category:Operations analysis software]]
* [[:Category:Public information displays]]
* [[:Category:Real-time applications]]
* [[:Category:Timetable generation software]]
* [[:Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]

Transit software

2015-10-19T01:36:24Z

Simone: got rid of link

[[File:Route Match.jpg|thumbnail|right|Route Match transit software in action. Source: http://www.laketransit.org/]]
== Introduction ==
There are many vendors providing software for the transit industry for various applications. While the field includes a few large, well-known players, there are also smaller businesses providing customized solutions. One resource for discovering any vendors in the industry is to attend an [http://www.apta.com/Pages/default.aspx American Public Transportation Association] (APTA) Expo. APTA also provides a [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide] on their website which includes paid advertising as well as basic listings of vendors in various categories including software.

''The software packages or vendors referenced in this article are provided as examples within the industry, not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor representative of any rating, ranking, or promotion of any vendor over another. Users and industry representatives are encouraged to add other active vendors to create a reference page. Promotional language or personal opinions are not acceptable.''

== Purchasing ==
As with procurement of almost anything in the public transportation business, transit software packages are typically not an off-the-shelf product. They typically require procurement using a pre-defined specification allowing for various firms to competitively bid. Bidding for software the first time for an agency can be challenging without expertise in the field. Small but growing agencies that need to move away from basic solutions towards more robust software can find themselves frustrated during software implementation if their specifications were not adequate to reach the final desired product. Even with a well-written specification, software implementation can be challenging because most packages are tailored to suit each agencies' need. Unlike consumer software such as Microsoft Office, which has been developed over decades of response with a huge user base, transit software has a much smaller audience and comparatively less development history.

Agencies are advised to consult other agencies for specifications and experience before setting out on a new software procurement.

=== Modules ===
Many vendors provide numerous software solutions which can incorporate various aspects of transit operations and planning into one procurement. Specificity about what your agency needs in a software package is crucial. Integrated software can be very helpful in providing comprehensive analysis, but adding modules to a procurement increases the price of purchase. Modules can include otherwise distinct software for dispatching, service scheduling, work (bid) scheduling, paratransit scheduling, fleet maintenance, fare management, and more.

== Software ==

=== Service Scheduling and Dispatch ===
Some of the businesses providing scheduling and dispatch (often separately for fixed-route and paratransit as modules), include:
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* GIRO's [http://www.giro.ca/en/ HASTUS]
* [http://initusa.com/en/products/ITCS.php?thisID=435 INIT]
* [http://www.cts-software.com/ CTS Software] for paratransit (not to be confused with [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems])

=== Fare Media ===
Fare media vendors can include both hardware and software providers; some firms provide the software solution that can accompany varying hardware, while others provide a fully integrated proprietary product.
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems]
* [http://www.mjminnovations.com/ MJM Innovations]
* [http://www.spx.com/en/genfare/ SPX Genfare (formerly GFI)]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]

=== GTFS Feed ===
Firms that create GTFS files and/or display GTFS data:
* [https://www.rome2rio.com/ Rome2Rio]
* [http://www.transittimesapp.com/ Transit Times App]
* [http://thetransitapp.com/ The Transit App]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]
* [https://maps.google.com Google Maps]

== Other Resources ==
* APTA [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide]
* "[http://publictransport.about.com/od/Transit_Technology/a/Software-Used-In-The-Public-Transit-Industry-Hastus-By-Giro.htm Software Used in the Public Transit Industry]" by Christopher MacKechnie for About.com

[[Category: Technology]]

Transit software

2015-10-19T01:35:38Z

Simone: added link

[[File:Route Match.jpg|thumbnail|right|Route Match transit software in action. Source: http://www.laketransit.org/]]
== Introduction ==
There are many vendors providing software for the transit industry for various applications. While the field includes a few large, well-known players, there are also smaller businesses providing customized solutions. One resource for discovering any vendors in the industry is to attend an [http://www.apta.com/Pages/default.aspx American Public Transportation Association] (APTA) Expo. APTA also provides a [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide] on their website which includes paid advertising as well as basic listings of vendors in various categories including software.

''The software packages or vendors referenced in this article are provided as examples within the industry, not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor representative of any rating, ranking, or promotion of any vendor over another. Users and industry representatives are encouraged to add other active vendors to create a reference page. Promotional language or personal opinions are not acceptable.''

== Purchasing ==
As with procurement of almost anything in the public transportation business, transit software packages are typically not an off-the-shelf product. They typically require procurement using a pre-defined specification allowing for various firms to competitively bid. Bidding for software the first time for an agency can be challenging without expertise in the field. Small but growing agencies that need to move away from basic solutions towards more robust software can find themselves frustrated during software implementation if their specifications were not adequate to reach the final desired product. Even with a well-written specification, software implementation can be challenging because most packages are tailored to suit each agencies' need. Unlike consumer software such as Microsoft Office, which has been developed over decades of response with a huge user base, transit software has a much smaller audience and comparatively less development history.

Agencies are advised to consult other agencies for specifications and experience before setting out on a new software procurement.

=== Modules ===
Many vendors provide numerous software solutions which can incorporate various aspects of transit operations and planning into one procurement. Specificity about what your agency needs in a software package is crucial. Integrated software can be very helpful in providing comprehensive analysis, but adding modules to a procurement increases the price of purchase. Modules can include otherwise distinct software for dispatching, service scheduling, work (bid) scheduling, paratransit scheduling, fleet maintenance, fare management, and more.

== Software ==

=== Service Scheduling and Dispatch ===
Some of the businesses providing scheduling and dispatch (often separately for fixed-route and paratransit as modules), include:
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* GIRO's [http://www.giro.ca/en/ HASTUS]
* [http://initusa.com/en/products/ITCS.php?thisID=435 INIT]
* [http://www.cts-software.com/ CTS Software] for paratransit (not to be confused with [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems])

=== Fare Media ===
Fare media vendors can include both hardware and software providers; some firms provide the software solution that can accompany varying hardware, while others provide a fully integrated proprietary product.
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems]
* [http://www.mjminnovations.com/ MJM Innovations]
* [http://www.spx.com/en/genfare/ SPX Genfare (formerly GFI)]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]

=== GTFS Feed ===
[[GTFS-consuming applications|Firms that create GTFS files and/or display GTFS data]]:
* [https://www.rome2rio.com/ Rome2Rio]
* [http://www.transittimesapp.com/ Transit Times App]
* [http://thetransitapp.com/ The Transit App]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]
* [https://maps.google.com Google Maps]

== Other Resources ==
* APTA [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide]
* "[http://publictransport.about.com/od/Transit_Technology/a/Software-Used-In-The-Public-Transit-Industry-Hastus-By-Giro.htm Software Used in the Public Transit Industry]" by Christopher MacKechnie for About.com

[[Category: Technology]]

Transit software

2015-10-19T01:35:18Z

Simone: added link

[[File:Route Match.jpg|thumbnail|right|Route Match transit software in action. Source: http://www.laketransit.org/]]
== Introduction ==
There are many vendors providing software for the transit industry for various applications. While the field includes a few large, well-known players, there are also smaller businesses providing customized solutions. One resource for discovering any vendors in the industry is to attend an [http://www.apta.com/Pages/default.aspx American Public Transportation Association] (APTA) Expo. APTA also provides a [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide] on their website which includes paid advertising as well as basic listings of vendors in various categories including software.

''The software packages or vendors referenced in this article are provided as examples within the industry, not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor representative of any rating, ranking, or promotion of any vendor over another. Users and industry representatives are encouraged to add other active vendors to create a reference page. Promotional language or personal opinions are not acceptable.''

== Purchasing ==
As with procurement of almost anything in the public transportation business, transit software packages are typically not an off-the-shelf product. They typically require procurement using a pre-defined specification allowing for various firms to competitively bid. Bidding for software the first time for an agency can be challenging without expertise in the field. Small but growing agencies that need to move away from basic solutions towards more robust software can find themselves frustrated during software implementation if their specifications were not adequate to reach the final desired product. Even with a well-written specification, software implementation can be challenging because most packages are tailored to suit each agencies' need. Unlike consumer software such as Microsoft Office, which has been developed over decades of response with a huge user base, transit software has a much smaller audience and comparatively less development history.

Agencies are advised to consult other agencies for specifications and experience before setting out on a new software procurement.

=== Modules ===
Many vendors provide numerous software solutions which can incorporate various aspects of transit operations and planning into one procurement. Specificity about what your agency needs in a software package is crucial. Integrated software can be very helpful in providing comprehensive analysis, but adding modules to a procurement increases the price of purchase. Modules can include otherwise distinct software for dispatching, service scheduling, work (bid) scheduling, paratransit scheduling, fleet maintenance, fare management, and more.

== Software ==

=== Service Scheduling and Dispatch ===
Some of the businesses providing scheduling and dispatch (often separately for fixed-route and paratransit as modules), include:
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* GIRO's [http://www.giro.ca/en/ HASTUS]
* [http://initusa.com/en/products/ITCS.php?thisID=435 INIT]
* [http://www.cts-software.com/ CTS Software] for paratransit (not to be confused with [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems])

=== Fare Media ===
Fare media vendors can include both hardware and software providers; some firms provide the software solution that can accompany varying hardware, while others provide a fully integrated proprietary product.
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems]
* [http://www.mjminnovations.com/ MJM Innovations]
* [http://www.spx.com/en/genfare/ SPX Genfare (formerly GFI)]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]

=== GTFS Feed ===
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications|Firms that create GTFS files and/or display GTFS data]]:
* [https://www.rome2rio.com/ Rome2Rio]
* [http://www.transittimesapp.com/ Transit Times App]
* [http://thetransitapp.com/ The Transit App]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]
* [https://maps.google.com Google Maps]

== Other Resources ==
* APTA [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide]
* "[http://publictransport.about.com/od/Transit_Technology/a/Software-Used-In-The-Public-Transit-Industry-Hastus-By-Giro.htm Software Used in the Public Transit Industry]" by Christopher MacKechnie for About.com

[[Category: Technology]]

Transit software

2015-10-19T01:33:45Z

Simone: edited link

[[File:Route Match.jpg|thumbnail|right|Route Match transit software in action. Source: http://www.laketransit.org/]]
== Introduction ==
There are many vendors providing software for the transit industry for various applications. While the field includes a few large, well-known players, there are also smaller businesses providing customized solutions. One resource for discovering any vendors in the industry is to attend an [http://www.apta.com/Pages/default.aspx American Public Transportation Association] (APTA) Expo. APTA also provides a [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide] on their website which includes paid advertising as well as basic listings of vendors in various categories including software.

''The software packages or vendors referenced in this article are provided as examples within the industry, not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor representative of any rating, ranking, or promotion of any vendor over another. Users and industry representatives are encouraged to add other active vendors to create a reference page. Promotional language or personal opinions are not acceptable.''

== Purchasing ==
As with procurement of almost anything in the public transportation business, transit software packages are typically not an off-the-shelf product. They typically require procurement using a pre-defined specification allowing for various firms to competitively bid. Bidding for software the first time for an agency can be challenging without expertise in the field. Small but growing agencies that need to move away from basic solutions towards more robust software can find themselves frustrated during software implementation if their specifications were not adequate to reach the final desired product. Even with a well-written specification, software implementation can be challenging because most packages are tailored to suit each agencies' need. Unlike consumer software such as Microsoft Office, which has been developed over decades of response with a huge user base, transit software has a much smaller audience and comparatively less development history.

Agencies are advised to consult other agencies for specifications and experience before setting out on a new software procurement.

=== Modules ===
Many vendors provide numerous software solutions which can incorporate various aspects of transit operations and planning into one procurement. Specificity about what your agency needs in a software package is crucial. Integrated software can be very helpful in providing comprehensive analysis, but adding modules to a procurement increases the price of purchase. Modules can include otherwise distinct software for dispatching, service scheduling, work (bid) scheduling, paratransit scheduling, fleet maintenance, fare management, and more.

== Software ==

=== Service Scheduling and Dispatch ===
Some of the businesses providing scheduling and dispatch (often separately for fixed-route and paratransit as modules), include:
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* GIRO's [http://www.giro.ca/en/ HASTUS]
* [http://initusa.com/en/products/ITCS.php?thisID=435 INIT]
* [http://www.cts-software.com/ CTS Software] for paratransit (not to be confused with [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems])

=== Fare Media ===
Fare media vendors can include both hardware and software providers; some firms provide the software solution that can accompany varying hardware, while others provide a fully integrated proprietary product.
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems]
* [http://www.mjminnovations.com/ MJM Innovations]
* [http://www.spx.com/en/genfare/ SPX Genfare (formerly GFI)]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]

=== GTFS Feed ===
Firms that create GTFS files and/or display GTFS data (also see [[Category:GTFS-consuming_applications|GTFS-Consuming applications]]):
* [https://www.rome2rio.com/ Rome2Rio]
* [http://www.transittimesapp.com/ Transit Times App]
* [http://thetransitapp.com/ The Transit App]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]
* [https://maps.google.com Google Maps]

== Other Resources ==
* APTA [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide]
* "[http://publictransport.about.com/od/Transit_Technology/a/Software-Used-In-The-Public-Transit-Industry-Hastus-By-Giro.htm Software Used in the Public Transit Industry]" by Christopher MacKechnie for About.com

[[Category: Technology]]

Transit software

2015-10-19T01:31:33Z

Simone: added link to category: gtfs-consuming applications

[[File:Route Match.jpg|thumbnail|right|Route Match transit software in action. Source: http://www.laketransit.org/]]
== Introduction ==
There are many vendors providing software for the transit industry for various applications. While the field includes a few large, well-known players, there are also smaller businesses providing customized solutions. One resource for discovering any vendors in the industry is to attend an [http://www.apta.com/Pages/default.aspx American Public Transportation Association] (APTA) Expo. APTA also provides a [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide] on their website which includes paid advertising as well as basic listings of vendors in various categories including software.

''The software packages or vendors referenced in this article are provided as examples within the industry, not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor representative of any rating, ranking, or promotion of any vendor over another. Users and industry representatives are encouraged to add other active vendors to create a reference page. Promotional language or personal opinions are not acceptable.''

== Purchasing ==
As with procurement of almost anything in the public transportation business, transit software packages are typically not an off-the-shelf product. They typically require procurement using a pre-defined specification allowing for various firms to competitively bid. Bidding for software the first time for an agency can be challenging without expertise in the field. Small but growing agencies that need to move away from basic solutions towards more robust software can find themselves frustrated during software implementation if their specifications were not adequate to reach the final desired product. Even with a well-written specification, software implementation can be challenging because most packages are tailored to suit each agencies' need. Unlike consumer software such as Microsoft Office, which has been developed over decades of response with a huge user base, transit software has a much smaller audience and comparatively less development history.

Agencies are advised to consult other agencies for specifications and experience before setting out on a new software procurement.

=== Modules ===
Many vendors provide numerous software solutions which can incorporate various aspects of transit operations and planning into one procurement. Specificity about what your agency needs in a software package is crucial. Integrated software can be very helpful in providing comprehensive analysis, but adding modules to a procurement increases the price of purchase. Modules can include otherwise distinct software for dispatching, service scheduling, work (bid) scheduling, paratransit scheduling, fleet maintenance, fare management, and more.

== Software ==

=== Service Scheduling and Dispatch ===
Some of the businesses providing scheduling and dispatch (often separately for fixed-route and paratransit as modules), include:
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* GIRO's [http://www.giro.ca/en/ HASTUS]
* [http://initusa.com/en/products/ITCS.php?thisID=435 INIT]
* [http://www.cts-software.com/ CTS Software] for paratransit (not to be confused with [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems])

=== Fare Media ===
Fare media vendors can include both hardware and software providers; some firms provide the software solution that can accompany varying hardware, while others provide a fully integrated proprietary product.
* [http://routematch.com/ RouteMatch]
* [http://www.trapezegroup.com/solutions/public-transit/scheduling-software Trapeze]
* [http://cts.cubic.com/en-us/solutions/enterprisesystemsfortransit.aspx Cubic Transportation Systems]
* [http://www.mjminnovations.com/ MJM Innovations]
* [http://www.spx.com/en/genfare/ SPX Genfare (formerly GFI)]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]

=== GTFS Feed ===
Firms that create GTFS files and/or display GTFS data (also see [[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]:
* [https://www.rome2rio.com/ Rome2Rio]
* [http://www.transittimesapp.com/ Transit Times App]
* [http://thetransitapp.com/ The Transit App]
* [https://addtransit.com/online-ticketing.php AddTransit]
* [https://maps.google.com Google Maps]

== Other Resources ==
* APTA [http://apta.officialbuyersguide.net/ buyer's guide]
* "[http://publictransport.about.com/od/Transit_Technology/a/Software-Used-In-The-Public-Transit-Industry-Hastus-By-Giro.htm Software Used in the Public Transit Industry]" by Christopher MacKechnie for About.com

[[Category: Technology]]

Rome2rio

2015-10-19T01:29:07Z

Simone: Added page for Rome2rio

rome2rio<ref>Rome2rio Pty Ltd. "rome2rio." Accessed August 1, 2012 from www.rome2rio.com</ref> is an international travel search site. The site provides information about options for travel between any two given locations in the world by commercial air flights, rail, bus, driving, or a combination of modes. The website ingests data that is made publicly available at GTFS Data Exchange<ref>Jehiah Czebotar. "GTFS Data Exchange." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.gtfs-data-exchange.com/</ref>. It is cost-free for transit agencies to participate.

[[File:Rome2rio.png|thumbnail|rome2rio directions showing travel options from downtown San Francisco to Zurich. The directions include ground transit (BART in San Francisco, and local train in Zurich). ]]

A rome2rio iPhone application is available (http://www.rome2rio.com/documentation/iphone/). The source code of this application is available (open source, under a modified BSD license) so developers can include multi-modal travel search features can be included in other applications (https://github.com/rome2rio/rome2rio-iOS).

rome2rio provides an API (application programming interface) for accessing multi-modal search results and utilizing those results in other applications(http://www.rome2rio.com/documentation/search/).

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Mobile applications]]
[[Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]

File:Rome2rio.png

2015-10-19T01:23:54Z

Simone: rome2rio directions showing travel options from downtown San Francisco to Zurich. The directions include ground transit (BART in San Francisco, and local train in Zurich).

rome2rio directions showing travel options from downtown San Francisco to Zurich. The directions include ground transit (BART in San Francisco, and local train in Zurich).

Real-time information

2015-10-19T01:17:59Z

Simone: added link to category:real-time applications

[[Image:SFMTA_RealTime.jpg|right|thumb|350px|The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) offers real time arrival information on its train platforms. Photo by Flickr user AgentAkit.]]
==Introduction==
Real-time information, broadly defined, means any information available to transit providers or customers about the current status of vehicles, including approximate locations and predictive arrival times. Most real-time information relies on [[Automatic vehicle location|automatic vehicle location (AVL)]] and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in order to estimate approximate arrival times for passengers and transit system operators. Passengers access real-time arrival and departure information through dynamic signs at stops and stations, or through the [[Internet communications|Internet]] at home or on smartphones. As smartphones become more prevalent, they have made access to third-party scheduling information and apps highly accessible for passengers.<ref>National Center for Transit Research at the Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida.[[media:CUTR_RealTime.pdf|“Enhancing the Rider Experience: The Impact of Real-Time Information On Transit Ridership.”]] 2005.</ref>

==Features==
===Mobile technology===
Because cellular phones and smartphones are so prevalent today, they can be very useful for disseminating real-time transit information. Mobile phones allow passengers to use SMS (or Short Message Service) to access schedule and real-time information via text message. This is a two-way method of communicating wherein the passenger can send a text message to an agency, usually with a code for the stop they want information about. The agency then automatically sends a response with the next bus’ arrival times. These services do not necessarily always use real-time information, instead responding with the next scheduled bus arrival time. However, real time information makes texting more useful to customers.

===Dynamic messaging signs===
These signs at stops and stations tell passengers when the next transit vehicle will arrive and can warn them if a bus or train is delayed. They are also the most common method for agencies to communicate real-time information to passengers. These can be expensive to implement because of the costs of installation, maintenance, and electricity for operation.<ref>Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/166249.aspx “Synthesis 91: Use and Deployment of Mobile Device Technology for Real-Time Transit Information.”] 2011.</ref>

===On-board Annunciators===
Real-time information on-board buses and trains can include automated announcements of next stops and upcoming transfer points. This feature also adds to ADA compliance and relieves drivers from this obligation.<ref>Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/153753.aspx "TCRP Research Results Digest 5: Electronic On-Vehicle Passenger Information Displays (Visual and Audible)."] 1995.</ref>

==Benefits and Costs to Agencies==
Using real-time technology can benefit agencies by improving safety and security, and has been demonstrated to increase customer satisfaction and perceptions of the transit agency. Agencies also benefit from these systems because they reduce the staff time needed to monitor for schedule adherence.

The costs of implementing these systems varies widely by the size of the agency, type of system, and which amenities the agency chooses to use. Implementing a real-time system also has costs. There are financial costs, which can vary widely depending on the technology, as well as time and staff costs associated with training and maintaining real-time technologies. Sometimes the existing information technology infrastructure and staff are not sufficient, so they must be bolstered. Finally, as mobile technology is constantly changing, it is difficult for transit agencies and even technology developers to keep abreast of changes and to create mobile applications that will work for all versions of the wide variety of platforms available for passengers’ mobile devices.<ref>Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/166249.aspx “Synthesis 91: Use and Deployment of Mobile Device Technology for Real-Time Transit Information.”] 2011.</ref>

==Benefits to Riders==
Having access to real-time information reduces passengers’ anxiety during wait time. It also reduces time spent waiting when passengers can learn about a delayed bus or other problem prior to arriving at a stop or station. This way, if buses are delayed passengers can make informed decisions about taking alternative routes or modes. After implementing AVL systems, combined with improving real-time information for customers, several agencies saw steep declines in customer complaints.<ref>National Center for Transit Research at the Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida.[[media:CUTR_RealTime.pdf| “Enhancing the Rider Experience: The Impact of Real-Time Information On Transit Ridership.”]] 2005.</ref>

==Implementation==
Transit agencies that want to avoid the expense and risk of building a proprietary system to convey real-time information may work with vendors or produce data using established standards. See [[Category:Real-time applications]] for a full list of real-time implementation applications.

*'''General Transit Feed Specification-Real Time Format (GTFS-RT)''' [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/]: Developed by Google as an extension to [[Providing GTFS data|General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)]] and released via Creative Commons in 2011, [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ GTFS-RT] is a software-agnostic standard that allows public transportation agencies to provide realtime updates about their fleet to the public vis-a-vis application developers and [[Google Maps]]. The GTFS-RT standard allows transit operators to provide the following:
:* Trip Updates - delays, cancellations, changed routes
:* Service alerts - stop moved, unforeseen events affecting a station, route or the entire network
:* Vehicle positions - information about the vehicles including location and congestion level
:Agencies do not pay Google to use the format display the data on Google Products. The GTFS-realtime specification is a free alternative to NextBus.com for agencies that currently produce or plan to produce real-time arrival data and route or stop specific service alerts. [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ More information] is available from Google.

*'''NextBus.com''' is a product offered by Cubic, a multi-national company with a software suite targeted to transit operators. [[NextBus]] offers a full-service solution, from GPS installation on vehicles, to communications with users via a desktop and mobile web site. NextBus is the market leader, with more than a dozen transit agencies as customers. [http://www.cubic.com/Transportation/Solutions/Real-Time-Passenger-Information More information] about their products is available from the company. ''This section is provided for informational purposes only and is not an endorsement to purchase the Nextbus product. See [[TransitWiki:General_disclaimer#Commercial Products and Services Appearing on TransitWiki]].''

*[http://onebusaway.org/ '''The OneBusAway Project'''] is a free open-source software stack that seeks to make it easy for transit operators to build and maintain mobile applications which disseminate predictive real time arrival information. Originally started by a University of Washington Ph.D student named Brian Ferris, the OneBusAway software stack is the foundation for mobile applications maintained by MARTA, Hillsborough Transit in Tampa, Puget Sound, and the New York MTA. To build an application using OneBusAway, transit agencies do not require AVL equipment. [http://onebusaway.org/transit-agency-resources/].

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/166249.aspx “Synthesis 91: Use and Deployment of Mobile Device Technology for Real-Time Transit Information.”] 2011.
: This recent synthesis, sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration, includes a literature review and survey of transit providers, with a specific focus on the underlying technology necessary for delivering real-time information to passengers using mobile phones. Survey respondents reported that automatic vehicle location is the most commonly used technology for delivering real-time information and many agencies use third-party developers to develop applications for delivering this information to passengers.

Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/152932.aspx “TCRP Synthesis 48: Real-Time Bus Arrival Information Systems."] 2003.
: This report, also sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration, describes the basics of how real-time information systems work and uses several case studies to demonstrate common agency experiences when using them on bus systems. It is a comprehensive document outlining broad system benefits and costs, customer reactions to the changes, and a literature review. This synthesis evaluates several case studies, including San Luis Obispo’s transit system, which uses a real-time information system that utilizes dynamic messaging signs. The system was developed by the California State Polytechnic University and was fully deployed in 2001.

Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/152927.aspx “TCRP Report 92: Strategies for Improved Traveler Information.”] 2003.
: This report updates previous reports on traveler information and includes a literature review of a variety of other reports on the same topic. It also examines the possibiliies for transit to take lessons from other industries, such as the airline or parcel delivery industries, in providing information to customers through the internet. The report was sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration.

[[Category:Technology]]

Category:Real-time applications

2015-10-19T01:15:42Z

Simone: Added links to GTFS and Real-time Information pages

The basic [[GTFS]] format contains only static (i.e., infrequently changing) transit information such as schedules, routes, and bus stops. Therefore, a GTFS dataset alone will not enable [[Real-time information|real-time transit information]] services for a transit agency. However, for many real-time applications GTFS data is also required to describe basic information about the transit system. GTFS-realtime <ref>Google, Inc. "What is GTFS-realtime?". Accessed August 1, 2012 from https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/</ref> and SIRI <ref>European Committee for Standardization (CEN). "CEN/TS 15531 (prCEN/TS-OO278181 ) SIRI Home Page." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.kizoom.com/standards/siri/</ref> are emerging formats implemented by a number of agencies for real-time transit data such as estimated arrival times based on real-time vehicle positions. Although real-time transit data formats are outside the scope of this paper, several applications are presented below for real-time transit information that require the basic GTFS dataset in addition to another real-time information source. These applications aren’t usable without the basic GTFS dataset, so GTFS plays an important role in these applications.

* [[OneBusAway]] - An open-source software system for real-time transit information.
* [[NextBus]] - A vendor that provides real-time information service for many transit agencies in the United States.
* [[TransLōc]] - A vendor that provides real-time information and visualization for transit and shuttle systems.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]

Real-time information

2015-10-19T01:11:45Z

Simone: Added links to OneBus and Google Maps

[[Image:SFMTA_RealTime.jpg|right|thumb|350px|The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) offers real time arrival information on its train platforms. Photo by Flickr user AgentAkit.]]
==Introduction==
Real-time information, broadly defined, means any information available to transit providers or customers about the current status of vehicles, including approximate locations and predictive arrival times. Most real-time information relies on [[Automatic vehicle location|automatic vehicle location (AVL)]] and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in order to estimate approximate arrival times for passengers and transit system operators. Passengers access real-time arrival and departure information through dynamic signs at stops and stations, or through the [[Internet communications|Internet]] at home or on smartphones. As smartphones become more prevalent, they have made access to third-party scheduling information and apps highly accessible for passengers.<ref>National Center for Transit Research at the Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida.[[media:CUTR_RealTime.pdf|“Enhancing the Rider Experience: The Impact of Real-Time Information On Transit Ridership.”]] 2005.</ref>

==Features==
===Mobile technology===
Because cellular phones and smartphones are so prevalent today, they can be very useful for disseminating real-time transit information. Mobile phones allow passengers to use SMS (or Short Message Service) to access schedule and real-time information via text message. This is a two-way method of communicating wherein the passenger can send a text message to an agency, usually with a code for the stop they want information about. The agency then automatically sends a response with the next bus’ arrival times. These services do not necessarily always use real-time information, instead responding with the next scheduled bus arrival time. However, real time information makes texting more useful to customers.

===Dynamic messaging signs===
These signs at stops and stations tell passengers when the next transit vehicle will arrive and can warn them if a bus or train is delayed. They are also the most common method for agencies to communicate real-time information to passengers. These can be expensive to implement because of the costs of installation, maintenance, and electricity for operation.<ref>Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/166249.aspx “Synthesis 91: Use and Deployment of Mobile Device Technology for Real-Time Transit Information.”] 2011.</ref>

===On-board Annunciators===
Real-time information on-board buses and trains can include automated announcements of next stops and upcoming transfer points. This feature also adds to ADA compliance and relieves drivers from this obligation.<ref>Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/153753.aspx "TCRP Research Results Digest 5: Electronic On-Vehicle Passenger Information Displays (Visual and Audible)."] 1995.</ref>

==Benefits and Costs to Agencies==
Using real-time technology can benefit agencies by improving safety and security, and has been demonstrated to increase customer satisfaction and perceptions of the transit agency. Agencies also benefit from these systems because they reduce the staff time needed to monitor for schedule adherence.

The costs of implementing these systems varies widely by the size of the agency, type of system, and which amenities the agency chooses to use. Implementing a real-time system also has costs. There are financial costs, which can vary widely depending on the technology, as well as time and staff costs associated with training and maintaining real-time technologies. Sometimes the existing information technology infrastructure and staff are not sufficient, so they must be bolstered. Finally, as mobile technology is constantly changing, it is difficult for transit agencies and even technology developers to keep abreast of changes and to create mobile applications that will work for all versions of the wide variety of platforms available for passengers’ mobile devices.<ref>Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/166249.aspx “Synthesis 91: Use and Deployment of Mobile Device Technology for Real-Time Transit Information.”] 2011.</ref>

==Benefits to Riders==
Having access to real-time information reduces passengers’ anxiety during wait time. It also reduces time spent waiting when passengers can learn about a delayed bus or other problem prior to arriving at a stop or station. This way, if buses are delayed passengers can make informed decisions about taking alternative routes or modes. After implementing AVL systems, combined with improving real-time information for customers, several agencies saw steep declines in customer complaints.<ref>National Center for Transit Research at the Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida.[[media:CUTR_RealTime.pdf| “Enhancing the Rider Experience: The Impact of Real-Time Information On Transit Ridership.”]] 2005.</ref>

==Implementation==
Transit agencies that want to avoid the expense and risk of building a proprietary system to convey real-time information may work with vendors or produce data using established standards.

*'''General Transit Feed Specification-Real Time Format (GTFS-RT)''' [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/]: Developed by Google as an extension to [[Providing GTFS data|General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)]] and released via Creative Commons in 2011, [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ GTFS-RT] is a software-agnostic standard that allows public transportation agencies to provide realtime updates about their fleet to the public vis-a-vis application developers and [[Google Maps]]. The GTFS-RT standard allows transit operators to provide the following:
:* Trip Updates - delays, cancellations, changed routes
:* Service alerts - stop moved, unforeseen events affecting a station, route or the entire network
:* Vehicle positions - information about the vehicles including location and congestion level
:Agencies do not pay Google to use the format display the data on Google Products. The GTFS-realtime specification is a free alternative to NextBus.com for agencies that currently produce or plan to produce real-time arrival data and route or stop specific service alerts. [https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/ More information] is available from Google.

*'''NextBus.com''' is a product offered by Cubic, a multi-national company with a software suite targeted to transit operators. [[NextBus]] offers a full-service solution, from GPS installation on vehicles, to communications with users via a desktop and mobile web site. NextBus is the market leader, with more than a dozen transit agencies as customers. [http://www.cubic.com/Transportation/Solutions/Real-Time-Passenger-Information More information] about their products is available from the company. ''This section is provided for informational purposes only and is not an endorsement to purchase the Nextbus product. See [[TransitWiki:General_disclaimer#Commercial Products and Services Appearing on TransitWiki]].''

*[http://onebusaway.org/ '''The OneBusAway Project'''] is a free open-source software stack that seeks to make it easy for transit operators to build and maintain mobile applications which disseminate predictive real time arrival information. Originally started by a University of Washington Ph.D student named Brian Ferris, the OneBusAway software stack is the foundation for mobile applications maintained by MARTA, Hillsborough Transit in Tampa, Puget Sound, and the New York MTA. To build an application using OneBusAway, transit agencies do not require AVL equipment. [http://onebusaway.org/transit-agency-resources/].

==References==
<references/>

==Additional Reading==
Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/166249.aspx “Synthesis 91: Use and Deployment of Mobile Device Technology for Real-Time Transit Information.”] 2011.
: This recent synthesis, sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration, includes a literature review and survey of transit providers, with a specific focus on the underlying technology necessary for delivering real-time information to passengers using mobile phones. Survey respondents reported that automatic vehicle location is the most commonly used technology for delivering real-time information and many agencies use third-party developers to develop applications for delivering this information to passengers.

Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/152932.aspx “TCRP Synthesis 48: Real-Time Bus Arrival Information Systems."] 2003.
: This report, also sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration, describes the basics of how real-time information systems work and uses several case studies to demonstrate common agency experiences when using them on bus systems. It is a comprehensive document outlining broad system benefits and costs, customer reactions to the changes, and a literature review. This synthesis evaluates several case studies, including San Luis Obispo’s transit system, which uses a real-time information system that utilizes dynamic messaging signs. The system was developed by the California State Polytechnic University and was fully deployed in 2001.

Transit Cooperative Research Program. [http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/152927.aspx “TCRP Report 92: Strategies for Improved Traveler Information.”] 2003.
: This report updates previous reports on traveler information and includes a literature review of a variety of other reports on the same topic. It also examines the possibiliies for transit to take lessons from other industries, such as the airline or parcel delivery industries, in providing information to customers through the internet. The report was sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration.

[[Category:Technology]]

NextBus

2015-10-19T01:10:43Z

Simone: Added link to GTFS

NextBus <ref>NextBus, Inc. "Nextbus." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.nextbus.com/</ref> is a product offered by Cubic, a multi-national company with a software suite targeted to transit operators. NextBus provides real-time information service for many transit agencies in the United States. While another data source such as an AVL system must provide real-time data information, NextBus uses [[GTFS]] data to import basic information about the transit agency’s routes, stops, and schedules. NextBus offers a full-service solution, from GPS installation on vehicles, to communications with users via a desktop and mobile web site. NextBus is the market leader, with more than a dozen transit agencies as customers. [http://www.cubic.com/Transportation/Solutions/Real-Time-Passenger-Information More information] about their products is available from the company.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Real-time applications]]

NextBus

2015-10-19T01:10:21Z

Simone: Added more info on NextBus

NextBus <ref>NextBus, Inc. "Nextbus." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.nextbus.com/</ref> is a product offered by Cubic, a multi-national company with a software suite targeted to transit operators. NextBus provides real-time information service for many transit agencies in the United States. While another data source such as an AVL system must provide real-time data information, NextBus uses GTFS data to import basic information about the transit agency’s routes, stops, and schedules. NextBus offers a full-service solution, from GPS installation on vehicles, to communications with users via a desktop and mobile web site. NextBus is the market leader, with more than a dozen transit agencies as customers. [http://www.cubic.com/Transportation/Solutions/Real-Time-Passenger-Information More information] about their products is available from the company.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Real-time applications]]

MapQuest

2015-10-19T01:01:39Z

Simone: Added page for MapQuest

[[MapQuest]]<ref> MapQuest. "MapQuest." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.mapquest.com/</ref> is a website for maps and directions, similar to [[Google Maps]] and Microsoft’s [[Bing Maps]]. MapQuest incorporated public transportation directions in February 2011, and uses [[GTFS]] as the import format<ref>MapQuest. (2011). "MapQuest Introduces Walking and Transit Directions." February 10, 2011. Accessed: from http://blog.mapquest.com/2011/02/10/mapquest-introduces-walking-and-transit-directions/</ref>. However, MapQuest has not announced a partner program or provided information about the process and terms for including public transportation data in the transit planning feature. At this time, it appears that all included agencies provide rail services. MapQuest offers participating agencies access to transit directions results through the MapQuest Directions API and MapQuest Open Directions API<ref>MapQuest. (2011). "MapQuest Introduces Walking and Transit Direcitons." February 10, 2011. Accessed: from http://blog.mapquest.com/2011/02/10/mapquest-introduces-walking-and-transit-directions/</ref>.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Mobile applications]]
[[Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]

Hopstop

2015-10-19T00:57:51Z

Simone: added real-time applications category

Hopstop<ref>Hopstop.com, Inc. "HopStop." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.hopstop.com/</ref>, launched in 2005, was one of the original transit trip planning websites<ref>Vikas Bajaj. (2005). "Hopping the Subway? Jump on the Web First." The New YorkTimes. August 1, 2005. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/technology/01hop.html?_r=3</ref>. In 2011, Hopstop added functionality for planning trips for an additional 20 agencies, totaling coverage for 57 cities<ref>PR Newswire. (2011). "Popular Urban Navigation Site HopStop Expands to 57 Global Markets, Introduces Advanced Search Features and Localized Content Powered by Leading Brands." June 20, 2011. Accessed: from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/popular-urban-navigation-site-hopstop-expands-to-57-global-markets-introduces-advanced-search-features-and-localized-content-powered-by-leading-brands-124183159.html</ref>. The Hopstop website asks transit agencies to email feedback@hopstop.com if they would like to be included in Hopstop directions<ref>Hopstop.com, Inc. "What We Do." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://hopstop.com/about</ref>. In addition to directions, Hopstop provides transit maps and schedules for included agencies. It is cost-free for transit agencies to participate. Hopstop Live also includes real-time transit information that is crowd-sourced from app users.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
[[Category:Real-time applications]]

Google Maps

2015-10-19T00:56:32Z

Simone: added real-time applications category

Google Maps <ref>Google, Inc. "Google Maps for Android." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.google.com/mobile/maps/</ref> contains a transit trip planner, which is available for several devices including Android mobile phones, iPhones prior to iOS6, and Blackberries. Features vary by mobile platform. Currently, Google Maps for Mobile seems to be focus primarily on Android, although other platforms such as Windows Mobile and Java Micro Edition have been supported in the past. New iPhones with iOS6 will not have Google Maps or transit navigation features (see the “Transit App for iOS6 and Beyond” section below) <ref>Emily Badget. (2012). "How the New iPhone Will Expose Cities Lagging on Open Data." The Atlantic Cities. July 17, 2012. Accessed: from http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/07/how-new-iphone-will-expose-cities-lagging-open-data/2598/</ref>. Google Maps for mobile supports location-positioning on all devices that offer GPS features. Google Maps for Android devices offers the most complete feature-set, including a “Transit Navigation” feature that notifies transit passengers when they need to make transfers and alight from the vehicle for their destination.

The Google Maps transit trip planner is currently implemented for most transit agencies that publish GTFS, as Google was the first consumer of the GTFS format. Transit agencies participate through the Google Transit Partner Program <ref>Google, Inc. "Google Transit Partner Program." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/partners/</ref>, which is cost-free.

Google also provides a Hotel Finder site <ref>Google, Inc. "Hotel Finder experiment." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.google.com/hotelfinder/</ref>, which allows the user to easily find hotels within an estimated transit and walking distance of a chosen location on the map.

Beginning in June 2012, transit information was added to the Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API) <ref>Google, Inc. "The Google Directions API - Transit Details." Accessed August 1, 2012 from https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/directions/#TransitDetails</ref>. This allows third-party applications to query Google’s Directions API for transit directions and other information about transit services.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Mobile applications]]
[[Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]
[[Category:Real-time applications]]

Hopstop

2015-10-19T00:51:09Z

Simone: Added info on Hopstop

Bing Maps

2015-10-19T00:34:13Z

Simone: added links to other pages

Bing Maps<ref>Microsoft, Inc. "Bing Maps." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.bing.com/maps/</ref>, a service of Microsoft, began offering public transportation directions in 2010. Data for a handful of public transportation agencies is included in Bing Maps. Bing Maps ingests data in the [[General Transit Feed Specification|General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)]], as [[Google Maps]] does. Bing Maps publishes information about the Bing Maps Transit Partner Program<ref>Microsoft, Inc. "Add your Transit Data to Bing Maps." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.bomg.com/maps/TransitPartners.aspx</ref>, which offers transit agencies the opportunity to sign up for the Program and provide their data to Bing Maps. It is cost-free for transit agencies to participate. Bing Maps is integrating new agencies, however a timeline for adding new agencies is unclear.

Bing Maps offers roughly equivalent functionality as Google Maps with regard to transit directions. There is also a mobile app version of Bing Maps. Bing Maps also includes transit directions in their API, which allows 3rd party applications to query for transit directions and other information about transit services.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Mobile applications]]
[[Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]

OpenTripPlanner

2015-09-24T00:46:42Z

Simone: Filled in content from The Many Uses of GTFS Data

OpenTripPlanner (OTP) [54] is an open-source multimodal trip planner currently under-development and in a beta test phase for several regions in the United States and internationally.

The multi-modal aspect of the trip planner means that it is possible to plan many types of trips using the trip planner, including transit-only (with walking), bike and transit, driving and transit (utilizing park and ride locations), bike-only, walking-only, or driving-only trips.
[[File:TriMetTripPlanner.png|thumbnail|Screenshot of public preview of OpenTripPlanner showing transit and bike trip in Portland, Oregon (rtp.trimet.org)]]
The multimodal bike/transit trip planning features of OpenTripPlanner are especially useful for areas with many bike-and-ride customers, or bicycle facilities. Some transit services offer park and ride services, for which OpenTripPlanner would also be useful. Other benefits of OpenTripPlanner include the opportunity to closely control trip planner results and the way in which information is presented to customers by virtue of the customizability of open-source software.

A regional-implementation approach for OpenTripPlanner seems to offer the greatest benefit for transit passengers and agencies in a region, as many agencies can pool resources to create a trip planning product that works across multiple connected systems. To pursue a regional trip planner approach, transit agencies would need to identify and work with partner agencies. An ideal lead agency should have information technology and/or GIS staff experts to manage the implementation process.

The non-profit organization OpenPlans provides a free “OTP Deployer” service <ref>OpenPlans. "Introducing OTP Deployer." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://opentripplanner.com/2012/06/introducing-otp-deployer/</ref> for agencies to preview OTP for their transit network. It is necessary to have GTFS data to upload to use this service. $5,000 is an estimated baseline cost for basic deployment and maintenance of OTP for one year. This estimate assumes 25 consulting developer hours at $100/hr, and a hosting cost of $2,500.

'''Known OpenTripPlanner-based Deployments'''

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

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]

File:TriMetTripPlanner.png

2015-09-24T00:44:25Z

Simone: Screenshot of public preview of OpenTripPlanner showing transit and bike trip in Portland, Oregon (rtp.trimet.org)

Screenshot of public preview of OpenTripPlanner showing transit and bike trip in Portland, Oregon (rtp.trimet.org)

Google Maps

2015-09-24T00:25:14Z

Simone: Added info about Google's use of GTFS

Bing Maps

2015-09-24T00:18:43Z

Simone: Added Bing Maps

Bing Maps<ref>Microsoft, Inc. "Bing Maps." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.bing.com/maps/</ref>, a service of Microsoft, began offering public transportation directions in 2010. Data for a handful of public transportation agencies is included in Bing Maps. Bing Maps ingests data in the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), as Google Maps does. Bing Maps publishes information about the Bing Maps Transit Partner Program<ref>Microsoft, Inc. "Add your Transit Data to Bing Maps." Accessed August 1, 2012 from http://www.bomg.com/maps/TransitPartners.aspx</ref>, which offers transit agencies the opportunity to sign up for the Program and provide their data to Bing Maps. It is cost-free for transit agencies to participate. Bing Maps is integrating new agencies, however a timeline for adding new agencies is unclear.

Bing Maps offers roughly equivalent functionality as Google Maps with regard to transit directions. There is also a mobile app version of Bing Maps. Bing Maps also includes transit directions in their API, which allows 3rd party applications to query for transit directions and other information about transit services.

==References==
[[Category:GTFS-consuming applications]]
[[Category:Mobile applications]]
[[Category:Trip-planning & navigation applications]]

GTFS Data Dissemination

2015-09-23T23:55:21Z

Simone: Disseminating changed to Highlighting

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 [33]
* Public Feeds wiki page on Google Transit Data Feed Google Code project [34]

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>.

General Transit Feed Specification

2015-08-20T22:53:37Z

Simone: /* Disseminating GTFS Data */

[[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].

==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.

GTFS Data Dissemination

2015-08-20T22:51:40Z

Simone: Added two major sections

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 [33]
* Public Feeds wiki page on Google Transit Data Feed Google Code project [34]

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.”

== Disseminating 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>.

General Transit Feed Specification

2015-08-20T21:42:09Z

Simone: Added Content to "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>. Google states that their Google Transit service covers 5900 agencies around the world<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===
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].

==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

2015-08-20T20:54:43Z

Simone: Added reference to "The Many Uses of GTFS Data" by Antrim and Barbeau