What Is GTFS and Why Is It Important?

GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) is a standardized format for public transportation schedules with associated geographic information. This specification allows transit agencies to share their schedules and geographic data with various applications and services, such as Google Maps, making it easier for riders to plan their trips.

General Transit Feed Specifications High Level Description: GTFS provides data for consumers like Google to display the schedule and vehicle location information online.
General Transit Feed Specifications Technical Description: GTFS provides shape files (designated roads for scheduled service), stop latitude/ longitude locations, stop to stop calculations (distance and time).

Key Components of GTFS

1. Static Schedule Data: This is your digital schedule data (it does not include live vehicle data). The digital schedule is a collection of your routes, associated stops and departure times for each route. It provides the foundational information needed for trip planning and is a display on Google maps. 
2. Google Transit Real Time: It provides data for consumers like Google to display schedule and vehicle location information for public consumption. It is a standard URL used for InfoPoint/TIDS that simply runs behind the scenes of your myStop applications (website and phone apps). Avail manages this for agencies by adjusting the agency’s URL (agency online location). 
3. TIDS: Travel Industry Designator Service is an IATA program that provides travel agents and sales intermediaries with a unique Industry Code: IATA/TIDS Numeric Code. This code facilitates the identification of travel sellers and their bookings in reservation systems worldwide. 
4. Endpoint: Endpoints work with API Services to let your app connect to specific resources from your server or backend. An Endpoint is a specific path associated with your API service that is appended to the Dev URL or Prod URL. 
5. APIs: "APIs are Application Programming Interfaces that allow different computer programs/systems to communicate with each other.” Google  
6. Vehicle Real-Time Updates: GTFS can also include real-time data, which is live information pulled from vehicles in service. Real time alerts also include service alerts, and estimated departure predictions, which are useful for riders. This ensures that your riders get up-to-date information about their transit options. Example: "I see a service alert, 'expect some delays', for construction on my route." 

How Does it Work?

GPS: Vehicles have a GPS connection. GPS data includes location and time, so we know where vehicles are located and when they are there. Example: "I use my phone GPS to plan my trip to the city." 

Designated Stop Locations: All stops on the digital schedule require a latitude and longitude, so we know the specific location of all stops in the schedule. All stops have scheduled depart times. When vehicles enter and depart their stops, the data is recorded and shared on Google Maps via the GPS in the vehicle. Example: "I use my phone to plan getting to work. The bus leaves my stop at 7:12am."

Why is GTFS Important?

• Improved Accessibility: By standardizing transit data, GTFS makes it easier for developers to create applications that help riders navigate public transportation systems easily.
• Enhanced Trip Planning: Services like Google Maps can integrate GTFS data to provide accurate and reliable trip planning tools, ensuring riders can find the best routes and schedules.
• Increased Efficiency: Transit agencies can share their data more efficiently, reducing the need for custom solutions and enabling better coordination with other transportation services.
• Better Rider Experience: With access to real-time updates, riders can make informed decisions about their travel, reducing wait times and improving overall satisfaction.

By adopting GTFS, transit agencies can ensure their data is widely accessible, predictable and useful, ultimately enhancing the public transportation experience for everyone.

Managing The Schedule - Behind the Scenes

Your Google Agency Dashboard

• An account is created by Avail and is used to share schedule data with Google
• We use this dashboard to share your static schedule files (the digital schedule) with Google
• Google Regional Analysts run validations against it to confirm accuracy:

Google Dashboard Example

Avail Process - Managed on Behalf of Agencies

1. GTFS Static Feed  
   • We inform Google that we'd like to provide a Static GTFS feed and request a dashboard be set up for use to upload the static schedule data files
   • The agency signs some paperwork with Google and the dashboard is created
   • Then we create a GTFS Static feed and upload it to the dashboard. The Google dashboard will flag any errors and warnings for the agency to correct. TIP: Upon import into Avail’s system, validations are also run against the data to confirm accuracy
   • After those errors and warnings are corrected, we ask Google to start their QA review
   • Google will flag any additional items to update
   • After those items are corrected, the agency can go live on Google Maps with Static GTFS information
2. After the agency goes live on Static, we start the process for GTFS Real Time
   • We tell Google we'd like to provide Real Time GTFS feeds and would like a dashboard created for us on behalf of the agency
   • Google creates the dashboard and starts QA monitoring to ensure they can reliably pull live schedule information every 30 seconds. WHY: Frequent data pings from vehicles in service provides up-to-date information for passengers when planning their trips
   • Google will also flag any warnings or errors to be corrected, if noted
   • After those items are correct - the agency can go live on Google Maps with the Real Time Information 
3. Long Term Maintenance

Want more information about GTFS? Check out Google Transit Partner Help Desk