Question 1

gtfs-via-postgres vs gtfs-via-duckdb: which is better?

Accepted Answer

The author recommends gtfs-via-duckdb as the spiritual successor for most use cases, as it tends to be faster and simpler with DuckDB. However, gtfs-via-postgres is preferable if you need PostgreSQL-specific features, GraphQL/REST APIs, or are already invested in a PostgreSQL ecosystem.

Question 2

How to set up GraphQL API with gtfs-via-postgres?

Accepted Answer

Use the --postgraphile flag during import to tweak SQL for PostGraphile, then install PostGraphile and its plugins separately. The serve-gtfs-via-graphql helper script can run it, exposing a GraphiQL UI at localhost:3000/graphiql for easy querying.

Question 3

Does gtfs-via-postgres handle real-time GTFS data?

Accepted Answer

No, it only supports GTFS Static/Schedule datasets. For real-time data, you need to integrate it separately with tools that process GTFS Realtime feeds, as it focuses on schedule import and querying.

Question 4

What PostgreSQL version do I need for gtfs-via-postgres?

Accepted Answer

It requires PostgreSQL version 14 or higher because it uses the WITH ... AS NOT MATERIALIZED syntax. You can check your version with psql -t -c 'SELECT version()', and lower versions will not work.

Question 5

Can I use gtfs-via-postgres for a commercial project?

Accepted Answer

You can use it for a 30-day trial under the Prosperity Public License, but for ongoing commercial use, you must purchase a license from the author. This is a key consideration compared to fully open-source alternatives.

Question 6

How to query stops by location efficiently?

Accepted Answer

Run gtfs-via-postgres with the --stops-location-index flag to create a spatial index on stops.stop_loc. This allows efficient geolocation queries using PostGIS functions, as mentioned in the README's performance section.

gtfs-via-postgres

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