GTFS-realtime documentation
An open standard for distributing public transit schedule and real-time data to software applications.
What is GTFS-realtime documentation?
GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) is an open data standard for distributing public transportation schedule and real-time information. It solves the problem of inconsistent transit data formats by providing a unified specification that transit agencies can use to publish their data, enabling software developers to build applications that work across different transit systems worldwide.
Public transit agencies, transportation planners, and software developers building transit applications like trip planners, real-time arrival displays, and mobility-as-a-service platforms.
Developers choose GTFS because it's the universally adopted, vendor-neutral standard for transit data, ensuring interoperability across thousands of transit providers and enabling the creation of consistent rider-facing applications without dealing with proprietary data formats.
Overview
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) is an open data format that enables public transit agencies to publish their operational information in a standardized way. This allows developers to create a wide range of software applications, from trip planners to real-time arrival displays, that can consume and utilize transit data consistently. It has become the foundational data standard for public transportation information worldwide.
Key Features
- GTFS Schedule — Defines static transit information like routes, stops, schedules, and fares.
- GTFS Realtime — Provides real-time updates on vehicle positions, trip delays, and service alerts.
- Open Standard — Freely available and developed through a community-driven process.
- Interoperability — Enables diverse software applications to work with data from thousands of transit providers.
Philosophy
GTFS is developed and maintained through open community collaboration, ensuring it remains a vendor-neutral, interoperable standard that serves the needs of transit agencies, developers, and riders globally.
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