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The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) is a standard format used by transit agencies to share bus schedules and route information. It helps developers create apps and tools that provide transit information to riders.
GTFS feeds are ZIP files that contain text files with transit data like:
Transit agencies create these files so developers can build apps that help people plan their trips, check schedules, and find transit information.
Download transit schedule data in standardized GTFS format for easy integration with your applications and services.
GTFS data is utilized in various applications and platforms to enhance the accessibility, reliability, and user-friendliness of public transportation. These include:
Apps that help riders plan their daily journeys efficiently
Websites that show accurate transit schedules online.
Smartphone apps for real-time transit updates and info.
Directions and route planning integrated in Google Maps.
Various tools that enhance transit accessibility and data use
GTFS started in 2005 as a Google project. A Google employee named Chris Harrelson wanted to add transit data to Google Maps because it was hard to find transit directions in unfamiliar cities. He "monkeyed around with ways to incorporate transit data into Google Maps." Bibiana and Tim McHugh contacted Google and provided them with schedule data from TriMet (Portland's transit agency), which helped make this project possible.
Before GTFS, there was no standard way to share transit data. Each transit agency had to create different formats for different users. GTFS made it easy for developers to create apps that work with any transit agency that provides GTFS data.
Today, hundreds of transit apps use GTFS data, making it easier for riders everywhere to access transit information.