Best Practices for GTFS

Core GTFS

These are recommended practices for describing public transportation services in the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS). These practices have been synthesized from the experience of the GTFS Best Practices working group members and application-specific GTFS practice recommendations. For further background, see the Frequently Asked Questions.

Document Structure

Practices are organized into four primary sections:

Dataset Publishing & General Practices: These practices relate to the overall structure of the GTFS dataset and to the manner in which GTFS datasets are published.
Practice Recommendations Organized by File: Recommendations are organized by file and field in the GTFS to facilitate mapping practices back to the official GTFS reference.
Practice Recommendations Organized by Case: With particular cases, such as loop routes, practices may need to be applied across several files and fields. Such recommendations are consolidated in this section.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why are these GTFS Best Practices important?

The objectives of GTFS Best Practices are:

To improve end-user customer experience in public transportation apps
Support broad data interoperability to make it easier for software developers to deploy and scale applications, products, and services
Facilitate the use of GTFS in various application categories (beyond its original focus on trip planning)

Without coordinated GTFS Best Practices, various GTFS-consuming applications may establish requirements and expectations in an uncoordinated way, which leads to diverging requirements and application-specific datasets and less interoperability. Prior to the release of the Best Practices, there was greater ambiguity and disagreement in what constitutes correctly-formed GTFS data.

How were they developed? Who developed them?

These Best Practices were developed by a working group of 17 organizations involved in GTFS, including app providers & data consumers, transit providers, and consultants with extensive involvement in GTFS. The working group was convened and facilitated by Rocky Mountain Institute.

Working Group members voted on each Best Practice. Most Best Practices were approved by a unanimous vote. In a minority of cases, Best Practices were approved a large majority of organizations.

Why not just change the GTFS reference?

Good question! The process of examining the Specification, data usage and needs did indeed trigger some changes to the Specification (see closed pull requests in GitHub). Specification reference amendments are subject to a higher bar of scrutiny and comment than the Best Practices. However, there was still need to agree on a clear set of Best Practice recommendations.

The working group anticipates that some GTFS Best Practices will eventually become part of the core GTFS reference.

Do GTFS validator tools check for conformance with these Best Practices?

No validator tool currently checks for conformance with all Best Practices. Various validator tools check for conformance with some of these best practices. For a list of GTFS validator tools, see Testing Feeds. If you write a GTFS validator tool that references these Best Practices, please email [email protected].

I represent a transit agency. What steps can I take so that our software service providers and vendors follow these Best Practices?

Refer your vendor or software service provider to these Best Practices. We recommend referencing the GTFS Best Practices URL, as well as core Spec Reference in procurement for GTFS-producing software.

What should I do if I notice a GTFS data feed does not conform to these Best Practices?

Identify the contact for the feed, using the proposed feed_contact_email or feed_contact_url fields in feed_info.txt if they exist, or looking up contact information on the transit agency or feed producer website. When communicating the issue to the feed producer, link to the specific GTFS Best Practice under discussion. (See "Linking to this Document").

I would like to propose a modification/addition to the Best Practices. How do I do this?

Email [email protected] or open an issue or pull request in the GitHub GTFS Best Practices repo.

How do I get involved?

Email [email protected].

Dataset Publishing & General Practices

General Recommendations
Datasets should be published at a public, permanent URL, including the zip file name. (e.g., www.agency.org/gtfs/gtfs.zip). Ideally, the URL should be directly downloadable without requiring login to access the file, to facilitate download by consuming software applications. While it is recommended (and the most common practice) to make a GTFS dataset openly downloadable, if a data provider does need to control access to GTFS for licensing or other reasons, it is recommended to control access to the GTFS dataset using API keys, which will facilitate automatic downloads.
GTFS data is published in iterations so that a single file at a stable location always contains the latest official description of service for a transit agency (or agencies).
Maintain persistent identifiers (id fields) for `stop_id`, `route_id`, and `agency_id` across data iterations whenever possible.
One GTFS dataset should contain current and upcoming service (sometimes called a “merged” dataset). Google transitfeed tool's merge function can be used to create a merged dataset from two different GTFS feeds. At any time, the published GTFS dataset should be valid for at least the next 7 days, and ideally for as long as the operator is confident that the schedule will continue to be operated. If possible, the GTFS dataset should cover at least the next 30 days of service.
Remove old services (expired calendars) from the feed.
If a service modification will go into effect in 7 days or fewer, express this service change through a GTFS-realtime feed (service advisories or trip updates) rather than static GTFS dataset.
The web-server hosting GTFS data should be configured to correctly report the file modification date (see HTTP/1.1 - Request for Comments 2616, under Section 14.29).

Practice Recommendations Organized by File

This section shows practices organized by file and field, aligning with the GTFS reference.

All Files

Field Name	Recommendation
Mixed Case	All customer-facing text strings (including stop names, route names, and headsigns) should use Mixed Case (not ALL CAPS), following local conventions for capitalization of place names on displays capable of displaying lower case characters.
	Examples:
	Brighton Churchill Square
	Villiers-sur-Marne
	Market Street
Abbreviations	Avoid use of abbreviations throughout the feed for names and other text (e.g. St. for Street) unless a location is called by its abbreviated name (e.g. “JFK Airport”). Abbreviations may be problematic for accessibility by screen reader software and voice user interfaces. Consuming software can be engineered to reliably convert full words to abbreviations for display, but converting from abbreviations to full words is prone to more risk of error.

agency.txt

Field Name	Recommendation
agency_id	Should be included, even if there is only one agency in the feed. (See also recommendation to include `agency_id` in `routes.txt` and `fare_attributes.txt`)
agency_lang	Should be included.
agency_phone	Should be included unless no such customer service phone exists.
agency_email	Should be included unless no such customer service email exists.
agency_fare_url	Should be included unless the agency is fully fare-free.

Examples:

Bus services are run by several small bus agencies. But there is one big agency that is responsible for scheduling and ticketing and from a user’s perspective responsible for the bus services.The one big agency should be defined as agency within the feed. Even if the data is split internally by different small bus operators there should only be one agency defined in the feed.
The feed provider runs the ticketing portal, but there are different agencies that actually operate the services and are known by users to be responsible. The agencies actually operating the services should be defined as agencies within the feed.

stops.txt

Field Name Recommendation

stop_id Stops that are in different physical locations (i.e., different designated precise locations for vehicles on designated routes to stop, potentially distinguished by signs, shelters, or other such public information, located on different street corners or representing different boarding facility such as a platform or bus bay, even if nearby each other) should have different stop_id.

stop_id is an internal ID, not intended to be shown to passengers.

Maintain consistent stop_id for the same stops across data iterations (see Dataset Publishing & General Practices).

stop_name The stop_name should match the agency's public name for the stop, station, or boarding facility, e.g. what is printed on a timetable, published online, and/or presented at the location.

When there is not a published stop name, follow consistent stop naming conventions throughout the feed.

Avoid use of abbreviations other than for places that are most commonly called by an abbreviated name. See Abbreviations (#2) under All Files.

Provide stop names in mixed case, following local conventions, as per recommendation for all customer-facing text fields.

By default, stop_name should not contain generic or redundant words like “Station” or “Stop”, but some edge cases are allowed.

When it is actually part of the name (Union Station, Central Station
When the stop_name is too generic (such as if it is the name of the city). “Station”, “Terminal”, or other words make the meaning clear.

stop_lat & stop_lon Stop locations should be as accurate possible. Stop locations should have an error of no more than four meters when compared to the actual stop position.

Stop locations should be placed very near to the pedestrian right of way where a passenger will board (i.e. correct side of the street).

If a stop location is shared across separate data feeds (i.e. two agencies use exactly the same stop / boarding facility), indicate the stop is shared by using the exact same stop_lat and stop_lon for both stops.

stop_code stop_code should be included in GTFS if there are passenger-facing stop numbers or short identifiers.

parent_station & location_type

Many stations or terminals have multiple boarding facilities (depending on mode, they might be called a bus bay, platform, wharf, gate, or another term). In such cases, feed producers should describe stations, boarding facilities (also called child stops), and their relation.

The station or terminal should be defined as a record in stops.txt with location_type = 1.
Each boarding facility should be defined as a stop with location_type = 0. The parent_station field should reference the stop_id of the station the boarding facility is in.

When naming the station and child stops, set names that are well-recognized by riders, and can help riders to identify the station and boarding facility (bus bay, platform, wharf, gate, etc.).

Parent Station Name	Child Stop Name
Chicago Union Station	Chicago Union Station Platform 19
San Francisco Ferry Building Terminal	San Francisco Ferry Building Terminal Gate E
Downtown Transit Center	Downtown Transit Center Bay B

routes.txt

Field Name Recommendation

agency_id Must be included if it is defined in agency.txt.

route_short_name Include route_short_name if there is a brief service designation. This should be the commonly-known passenger name of the service, no longer than 12 characters.

route_long_name

The definition from Specification reference: This name is generally more descriptive than the route_short_name and will often include the route's destination or stop. At least one of route_short_name or route_long_name must be specified, or potentially both if appropriate. If the route does not have a long name, please specify a route_short_name and use an empty string as the value for this field.
Examples of types of long names are below:

Primary Travel Path or Corridor
Route Name	Form	Agency
“N”/“Judah”	`route_short_name`/ `route_long_name`	Muni, in San Francisco
“6“/“ML King Jr Blvd“	`route_short_name`/ `route_long_name`	TriMet, in Portland, Or.
“6”/“Nation - Étoile”	`route_short_name`/ `route_long_name`	RATP, in Paris France.
“U2”-“Pankow – Ruhleben”	`route_short_name`- `route_long_name`	BVG, in Berlin, Germany

Description of the Service
“Hartwell Area Shuttle“

route_long_name should not contain the route_short_name.

Include the full designation including a service identity when populating route_long_name. Examples:

Service Identity	Recommendation	Examples
"MAX Light Rail" TriMet, in Portland, Oregon	The `route_long_name` should include the brand (MAX) and the specific route designation	"MAX Red Line" "MAX Blue Line"
"Rapid Ride" ABQ Ride, in Albuquerque, New Mexico	The `route_long_name` should include the brand (Rapid Ride) and the specific route designation	"Rapid Ride Red Line" "Rapid Ride Blue Line"

route_id All trips on a given named route should reference the same route_id.
Different directions of a route should not be separated into different route_id values.
Different spans of operation of a route should not be separated into different route_id values. i.e. do not create different records in routes.txt for “Downtown AM” and “Downtown PM” services).

If a route group includes distinctly named branches (e.g. 1A and 1B), follow recommendations in the route branches case to determine route_short_name and route_long_name.

route_color & route_text_color Should be consistent with signage and printed and online customer information (and thus not included if they do not exist in other places).

trips.txt

See special case for loop routes: Loop routes are cases where trips start and end at the same stop, as opposed to linear routes, which have two distinct termini. Loop routes must be described following specific practices. See Loop route case.
See special case for lasso routes: Lasso routes are a hybrid of linear and loop geometries, in which vehicles travel on a loop for only a portion of the route. Lasso routes must be described following specific practices. See Lasso route case.

Field Name Recommendation

trip_headsign Do not provide route names (matching route_short_name and route_long_name) in the trip_headsign or stop_headsign fields.

Should contain destination, direction, and/or other trip designation text shown on the headsign of the vehicle which may be used to distinguish amongst trips in a route. Consistency with direction information shown on the vehicle is the primary and overriding goal for determining headsigns supplied in GTFS datasets. Other information should be included only if it does not compromise this primary goal. If headsigns change during a trip, override trip_headsign with stop_times.stop_headsign. Below are recommendations for some possible cases:

example_table:

Route Description	Recommendation
2A. Destination-only	Provide the terminus destination. e.g. "Transit Center", “Portland City Center”, or “Jantzen Beach”>
2B. Destinations with waypoints	<destination> via <waypoint> “Highgate via Charing Cross”. If waypoint(s) are removed from the headsign show to passengers after the vehicle passes those waypoints, use `stop_times.stop_headsign` to set an updated headsign.>
2C. Regional placename with local stops	If there will be multiple stops inside the city or borough of destination, use `stop_times.stop_headsign` once reaching the destination city.>
2D. Direction-only	Indicate using terms such as “Northbound”, “Inbound”, “Clockwise,” or similar directions.>
2E. Direction with destination	<direction> to <terminus name> e.g. “Southbound to San Jose”>
2F. Direction with destination and waypoints	<direction> via <waypoint> to <destination> (“Northbound via Charing Cross to Highgate”).>

Do not begin a headsign with the words “To” or “Towards”.

direction_id If trips on a route service opposite directions, distinguish these groups of trips with the direction_id field, using values 0 and 1.

Use values 0 and 1 consistently throughout the dataset. i.e.

If 1 = Outbound on the Red route, then 1 = Outbound on the Green route
If 1 = Northbound on Route X, then 1 = Northbound on Route Y
If 1 = clockwise on Route X then 1 = clockwise on Route Y

stop_times.txt

Loop routes: Loop routes require special stop_times considerations. (See: Loop route case)

Field Name Recommendation

pickup_type & drop_off_type Non-revenue (deadhead) trips that do not provide passenger service should be marked with pickup_type and drop_off_type value of 1 for all stop_times rows.

On revenue trips, internal “timing points” for monitoring operational performance and other places such as garages that a passenger cannot board should be marked with pickup_type = 1 (no pickup available) and drop_off_type = 1 (no drop off available).

timepoint The timepoint field should be provided. It specifies which stop_times the operator will attempt to strictly adhere to (timepoint=1), and that other stop times are estimates (timepoint=0).

arrival_time & departure_time arrival_time and departure_time fields should specify time values whenever possible, including non-binding estimated or interpolated times between timepoints.

stop_headsign stop_headsign values override the trip_headsign (in trips.txt). stop_headsign values should be provided when the text displayed on the headsign changes during a trip. stop_headsign values do not “carry down” to subsequent stops, and therefore values must be repeated if the stop headsign remains the same. In general, headsign values should also correspond to signs in the stations.

In the cases below, “Southbound” would mislead customers because it is not used in the station signs.

In NYC, for the 2 going Southbound:
For `stop_times.txt` rows:	Use `stop_headsign` value:
Until Manhattan is Reached	`Manhattan & Brooklyn`
Until Downtown is Reached	`Downtown & Brooklyn`
Until Brooklyn is Reached	`Brooklyn`
Once Brooklyn is Reached	`Brooklyn (New Lots Av)`

In Boston, for the Red Line going Southbound, for the Braintree branch:
For `stop_times.txt` rows:	Use `stop_headsign` value:
Until Downtown is Reached	`Inbound to Braintree`
Once Downtown is Reached	`Braintree`
After Downtown	`Outbound to Braintree`

shape_dist_traveled shape_dist_traveled must be provided for routes that have looping or inlining (the vehicle crosses or travels over the same portion of alignment in one trip). See the shapes.shape_dist_traveled recommendation.

calendar.txt

Field Name	Recommendation
All Fields	`calendar_dates.txt` should only contain a limited number of exceptions to the schedule. Regularly-scheduled service should be configured using `calendar.txt`.
	Including a `calendar.service_name` field can also increase the human readability of GTFS, although this is not adopted in the spec.

calendar_dates.txt

Field Name	Recommendation
All Fields	`calendar_dates.txt` should only contain a limited number of exceptions to the schedule. Regularly-scheduled service should be configured using `calendar.txt`.
	Including a `calendar.service_name` field can also increase the human readability of GTFS, although this is not adopted in the spec.

fare_attributes.txt

Field Name	Recommendation
All Fields	`agency_id` should be included in `fare_attributes.txt` if it the field is included in `agency.txt`.
	If a fare system cannot be accurately modeled, avoid further confusion and leave it blank.
	Include fares (`fare_attributes.txt` and `fare_rules.txt`) and model them as accurately as possible. In edge cases where fares cannot be accurately modeled, the fare should be represented as more expensive rather than less expensive so customers will not attempt to board with insufficient fare. If the vast majority of fares cannot be modeled correctly, do not include fare information in the feed.

fare_rules.txt

Field Name	Recommendation
All Fields	`agency_id` should be included in `fare_attributes.txt` if it the field is included in `agency.txt`.
	If a fare system cannot be accurately modeled, avoid further confusion and leave it blank.
	Include fares (`fare_attributes.txt` and `fare_rules.txt`) and model them as accurately as possible. In edge cases where fares cannot be accurately modeled, the fare should be represented as more expensive rather than less expensive so customers will not attempt to board with insufficient fare. If the vast majority of fares cannot be modeled correctly, do not include fare information in the feed.

shapes.txt

Field Name	Recommendation
All Fields	Ideally, for alignments that are shared (i.e. in a case where Routes 1 and 2 operate on the same segment of roadway or track) then the shared portion of alignment should match exactly. This helps to facilitate high-quality transit cartography.
	Alignments should follow the centerline of the right of way on which the vehicle travels. This could be either the centerline of the street if there are no designated lanes, or the centerline of the side of the roadway that travels in the direction the vehicle moves. Alignments should not “jag” to a curb stop, platform, or boarding location.
shape_dist_traveled	Must be provided in both `shapes.txt` and `stop_times.txt` if an alignment includes looping or inlining (the vehicle crosses or travels over the same portion of alignment in one trip). If a vehicle retraces or crosses the route alignment at points in the course of a trip, `shape_dist_traveled` is important to clarify how portions of the points in `shapes.txt` line up correspond with records in `stop_times.txt`.
	The `shape_dist_traveled` field allows the agency to specify exactly how the stops in the `stop_times.txt` file fit into their respective shape. A common value to use for the `shape_dist_traveled` field is the distance from the beginning of the shape as traveled by the vehicle (think something like an odometer reading). Route alignments (in `shapes.txt`) should be within 100 meters of stop locations which a trip serves. Simplify alignments so that `shapes.txt` does not contain extraneous points (i.e. remove extra points on straight-line segments; see discussion of line simplification problem).

feed_info.txt

feed_info.txt should be included, with all fields below.

Field Name	Recommendation
feed_start_date & feed_end_date	Should be included
feed_version	Should be included
feed_contact_email & feed_contact_url	Provide at least one

frequencies.txt

Field Name	Recommendation
All Fields	Actual stop times are ignored for trips referenced by `frequencies.txt`; only travel time intervals between stops are significant for frequency-based trips. For clarity/human readability, it is recommended that the first stop time of a trip referenced in `frequencies.txt` should begin at 00:00:00 (first `arrival_time` value of 00:00:00).
block_id	Can be provided for frequency-based trips.

transfers.txt

transfers.transfer_type can be one of four values defined in the GTFS. These transfer_type definitions are quoted from the GTFS Specification below, in italics, with additional practice recommendations.

Field Name	Recommendation
transfer_type	0 or (empty): This is a recommended transfer point between routes. If there are multiple transfer opportunities that include a superior option (i.e. a transit center with additional amenities or a station with adjacent or connected boarding facilities/platforms), specify a recommended transfer point.
	1: This is a timed transfer point between two routes. The departing vehicle is expected to wait for the arriving one, with sufficient time for a passenger to transfer between routes. This transfer type overrides a required interval to reliably make transfers. As an example, Google Maps assumes that passengers need 3 minutes to safely make a transfer. Other applications may assume other defaults.
	2: This transfer requires a minimum amount of time between arrival and departure to ensure a connection. The time required to transfer is specified by `min_transfer_time`. Specify minimum transfer time if there are obstructions or other factors which increase the time to travel between stops.
	3: Transfers are not possible between routes at this location. Specify this value if transfers are not possible because of physical barriers, or if they are made unsafe or complicated by difficult road crossings or gaps in the pedestrian network.
	If in-seat (block) transfers are allowed between trips, then the last stop of the arriving trip must be the same as the first stop of the departing trip.

Practice Recommendations Organized by Case

This section covers particular cases with implications across files and fields.

Loop Routes

On loop routes, vehicles’ trips begin and end at the same location (sometimes a transit or transfer center). Vehicles usually operate continuously and allow passengers to stay onboard as the vehicle continues its loop.

A Loop Route — Below: Loop route. The vehicle returns to the starting point in one trip. Some loop routes offer travel in one direction, and others in two directions.

Headsigns recommendations should therefore be applied in order to show riders the direction in which the vehicle is going.

To indicate the changing direction of travel, provide stop_headsigns in the stop_times.txt file. The stop_headsign describes the direction for trips departing from the stop for which it's defined. Adding stop_headsigns to each stop of a trip allows you to change the headsign information along a trip.

Don’t define one single circular trip in the stop_times.txt file for a route that operates between two endpoints (such as when the same bus goes back and forth). Instead, split the trip into two separate trip directions.

Examples of circular trip modeling:

Circular trip with changing headsign for each stop

Trip_id	arrival_time	departure_time	stop_id	stop_sequence	stop_headsign
trip_1	06:10:00	06:10:00	stop_A	1	"B"
trip_1	06:15:00	06:15:00	stop_B	2	"C"
trip_1	06:20:00	06:20:00	stop_C	3	"D"
trip_1	06:25:00	06:25:00	stop_D	4	"E"
trip_1	06:30:00	06:30:00	stop_E	5	"A"
trip_1	06:35:00	06:35:00	stop_A	6	""

Circular trip with two headsigns

Trip_id	arrival_time	departure_time	stop_id	stop_sequence	stop_headsign
trip_1	06:10:00	06:10:00	stop_A	1	"outbound"
trip_1	06:15:00	06:15:00	stop_B	2	"outbound"
trip_1	06:20:00	06:20:00	stop_C	3	"outbound"
trip_1	06:25:00	06:25:00	stop_D	4	"inbound"
trip_1	06:30:00	06:30:00	stop_E	5	"inbound"
trip_1	06:35:00	06:35:00	stop_F	6	"inbound"
trip_1	06:40:00	06:40:00	stop_A	7	""

Field Name Recommendation

trips.trip_id Model the complete round-trip for the loop with a single trip.

stop_times.stop_id

Include the first/last stop twice in stop_times.txt for the trip that is a loop. Example below. Often, a loop route may include first and last trips that do not travel the entire loop. Include these trips as well.

`trip_id`	`stop_id`	`stop_sequence`
9000	101	1
9000	102	2
9000	103	3
9000	101	4

trips.direction_id If loop operates in opposite directions (i.e. clockwise and counterclockwise), then designate direction_id as 0 or 1.

trips.block_id Indicate continuous loop trips with the same block_id.

Lasso Routes

Lasso routes combine aspects of a loop route and directional route.

A Lasso Route — Below: Lasso routes are loop-routes from A to A via B with three sections:

straight section from A to B;

loop from and to B;

straight section from B to A.

Examples:
Subway Routes (Chicago)
Bus Suburb to Downtown Routes (St. Albert or Edmonton)
CTA Brown Line (CTA Website and TransitFeeds)

Field Name Recommendation

trips.trip_id The full extent of a “vehicle round-trip” (see illustration above) consists of travel from A to B to B and back to A. An entire vehicle round-trip may be expressed by:
A single trip_id value/record in trips.txt
Multiple trip_id values/records in trips.txt, with continuous travel indicated by block_id.

stop_times.stop_headsign

The stops along the A-B section will be passed through in both directions. stop_headsign facilitates distinguishing travel direction. Therefore, providing stop_headsign is recommended for these trips.example_table:

Examples:
"A via B"
"A"

Chicago Transit Authority's Purple Line
"Southbound to Loop"
"Northbound via Loop"
"Northbound to Linden"

Edmonton Transit Service Bus Lines, here the 39
"Rutherford"
"Century Park"

trip.trip_headsign The trip headsign should be a global description of the trip, like displayed in the schedules. Could be “Linden to Linden via Loop” (Chicago example), or “A to A via B” (generic example).

Branches

Some routes may include branches. Alignment and stops are shared amongst these branches, but each also serves distinct stops and alignment sections. The relationship among branches may be indicated by route name(s), headsigns, and trip short name using the further guidelines below.

Field Name	Recommendation
All Fields	In naming branch routes, it is recommended to follow other passenger information materials. Below are descriptions and examples of two cases:
If timetables and on-street signage represent two distinctly named routes (e.g. 1A and 1B), then present this as such in the GTFS, using the `route_short_name` and/or `route_long_name` fields. Example: GoDurham Transit routes 2, 2A, and 2B share a common alignment throughout the majority of the route, but they vary in several different aspects. Route 2 is core service, running most hours. Route 2 includes a deviation on Main Street nights, Sundays, and holidays. Routes 2A and 2B operate daytime hours Monday through Saturday. Route 2B serves additional stops in a deviation of the shared alignment path.
If agency-provided information describes branches as the same named route, then utilize the `trips.trip_headsign`, `stop_times.stop_headsign`, and/or `trips.trip_short_name` fields. Example: GoTriangle route 300 travels to different locations depending on the time of day. During peak commuter hours extra legs are added onto the standard route to accommodate workers entering and leaving the city.

About This Document

Objectives

The objectives of maintaining GTFS Best Practices is to:

Support greater interoperability of transit data
Improve end-user customer experience in public transportation apps
Make it easier for software developers to deploy and scale applications, products, and services
Facilitate the use of GTFS in various application categories (beyond its original focus on trip planning)

How to propose or amend published GTFS Best Practices

GTFS applications and practice evolve, and so this document may need to be amended from time to time. To propose an amendment to this document, open a pull request in the GTFS Best Practices GitHub repository and advocate for the change. You can slo email any comments to [email protected].

Linking to This Document

Please link here in order to provide feed producers with guidance for correct formation of GTFS data. Each individual recommendation has an anchor link. Click the recommendation to get the URL for the in-page anchor link.

If a GTFS-consuming application makes requirements or recommendations for GTFS data practices that are not described here, it is recommended to publish a document with those requirements or recommendations to supplement these common best practices.

GTFS Best Practices Working Group

The GTFS Best Practices Working Group was convened by Rocky Mountain Institute in 2016-17, consisting of public transportation providers, developers of GTFS-consuming applications, consultants, and academic organizations to define common practices and expectations for GTFS data. Members of this working group included:

Today, this document is maintained by MobilityData International Organization