GTFS Data Examples

Introduction

These GTFS Data Examples are meant to ease comprehension of the GTFS specification and its different extensions. They provide data samples based on real-life transit systems throughout the world. These examples have been generated by MobilityData in order to facilitate both production and consumption of GTFS data by anyone.

GTFS-ContinuousStops

Example A - Pickup and drop-off everywhere!

[Source: pdf schedules available at https://crtransit.org/bus-schedules/]

The transit agency The Current (Rockingham, US-VT) applies a continuous-stop policy on the routes 2, 53, and 55. A rider may request to be picked up and dropped off between scheduled stops all along the route, as soon as there is a safe place for the bus to stop.

Using GTFS-ContinuousStops, the data would be:

File routes.txt

route_idroute_short_nameroute_long_nameroute_typecontinuous_pickupcontinuous_drop_off
22Bellows Falls In-Town300
5353Bellows Falls / Battleboro Commuter300
5555Bellows Falls / Springfield Shuttle300

If the transit agency wants to emphasize that a coordination between the bus driver and the rider must occur, such as hand waving for being picked up or asking the bus driver for being dropped off, the data would be:

File routes.txt

route_idroute_short_nameroute_long_nameroute_typecontinuous_pickupcontinuous_drop_off
22Bellows Falls In-Town333
5353Bellows Falls / Battleboro Commuter333
5555Bellows Falls / Springfield Shuttle333

Example B - Continuous pickup and drop-off on a route section

[Source: pdf schedules available at https://vvta.org/routes/route-22/]

The transit agency Victor Valley Transit (Victorville, US-CA) applies a continuous-stop policy only on a part of route 22. A rider may board and get off the bus in any safe location within the County Fare zone. This behavior is not allowed within the Local Fare zone. On northbound trips, the bus 22 starts in the Local Fare zone at Victorville Transfer Center (A) and ends in the County Fare zone at Silver Lakes Market (F).

transitScheme

Example B1: Continuous pickup and drop-off starting from a scheduled stop

National Trails Highway - Air Expressway is the first scheduled stop in the County Fare zone, from which the continuous pickup and drop-off is available.

Using GTFS-ContinuousStops, the data would be:

File stops.txt

stop_idstop_namestop_latstop_lon
AVictoriaville Transfer Station34.514356-117.318323
BDante St & Venus Ave34.564499-117.287097
CVictorville Transportation Center34.538433-117.294703
DNational Trails Highway - Air Expressway34.567536-117.319716
EOro Grande Post Office34.599292-117.334452
FSilver Lakes Market34.744662-117.335407

File stop_times.txt

trip_idstop_idstop_sequencedeparture_timearrival_timecontinuous_pickupcontinuous_drop_off
22NB9AMA109:00:0009:00:0011
22NB9AMB109:14:0009:14:0011
22NB9AMC109:21:0009:21:0011
22NB9AMD109:25:0009:25:0000
22NB9AME109:31:0009:31:0000
22NB9AMF109:46:0009:46:0000

Example B2: Continuous pickup and drop-off starting between 2 scheduled stops

Victor Valley Transit defines the boundary between the Local Fare zone and the County Fare zone as the road Air Expressway. The scheduled stop National Trails Highway - Air Expressway is located slightly north of this boundary. To be accurate, the transit agency can add a stop at the actual intersection of the bus route with the boundary, from which the continuous pickup and drop-off is available. This stop may remain unscheduled.

Using GTFS-ContinuousStops and timepoints for adding an unscheduled stop, the data would be:

File stops.txt

stop_idstop_namestop_latstop_lon
AVictoriaville Transfer Station34.514356-117.318323
BDante St & Venus Ave34.564499-117.287097
CVictorville Transportation Center34.538433-117.294703
XLocal/County Fare Boundary34.566224-117.318357
DNational Trails Highway - Air Expressway34.567536-117.319716
EOro Grande Post Office34.599292-117.334452
FSilver Lakes Market34.744662-117.335407

File stop_times.txt

trip_idstop_idstop_sequencedeparture_timearrival_timecontinuous_pickupcontinuous_drop_offtimepoint
22NB9AMA109:00:0009:00:00111
22NB9AMB109:14:0009:14:00111
22NB9AMC109:21:0009:21:00111
22NB9AMX1000
22NB9AMD109:25:0009:25:00001
22NB9AME109:31:0009:31:00001
22NB9AMF109:46:0009:46:00001