Google Transit
lastmod 2020-07-27created 2020-07-272 edits
Transit agencies are specialists in operating large, complex public transportation networks, but they may lack experience building apps. A common format for exchanging transit information is the solution, enabling third-party developers to build innovative transit apps. These formats let transit agencies publish their transit data and let developers write applications that consume that data in an interoperable way.
The following documents provide specifications for exchanging static and real-time transit information, including stops, routes, schedules, service alerts, and other details.
GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification)
GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) lets you share static transit data.
GTFS Realtime
The GTFS Realtime specification is an extension to GTFS that can be used to share real-time transit data.
GTFS Realtime overview
Providing users with transit data updates in real time greatly improves the transit service experience. Providing up-to-date information about current arrival and departure times lets users plan their trips smoothly. For example, if there is a delay, riders can relax knowing they can stay home a little longer.
GTFS Realtime is a feed specification that allows transit agencies to provide real-time updates about their vehicles to application developers. It is an extension to GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification), an open data format for public transportation schedules and associated geographic information. GTFS Realtime was designed around ease of implementation and good GTFS interoperability, with a focus on passenger information.
The specification was designed through a partnership of the initial live transit updates partner agencies, a number of transit developers, and Google. The specification is published under the Apache 2.0 license.
Definition of live transit updates in Google Maps
Live transit updates is a service that provides real-time transit updates to users of Google Maps and Google Maps for Mobile. These updates include departure and arrival times at transit stations, and service alerts.