development
GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification)
A standardized data format for public transportation schedules, stop locations, and route information used by transit apps worldwide.
GTFS is an open data standard originally developed by Google and the Portland transit agency TriMet that defines how public transportation information is structured and shared. It allows transit agencies to publish their schedule data in a format that any app or service can consume, making it the backbone of nearly every transit directions feature available today.
How GTFS Works
A GTFS feed is a collection of CSV files bundled into a ZIP archive. These files describe stops, routes, trips, schedules, fare rules, and agency information. Each file follows a strict schema so that consuming applications can parse the data consistently. A companion format called GTFS Realtime extends the static feed with live vehicle positions, service alerts, and trip updates delivered through Protocol Buffers.
GTFS in Routing App Development
When building a transit routing app for iOS, GTFS data provides the foundation for calculating directions. Your app ingests schedule and stop data from one or more transit agencies, then uses that information to generate trip plans. If your app integrates with Apple Maps through a routing app coverage file, the coverage area you define should match the regions where your GTFS data provides reliable service information. Keeping feeds up to date is critical because stale schedule data leads to inaccurate directions and poor user experience.