development
GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification)
A standardized data format for public transportation schedules, stop locations, and route information used by transit apps worldwide.
General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) is an open data standard developed by Google and the Portland transit agency TriMet. It defines how public transportation information is structured and shared. Transit agencies publish schedule data in this format so any app or service can consume it, making GTFS 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 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 agencies, then generates trip plans from that information. If your app integrates with Apple Maps through a routing app coverage file, the coverage area should match the regions where your feed provides reliable service data. Keeping feeds current is critical because stale schedules lead to inaccurate directions and frustrated users.