GTFS Features¶
As the GTFS Specification grows and adapts to the current needs of transit systems to accurately and effectively communicate service information, the functions of the specification can become increasingly complex. GTFS Features are intended to offer a clear and definitive definition of functionalities that are enabled by the GTFS Schedule specification, helping transit agencies, vendors, consumers and researchers to answer the question: What can I do with GTFS?
The following groups of features explain the purpose of each feature as well as the files and fields associated with them, helping users to understand which data is needed in order to support a specific feature.
Base¶
The features included in this component provide the most basic and essential elements that a GTFS needs to represent a transit service. This includes entries for each individual trip, stop, arrival and departure times and service days among many other important pieces of information. Since all of the features included in the base component are essential to enable a working GTFS feed, all these features must be implemented together.
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Agency
Communicate details about the agencies responsible for the transit service
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Stops
Define the locations where a transit service picks up and drops off passengers
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Routes
Define the elements of a transit route such as name and the type of service
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Stop Times
Define the arrival and departure times of each trip for each stop
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Service Dates
Create the structure to schedule trips and service exemptions
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Trips
Represent transit vehicles traveling along a defined route at scheduled times
Accessibility¶
The Accessibility Component of GTFS contains multiple functionalities to provide information that helps end users navigate and access public transit services. Some of these features can be used to communicate the name and color of a route, confirm whether or not a trip and a station are wheelchair accessible, or providing translations in multiple languages.
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Text-to-speech
Provide the necessary inputs to convert text for stop names into audio
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Wheelchair accessibility
Indicate if a stop and/or vehicle can accommodate users using wheelchairs
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Route Colors
Accurately depict and communicate the color scheme assigned to specific routes
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Bike Allowed
Communicate if vehicles are able to accommodate bicycles or not
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Translations
Communicate service information in multiple languages
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Headsigns
Communicate the signage used by vehicles indicating the trip’s destination
Fares¶
The Fares component includes multiple features allowing the precise description of a wide variety of pricing structures and payment methods used by different transit agencies around the world, such as zone-based fares and reloadable prepaid cards. This helps users know the correct price applicable to their trip.
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Fare Products
List the types of tickets or fares available to users
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Fare Media
Define the media that can be used to hold and/or validate a fare product
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Route-Based Fares
Describe the rules used to apply different fares for specific groups of routes
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Time-Based Fares
Describe fares differentiated by time of the day or the day of the week
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Zone-Based Fares
Describe fares differentiated when traveling from one area to another
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Fares Transfers
Define fees applicable when transferring from one leg of the trip to another
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Fares V1
Legacy feature that models simpler fare information
Pathways¶
The Pathways component contains features that allow the modeling of in-station, helping users navigate transit stations from beginning to end and across multiple levels. Some of these features make it possible to communicate the physical characteristics of each individual section of a path, estimate the time required to navigate them and to match this navigation information with the real-world wayfinding systems used in stations.
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Location types
Classify specific locations within transit stations
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Pathways connections
Model paths connecting relevant points within a station
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Pathway details
Provide additional details for stations' pathways
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Levels
Describe and list all different levels within a station
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In-station traversal time
Communicate the estimated time to navigate paths within a station
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Pathways signs
Communicate the in station signage associated with a pathway
Metadata¶
The Metadata Component contains features providing further information regarding the producer of the GTFS feed and the feed itself. This includes the names of the organizations as well as contact information.
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Feed Information
Communicate information regarding the feed itself
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Attributions
Communicate who was involved in the creation of the dataset
Flexible services¶
This component contains features that make it possible to communicate service information for flexible services with special operations that might not follow the common behavior of scheduled and/or fixed services.
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Continuous stops
Indicate if a user can be picked up and/or dropped off between stops
Shapes¶
The Shapes component and feature communicates the path a vehicle follows along a route. This allows trip planning applications to display the path of a trip so users have a clear understanding of where the route operates in relation to their travel needs.
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Shapes
Define the geographic path followed by a vehicle along a trip
Transfers¶
The transfers component and feature allowes the description of transfers between different public transit services. This gives transit agencies the ability to clearly define the applicable rules for each transfer scenario, so that travelers can know if it’s possible to connect trips.
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Transfers
Describe transfers allowed between different transit services
Frequency-based services¶
The frequencies component and feature can be used to represent frequency-based trips (e.g. a bus trips running every 10 minutes, a subway or metro service running every 2 minutes). This can be a useful alternative to providing specific timetables, acting as an alternative to some of the information included in the stop times Feature of the Base Component.
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Frequencies
Represent stop times based on headways or frequencies