Pathways¶
Pathways contains features that allow to model large transit stations, helping riders navigate from station entrances and exists to the location where they board or disambark from a transit vehicle. Some of these features make it possible to communicate a path's physical characteristics and estimated navigation time, and real-world wayfinding systems employed in stations.
Location types¶
Location types are used to classify key areas within transit stations such as exits/entrances, nodes or boarding areas, as well as their relationship. Location types serve as a fundation for modeling transit stations using Pathways.
Pre-requirement:
| Files included | Fields included |
|---|---|
| stops.txt | location_type, parent_station |
Sample Data
The following sample defines multiple locations within a transit station in stops.txt: the parent station, representing the main location, and its child locations such as platforms, entrances/exists, and generic nodes.
| stop_id | stop_name | location_type | parent_station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Station_A102 | Main Street station | 1 | |
| A102_B01 | Main Street station - North Platform | 0 | Station_A102 |
| A102_B02 | Main Street station - South Platform | 0 | Station_A102 |
| A102_E01 | Main Street station - Entrance/Exit | 2 | Station_A102 |
| A102_S01 | Main Street station - Top of entrance stairs | 3 | Station_A102 |
| A102_S02 | Main Street station - Bottom of entrance stairs | 3 | Station_A102 |
| A102_S03 | Main Street station - Top of north platform stairs | 3 | Station_A102 |
| A102_S04 | Main Street station - Bottom of north platform stairs | 3 | Station_A102 |
| A102_S05 | Main Street station - Top of south platform stairs | 3 | Station_A102 |
| A102_S06 | Main Street station - Bottom of south platform stairs | 3 | Station_A102 |
| A102_F01 | Main Street station - Paid side of fare gate | 3 | Station_A102 |
| A102_F02 | Main Street station - Unpaid side of fare gate | 3 | Station_A102 |
Pathway connections¶
At its foundational level, Pathways offers basic functionality to connect key areas defined in Location types within a station. These connections form pathways, enabling users to obtain precise directions (e. g. from an entrance to the boarding area), which is particularly useful in navigating large and complex transit stations.
Pre-requirements:
| Files included | Fields included |
|---|---|
| pathways.txt | pathway_id, from_stop_id, to_stop_id, pathway_mode, is_bidirectional |
Sample Data
The following sample defines multiple connections (also referred to as pathways) between pre-established locations: walkways (pathway_mode=1), stairs (pathway_mode=2), and fare gate (pathway_mode=6). Bi-directionality is also specified.
| pathway_id | from_stop_id | to_stop_id | pathway_mode | is_bidirectional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MainSt-001 | A102_E01 | A102_S01 | 1 | 1 |
| MainSt-002 | A102_S01 | A102_S02 | 2 | 1 |
| MainSt-003 | A102_S02 | A102_F02 | 1 | 1 |
| MainSt-004 | A102_F02 | A102_F01 | 6 | 1 |
| MainSt-005 | A102_F01 | A102_S03 | 1 | 1 |
| MainSt-006 | A102_S03 | A102_S04 | 2 | 1 |
| MainSt-007 | A102_F01 | A102_S05 | 1 | 1 |
| MainSt-008 | A102_S05 | A102_S06 | 2 | 1 |
| MainSt-009 | A102_S04 | A102_B01 | 1 | 1 |
| MainSt-010 | A102_S06 | A102_B02 | 1 | 1 |
Pathways details¶
More details can be added to provide additional details regadring the physical characteristics of a station’s pathways, including length, width and slope (for ramps) or the number of stairs (for stairways). This helps riders anticipate the conditions and accessibility of the pathway they need to navigate.
Pre-requirements:
| Files included | Fields included |
|---|---|
| pathways.txt | max_slope, min_width, length, stair_count |
Sample Data
The following sample defines additional details to pre-established pathways including minimum width, step count for stairs and length and maximum slope for walkways.
| pathway_id | max_slope | min_width | length | stair_count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MainSt-001 | 0 | 4.3 | 3.6 | |
| MainSt-002 | 2.2 | 15 | ||
| MainSt-003 | 0.06 | 4 | 3.1 | |
| MainSt-004 | 0.9 | 2.9 | ||
| MainSt-005 | 0 | 3.5 | 5 | |
| MainSt-006 | 2.2 | 18 | ||
| MainSt-007 | 0 | 3.5 | 5 | |
| MainSt-008 | 2.2 | 18 | ||
| MainSt-009 | 0 | 6 | 2 | |
| MainSt-010 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
Levels¶
Levels can be used to list all different levels within a station, providing users with an additional layer of information to stations. This feature also enables the use of elevators in conjunction with the Pathways connections feature.
Pre-requirements:
| Files included | Fields included |
|---|---|
| levels.txt | level_id, level_index, level_name |
| stops.txt | level_id |
Sample Data
The following sample define a list of existing levels and assign them to pre-established locations.
| level_id | level_index | level_name |
|---|---|---|
| level_0_street | 0 | On street |
| level_-1_lobby | -1 | Lobby |
| level_-2_platform | -2 | Platform |
| stop_id | level_id |
|---|---|
| Station_A102 | |
| A102_B01 | -2 |
| A102_B02 | -2 |
| A102_E01 | 0 |
| A102_S01 | 0 |
| A102_S02 | -1 |
| A102_S03 | -1 |
| A102_S04 | -2 |
| A102_S05 | -1 |
| A102_S06 | -2 |
| A102_F01 | -1 |
| A102_F02 | -1 |
In-station traversal time¶
In-station traversal time provides an additional level of detail to in-station directions, giving users an estimated time required to navigate stations, resulting in better travel directions and travel times.
Pre-requirements:
| Files included | Fields included |
|---|---|
| pathways.txt | traversal_time |
Sample Data
The following sample defines additional details to pre-established pathways by specifying the estimated travel time in seconds to navigate each pathway.
| pathway_id | traversal_time |
|---|---|
| MainSt-001 | 3 |
| MainSt-002 | 20 |
| MainSt-003 | 2 |
| MainSt-004 | 2 |
| MainSt-005 | 4 |
| MainSt-006 | 25 |
| MainSt-007 | 4 |
| MainSt-008 | 25 |
| MainSt-009 | 2 |
| MainSt-010 | 2 |
Pathways signs¶
Pathway signs can bridge the information displayed in trip planners with real-world signs. If this is represented in a feed, trip planners can provide directions such as 'follow signs to '.
Pre-requirements:
| Files included | Fields included |
|---|---|
| pathways.txt | signposted_as, reversed_signposted_as |
Sample Data
The following sample specifies the navigation information associated with pre-established pathways, reflecting the text displayed on in-station physical signs.
| pathway_id | signposted_as | reversed_signposted_as |
|---|---|---|
| MainSt-001 | to lobby | Exit |
| MainSt-002 | ||
| MainSt-003 | To platforms | Exit |
| MainSt-004 | ||
| MainSt-005 | Westbound trains | Exit |
| MainSt-006 | ||
| MainSt-007 | Eastbound trains | Exit |
| MainSt-008 | ||
| MainSt-009 | Westbound trains | To Lobby |
| MainSt-010 | Eastbound trains | To Lobby |