New Mobility Database API to Access Transit Data From Around the World
Accessing transit data from around the world just got easier! Open, discoverable data is key to providing riders with up-to-date traveling information. MobilityData has created a new API for the Mobility Database, a public directory of over 2000 General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) feeds from around the globe. The API was a collaborative effort with partner Two Sigma Data Clinic, and supported by funding from the U.S. Federal Transit Administration. This new API lays the foundation for even more planned improvements to the Mobility Database later this year, including a new user interface.
“We’re working to make the Mobility Database the definitive open data platform for GTFS globally,” said Eric Plosky, Executive Director of MobilityData. “This API is a key step to ensure that journey planners and researchers can easily discover quality GTFS data from all over the world.”
The new API allows users to:
- Search for feeds based on their location or transit provider
- Get the latest version of a GTFS feed
- Get historical versions for a specific GTFS Schedule feed after February 8th 2024
- Check if a GTFS Schedule feed has been updated before fetching the latest version
Collaboration continues to be a critical part of improving data standards.
“As avid users of GTFS data, Data Clinic has navigated challenges of accessing feed data and metadata at scale while developing tools to analyze climate-resiliency and subway crowding within transit systems. Our partnership with MobilityData in developing this API underscores our commitment to enhancing access to transit data. We look forward to contributing further to this exciting project and are thrilled to be part of the open-source community around GTFS,” said Kaushik Mohan, data scientist at Two Sigma Data Clinic.
This effort is another great example of the importance of cooperation as MobilityData works to improve transportation through data!
About The Mobility Database
The Mobility Database is a repository of more than 2000 mobility feeds from across the world. It has over 150 updated feeds previously unavailable on TransitFeeds (OpenMobilityData). The Mobility Database is in the first phase of building a sustainable, central hub for mobility data internationally. You can access the Mobility Database at https://mobilitydatabase.org/.
About MobilityData
MobilityData began in 2015 as a Rocky Mountain Institute project and became a Canadian non-profit in 2019 with the mission to improve travelers’ information. With 20 employees, MobilityData brings together and supports international mobility stakeholders such as transport agencies, software vendors, mobility apps, and cities to standardize and expand data formats such as GTFS and GBFS for public transport and shared mobility. Learn more on mobilitydata.org.
About Two Sigma Data Clinic
Data Clinic is the data and tech-for-good arm of Two Sigma, a financial sciences company headquartered in NYC. Since Data Clinic was founded in 2014, they have provided pro bono data science and engineering support to mission-driven organizations around the world via close partnerships that pair Two Sigma’s talent and way of thinking with their partner’s rich content-area expertise. To scale the solutions and insights Data Clinic has gathered over the years, and to contribute to the democratization of data, they also engage in the development of open source tooling and data products. Learn more at dataclinic.twosigma.com.
