New web-based version of GTFS Schedule Validator released
MobilityData and Caltrans’ Cal-ITP collaborate to make General Transit Feed Specification validation easier for transit agency producers and consumers like journey-planning apps.
June 1, 2023, Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Transit agencies and journey-planning apps can now conveniently and efficiently validate complex transit schedule data through a new web-based platform. The GTFS Schedule Validator—launched in collaboration with MobilityData and Caltrans’ California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP)—is the first time this service is available directly in a browser.
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) is the global data standard for transit information. GTFS effectively supports all modes of scheduled fixed-route public transit: rail, bus, ferries, streetcars, subways, cable cars, trolleybuses, gondolas, and more.
Jointly created by Cal-ITP and developers from Jarvus, the web-based version of the GTFS Schedule Validator offers convenience for both transit data producers (such as transit agencies) and consumers (such as journey-planning apps). The drag-and-drop feature allows users to easily upload a GTFS feed and view the results directly in the browser without the need for a desktop application or any assistance from their company’s IT team.
Additionally, the GTFS Schedule Validator can validate a zipped GTFS file or a URL, allowing users to check their data for consistency and accuracy. The GTFS Schedule Validator also comes with extensive documentation about the validator rules and how to fix data.
“Transit riders rely on the accurate schedule information that high-quality GTFS data provides via the trip-planning smartphone maps and apps that passengers use to locate and travel on buses, light rail, and trains,” says Gillian Gillett, California Integrated Mobility Program Manager at the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Gillett leads Cal-ITP, a California-based initiative to make riding by bus and rail simpler and more cost-effective—for public transportation providers and riders—by standardizing trip-planning information and modernizing fare collection systems.
Speaking on the new release, Executive Director of MobilityData Eric Plosky said, “The more the transit industry works together on improving data quality, the better the experience we can create for riders. We’re excited to partner with Cal-ITP to make sure GTFS producers can easily check issues with their data.”
Cal-ITP plans to share the GTFS Schedule Validator with operators in California to help them increase their data quality, improving their GTFS overall. More information about the California Transit Data Guidelines can be found here.
MobilityData maintains the GTFS Schedule Validator and coordinates the development of new features. Anyone in the world can help make the validator better by sharing feedback and spreading the word. Learn more about how to contribute to the validator here.
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. 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 General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS) for public transport and shared mobility.
Learn more on mobilitydata.org.
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Deputy Executive Director
About Cal-ITP
The California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) was established by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to both improve and encourage the use of multimodal travel throughout California—by standardizing information for easy multimodal trip planning, enabling contactless open-loop payments, and automating customer discounts (Cal-ITP Benefits). Cal-ITP successfully led contactless open-loop contactless payment implementations in California on Monterey-Salinas and Santa Barbara buses; Sacramento light rail; intercity passenger rail between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area; on-demand transit vans; and LAX’s FlyAway bus, which connects airport passengers to commuter rail.
Learn more at calitp.org and on @California_ITP on Twitter, or by subscribing to the Caltrans Mobility Newsletter. And visit Cal-ITP’s CAMobilityMarketplace.org for a catalog of code-compliant products and services for public mobility providers, including contactless payment acceptance hardware and software.
Agencies that would like to tap Cal-ITP’s technical assistance can indicate interest by reaching out to hello@calitp.org.
