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Extensions

Additional files and fields can be extended onto GTFS Schedule datasets to accommodate a variety of application-specific needs communicated between transit agencies and software vendors, even if these fields are not in the official specification.

Below is a list of GTFS Schedule extensions that may be implemented.

Making an extension official in the specification

Extensions may become active proposals and subsequently merged into the official specification via the Specification Amendment Process.

Contributing to this list

Have an extension you want to share with the GTFS community? Request to add an extension to GTFS.org here.

GTFS-Pathways

Maintained by MobilityData

  • Accessibility-focused for pathways linking together locations within transit stations for route planning and wayfinding.
  • While the core specification of GTFS-Pathways has been completely integrated into GTFS, additional information such as text-to-speech instructions, wheelchair assistance information, equipment-failure reporting, planned or scheduled entrance or exit closures, and elevator and escalator outages need to be added.

GTFS-Fares v2

Maintained by MobilityData

  • Enables trip planning apps to display pricing information to riders.
  • While the base implementation of GTFS-Fares v2 has recently been voted to pass into GTFS, some features and functionalities of this extension that are still remaining include zonal/distance-based fares, rider categories, fare capping and ranges, fare bundles passes and containers, rush hour/holiday pricing, transfer sequences, and one route behaviour.

GTFS-Flex

Maintained by MobilityData

  • Extends GTFS by including deviated fixed routes and on-demand transportation service features in its data modeling that do not always follow the same for fixed stops.
  • The proposal is composed of 2 extensions: GTFS-FlexibleTrips, which describes the service itself and GTFS-BookingRules, which provides the booking information of GTFS-FlexibleTrips.

  • Describes a vehicle’s passenger crowdedness on a usual or projected basis.
  • Supplements the availability of crowdedness information described in GTFS Realtime by offering static predictions for future trips based on previous trends, which can assist riders plan trips based on their crowdedness preferences and comfortability.

  • Provides translation support, extends route types, allows for more detailed transfer rules and adds a number of other functions.

MTC GTFS+

Maintained by MTC

  • Created by the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Adds additional real time information, directions, rider categories and more.

MBTA

Maintained by MBTA

  • Adds on-time performance tracking checkpoints, station and facility information and more.

GTFS-eligibilities is formed around the concept that it should provide a manner for systems operating based on user accounts to understand whether a trip is eligible based on user account information. This means the fields proposed provide:

  • Common attributes associated with user accounts such as age, gender, company affiliation, trip purposes, and assistance levels provided.
  • Customizable authentications of locally-defined attributes and statuses. Custom eligibilities are provided, as well as a way to understand how the custom eligibility can be authenticated.

Describes the additional capabilities that a service may be able to provide to serve people with disabilities and those who have mobility devices.

  • Information about services available to a rider from a person, such as a driver or other agency-provided human resource.
  • Vehicle information, described by the (further extended) GTFS-VehicleCategories specification. See also the GTFS-seats draft extension.
  • A focus on describing vehicle amenities related to mobility devices, and how boarding with those devices affects capacity for other riders and devices.

Additional files and fields can be extended onto GTFS Realtime feeds to accommodate a variety of application-specific needs communicated between transit agencies and software vendors, even if these fields are not in the official specification.

Below is a list of GTFS Realtime extensions that may be implemented.

Making an extension official in the specification

Extensions may become active proposals and subsequently merged into the official specification via the Specification Amendment Process.

Contributing to this list

Have an extension you want to share with the GTFS community? Request to add an extension to GTFS.org here.

  • Describe changes to station pathways in real time such as elevator downtime or closed pathways.

  • Provide information in real time on the crowding of transit vehicles.

For more information, contact specifications@mobilitydata.org