This document summarizes TriMet's efforts to expose transit data through web services and common data formats like GTFS to promote development of transit applications. It provides examples of applications that have been built using TriMet's open data as well as other transit agencies that are also making their data publicly available to encourage innovation.
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TriMet GTFS and WebServices 8-23-2008
1. Exposing Transit Data as Services and Data Feeds BYO iPhone: Transport Applications for the Web CUTA Youth Summit August 23, 2008 Frank Purcell – Software Engineer TriMet of Portland, Oregon Updated August 21, 2008
2. Elevator Pitch Pitch: You too can be a Transit Developer Exposing transit data is a win–win—win for TriMet, our customers and transit developers Customer Benefit : Our customers get applications that TriMet couldn’t build or wouldn’t think to build TriMet Benefit: accurate information Developer Benefit: access to information in an elegant & reliable way to power their applications
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4. TriMet Developer Resources for Customer Information Promotes use of transit and information related to transit
6. Direct access to most current Schedule Data in common open format “ GTFS is a lightweight, open format that provides a common, easy way to exchange transit data. You don't have to be Google™ to use it.” Tim Moore, Bart
7. Developers are scraping schedule data off websites anyway. GTFS offers a more stable solution with Terms of Use.
9. Google Maps Get Driving Directions AND Public Transit Directions
10. TransitTrips Sits on Google Transit Makes it easy to save links to common trips
11. Public Routes “… believes in allowing public information to be shared openly by municipalities across the country in hopes of maximizing travel efficiency and better serving the greater public .”
12. Tranzit .ca Schedules and Map Info for Google Android Devices using GTFS data Developer’s motivation is to encourage more sustainable modes of transport.
13. Stop & Service Finder Built on the GTFS – other agencies coming Finds all stops, buses & trains in an area
15. Garmin StreetPilot “… TriMet responded responded, and pointed me to the GTFS developer site… by far the easiest experience I’ve had getting information from a public agency.” Brett Warden, TriMet Rider & Software Developer
16. GPS Wayfinding Devices Sendero, TriMet & Google working to integrate GTFS with POI Database
17. TimeTable Publisher Reads GTFS data Generates all TriMet’s print & online TimeTables. Online TimeTables have most up-to-date information (could change weekly)
18. Toronto’s myttc .ca Built with an Open Source Trip Planner GraphServer consumes GTFS. Kieran & team are actively creating GTFS data feed for Toronto.
19. My $0.02 CN As a developer at a transit agency, tools like ATrain and GraphServer are great. I look forward to using & contributing to these efforts. ATrain Community built application. Recently open-sourced trip engine.
20. Who is using TriMet’s Web Services for Customer Information?
22. TriMet On My iPhone Free Application for iPhone Transit next arrival times “ At first I was just going to scrape the Trimet site to get the information. But then I came to find out that Trimet actually has a really nice API to all their tracking information!” Matt King, TriMet Rider & Software Developer
23. Portland Transport Transit Surfer & Transit Board Next arrival times for cell phones, handhelds, full-size screens, text messaging
24. TrainCheck Free SMS Services for Cell Phones Access to transit next arrival times
28. Web Service API Trip Planner Trip Planner Web Service Example TriMet builds the API and the applications are unlimited Mobile Trip Planning Using my cell phone, I can get public transit directions to the nearest pizza place from my current location. Current GPS Location, Current Time, Requested Event/Place En Route Planned Itinerary To Event/Place Location- Based Service (LBS) Formatted Return Formatted Request
29. Web Service for TriMet Trip Planner Access to Planned Trip Itineraries Offers alternative to screen scraping for applications like Dadnab
30. Who else is making their data publicly accessible and why?
31. Public Feeds Page By making the GTFS data publicly accessible, you can avoid addressing multiple and varied data requests on an individual basis.
32. DART Dallas Area Rapid Transit Public Records Act Any person has a right to request public data, and the public agency has a responsibility to provide it.
36. Redwood Transit System Humboldt County, CA GTFS file available for download Uses Google Transit as Agency Trip Planner
37. BART San Francisco Bay “ We want to foster innovative new applications, reach a broader audience and encourage more people to choose BART. … we just can't justify spending time on some of the things our customers have asked for.”