Announcing the new V3 API

[Developer at MBTA]

Dear developers,

For months we’ve been making reference to an upcoming API revamp. We’re now pleased to lift the curtain on the work we’ve been doing and announce the launch of the V3 API. You can read our full announcement on Medium.

The V3 API is based on the JSON API standard and documented in Swagger so it's easy to start using. Compared to API-v2, it's 300% faster and adds long-requested features like higher usage limits, fully integrated schedule and prediction data,  and commuter rail track boarding numbers. You can start using the V3 API right now. You don’t even need a key to try it out, although we do recommend that you sign up for an API key.

We’ve also taken this opportunity to refresh our developer documentation. You can find out new developers portal here, including an introduction to the introduction to the V3 API, a FAQ, and an orientation to the V3 API for API-V2 users.

The MBTA will continue to operate API-V2 through April 2018. Developers using API-V2 should transition to the new V3 API, or to GTFS-realtime.  We know having to migrate to a new API is work, but we think you’ll really like using this new API, and that it will let us meet your needs better now and in the future. And we have improvements coming to GTFS-realtime too -- watch the forum for information about GTFS-realtime improvements in the next couple weeks.

Please tell us here or at deve...@mbta.com about any problems you encounter or features you would like to see added. Thanks as always for using our data.

Sincerely,

developer@mbta

[StefanW]

Congratulations!!!

This is huge. Thanks for all the work you've put into this!

I particularly like the "Cheat Sheet" on https://www.mbta.com/developers/migration-api-v2-to-v3-api

Great job!

[RideSchedules Webmaster]

I hope the new GTFS-Realtime alerts file will correctly inform entities based on the content of the alert.

Your current file still incorrectly marks alerts for individual lines as system-wide.

If the content of an alert is for an individual line, it should inform only the route_id and not the route_type.

[Developer at MBTA]

Hi all,

Just wanted to post a reminder that with the new V3 API, the older API-V2 and legacy feeds are deprecated. The MBTA will continue to operate API-V2 through April 2018. Developers using API-V2 should transition to the new V3 API, or to GTFS-realtime.  The original announcement below includes links to resources to get started, and we're here at deve...@mbta.com and at this forum to answer questions that may come up as you transition.

Sincerely,
developer@mbta

11/28/17

[Eric Hynds]

I'm working on implementing this API and have been receiving a lot of 429 response codes if I make too many requests at once. I know there's a starting limit of 1k req/minute but are there any other conditions that you throttle on?

Thanks

[Developer at MBTA]

Hi Eric,

The only limit is the number of requests, 1000 per minute. There was a bug where some requests where throttled inappropriately: that has been resolved.

Sincerely,

developer@mbta

[paul fox]

Okay, color me grumpy.  I have a personal, simple, V2-based app that has been trouble-free for several years now.  As a result, at some point I turned off email delivery for this group, and haven't visited in a very long time.  I simply had no need to.  My very first hint that V2 is going away (this month!) came today, as a "Reminder" mail.  It's hardly a reminder if I wasn't told in the first place.  :-/

I'm sure V3 is the bee's knees, but since I use the XML option in V2, and that's no longer available, I guess I'll probably just retire my script.    Bah.

paul

[paul fox]

On Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at 2:39:06 PM UTC-5, Developer at MBTA wrote:

The MBTA will continue to operate API-V2 through April 2018. Developers using API-V2 should transition to the new V3 API, or to GTFS-realtime.  We know having to migrate to a new API is work, but we think you’ll really like using this new API, and that it will let us meet your needs better now and in the future. And we have improvements coming to GTFS-realtime too -- watch the forum for information about GTFS-realtime improvements in the next couple weeks.

It's now June, and API-V2 is still operational.  Was a new shut-off date announced?  My client won't work under V3, so it will have to be retired at some point.  But as with all software, some maintenance is required, and I'd like to know how long I should continue putting in the effort.  For instance -- I'm currently in the process of migrating my webserver -- should I bother moving my V2 client, or will the API disappear tomorrow?

Thanks,

paul 

[Developer at MBTA]

Hi Paul,

API-V2 is deprecated and unsupported, and could be shut down at any time. Its behavior may also change without notice.

-developer@mbta