Working Group invite - Making GTFS work for the Rest of the World
Neil Taylor
Hi All,
This is a message (cross-posted to the GTFS Changes and Transit Developers Groups) to announce a working group
focused on modelling the less rigid transit systems that are typically found
in developing and transitional cities using the GTFS framework. The
purpose of the working group is to bring together like-minded people who are working in this
space in order to rapidly build the consensus needed to successfully propose,
and demonstrate the viability of, acceptable changes to the current GTFS spec
in a way that:
- Supports the modelling of non-stop-based and non-scheduled transit services.
- Ensures GTFS becomes a framework that can be
used by transit agencies working in this context.
- Accelerates the adoption of GTFS for all modes of transit in
developing or transitional cities - not just fixed route services.
- Makes it possible for smartphone and web-app
developers to consume data in a standardised format across multiple cities that
contain less rigid transit systems - thereby making multi-modal trip planning
and analytical tools a possibility.
- Feeds the relatively minor spec changes we
envisage emerging from this group into deeper on-going discussions being taken
forward by the working group for flexible/para-transit service GTFS: https://groups.google.com/group/gtfs-flexible-wg
This group has formed based around a number of on-going efforts in Manila, Mexico City, Dhaka, and Nairobi (amongst others) to use the GTFS specification to model the local transit systems. We are really keen to hear from more people working with GTFS in these contexts to learn about the issues you have experienced and ideas you have for making GTFS more relevant to less rigid transit systems.
If you a GTFS feed producer, consumer, or just an interested bystander and are interested in following or participating in this effort; then please go ahead and join the group: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/making-gtfs-work-for-the-rest-of-the-world
The welcome post offers a proposed process for sharing information about the challenges you have experienced with using GTFS to model less rigid transit systems using the current GTFS spec: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/making-gtfs-work-for-the-rest-of-the-world/FZf12CvSFYA.
Many thanks in advance for taking the time to read this, and I hope you are able to get involved.
Best regards
Neil Taylor