GTFS Builder Web App

Getting Started Guide Revised November 2013

5 Wheeling Avenue, Unit B Woburn, MA 01801 888.589.6821 info@nationalrtap.org nationalrtap.org

A program of the Federal Transit Administration Administered by the Neponset Valley TMA

Table of Contents

Welcome to the GTFS Builder Getting Started Guide ........................................... 1

First Things First ................................................................................................ 1

Overview Videos & Two Excel Workbooks ........................................................... 2

Additional Resources ........................................................................................... 3

Summary Task Wheel for GTFS Builder .............................................................. 5

Step 1: Gather Bus Stops ..................................................................................... 6

Step 2: Build Schedules ....................................................................................... 7

Step 3: Generate, Validate, and Test GTFS ........................................................... 8

GTFS Builder Excel Data Associated with Sample Trip Plan ................................ 10

Support for GTFS Builder .................................................................................. 11

1

Welcome to the GTFS Builder Getting Started Guide

Welcome to the National RTAP in the Cloud community! This document provides a self-

guided tour of National RTAP’s GTFS Builder for General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)

data management.

The GTFS Builder toolset includes simple Excel-based data management tools and instructional

videos. The instructional videos will walk you through gathering and inputting your transit stop

locations, bus routes and schedule data into the GTFS Builder Excel files. This guide

complements screenshots and live demonstration in the videos. Once your data is output as a .zip

file, you will validate it, request an account to test your data and upload the file so that it can be

sent to Google Transit and other trip planners and much more.

First Things First

1. You must have a Cloud Account to log into National RTAP in the Cloud and have

access to GTFS Builder. If you do not have a Cloud Account, you can create one by

clicking the “Cloud Signup” button in the top right corner of the National RTAP

website (www.NationalRTAP.org) and following the step-by-step instructions. If you

already have a Cloud Account, you can log in using the “Cloud Login” button also in the

top right corner of the National RTAP website.

2. Once logged into the Cloud, if you do not see GTFS Builder listed in the left toolbar of

your dashboard, contact your Cloud Admin (the first person in your organization to sign

up) to request authorization. If you are the Cloud Admin and someone from your

2

organization requests access to a web app that does not currently appear in his/her

toolbar, you can follow these steps to assign the appropriate security role:

a. Click the “Members” link located in the left toolbar of your Cloud Account,

second from the bottom.

b. Click “User Roles.”

c. Click the check box next to the person(s) you would like to assign a Security Role.

d. Click the drop-down labeled “Select Role” at the bottom left of the list of users.

e. Select the Security Role type you would like to assign this person(s) and click the

“Action” button. This will save the role type for the designated user(s).

f. This person(s) will now have access to the web application and features based on

the new security role.

3. Visit the National RTAP Support Center GTFS Builder page at

www.NationalRTAP.org/SupportCenter/BuilderApps/GTFSBuilder and download the

GTFS Builder Checklist.

Note: The Support Center is also where you will:

• Explore the benefits and evaluate considerations for GTFS Builder

• Watch the Step 1, 2, and 3 Workshop Webinars

• View brief, targeted instructional videos

• Access helpful resources and videos on advanced topics

Overview Videos & Two Excel Workbooks

The three one-hour Step 1, 2, and 3 Workshop Webinars walk you through the process of

getting your route and schedule data into a trip planner application like Google Transit. For

staff ready to jump in, you can view the components of these webinars broken into brief (2-5

3

minute) instructional videos. The workshop webinars and instructional videos are located in the

GTFS Builder Support Center on the Instructional Videos page for each step.

Before you begin the process of gathering your data and downloading the various tools you will

need, we suggest you watch the following videos:

• Should My Agency Proceed with GTFS Builder? (available on the GTFS Builder

Support Center landing page at

www.NationalRTAP.org/SupportCenter/BuilderApps/GTFSBuilder)

• Summary View of Files Generated and Common Terms (available on the Archived

Videos page of the GTFS Builder Support Center at

www.NationalRTAP.org/SupportCenter/BuilderApps/GTFSBuilder/ArchivedVideo)

GTFS Builder manages data using two Excel spreadsheets, which are part of the GTFS Builder

toolkit that you download from the Dashboard in the Cloud:

1. SchedulesV2 (to generate and manage schedules)

2. Import Export (to generate all the required files)

Additional Resources

The following additional resources and links may also answer questions you have regarding GTFS Builder.

• Google Transit Partner Program: maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/partners/ • Google Transit Help Center: support.google.com/transitpartners • Google Transit Best Practices:

maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/partners/bestpractices.html • Google Transit FAQs: maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/partners/faq.html

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• General Transit Feed Specifications: code.google.com/transit/spec/transit_feed_specification.html

• GTFS Data Exchange (data samples): www.gtfs-data-exchange.com • Google License Agreement:

demopro.nationalrtap.org/resources/Forms/Sample_Google_License_Ag_635199423625255483_.pdf

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Summary Task Wheel for GTFS Builder

The highlighted sections one through six offer a quick reminder of how to update and rebuild data for any service updates. Now that your agency has decided to continue with GTFS Builder, below are the steps you will need to take.

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Step 1: Gather Bus Stops

This series of videos will help you:

• get set up for this project, • engage the Excel macros, • and gather or load your bus stop

data into the Stops Tab in the Import/Export Workbook.

1.0 Pre-flight, Jump In 1.1 What do I need to start? 1.2 GTFS Builder Concepts and Terms 1.3 Learning tools/ Resources & Dashboard 1.4 Two Excel GTFS Builder Workbooks 1.5 Macros 1.6 Associated GTFS data from a Trip Plan 1.7 GTFS Specification Reference 1.8 Data Output 1.9 Map & Route Display: Output "Shapes" Optional 1.10 Why Bus Stops First and Can We Display Flag Stops 1.11 Bus Stop Location Data May Be Found Here 1.12 Methods to Gather or Tune-up Bus Stops 1.13 Step 1: Assignment = Bus Stops 1.14 Step 1: Assignment = Set-up Computer Workspace 1.15 Step 1: Assignment = Google Validation Tools (Overview) 1.16 No-cost Google License sample agreement 1.17 Managing Expectations 1.18 No-cost Hosting at National RTAP 1.19 Features Omitted in Simple Steps 1-2-3

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Step 2: Build Schedules

This step gathers and loads your schedule data into the GTFS Builder Workbooks.

You may have run cards or bus schedules in Excel that you can link to the GTFS Builder Schedules Workbook.

2.2 Build the Schedules Stop-by-Stop to Generate stop_times and trips 2.3 Managing and Updating Trip Variations (delete a stop, add a stop) 2.4 Timepoints vs Non-Timepoint 2.5 Route_id, Service_id for Day of the Week, Direction_id 2.6 Headsigns 2.7 Output stop_times & trips from Schedules Workbook 2.8 Resolving Common Errors 2.9 Why Odd Time Format in stop_times?

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Step 3: Generate, Validate, and Test GTFS

This series of videos will assist you in gathering all remaining “static” data and putting it into the GTFS Builder Import/Export Workbook. This step:

• validates, • previews, • tests, and • launches your GTFS data in

Google Transit. 3.1 Overview: Build One Route, Validate, Host & Post File 3.2 Agency (red tab ImportExport Workbook) 3.3 Calendar & Calendar Dates=Holidays (blue tabs in ImportExport Workbook) 3.4 Routes (golden yellow tab in ImportExport Workbook) 3.5 Stops (dark blue tab in ImportExport Workbook) 3.6 Stop_times (green tab in ImportExport Workbook) 3.7 Trips (purple tab in ImportExport Workbook) 3.8 Feed_info 3.9 Export and Compress Data files .zip 3.10 Start-to-end Build GTFS compressed, .zip file 3.11 Feed Validator with Warnings and Errors - Resolved 3.12 Google Account for Preview Testing 3.13 Free Hosting at National RTAP 3.14 Sign-up for Preview Testing at Google Maps 3.15 Partner Dash Walk-through 3.16 Feed Configuration for Manual or "Fetch" from National RTAP Server

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3.17 When Does Data Go Live Each Week? 3.18 Fetch Fails 3.19 Data Visualization and Sample Trip Queries 3.20 Suggestions for Quality Assurance Review 3.21 Request to Launch 3.22 Launch Date is Proposed, Do Not Publicize Until Live (no log-in) 3.23 Launch and Go Live 3.24 ImportExport Data Maintenance: How often does this data change?

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GTFS Builder Excel Data Associated with Sample Trip Plan

The following graphic associates the GTFS Builder Import/Export Workbook with a Google Transit trip plan:

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GTFS Builder Support

There are a number of places where you can find available resources if you need support while using the GTFS Builder web app:

• GTFS Builder Dashboard – you can reach the GTFS Builder Dashboard by logging into your Cloud Account, opening the GTFS Builder toolbar, and clicking on the “Dashboard” link. In the Dashboard you will find the GTFS Builder Getting Started Guide and helpful links, including a link to the Support Center (which hosts instructional videos).

• Support Center – you can visit the GTFS Builder Support Center by going to www.NationalRTAP.org/SupportCenter/BuilderApps/GTFSBuilder. Here you will find instructional videos, documents, and links that will assist in answering your questions about GTFS Builder.

• Finally, you can contact National RTAP technical support staff by emailing support@nationalrtap.org or calling 888-589-6821 and asking for tech support.