The Need for a National Transit Map

Almost all of the largest transit agencies already collect and make General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) Schedule data available—either publicly through their website or directly to private companies. Despite the increasing use of GTFS data, there was no national transit map for transit agencies, advocates, and researchers to see the extent of the U.S. transit system.

Members of the transit community led the way in developing and hosting a number of GTFS aggregator websites, but a high-level of effort and resources are required to remain comprehensive and sustainable over time. One factor contributing to these gaps is the variety of restrictive terms that some transit agencies set on the use of their data. Until the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) was established, if the public, planning agencies, researchers, or government agencies wanted to access this information for analytical purposes, they had to request the data from individual agencies on a case-by-case basis.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) received significant feedback from the transportation data user and research community to make GTFS data available for research and data analysis purposes. Recognizing the value of GTFS and the BTS NTM, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is requiring National Transit Database (NTD) Reporters to establish and submit a web-hosted GTFS Schedule dataset for their fixed route service beginning in Report Year 2023.

Benefits of Open Transit Data

The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 115: Open Data: Challenges and Opportunities for Transit Agencies reports the top five benefits of open transit data like GTFS are:

1. Increased awareness of services,
2. Empowered customers,
3. Encouraging innovation outside the agency,
4. Improved perception of the agency, and
5. New opportunities for private businesses.

GTFS Schedule data provides significant value to transit customers, transportation planners, researchers, and other stakeholders. For example, GTFS data is used in the location affordability portal developed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and USDOT to examine the combined costs of housing and transportation across the country. GTFS is also used by researchers conducting connectivity analysis, such as the University of Minnesota Accessibility Observatory.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) is a National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) within the BTS National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD), a set of nationwide geographic databases of transportation facilities, networks, and associated infrastructure. It supports research, planning and analysis on the benefits of transit, such as the economic impacts of transit on a community’s economic development, or on reducing poverty in low-income neighborhoods. It is not intended to replace existing customer services available through transit agency websites and commercial trip planning service providers.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) datasets are listed below and available for download from the BTS National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD).

• NTM Agencies: This dataset includes transit agencies that are participating in the BTS NTM and authorize the U.S. Department of Transportation to use their General Transit Feed Specification Schedule data.
• NTM Routes: This dataset shows a group of trips that are displayed to riders as a single service. To build the NTM Routes dataset, BTS combines the GTFS Schedule routes.txt, trips.txt, and shapes.txt files. 
• NTM Stops: This dataset shows where vehicles pick up or drop off riders. It also defines stations and station entrances. To build the NTM Stops dataset BTS uses the GTFS Schedule stops.txt file.

Since its establishment in 2016, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) used voluntarily submitted General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) Schedule data. Beginning in Report Year 2023, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is requiring National Transit Database (NTD) reporters to establish and submit a GTFS Schedule dataset for their fixed route service. The FTA GTFS requirement is described in their notice of proposed changes published on July 7, 2022 and final notice issued on March 3, 2023.

Transit agencies use their existing FTA Federal Access Control and Entry System (FACES) accounts to provide a link to their GTFS data. Prior to the FTA GTFS requirement, transit agencies would grant the USDOT a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States (CC-BY-3.0) license. Under the requirement, all GTFS data submitted to the NTD will enter the public domain.

BTS collects and combines the data by pulling the feeds, extracting data from them, and translating and loading the data to its National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). BTS develops and publishes NTM updates to NTAD several times a year. 

For additional information, see the FAQs or contact the BTS NTM team at NationalTransitMap@dot.gov.

• Why was the NTM created? Almost all of the largest transit agencies already collect and make General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) Schedule data available—either publicly through their website or directly to private companies. Despite the increasing use of GTFS, there was no national transit map that transit agencies, advocates, and researchers could use to assess the extent of the United States transit system.
• When was the NTM established? In March 2016, the U.S. Transportation Secretary invited transit agencies to participate in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM). BTS released the first version of the NTM in September 2016.
• What is a NGDA? The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16 established a coordinated approach to electronically develop the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and established the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) to facilitate Circular A-16 related activities and implement the NSDI. The FGDC NSDI Portfolio consists of a core set of National Geospatial Data Assets (NGDAs) that are sufficiently complete, current, and accessible to support the critical business and mission requirements of the Federal Government, its partners and stakeholders. To be recognized as a NGDA, the dataset must meets at least one of the following criteria: (1) Used by multiple agencies or with agency partners such as State, Tribal and local governments; (2) Applied to achieve Presidential priorities as expressed by OMB; (3) Required to meet shared mission goals of multiple Federal agencies; or (4) Expressly required by statutory mandate. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) Routes and Stops datasets are recognized by the FGDC as NGDAs.
• How often is NTM updated? The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) publishes the National Transit Map (NTM) data quarterly on the BTS National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD).
• How do I download NTM data? The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) publishes the National Transit Map (NTM) data for download on the BTS National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). in multiple file formats.
• Where can I find archived NTM data? The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) is developing a publicly accessible archive of National Transit Map (NTM) data. In the interim, BTS would be happy to provide NTM data by request. The ​BTS NTM Team is available at NationalTransitMap@dot.gov.
• Would I be able to compare different years of NTM data? Depending on the project, there may be important factors to consider when comparing different years of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) data. Since its establishment in 2016, the BTS NTM data coverage and update frequency have increased. There are also occasions where a transit agency's data is partially or fully invalid for inclusion in a BTS NTM update.
• How should I use NTM data? The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) supports research and analysis on the benefits of transit. It is not intended for navigation or real-time trip planning or to replace existing customer services available through transit agency websites and commercial trip planning service providers.
• What agencies are participating in NTM? The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) maintains the National Transit Map (NTM) Agencies dataset that lists the transit agencies participating in the BTS NTM along with additional data inclusion details.
• Why is a transit agency missing from the NTM? Since its establishment in 2016, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) used voluntarily submitted General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) Schedule data. Beginning in Report Year 2023, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is requiring National Transit Database (NTD) reporters to establish and submit a GTFS Schedule dataset for their fixed route service. BTS develops and publishes NTM updates quarterly. If a Reporter submitted data and their transit service is not yet available in the BTS NTM, it's possible their data was submitted between updates or that the data was not valid for inclusion in the geospatial datasets. 
• How do I submit GTFS for inclusion in the NTM? FTA National Transit Database (NTD) Reporters submit their GTFS using their existing Federal Access Control and Entry System (FACES) accounts. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) then collects and combines the data by pulling the feeds, extracting data from them, and translating and loading the data to the BTS National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). BTS develops and publishes NTM updates to NTAD several times a year. For questions about logging into FTA's FACES to submit GTFS data for inclusion in the BTS NTM, contact the FTA IT Help Desk at ftaithelpdesk@dot.gov.
• What other USDOT data can I use to conduct transit research? FTA's NTD is a longitudinal survey of reports from transit agencies all over the country. Researchers may find the NTD Agency Information and Agency Mode Service Files useful in conjunction with the NTM data. The NTD provides a glossary of terms.
• Will USDOT fund GTFS conversion or is it the transit agency’s responsibility? For transit systems that currently operate fixed route modes, but lack existing web-hosted GTFS datasets, FTA will provide technical assistance.
• What GTFS technical assistance or resources are available? 
  Please note the below is not an exhaustive list but illustrates that as a community-driven standard, the GTFS community offers several free resources to support transit agencies. 
  • The National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP), funded by FTA, provides free technical assistance, maintains a resource guide for creating a GTFS dataset, hosts GTFS office hours, and will create weblinks for GTFS data. 
  • GTFS.org hosts a community list of transit APIs, apps, datasets, research, and software.
  • Caltrans maintains an Inventory of Available Technical Services for California based transit agencies.
• Does the USDOT have a list of vendors that could create GTFS feeds? USDOT does not offer a list of vendors. However, there are a number of resources available on the internet for transit agencies who wish to develop GTFS feeds or other machine readable schedule feeds. 
• How can I ask additional questions or connect? Please connect with us using the contact information listed below. 
  • ​T​​​he Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) Team is available at NationalTransitMap@dot.gov.
  • For questions about logging into FTA's FACES to register for the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM), contact the FTA IT Help Desk at ftaithelpdesk@dot.gov.
  • For questions about the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Geospatial Portal where BTS NTM data is hosted, contact the BTS NTAD Team at ntad@dot.gov.
  • For questions about Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) publications and data products, contact the BTS National Transportation Library (NTL).

• BTS: The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the USDOT, is the preeminent source of statistics on commercial aviation, multimodal freight activity, and transportation economics, and provides context to decision makers and the public for understanding statistics on transportation. It is one of more than a dozen principal federal statistical agencies. 
• FACES: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) maintains several web-based software systems that reside on the same FTA platform which is accessed via the Federal Access Control and Entry System (FACES) website. The systems on this FTA platform include the National Transit Database (NTD). Transit agencies can register for the NTM by logging into FACES.
• FTA: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems, including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys and ferries. 
• GTFS: General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) defines how to store transit data about stops, routes, and schedules. There are two GTFS components: (1) GTFS Schedule, and (2) GTFS Realtime. NTM uses GTFS Schedule data to support research and analysis. GTFS Realtime requires an Automatic Vehicle Location system to allow public transportation agencies to provide real-time updates about their fleet. 
• NGDA: A National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) is defined as a geospatial dataset that has been designated by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Steering Committee and meets at least one of the following criteria: supports mission goals of multiple federal agencies, statutorily mandated, supports Presidential priorities as expressed by Executive Order, or by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Together, these NGDA Datasets comprise the A-16 NGDA Portfolio.
• NTAD: The National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD), published by BTS, is a set of nationwide geographic databases of transportation facilities, transportation networks, and associated infrastructure. NTM data is available for download from NTAD. 
• NTD: The National Transit Database (NTD) is the Nation’s primary source for information and statistics on the transit systems of the United States. 
• NTD ID: The NTD Identification Number (NTD ID) is a unique FTA-assigned number (NTD ID) that each transit agency must have before filing a report.
• NTM: The National Transit Map (NTM), developed and distributed by Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), is a nationwide catalog of fixed-guideway and fixed-route transit service in America that is gleaned from publicly available information. The BTS NTM was initiated in 2016 and is a NGDA Dataset within the BTS NTAD that supports research and analysis on the benefits of transit.
• USDOT: The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) oversees and administers programs, policies, and regulations to keep the traveling public safe, secure, and mobile while ensuring that our transportation system contributes to the nation’s economic growth.

Please connect with us using the contact information listed below. 

• T​​​he Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transit Map (NTM) Team is available at NationalTransitMap@dot.gov.
• For questions about logging into FTA's FACES to submit GTFS data for inclusion in the BTS NTM, contact the FTA IT Help Desk at ftaithelpdesk@dot.gov.
• For questions about the geospatial portal where BTS NTM data is hosted, contact the BTS National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) Team at ntad@dot.gov.
• For questions about BTS publications and data products, contact the BTS National Transportation Library (NTL).