Green Bay Google Transit
October 29, 2008
Brown County Planning Commission/Green Bay MPO
Cole Runge, Principal Planner/MPO Director
Lisa Conard, Planner (Transportation)
Tim Hennig, Planner (Transportation/GIS)
Brown County Information Technology Department
Carrie Borofka, Programmer Analyst
Green Bay Metro
Chris Phelps, Green Bay Metro Director
Google
Google Transit Team

Brief History
• In 2005, all of Green
Bay Metro’s bus stops were
mapped via
GPS coordinates. This
information was used as
part of the Google
Transit development
(Thanks Eric Heidenreiter
and the help from other
interns).

The Creation of Green Bay’s Google Transit
Brown County Planning Commission/Green Bay MPO developed the
Google Transit feeds using its geographic information system (GIS).
• Additional GIS and tabular data was developed within a MS SQL
Server/ArcSDE enterprise geodatabase environment.
Implemented Google Transit feed specifications as part of Brown County’s
transportation geodatabase model schema.
Scripting data transformation services (DTS) of GIS and table data and
data
compiling the data into a CSV file format. Basically the data transfer is
transfer
automated based on Google’s specifications.
Google provides open source development tools.
• There are tools you can use to validate your feeds.
• Schedule viewer program.
• KML (Keyhole Markup Language) writer program that integrates with
Google Earth that validates bus stop location and information.
Networking is a must!
• The Google team will work with you.
• You can post questions or comments in the Google Transit Groups.
• Networking amongst other Google Transit developers (e.g. Cities of
Appleton, Fond du Lac, and Duluth, ECRPC, and BLRPC).

GTF File Requirements
All files in a Google Transit Feed Spec (GTFS) feed must be saved as comma-delimited
saved comma-
text.
• The first line of your feeds must contain field names. Each subsection of the Field Definitions section
subsection
corresponds to one of the files in a transit feed and lists the field names you may use in that file.
• All field names are case-sensitive.
case-
• Field values may not contain tabs, carriage returns or new lines.
lines.
• Field value in CSV file: \"Contains \"\"quotes\"\", commas and text\"
Field values should not contain HTML tags, comments or escape sequences.
sequences.
Name your feed files using the following naming conventions:
• agency.txt
• stops.txt
• routes.txt
• trips.txt
• stop_times.txt
• calendar.txt
• calendar_dates.txt
• fare_rules.txt
• fare_attributes.txt
• shapes.txt
• frequencies.txt
• transfers.txt
Zip the files in your feed. Name the zip file google_transit.zip. Post the zip file in a directory named
google_transit.zip.
YYYYMMDD, where YYYYMMDD is the earliest date of valid service included in any of the files.
YYYYMMDD,
Source: Google.com, http://code.google.com/transit/spec/transit_feed_specification.html, September 2008.
Google.com, http://code.google.com/transit/spec/transit_feed_specification.html,

IsoCountry
Google Transit Feed -country_id : nmtoken
Specification (2007/06/20)
TM: AUTHORITY or
© 2007
OPERATOR
calendar
service
validity condition service_id
-service_Id 1
Monday() : boolean
* Tuesday() : boolean
1 Wednesday() : boolean agency
Thursday() : boolean
1 agency_id : string
TM VALIDITY Friday() : boolean
CONDITION Saturday() : boolean agency_name() : string
Sunday() : boolean agency_url() : url
start_date() : date agency_timezone() : timezone
exceptions end_date() : date angency_lang() : isoLang
calendar_dates 1
«uses»
service_id
* «enumeration»
date() : date availabilityEnum routes
TM: VEHICLE exception_type() : availabilityEnum
vehicle journeys JOURNEY 1 = available TM: ROUTE
2 = notAvailable + LINE
TM: BLOCK
trips
*
tripId : nmtoken
block
* route_id() : nmtoken
service_id() : nmtoken 1 route_id
block * trip_headsign() : string * route/line route_id : nmtoken «uses»
*
direction_id() : boolean
TM: LINK -block_id route_short_name() : string
1 block_id() : nmtoken
PROJECTION route_long_name() : string
shape_id()
route_desc() : string «enumeration»
1 route_type() : modeEnum modeEnum
calls 1 route_url() : url
link projection 0 = Bus
0..1 TM: STOP IN route_color() : hexColourValue
1 = Ferry
SEQUENCE route_text_color() : hexColourValue
2 = Rail
+ PASSING 3 = Subway
shape TIMES 4 = Tram
shape_id : nmtoken * 5 = Cablecar
shape_pt_lat() : lat TM: FARE 6 = Funicular
shape_pt_lon() : lon PRODUCT
stop_times
shape_pt_sequence() : integer
shape_dist_travel() : distance trip_id : nmtoken
stop_id : nmtoken «enumeration»
stop_sequence : stop_times distance matrix fare paymentMethodEnum
1 0 = onBoard
arrival_time() : time fare_id : nmtoken
TM: SCHEDULED * 1 = beforeBoarding
stop departure_time() : time
STOP POINT
pickup_type() : activityEnum
1
drop_off_type() : activityEnum
«uses» fare price
«uses»
1
stops TM: DISTANCE rules
stop_id : nmtoken «enumeration» MATRIX fares_attributes
activityEnum
stop_name() : string 1 fare_id : nmtoken
stop_desc() : string 0 = Regular
1 = NoPickup * price() : amount
stop_lat() : lat
stop_lon() : lon 2 = DrtPhone currency_type() : isoCurrency
zone_id() : nmtoken 3 = DrtDriver * payment_method() : paymentMethodEnum
fares_rules transfers() : transfersPermittedEnum
stop_url() : url
tarrif zone origin zone fare_id : nmtoken transfer_duration() : seconds «uses»
route_id : nmtoken
* destination zone origin_id() : nmtoken currency *
0..1 *
destination_id() : nmtoken
* contains_id() : nmtoken
zone 0..1 «enumeration»
zone_id : nmtoken 0..1 transfersPermittedEnum
*
IsoCurrency 0 = none
TM: TARIFF 0..1 contains tarrif zone zone 1 = one
currency_type : isoCurrency
ZONE 2 = two
0..1 3 = unlimited
Source: The Google Transit Feed Specification – Capabilities and Limitations, Kizoom Limited; London, 2007.

Option A
Option B

Issues
- In some cases, Google Transit may suggest walking a little
further if the overall trip time is reduced.
Google Transit’s default routing time is set to real-time.
Transfer points were not specified (this was later corrected).
Route deviations are not included.
Updating and testing route changes may take one to two
weeks.
Google Transit is not customizable.
Communications with Google Transit team are through email.
Google gets name recognition, where Brown County and Green
Bay Metro do not.

Advantages of Google Transit
You can search based on street address, street name,
generalized area, or business name.
Google provides web routing technology for free as opposed to
paying thousands of dollars to maintain a network server.
• Great for smaller transit systems.
• Great for Metro call takers regarding transit routing.
Google can provide web routing for commerce.
• Example: A business may want to show how to get from
Green Bay Metro to their business facility.
Another transit guide option for existing and future riders.
Green Bay will be known for its partnership with Google and for
providing a service that can be accessed through the world wide
web.
We now have extensive GIS transit data (e.g. bus stops, time
points, time frequencies, and fare information) for GIS and
planning purposes.

Lessons Learned
The complexity of developing and planning the Google
Transit using GIS and implementing it as part of the
Brown County’s transportation geodatabase model.
The complexity of inputting, testing, and correcting the
Google Transit feeds. You may have to wait a couple of
weeks to make corrections and retest your feeds.
There are other ways to develop the Google Transit
feeds.
• Excel download from Google Groups.
• Data table approach.
• Transit scheduling and operations software (e.g. GIRO’s
Hastus Software).

Future Obstacles
Incorporating a workflow process that
includes GIS and tabular editing.
Updating time points and sequences
within GIS and tabular.
Adding limited-service routes, deviations,
and detours.

How to Get Started
Create a Google user account.
• https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount
Contact Google Transit.
• maps-transit-content@google.com
Print Google Transit specifications.
• http://code.google.com/transit/spec/transit_feed_specification.html
Download open source GTFS software.
• http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/
Get involved with Google Groups.
• http://groups.google.com/
Search for Google Transit
Brown County Planning Commission/MPO FTP
• ftp://ftp.co.brown.wi.us/ (Type this in your Windows Explore)
User Name: MPO
Password: BrownCounty

Google Transit Demo
October 29, 2008
Brown County Planning Commission/Green Bay MPO
Cole Runge, Principal Planner/MPO Director
Lisa Conard, Planner (Transportation)
Tim Hennig, Planner (Transportation/GIS)
305 E. Walnut Street, Room 320
Green Bay, Wisconsin 54301
Phone: (920) 448-6480
Web: www.co.brown.wi.us/planning.html