Leveraging Resources for
Customer Information by
Exposing Transit Data
Business Intelligence: Focusing on Customers
APTA TransITech 2008
Tim McHugh, CTO

TriMet’s Developer Resources
began with GM request to
promote innovation and public transit
by providing resources to an
emerging creative class

TriMet’s Developer Resources
began with GM request to
promote innovation and public transit
by providing resources to an
emerging creative class
Can we leverage existing software development
by exposing data to the public?

TriMet’s Developer Resources
began with GM request to
promote innovation and public transit
by providing resources to an
emerging creative class
Can we leverage existing software development
by exposing data to the public?
developer.trimet.org

TriMet Developer Resources
TriMet Developer Resources
for Customer Information
for Customer Information
Promotes use of transit and
Promotes use of transit and
information related to transit
information related to transit

License Agreement
License Agreement
Worked with Legal Dept
Worked with Legal Dept
Provides protection &
Provides protection &
defines Terms of Use
defines Terms of Use

Registration Process
Registration Process
Agree to Terms of Use
Agree to Terms of Use
Notification for Updates
Notification for Updates
Monitor Usage & Thresholds
Monitor Usage & Thresholds

Direct access to most current
Direct access to most current
Schedule Data
Schedule Data
in common open format
in common open format

Direct access to most current “GTFS is aalightweight, open
“GTFS is lightweight, open
Direct access to most current format that provides aa
format that provides
Schedule Data
Schedule Data common, easy way to
common, easy way to
in common open format exchange transit data. You
exchange transit data. You
in common open format don't have to be Google™
don't have to be Google™
to use it.”
to use it.”
Tim Moore, Bart
Tim Moore, Bart

Developers are
Developers are
scraping schedule data
scraping schedule data
off websites anyway.
off websites anyway.
GTFS offers aamore stable
GTFS offers more stable
solution with Terms of Use.
solution with Terms of Use.

Developers are
Developers are
scraping schedule data
scraping schedule data
off websites anyway.
off websites anyway.
GTFS offers aamore stable
GTFS offers more stable
solution with Terms of Use.
solution with Terms of Use.

iamcaltrain.com
iamcaltrain.com
Source: “Caltrain station and route data was
Source: “Caltrain station and route data was
scraped from the Caltrain Website… The
scraped from the Caltrain Website… The
results of their work can be downloaded in
results of their work can be downloaded in
the form of aaMySQL Dump.”
the form of MySQL Dump.”

Who is using Schedule Data
in the GTFS format?

maps.google.com
maps.google.com
Get Driving Directions
Get Driving Directions
AND
AND
Public Transit Directions
Public Transit Directions

transittrips.com
transittrips.com
Sits on Google Transit
Sits on Google Transit
Make save links to common trips itit
Make save links to common trips
easier to
easier to

mtsotp.com/mts/stop_finder/stop_finder.cfm
mtsotp.com/mts/stop_finder/stop_finder.cfm
Built on the GTFS – other agencies coming
Built on the GTFS – other agencies coming
Finds all stops, buses & trains in an area
Finds all stops, buses & trains in an area

“As aapublic service, publicroutes.com believes in
“As public service, publicroutes.com believes in
allowing public information to be shared openly
allowing public information to be shared openly
by municipalities across the country in hopes of
by municipalities across the country in hopes of
maximizing travel efficiency and better
maximizing travel efficiency and better
serving the greater public.
serving the greater public.
By pooling available data and advocating an open
By pooling available data and advocating an open
source platform, PublicRoutes.com and municipal trip
source platform, PublicRoutes.com and municipal trip
planners will accurately ensure that all people will have
planners will accurately ensure that all people will have
the best possible information available when
the best possible information available when
traveling via public transportation.”
traveling via public transportation.”
Submitted on behalf of PublicRoutes.com February 13, 2008
Submitted on behalf of PublicRoutes.com February 13, 2008

spek.org/trimet/map.php
spek.org/trimet/map.php
Draws route lines using GTFS
Draws route lines using GTFS

TimeTable Publisher
TimeTable Publisher
Uses GTFS Data
Uses GTFS Data
T3 Webinar
T3 Webinar
How to Implement the TimeTable
How to Implement the TimeTable
Publisher: An Open Source
Publisher: An Open Source
Application for Transit Agencies
Application for Transit Agencies
May 14, 2008
May 14, 2008

Direct access to
Direct access to
Real-Time Data
Real-Time Data
via web services
via web services

Who is using our Web Services
for Customer Information?

Customer Information
Customer Information
at Airport
at Airport
Port of Portland’s Use of Data
Port of Portland’s Use of Data

trimet.onmyiphone.net
trimet.onmyiphone.net
Free Application for iPhone
Free Application for iPhone
Transit next arrival times
Transit next arrival times
“At first I Iwas just going to scrape the
“At first was just going to scrape the
Trimet site to get the information. But
Trimet site to get the information. But
then I Icame to find out that Trimet
then came to find out that Trimet
actually has aareally nice API to all their
actually has really nice API to all their
tracking information!”
tracking information!”
Matt King, TriMet Rider & Software Developer
Matt King, TriMet Rider & Software Developer

portlandtransport.com
portlandtransport.com
Transit Surfer & Transit Board
Transit Surfer & Transit Board
Next arrival times for cell phones, handhelds,
Next arrival times for cell phones, handhelds,
full-size screens, text messaging
full-size screens, text messaging

traincheck.com
traincheck.com
Free SMS Services for
Free SMS Services for
Cell Phones
Cell Phones
Access to transit next arrival times
Access to transit next arrival times

TransitCast
TransitCast
Presents arrival times and locations
Presents arrival times and locations
of buses that are approaching aa
of buses that are approaching
selected stop
selected stop

Future plans for
developer.trimet.org

Web Service for
Web Service for
TriMet Trip Planner
TriMet Trip Planner
Access to Planned Trip Itineraries
Access to Planned Trip Itineraries
Offers alternative to screen scraping
Offers alternative to screen scraping
for applications like Dadnab
for applications like Dadnab

Trip Planner Web Service Example
Trip Planner Web Service Example
TriMet builds the API and the
TriMet builds the API and the
applications are unlimited
applications are unlimited
Formatted
Request
Web Trip
Service Planner
API Formatted
Return

Trip Planner Web Service Example
Trip Planner Web Service Example
TriMet builds the API and the
TriMet builds the API and the
Mobile Trip Planning applications are unlimited
applications are unlimited
Using my cell phone, I can
get public transit directions
to the nearest pizza place
from my current location.
Formatted
Request
Web Trip
Service Planner
API Formatted
Return

Trip Planner Web Service Example
Trip Planner Web Service Example
TriMet builds the API and the
TriMet builds the API and the
Mobile Trip Planning applications are unlimited
applications are unlimited
Using my cell phone, I can
get public transit directions
to the nearest pizza place
from my current location.
Current GPS Formatted
Location, Current Time, Request
Requested Event/Place
Location-
Web Trip
Based
Service Planner
Service
En Route API Formatted
Planned Itinerary
(LBS) Return
To Event/Place

Who else is making their
data publicly accessible
and why?

Public Feeds Page
Public Feeds Page
By making the GTFS data publicly
By making the GTFS data publicly
accessible, you can avoid addressing
accessible, you can avoid addressing
multiple and varied data requests on
multiple and varied data requests on
an individual basis.
an individual basis.

DART
DART
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Public Records Act
Public Records Act
Any person has aaright to request
Any person has right to request
public data, and the public agency has
public data, and the public agency has
aaresponsibility to provide it.
responsibility to provide it.

Sacramento
Sacramento
Regional Transit
Regional Transit
GTFS file available for download
GTFS file available for download

Capital Metro
Capital Metro
Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
“…is making stop and schedule
“…is making stop and schedule
data available in several formats
data available in several formats
including GTFS.”
including GTFS.”

OCTA
OCTA
Orange County, CA
Orange County, CA
Now offers 22options to plan
Now offers options to plan
your trip online
your trip online

Redwood Transit System
Redwood Transit System
Humboldt County, CA
Humboldt County, CA
GTFS file available for download
GTFS file available for download
Uses Google Transit as
Uses Google Transit as
Agency Trip Planner
Agency Trip Planner

BART
BART
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
“We want to foster innovative new
“We want to foster innovative new
applications, reach aabroader
applications, reach broader
audience and encourage more people
audience and encourage more people
to choose BART.
to choose BART.
…we just can't justify spending
…we just can't justify spending
time on some of the things our
time on some of the things our
customers have asked for.”
customers have asked for.”

Thank You
For more information, please visit:
developer.trimet.org