You can use Realtime Transit to get live transit information and updates on Google Maps. These updates include the latest departure times, arrival times, and service alerts.
To provide this information, transit agencies build a data feed of their updates and share it with Google. Following the widely used GTFS format, the Realtime feed format contains data in Google’s open Protocol Buffer data interchange format. These realtime feeds are regularly taken by Google or manually pushed by the agency when something changes. Feed updates are processed as Realtime Transit Updates information so that you can get timely transit information.
Benefits
To complement your existing static feed and enhance users’ experiences with your transit services, add a realtime feed. For example, passengers get:
- Up-to-date arrival and departure time info: Lets you plan your trips more efficiently.
- Advance notification of service delays: Helps reduce inconvenience to transit users.
- Smoother transit experiences: Helps encourage repeat users, improving potential for increased ridership.
Get started
If you’ve already provided a static feed to Google, complete the following steps to publish a realtime feed:
- Sign up
- Create a GTFS Realtime feed
- Choose how you will submit your data
- Publish your data
- Test your data
- Prepare for launch
Tip: For developer resources, see the GTFS-Realtime specifications.