Using GTFS Manager with Syncromatics – Trillium Support

General Principles

1. Trillium's GTFSM Manager is the source of truth for:

Schedule information
Vehicle Blocking
Calendars, Exceptions, and Service Periods

2. Syncromatics' Track is the source of truth for:

Stop names and locations
Stop Patterns (the order of the stops serviced in a given direction on a route.)

3. Trillium can help configure a variety of settings to ensure things like your block names, stop codes, or other pieces of information can be passed along to Syncromatics. If this is your first time using Syncromatics with your Trillium GTFS, please reach out to support@trilliumtransit.com.

Making Updates to Your GTFS

Adding a new stop to your system

When you add a brand new, never before serviced stop to your system, you will start by creating the stop in Syncromatics. This will generate a unique id that you will put into GTFS Manager when you create the stop for your GTFS as well. This is separate from your stop code, and goes in the "Custom Stop Id" field.

We recommend copy/pasting the lat/lons, stop name, and stop code from Syncromatics to ensure they match 1:1.

Updating stops serviced on a route

When you need to re-arrange the order of stops serviced, add new stops to a route (see Adding a new stop to your system if this stop is brand new to any route), or create new variations on your patterns (such as an abbreviated trip), you will start by making necessary pattern updates in Syncromatics. You will want to make sure the same order of stops is serviced in your Stop Patterns in GTFS Manager as well.

When you go to import your GTFS into Syncromatics you will need to match up the two datasets by stop pattern, so ensuring they are 1:1 will make the import process flow seamlessly.

Updating stop times, schedules, headways, or trips

If you are adjusting the Schedule at all, including

Tweaking your Timed Patterns
Adding, removing, or editing a Trip

You will start by updating GTFS Manager. These changes will translate into Syncromatics on import.

If your Syncromatics system is set up to display trip_ids to drivers or dispatchers, you will want to ensure each trip has a unique Trip Short Name. If you are unsure what to use here, or require assistance mass-editing all your trip short names, please email support@trilliumtransit.com.

Updates to your vehicle blocking

If you are adjusting blocking, you will start by updating GTFS Manager. These changes will translate into Syncromarics on import. Block names will translate as your block_ids and be visible in Syncromatics.

Important Note!: Blocks can only be used in a single day group (eg, weekdays, Saturdays, etc.) If you have Block 101 and it is used on weekday service and Saturday service, you will need a different block for Saturday. Most agencies prefer to add suffixes to their blocks, such as 101S (for 101 Saturday.) This is only necessary when trips are separated into discreet daygroups (eg, one trip has Mon-Fri service days assigned to it, and another trip has Saturday assigned to it - if there is a single trip with Mon-Sat assigned to it, you can use a single block.)

Updates to your calendars or service periods

If you are creating a new calendar or would like to start work on a schedule change, you will start in GTFS Manager.

Important Note!: Syncromatics can only ingest a single service period and calendar at a time. Make sure all of your scheduled services are in a single calendar, with a single service period. If you require help discerning the best plan of action for a schedule change, or managing multiple service types (such as school service), please email support@trilliumtransit.com.

If you need your export to only export future service (eg, service starting next week) please respond to your export request and let us know the start date of your export (in addition to the end date you are prompted to provide on export.)

Requesting exports for Syncromatics import

Depending on your configuration settings, there are several post-export edits that Trillium staff will need to provide your team before passing along a valid file for import. As such, unvalidated exports are not recommended for import into Syncromatics as there are key things GTFS Manager will not incorporate in your unvalidated export, such as correct runcut.txt, and trip_ids pulled from trip short names.

Integrating your Trillium GTFS with Syncromatics GTFS-RT on applications like Google Maps

Please reach out to support@trilliumtransit.com to learn more about possible options to integrate your Syncromatics GTFS-RT feeds on applications like Google Maps. There are many ways Trillium can help support your transit data ecosystem and ensure you are getting the most value from your software products.

Troubleshooting

If your import does not succeed in Syncromatics, check the following:

1. Are all your stops matching between Syncromatics and Trillium?

2. Are all your stop patterns matching between Syncromatics and Trillium?

3. Are your blocks assigned to a single day group at a time?

4. Are you only exporting a single calendar?

5. Did your export get processed by Trillium staff?

If you are still not able to import, please reach out to both support@trilliumtransit.com and support@gmvsync.com.