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Managing Your Agency's GTFS Data with Google, Transitland, and the Mobility Database

Lisa Nguyen Wang
Updated

Overview

Your agency should own its GTFS data and the accounts that publish it. At Trillium, an Optibus company, we encourage agencies to avoid vendor lock-in, and that starts with owning your Google Transit account.

When your agency owns the account, you keep full control of your listing on Google Maps, your feed settings, and your performance reports. You can then add Trillium as an administrator so we can continue managing your feed on your behalf.

Set up your own account and add Trillium

Google now calls Partner Dash the Transit Data Sharing Portal. Setup takes two parts: Google approves your agency, then you invite Trillium.

Part 1: Request access from Google

  1. Confirm your agency meets Google's participation requirements in Get started with Google Transit. Your service must be public, run on fixed routes and schedules, and sell tickets on board, at the station, or at the boarding point.
  2. Submit Google's participation request form using an email address tied to a Google Account. Use a shared agency address if possible, so access does not depend on one staff member.
  3. Once Google approves the request, you can sign in to the Transit Data Sharing Portal with that email address.

Part 2: Add Trillium as a user

  1. Sign in to the Transit Data Sharing Portal.
  2. Click the Open Invite Dialog button in the top right corner.
  3. Enter the Trillium email address: [TRILLIUM SUPPORT EMAIL].
  4. Set the permission to Manage. This lets us view and manage your feed data. Your agency stays the account owner and can remove our access at any time.
  5. Click Invite, then let us know so we can accept and confirm your feed settings.

Full steps are in Google's Manage user access article.

If you choose not to add Trillium

Agencies that do not add Trillium as a user are responsible for setting up and maintaining their own Google feed. This includes pointing Google to your published GTFS feed URL, reviewing validation errors, and monitoring your listing on Google Maps. Trillium will continue to publish your GTFS feed, but we will not be able to see or troubleshoot your Google account.

Moving your GTFS feed to a new provider

If your agency moves its GTFS feed away from Trillium, there are two things to update once your new feed is live.

Google Maps: To keep publishing to Google Maps, your agency will need its own Transit Data Sharing Portal account. Follow Part 1 above to set one up, then work with Google and your new vendor to connect your new feed.

Global GTFS directories: As part of our service, Trillium added your agency's feed URL to the Mobility Database and Transitland, two global GTFS directories. Your new vendor will provide an updated URL for your GTFS data. Once it is live, update your entries on both sites so information about your service stays accessible and up to date. Steps for each are below.

Transitland

Transitland lists feeds in Transitland Atlas, a public GitHub repository. To update your entry:

  1. Find the file that contains your agency's feed.
  2. Replace the current static feed URL with your new URL.
  3. Move the previous URL into the historic URL list.
  4. Submit the change as a pull request.

Keep your existing Onestop ID (the ID starting with f-). Changing it creates a new record instead of updating yours. If you are not comfortable using GitHub, email Transitland at hello@transit.land. Full instructions: Transitland Atlas documentation.

Mobility Database

Submit your new feed URL through the Mobility Database contribution form. Google also recommends that agencies keep their Mobility Database listing current.

Your new vendor should be able to help with these updates if you have any questions.

Frequently asked questions

Can Trillium give us access to the account you use for our feed? No. Our account holds feeds for hundreds of agencies, so access cannot be shared. Creating your own account and adding Trillium gives you the same visibility.

Will adding Trillium change how our feed appears on Google Maps? No. We use your account to manage the same feed we already maintain for you.

Can we remove Trillium's access later? Yes. Any user with Manage permission on your account can remove our access at any time.

Who do we contact with questions? Reach out to our support team at [TRILLIUM SUPPORT EMAIL] and include your agency name.

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