GTFSlike

GTFSlike is a term used to describe data formats and conventions that resemble the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS). It is not an official standard, but rather a family of practices used by transit agencies, researchers, and developers to publish public transit schedules and related information in a machine-readable form. The aim is to support route planning, timetable display, and integration with transit applications while allowing local variations.

In practice, GTFSlike datasets typically use a CSV-based structure that echoes GTFS. Core components may include stops, routes, trips, and stop_times, with calendars or calendar_dates to denote service days. Some implementations also incorporate shapes to capture routes, frequencies to indicate headways, and transfers or attribution data. While many GTFSlike datasets adopt similar file names and column concepts to GTFS, exact fields, data types, and validation rules can differ across implementations.

Relationship to GTFS: because GTFSlike aims for compatibility with GTFS-reading tools, many consumers treat GTFSlike data as GTFS-like; however, there is no universal conformance, and some datasets may omit fields, use alternative encodings (such as JSON or XML), or diverge in time zone handling. This can affect interoperability and may require adapters, validators, or data-cleaning steps.

Usage and challenges: open data portals and regional mobility projects sometimes publish GTFSlike feeds to lower the barrier to data publication. Data quality, update frequency, and licensing vary, so developers should verify freshness and terms. Real-time components, when present, may be provided as separate feeds or rendered in a GTFS-realtime-like stream.

See also: GTFS, GTFS-realtime, open transit data, public transit data standards.