routesreal

Routesreal is an open-source routing framework and data standard designed to model and compute optimal paths within real-world transportation networks. It emphasizes accurate representation of constraints such as turn restrictions, one-way streets, time-dependent travel times, and multi-modal transfers, and supports both offline and real-time queries.

Developed by a consortium of geospatial researchers and practitioners, Routesreal aims to standardize how routes and related attributes are encoded to enable interoperability among mapping platforms, navigation apps, and urban planning tools. The project pursues an open, extensible schema and modular components that can be adopted incrementally.

Data model and components include a JSON-based schema for nodes and edges, with attributes like speed, capacity, cost, and accessibility. It supports layers for walking, cycling, driving, and public transit; time-dependent weights; and real-time data streams. The framework also enables isochrones and multi-criteria results.

Algorithms and performance features encompass multi-criteria routing, with strategies such as A*, ALT, and contraction hierarchies; dynamic rerouting in response to live updates; and scalable indexing for large networks. Routesreal provides tooling for simulation, benchmarking, and visualization to support development and evaluation.

Usage and reception center on building routing services for urban apps and research experiments. Adoption varies by region and data availability; reliance on OpenStreetMap and GTFS data is common. The framework emphasizes data provenance and license compatibility to support responsible use.