The following are questions and answers for common issues when implementing GTFS.
Q: Is there a test environment for the feed before making it public?
A: Yes, we will prepare the test environment once your feed is successfully uploaded.
Q: Do we need to manually upload the feed every time there is an update or can we ask Google to fetch it from our server?
A: In general, Google prefers to set up a regular fetch (via FTP GET). The frequency is weekly by default. In addition, you can manually upload a file from the console.
Q: If we have both the express line and local line, can we submit separate feeds?
A: Yes, it is possible for an agency to submit multiple separate feeds but we usually prefer having a single feed.
Q: In case the price is different depending on the seat --e.g., class C vs. class A, what do we need to do?
A: Please include the most generic price.
Q: If the price is different depending on the date --e.g., peak season price, what do we need to do?
A: Please create separate routes.
Q: When there are multiple booking domains for agency.agency_fare_url, can we add them all separating
them with comma?
A: Please only include one URL. If there is a problem in just showing one, please leave it blank.
Q: Is it ok to have the same name for routes.route_long_name?
A: Yes, you can set the same name for that attribute.
Q: If we set both the parent station and child station for the following, which will be used?
A:
stop_code: stopstop_name: station (in the future, we might use stop)stop_desc: nonestop_lat: bothstop_lon: bothzone_id: stopstop_url: stationwheelchair_boarding: both
Q: Can we update the feed exactly on the date when the schedule is changed?
A: You can specify to which date the feed is valid in GTFS. The feeds must be uploaded two weeks prior to the date when it should go live. Note that the calendar information must overlap. There is a tool for “merging” two feeds.
Q: Can we use our existing unique ids we have been using internally?
A: Yes, IDs in GTFS can be any value.
Q: My feed upload keeps failing. What could be a problem?
A: Please ensure that the files are in the top level directory in your ZIP file.
Q: Transit results are not generated from the sample queries in Preview. What could be the issue?
A: Please check the time of those samples and make sure that your transits are running at those selected times. If not, it is possible that there is no result generated.