The Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon State University have partnered to create GTFS-ride, a new extension to the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS). Like a GTFS for ridership, GTFS-ride defines a data standard for fixed route transit ridership. GTFS-ride will help transit planners by enabling the creation of common tools that analyze and share transit ridership data.
Why are data standards important?
Translating and transforming non-standardized data takes a lot of effort and is prone to errors. Because using non-standardized data is so time-consuming, it’s often impractical to develop common tools to take advantage of the data.
Thanks to the original GTFS data standard, hundreds of software applications and tools for trip planning and transit analysis were able to be created. Without GTFS there would be no Google Transit, no Rome2Rio, no Remix, no transit information in Walkscore and no mobile transit trip planning apps. While not every data standard will have the wide reaching value of the original GTFS, all data standards have the power to save time and effort, enable data uses that in the past were not practical, and simplify information sharing and collaboration.
What’s next?
Oregon State University expects to release open source software tools for GTFS-ride data storage and simple analysis in the next few months.
ODOT is seeking funding for additional research related to GTFS-ride, including funding for GTFS-ride pilot projects. A GTFS-ride pilot project would likely involve transit agency collaboration with researchers in creating and testing GTFS-ride format data. If your agency might be interested in participating in a possible future GTFS-ride pilot project, contact your Regional Transit Coordinator.
A detailed
description of the GTFS-ride standard is available on the GTFS-ride project development webpage.
Theresa Conley serves as Regional Transit Coordinator for Region 4, just east of the Cascades. She brings with her experience in regional transportation planning, grant administration, community development and interagency coordination. Prior to serving as an RTC, Theresa managed the Albany Area Metropolitan Planning Organization in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Theresa is excited to live and work in Central Oregon where she can pursue her hobbies of trail running, mountaineering, bicycling and backpacking. When she is not outdoors, Theresa enjoys traveling, reading and exploring museums.
Frank Thomas serves as the Regional Transit Coordinator for Region 5, in Eastern Oregon. Frank spent over 20 years developing and managing a rural public transit system that featured fixed routes, ADA paratransit, inter-city connections and multimodal transit hubs. Frank’s hands-on experience set includes acute and long range mobility planning, systems development and public involvement, fundraising, grant writing, leveraging community partnerships, and designing more cost-effective service delivery models. Frank enjoys facilitating collaborative conversations, connecting partners, exploring unrealized opportunities and providing technical assistance for communities to help resolve access challenges.
Other ODOT Public Transit Section Staffing News
- Karyn Criswell, Regional Transit Coordinator for Region 1 (Portland Metro), is taking a temporary assignment to oversee implementation of new transit funding and programs resulting from passage of Oregon House Bill 2017.
- Cassie Mance, Training Coordinator, will be taking a temporary assignment as a program leader for ODOT's ASCENT Leadership Program after the Oregon Public Transportation Conference.
- Alison Wiley, Regional Transit Coordinator for Region 3 (Southern Oregon and South Coast), is leaving her position in late October. Applications are currently being accepted for this position.
Benton County has launched the Corvallis to Amtrak Connector, a new pilot bus service that helps Corvallis residents catch the train. Each run is scheduled to allow passengers to connect with northbound and some southbound Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight trains, and certain Cascades POINT bus routes. The pilot service is supported by a discretionary grant from the state’s Special Transportation Fund.
The Corvallis to Amtrak Connector operates Thursday through Monday and most major holidays. The service runs five round-trip bus runs each day from convenient locations in Corvallis to the Albany Amtrak multi-modal station.
The service was free through Labor Day as part of a launch promotion. Regular fares are $5 one-way for all adults. Up to two children 12 years old and under may ride for $3 one-way when accompanied by a full-fare paying adult. Buses accommodate 14 seated passengers and two passengers in wheelchairs.
Learn more about the service at the Corvallis to Amtrak Connector website.
Read the Corvallis Gazette-Times article about the service launch.
2017 marks the first year that the ODOT Rail and Public Transit Division applied for Low Emission – No Emission (LONO) funds from the Federal Transit Administration.
LONO grants fund battery-electric buses, which cost less to fuel and maintain than traditional diesel buses, and have no tailpipe emissions. Reduced emissions help Oregon meet its climate goals and help ODOT meet its Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative goals.
The three transit agencies that we applied on behalf of are Sunset Empire Transit District in Astoria, Josephine Community Transit in Grants Pass, and South Metro Area Rapid Transit (SMART) in Wilsonville. LONO recipients are selected through a competitive nationwide solicitation process, and the award announcement is expected in early fall. Our LONO application received a joint letter of support from Senator Merkley, Senator Wyden, Representative Bonamici, Representative DeFazio, and Representative Shrader. TriMet and Lane Transit District received LONO funding in 2016 for battery-electric buses and charging infrastructure.
For more information about the electrification of transit, visit the Rail and Public Transit Division Transit Fleet Electrification webpage or contact Alison Wiley.
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