Community Transit launches open data portal

Real-time data for buses is now available for third-party web and app developers.

Community Transit is now providing its real-time bus information through an open data portal on its website. Through this portal, web and app developers can use this data to provide their customers with schedule, location and real-time information for Community Transit provides GTFS, GTFS-RT and GIS data for third-party developers.Community Transit bus routes and the Sound Transit bus routes that Community Transit operates.

The web portal can be found at www.communitytransit.org/OpenData. There, developers can download schedule and GPS data for routes operated by Community Transit. Developers can also access data feeds to provide real-time information for those bus routes that had previously been available only on Community Transit’s BusFinder web application.

Community Transit operates 46 bus routes serving Snohomish County, downtown Seattle and the University District. The agency also operates six Sound Transit Regional Express bus routes serving King and Snohomish counties: Routes 510, 511, 512, 513, 532 and 535.

Community Transit recently upgraded its policies and procedures that led to improvements in real-time prediction accuracy. A revision of its BusFinder tool is underway and should be available to the public this spring.

Community Transit is responsible for providing bus and paratransit service, vanpool and alternative commute options in Snohomish County. The agency is building a network of Swift bus rapid transit lines with Swift Blue Line along Highway 99 and the Swift Green Line between Canyon Park/Bothell and Boeing/Paine Field opening on March 24.