Community Transit — Free Transitland Multi-Agency Transit API (No Key)

TL;DR

Community Transit provides access to Transitland, an open-source datastore of global public transit information. Query routes, stops, schedules, and real-time vehicle positions aggregated from hundreds of transit agencies. Data is sourced from GTFS feeds (static schedules) and GTFS-RT (real-time updates). Supports spatial queries, route search, and stop lookups. No API key required.

Quick start: https://transit.land/api/v1/stops?lat=47.6&lon=-122.3

No API key needed — free global transit data!

How to Use This API

1. Find Nearby Stops

Search for transit stops near a location (Seattle):

https://transit.land/api/v1/stops?lat=47.6&lon=-122.3&radius=500

2. Get Routes for a Stop

https://transit.land/api/v1/stops/stop-id/routes

3. Search Routes by Name

https://transit.land/api/v1/routes?name=Express

4. JavaScript — Find Nearby Transit

navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(pos => {
  const {latitude, longitude} = pos.coords;
  fetch(`https://transit.land/api/v1/stops?lat=${latitude}&lon=${longitude}&radius=500`)
    .then(r => r.json())
    .then(data => {
      data.stops.forEach(stop => {
        console.log(`${stop.name} (${stop.onestop_id})`);
        console.log(`  Routes: ${stop.routes_serving_stop?.length || 0}`);
      });
    });
});

5. Python — Get Route Schedule

import requests

# Get all routes for an agency
agency_id = 'o-73-translink'
routes = requests.get(
    f'https://transit.land/api/v1/routes?operated_by={agency_id}'
).json()

for route in routes['routes'][:5]:
    print(f"{route['name']} — {route['vehicle_type']}")
    print(f"  Color: #{route['color']}")
    print(f"  Stops: {route['stop_count']}")

Stops near Seattle: https://transit.land/api/v1/stops?lat=47.6&lon=-122.3&radius=500

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Transitland and how does it work?: Transitland aggregates GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) data from hundreds of transit agencies worldwide into a unified API. It handles both static schedule data and real-time vehicle positions.
What query parameters are available for stops?: Search by lat/lon (with radius in meters), name, onestop_id, or within a bounding box using bbox (min_lat,min_lon,max_lat,max_lon).
Does the API include real-time vehicle positions?: Yes — Transitland processes GTFS-RT feeds for agencies that provide them. Use the /api/v1/vehicles endpoint for real-time vehicle tracking, available where supported.
How do I find my local transit agency ID?: Use the /api/v1/operators endpoint to search for transit operators by name or region. Each operator has a unique Onestop ID used across Transitland.
Is there a rate limit?: Transitland is free for reasonable non-commercial use. For production or high-volume applications, check Transitland's terms or consider self-hosting the open-source datastore.
What geographic areas are covered?: Coverage depends on which agencies publish GTFS data. North America and Europe have extensive coverage, with growing coverage in Asia, Australia, and South America.

API Details

API URL: https://transit.land/api/v1/
Documentation: Transitland Datastore API
Category: Transportation
Authentication: Not Required
Data Standard: GTFS, GTFS-RT

What You Can Build

Multi-city transit trip planner covering multiple agencies
Stop proximity widget showing nearby transit options
Transit coverage map visualizing route networks in a region
Real-time vehicle tracking display for supported agencies
Schedule comparison tool between different transit operators