NextBus — Free Multi-Agency Transit Prediction API (No Key)

TL;DR

NextBus provides real-time public transit arrival predictions for hundreds of transit agencies across North America and beyond. The API serves XML feeds with vehicle locations, stop lists, route configurations, and arrival time predictions. Supports multiple agencies including Muni (San Francisco), Metro (Los Angeles), and many smaller municipal transit systems. No API key required.

Quick start: http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList

No API key needed — free transit predictions!

How to Use This API

1. List All Transit Agencies

Get a list of all transit agencies available through NextBus:

http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList

2. List Routes for an Agency

Get all routes for SF Muni:

http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=routeList&a=sf-muni

3. Get Predictions for a Stop

Get arrival predictions for a specific route and stop:

http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=predictions&a=sf-muni&r=N&s=6997

4. JavaScript — Parse Predictions

fetch('http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=predictions&a=sf-muni&r=N&s=6997')
  .then(r => r.text())
  .then(xml => {
    const parser = new DOMParser();
    const doc = parser.parseFromString(xml, 'text/xml');
    const predictions = doc.querySelectorAll('prediction');
    predictions.forEach(p => {
      console.log(`${p.getAttribute('minutes')} min — ${p.getAttribute('vehicle')}`);
    });
  });

5. Python — Get Vehicle Locations

import requests, xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

resp = requests.get(
    'http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed',
    params={'command': 'vehicleLocations', 'a': 'sf-muni', 't': '0'}
)
root = ET.fromstring(resp.text)
for vehicle in root.findall('.//vehicle'):
    print(f"Vehicle {vehicle.get('id')}: "
          f"Lat {vehicle.get('lat')}, Lon {vehicle.get('lon')}, "
          f"Heading {vehicle.get('heading')}")

List agencies: http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=agencyList

Try This URL Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Which transit agencies are supported?: NextBus supports hundreds of agencies worldwide, primarily in the US and Canada. Major agencies include SF Muni, LA Metro, Seattle King County Metro, and Toronto TTC. Use the agencyList command for the full list.
What commands are available?: Core commands: agencyList, routeList, stopList, predictions, vehicleLocations, and schedule. Each takes an a (agency) parameter and route/stop parameters as needed.
Is XML the only output format?: Yes — NextBus returns XML only. You'll need to parse it client-side with DOMParser (browser) or xml.etree.ElementTree (Python). JSON conversion can be done with middleware if needed.
How do I find a stop ID?: Use the routeConfig command to get the full route configuration including all stops with their IDs. For example: command=routeConfig&a=sf-muni&r=N.
Is there a rate limit?: NextBus does not publish strict rate limits, but requests should be limited to what's needed for real-time displays. Caching predictions for 30-60 seconds is recommended practice.
Can I get schedule data?: Yes — the schedule command returns scheduled (not real-time) departure times for any route and stop combination. Useful for baseline comparison with live predictions.

API Details

API URL: http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed
Documentation: NextBus XML Feed Documentation (PDF)
Category: Transportation
Authentication: Not Required
Output Format: XML

What You Can Build

Real-time bus arrival display for office lobbies or transit hubs
Mobile transit app with multi-agency route planning
Vehicle tracking dashboard showing fleet positions on a map
Transit reliability analyzer comparing scheduled vs actual arrivals
Smart display showing next departures at a specific stop