GTFS Schedule data represents your agency's planned service — the "what's supposed to run." It includes:
Routes and stops
Planned trip timetables
Scheduled arrival and departure times
This data is static in the sense that it doesn't update minute to minute. It changes only when a new schedule is published (for example, at signup changes, seasonal changes, or service restructures).
Your agency or a GTFS data vendor publishes and maintains the GTFS Schedule feed. Spare configures the Rider app and trip planner to consume this feed. When a change is made in your scheduling/GTFS tools — such as adding a new permanent stop — it will appear in the Rider app once the updated feed has been published by your agency/vendor and processed by Spare Engine.
Note: New stops and route changes appear in the Rider app only after:
your agency or vendor updates and republishes the GTFS Schedule feed, and
Spare ingests that updated feed. If you've made a change in your own tools and don't see it reflected yet, contact your Spare account team so we can confirm we're pointed at the correct feed and that the latest version has been processed.
How Schedule Data Appears in the Rider App
Home Screen
When you zoom in on the map on the home screen, you'll see nearby routes and stops drawn from the GTFS Schedule feed. Departure times shown here come from the schedule and — if your agency has Realtime data — may be updated with live estimates when available.
If real-time data is temporarily unavailable, riders will still see the scheduled times based on GTFS Schedule.
Trip Planning
Trip planning is built on GTFS Schedule data. When a rider plans a journey, the app uses the schedule feed to identify available routes, stops, and departure times.
If GTFS Realtime data is available, trip planning will also show:
Delays or early arrivals for the chosen trip
Service alerts affecting the journey
This gives riders the reliability of a planned timetable, enhanced with live accuracy when available.
GTFS Realtime (Live)
GTFS Realtime data represents what's actually happening on the ground, right now. It can include:
See Real-Time Transit Information in Rider
Vehicle positions — where vehicles are at this moment
Trip updates — delays, early arrivals, or cancellations
Service alerts — disruptions, detours, or notices for a route, stop, or trip
Typically, your CAD/AVL system or real-time data provider publishes the GTFS Realtime feed as a live URL. Spare ingests this feed and uses it to supplement or override scheduled times so riders see the most current picture of their service.
This data updates continuously (as often as your real-time provider pushes updates) and is layered on top of the GTFS Schedule data.
