Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)

Top things to fix

Score by category

Over time

Overall score across the last 20 checks — unchanged since 2026-07-08.

What changed since your last check

• Correctness— no change
• Freshness— no change
• Rider experience— no change

What changed in this feed

Overall grade and score held steady since 2026-07-08.

The feed file was re-published since 2026-07-08 (-285 KB).

Changed counts

• ▼ down 8635 of 8635 trips don't say whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible. (9857 → 8635) (scorecard_wheelchair_accessible_unknown)
• ▼ down 2916 of 2916 stops don't say whether a wheelchair user can board there. (2919 → 2916) (scorecard_wheelchair_boarding_unknown)
• ▼ down Some files leave out fields that GTFS asks for but does not require. (64 → 63) (missing_recommended_field)

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Everything we checked

• Warning8635 instances

  8635 of 8635 trips don't say whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible.

  Even with accessible stops, riders need to know the bus itself can take them.

  Fix: Set wheelchair_accessible on every trip (most small-agency fleets are 100% accessible, so this is often a single default). (Often one default setting in your export.)

  Agencies here usually clear this within about 1 week (based on 5 observed fixes).

  Validator rule: scorecard_wheelchair_accessible_unknown · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)

• Warning2916 instances

  2916 of 2916 stops don't say whether a wheelchair user can board there.

  Riders who use wheelchairs can't plan a trip when accessibility is marked 'unknown'; apps show no information at all.

  Fix: Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops. (A column in stops.txt; your scheduling software likely has it.)

  Validator rule: scorecard_wheelchair_boarding_unknown · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)

• Warning63 instances

  Some files leave out fields that GTFS asks for but does not require.

  Recommended fields like agency_phone or stop descriptions make the feed more useful to riders and trip planners.

  Fix: Review the flagged fields and fill in the ones your riders would use. (A field at a time; not urgent.)

  Agencies here usually clear this within about 2 weeks (based on 8 observed fixes).

  Validator rule: missing_recommended_field · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

• Warning1 instance

  A file GTFS asks for (usually feed_info.txt) is missing.

  feed_info.txt tells apps who publishes the feed and when it expires; without it nobody is warned before data goes stale.

  Fix: Add feed_info.txt with publisher name, URL, language, and feed_start_date/feed_end_date. (One small file, set once in export settings.)

  Agencies here usually clear this within about 1 week (based on 13 observed fixes).

  Validator rule: missing_recommended_file · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

• Warning1 instance

  Some rider-facing names are in ALL CAPS or all lowercase.

  ALL-CAPS stop and headsign names are harder to read in apps and are read awkwardly by screen readers.

  Fix: Use mixed case for stop names and headsigns (e.g. 'Main St & 2nd Ave', not 'MAIN ST & 2ND AVE'). (Often a bulk fix in your scheduling software.)

  Validator rule: mixed_case_recommended_field · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

• Warning1 instance

  feed_info.txt is missing its start/end dates (the file itself is absent)

  Apps and this scorecard can't warn anyone before the feed goes stale without stated validity dates.

  Fix: Add feed_info.txt with feed_start_date and feed_end_date to your export. (Two fields, set once in export settings.)

  Agencies here usually clear this within about 1 week (based on 16 observed fixes).

  Validator rule: scorecard_missing_feed_info_dates · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

• Warning1 instance

  The feed contains no fare information.

  Riders see 'fare unknown' in trip planners and can't budget their trip; visitors are most affected.

  Fix: Add fare_attributes.txt (or Fares v2 files) with your fare structure. If your service is fare-free, ask to have it marked fare-free instead. (A small file for most flat-fare systems.)

  Validator rule: scorecard_no_fare_data · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)

• Warning1 instance

  This feed models stations or entrances but has no pathways.txt.

  Trip planners can't guide riders through the station, and there is no step-free route information for wheelchair users.

  Fix: Add pathways.txt connecting entrances, platforms, and any elevators, with a level for each. (Worth it for multi-level or large stations; flat stops don't need it.)

  Validator rule: scorecard_station_no_pathways · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)

• Info1 instance

  feed_info.txt has no technical contact (feed_contact_email or feed_contact_url).

  App makers and state data programs have nobody to email when they spot a problem with your feed, so problems linger.

  Fix: Add feed_contact_email to feed_info.txt. (One field.)

  Agencies here usually clear this within about 1 week (based on 10 observed fixes).

  Validator rule: scorecard_no_feed_contact · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Some fixes we can make for you

These are the safe mechanical fixes, applied to a copy of your feed. They change only what is certain and leave everything else untouched. Review the diff before you publish.

• Trimmed surrounding whitespace 5832 changes

  For example: 'stop_lat': ' 35.227375' -> '35.227375'

• Recased shouting route names 1 change

  For example: URP/CIC -> Urp/cic

Run it yourself on your own copy of the feed: scorecard autofix <feed.zip> --out corrected.zip