Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)

Top things to fix

This feed URL points at the TransitFeeds archive, which is no longer maintained. Before any single fix, publish the feed from a live URL you control and update the listings that still point here.

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.

Same feed file as 2026-07-08; the published zip did not change.

Subscribe to this feed’s changes (Atom) to hear about grade drops in a reader, with no sign-up.

Everything we checked

• Error1 instance

  Service data ended 1614 day(s) ago.

  When the calendar runs out, trip planners stop showing this agency even though the buses are still running. Riders are told the service does not exist.

  Fix: Re-export the feed with a calendar that reaches further out, and set feed_info feed_end_date past your next service change. (Usually one export setting; export on a schedule so it never lapses again.)

  Agencies here usually clear this within about 1 week (based on 18 observed fixes).

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

• Warning9472 instances

  9472 of 9472 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)

• Warning3089 instances

  3089 of 3089 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)

• Warning67 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)

• Warning20 instances

  Some service calendars in the feed have already ended.

  Expired calendars are dead weight and can hide real schedule problems from your staff and vendors.

  Fix: Remove past service periods the next time you export the feed. (One setting in most export tools.)

  Agencies here usually clear this within about 1 week (based on 61 observed fixes).

  Validator rule: expired_calendar · 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

  Many of the feed's trips don't run at all in the next 7 days.

  It usually means old service periods are still in the export, making the feed bigger and harder to check.

  Fix: Trim past service periods the next time you export. (One setting in most export tools.)

  Agencies here usually clear this within about 1 week (based on 31 observed fixes).

  Validator rule: trip_coverage_not_active_for_next7_days · 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)

Beyond the grade

Opportunities that do not change your grade today: fare detail, on-demand service, and deeper accessibility data.

• 2978 stop name(s) use abbreviations or symbols a screen reader may mispronounce, with no spoken form set ("7th St Station", "3rd/ Convention Center Station", "East/ West Station", and more).

  Consider: Add tts_stop_name with the spoken form, e.g. 'Main Street and Second Avenue', for the affected stops.

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

  Consider: Add pathways.txt connecting entrances, platforms, and elevators, and levels.txt for each floor, so the step-free route is described.

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 6178 changes

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

• Recased shouting route names 1 change

  For example: URP/CIC -> Urp/cic

Download corrected feed