GTFS Scorecard

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Call-prep brief · checked 2026-10-07

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)

Grade F · 57.0 / 100

Down 0.4 points since 2026-10-06 (F to F).

For this call: lead with the grade and the three fixes below, then confirm the feed is current and the NTD details line up. Each fix is framed as a next step, not a failure.

What changed since the last check

  • Correctness no change
  • Freshness down 1.7
  • Rider experience no change

Top three things to fix

  1. Review the rule documentation for 'equal_shape_distance_diff_coordinates' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed.

    Equal shape distance diff coordinates (flagged by the MobilityData validator). See the linked rule for what this affects.

    This is a validator notice, and the validator decides what each instance covers, so no share of the network can be read from it here.

    Effort: Varies.

  2. Add feed_info.txt with feed_start_date and feed_end_date to your export.

    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.

    This one is about the feed as a whole, so there is no share of it to count.

    Effort: Two fields, set once in export settings.

  3. 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.

    The feed contains no fare information. Riders see 'fare unknown' in trip planners and can't budget their trip; visitors are most affected.

    This one is about the feed as a whole, so there is no share of it to count.

    Effort: A small file for most flat-fare systems.

Riders and need behind these fixes

  • This feed carries no National Transit Database ID, so annual rider-trips are not known for it.
  • Illinois as a whole measures lower on transit need. That is a statewide reading, not one for this feed's service area. Source: US Census ACS 5-year 2022, statewide overlay, as of 2026-10-05.

These describe this feed only. They do not rank agencies, and they do not change the grade or the order of the fixes.

Finding handoff

Move one finding to a recheck

Select one finding. Copy the request, make the change in the feed-producing tool, then compare the next complete run.

Feed evidence
Equal shape distance diff coordinates (flagged by the MobilityData validator).
Next action
Review the rule documentation for 'equal_shape_distance_diff_coordinates' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed.
Recheck
Publish the changed feed at the same URL. On the next complete, comparable scorecard run, confirm that this finding is no longer reported.
Copy handoff text

NTD GTFS readiness: Needs attention

This feed is close to NTD-ready. 1 validator error to resolve.

Published Ready
Published at a public URL.
Valid Needs attention
1 validator error to resolve.
Current Ready
Service data covers the next 54 days.
agency_id provided Ready
agency.txt provides agency_id. For RY2026, keep one stable value for each NTD reporter represented in the feed and crosswalk each value on the P-50 form.

agency_id equals NTD ID (optional): Not checked yet. This feed provides agency_id. For RY2026, keep one stable value for each NTD reporter represented in the feed and crosswalk it on the P-50 form. The value does not need to equal the five-digit NTD ID; we do not have that ID on file, so the optional equality comparison is not checked yet.

Key facts

Feed URL
http://www.transitchicago.com/downloads/sch_data/google_transit.zip
Last checked
2026-10-07
Service window
54 days of service data remain. Last service date 2026-11-30.
Location
Illinois

Part of the Illinois portfolio: see where this agency sits among the other feeds in that group before the call.

A data-quality and completeness read to support an agency conversation. Not an official compliance determination. Rubric v1.4, validator 8.0.1.