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Feed status · checked 2026-06-27
Massachusetts Area Express (MAX)
Based on the feed this agency publishes
unchanged since 2026-06-26
Ahead of 6% of all tracked agencies and 5% of small agencies. Operates in Massachusetts.
A data-quality and completeness lens to help an agency improve its GTFS feed. Not an official compliance determination from any transit program. New to this? How to read your scorecard. Interactive view of this scorecard. Rubric v1.1, validator 8.0.1.
Checked for changes 14 hours ago; last changed 18 days ago.
Top things to fix
Add feed_start_date and feed_end_date to feed_info.txt and include calendar end dates in your export.Likely your export tool
Neither feed_info.txt nor the calendars state when service ends. Nobody can tell when this feed will go stale.
⏱ Likely a one-time export setting.worth about +100 points
Review the rule documentation for 'missing_required_file' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed.
Missing required file (flagged by the MobilityData validator). See the linked rule for what this affects.
⏱ Varies.worth about +12 points
Review the rule documentation for 'missing_calendar_and_calendar_date_files' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed.
Missing calendar and calendar date files (flagged by the MobilityData validator). See the linked rule for what this affects.
⏱ Varies.worth about +12 points
Trillium produces and hosts this feed as a service. These changes are made on their side: send the fix list to your Trillium contact and they apply it and republish.
Close the loop on each fix. Read the guide, make the change in your tool, and let the next run verify it — the scorecard shows the fix; the agency publishes it.
Add feed_start_date and feed_end_date to feed_info.txt and include calendar end dates in your export.
Make the change. Trillium produces and hosts this feed as a service. These changes are made on their side: send the fix list to your Trillium contact and they apply it and republish.
Prove it cleared. The next scorecard run re-checks this automatically and, once it is gone, mints a dated receipt. Self-check a feed before you publish.
Review the rule documentation for 'missing_required_file' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed.
Make the change. Trillium produces and hosts this feed as a service. These changes are made on their side: send the fix list to your Trillium contact and they apply it and republish.
Prove it cleared. The next scorecard run re-checks this automatically and, once it is gone, mints a dated receipt. Self-check a feed before you publish.
Review the rule documentation for 'missing_calendar_and_calendar_date_files' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed.
Make the change. Trillium produces and hosts this feed as a service. These changes are made on their side: send the fix list to your Trillium contact and they apply it and republish.
Prove it cleared. The next scorecard run re-checks this automatically and, once it is gone, mints a dated receipt. Self-check a feed before you publish.
Send Trillium a fix request
This feed is produced and hosted by Trillium. Copy this and send it to your Trillium contact; they make the change and republish the feed. Each fix names the validator notice and a guide link.
Score by category
The MobilityData validator flagged 4 kinds of issue across 8 instances (6 error, 1 warning, 1 informational).
No service end date could be found in this feed, so there is no way to know when riders will lose trip planning.
0% of stops state wheelchair accessibility (0% marked accessible, 0% marked not accessible). This measures what the feed publishes, not whether a stop is physically usable. Fare data is not published.
0% of stops state accessibility (0% marked accessible). Reflects what the feed states, not verified physical usability.
Not scored yet. Nothing here counts against the grade.
Over time
Overall score across the last 9 checks — unchanged since 2026-06-26.
Show the numbers
| Check | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | 31.3 | first check |
| 2026-06-20 | 31.3 | no change |
| 2026-06-21 | 31.3 | no change |
| 2026-06-22 | 31.3 | no change |
| 2026-06-23 | 31.3 | no change |
| 2026-06-24 | 31.3 | no change |
| 2026-06-25 | 31.3 | no change |
| 2026-06-26 | 31.3 | no change |
| 2026-06-27 | 31.3 | no change |
What changed since your last check
- Correctness no change
- Freshness no change
- Rider experience no change
What changed in this feed
Nothing changed since 2026-06-26: the same feed file, the same grade, and the same findings.
Subscribe to this feed’s changes (Atom) to hear about grade drops in a reader, with no sign-up.
Everything we checked
- Error5 instances
Missing required file (flagged by the MobilityData validator).
See the linked rule for what this affects.
Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'missing_required_file' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)
Validator rule: missing_required_file · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
- Error1 instance
Missing calendar and calendar date files (flagged by the MobilityData validator).
See the linked rule for what this affects.
Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'missing_calendar_and_calendar_date_files' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)
Validator rule: missing_calendar_and_calendar_date_files · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
- Error1 instance
Neither feed_info.txt nor the calendars state when service ends.
Nobody can tell when this feed will go stale.
Fix: Add feed_start_date and feed_end_date to feed_info.txt and include calendar end dates in your export. (Likely a one-time export setting.)
Validator rule: scorecard_no_expiry_date
- Warning1 instance
A recommended GTFS file (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
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
agency.txt has no working website URL.
Trip planners link riders to this URL for schedules and fares.
Fix: Set agency_url to your agency's website, starting with https://. (One field.)
Validator rule: scorecard_bad_agency_url
- Warning0 instances
0 of 0 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)
- Warning0 instances
0 of 0 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)
- Warning0 instances
0 of 0 trips have no headsign.
Riders at the stop can't tell which direction a bus is going.
Fix: Populate trip_headsign to match what the bus displays. (Usually a bulk edit in your scheduling software.)
Validator rule: scorecard_missing_headsigns · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)
- Info1 instance
Unknown file (flagged by the MobilityData validator).
See the linked rule for what this affects.
Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'unknown_file' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)
Agencies here usually clear this within about 1 week (based on 6 observed fixes).
Validator rule: unknown_file · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules 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)
- Info0 instances
About 0 stop names are written in ALL CAPS.
Mixed-case names are easier to read in apps and are read more naturally by screen readers.
Fix: Rename stops to mixed case (e.g. 'Main St & 2nd Ave'). (Often a bulk fix in your scheduling software.)
Validator rule: scorecard_stop_names_all_caps · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)
NTD certification readiness Not ready
Resolve this before you certify on the D-10. 2 validator errors to resolve. No service end date could be read, so currency is unknown.
- Published Ready
- Published at a public URL.
- Valid Needs attention
- 2 validator errors to resolve.
- Current Not ready
- No service end date could be read, so currency is unknown.
- agency_id matches your NTD ID Not checked yet
- Setting your GTFS agency_id to your five-digit NTD ID is an optional way to line a feed up with its National Transit Database record. FTA links the two on your P-50 form, so it is not a required feed change. We don't have your NTD ID on file, so this is not checked yet.
In plain words: if you report to the federal transit database, you have to publish a working, up-to-date feed and confirm it once a year. This box is a heads-up on whether yours looks ready; it is not the official sign-off.
A readiness signal mapping this feed to the FTA National Transit Database GTFS requirement (Report Year 2023 onward: a public, valid, current feed, certified annually on the D-10). Aligning agency_id with your NTD ID lets the feed line up with your NTD record; the July 2025 final rule links the two on the P-50 form rather than requiring that feed change, and requires shapes.txt in the published GTFS: Full Reporters from Report Year 2025, and Reduced, Rural, and Tribal Reporters from Report Year 2026. Not an official determination; your certification is the official check.
Conformance mark Not yet
This feed is close to the conformance mark. 2 validator errors to resolve. No service end date could be read. States wheelchair access on 0% of stops and 0% of trips; the mark needs 90% of each.
- Valid Not yet
- 2 validator errors to resolve.
- Current Not yet
- No service end date could be read.
- Accessible Not yet
- States wheelchair access on 0% of stops and 0% of trips; the mark needs 90% of each.
In plain words: earn this mark when your feed passes validation, has not expired, and says whether nearly every stop and trip is wheelchair accessible.
A pass credential for a feed that is valid, current, and states wheelchair access on nearly every stop and trip. Accessibility here measures what the feed publishes, not whether a stop is physically usable. How the conformance mark works.
Below the Google and Apple Maps four-week coverage bar. This feed has no service end date, so Maps cannot tell how far ahead it runs. Set a feed_info end date and a calendar that covers at least the next four weeks, then re-export. The feed also carries 6 validator errors, the other thing Maps checks at onboarding; the findings below name each fix.
How this agency maps to the standards
A data-quality lens, not a compliance determination. Each category shows this feed's score and the standards it relates to: the FTA National Transit Database GTFS requirement, the MobilityData grading scheme, and the Google Transit gate. Read the full standards crosswalk.
- Correctness 72 / 100
- GTFS Schedule best practices, checked by the MobilityData validator. MobilityData grading: stop locations, route names and colors. Google Transit: a feed must pass validation to stay in Maps.
- Freshness 0 / 100
- The FTA National Transit Database expectation of a valid, current feed. Google Transit: an expired calendar drops the agency from Maps.
- Rider experience 0 / 100
- GTFS Best Practices for rider-facing fields. MobilityData grading: stop names and headsigns.
- Realtime quality Not yet published
- GTFS-Realtime best practices: a stable URL, high uptime, and frequent updates.
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Cite this record
This page updates on every check. The record below does not: it is the dated file this grade came from, published at https://gtfsscorecard.org/data/artifacts/massachusetts-area-express-max/2026-06-27.json and never overwritten, pinning the grade, category scores, rubric version, validator version, and the scored feed's sha256 as they stood on 2026-06-27. Use it in a board packet, an NTD narrative, or a research citation instead of linking the live page, whose content will differ on your next visit.
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