Feed status · checked 2026-08-01
Merced County Transit (The Bus)
Based on the feed this agency publishes
Service mode Bus
unchanged since 2026-07-31
Catalogued in California.
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 v1.3, validator 8.0.1.
Checked for changes 73 minutes ago; last changed 14 hours ago.
Measured 3 of 4 score categories from the agency's own feed.
How we measured this
Confidence in this measurement: medium.
- Realtime quality was not measured this run. It does not count against the grade.
- The feed was downloaded from the agency's own URL.
Confidence describes how much the pipeline could measure this run, not the feed itself. It never changes the grade.
Top things to fix
Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops.Likely your team
361 of 361 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.
⏱ A column in stops.txt; your scheduling software likely has it.worth about +25 points in its category
Set wheelchair_accessible on every trip. If every vehicle is accessible, this may be one default; otherwise use the value for each trip.Likely your export tool
555 of 555 trips don't say whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible. Even with accessible stops, riders need to know the bus itself can take them.
⏱ A default or per-trip field in your export.worth about +15 points in its category
Add feed_info.txt with feed_start_date and feed_end_date to your export.Likely your export tool
feed_info.txt is missing its start/end dates Apps and this scorecard can't warn anyone before the feed goes stale without stated validity dates.
⏱ Two fields, set once in export settings.worth about +15 points in its category
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
- 361 of 361 stops don't say whether a wheelchair user can board there.
- Next action
- Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops.
- 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
- Feed evidence
- 555 of 555 trips don't say whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible.
- Next action
- Set wheelchair_accessible on every trip. If every vehicle is accessible, this may be one default; otherwise use the value for each trip.
- 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
- Feed evidence
- feed_info.txt is missing its start/end dates
- Next action
- Add feed_info.txt with feed_start_date and feed_end_date to your export.
- 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
How to make and check these changes
Check the result on the published feed. Read the guide, make the change in your tool, and use the next comparable run to see whether the finding is still reported. Only an action or ticket record can attribute who made the change.
Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops. · Read the fix guide
Make the change. Make this change in whatever tool produces your feed, then re-export.
Check the result. The next scorecard run checks this finding again. If a comparable check no longer reports it, the feed's clearance log records that result. This confirms feed state, not who made the change. Self-check a feed before you publish.
Set wheelchair_accessible on every trip. If every vehicle is accessible, this may be one default; otherwise use the value for each trip. · Read the fix guide
Make the change. Make this change in whatever tool produces your feed, then re-export.
Check the result. The next scorecard run checks this finding again. If a comparable check no longer reports it, the feed's clearance log records that result. This confirms feed state, not who made the change. Self-check a feed before you publish.
Add feed_info.txt with feed_start_date and feed_end_date to your export. · Read the fix guide
Make the change. Make this change in whatever tool produces your feed, then re-export.
Check the result. The next scorecard run checks this finding again. If a comparable check no longer reports it, the feed's clearance log records that result. This confirms feed state, not who made the change. Self-check a feed before you publish.
Rider view: what this feed publishes
A quick read of rider-facing information in this feed.
- Schedule visibility
- The feed states that service is published through 2099-12-31. This may be intentional or a placeholder; confirm current service with the transit operator.
- Published accessibility data
- Accessibility information is stated for 0% of stops and 0% of trips. This measures published data, not whether stops or vehicles are physically usable.
- Fare information
- No fare information is published in the feed.
- Realtime information
- Realtime-feed availability and live-arrival coverage are not known from this scorecard.
Important: This does not rate service reliability. Riders should confirm current service alerts, fares, and accessibility accommodations with the transit operator before traveling.
Send your vendor a fix request
You may not control the GTFS export yourself. Copy this and send it to whoever runs your scheduling software export. It names each fix with the validator notice and a guide link.
Score by category
The MobilityData validator flagged 8 kinds of issue across 68 instances (0 error, 61 warning, 7 informational).
Service is published through 2099-12-31. It may be intentional, but confirm the end date before treating the feed as maintained.
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.
2 accessibility depth signals
11 route badge(s) pair a color and text color below the WCAG 4.5:1 contrast bar (UC, LB, M1, M2, M3, and more).
Consider: Adjust route_color or route_text_color so each pair clears 4.5:1. Often switching the text between black and white is enough.
312 stop name(s) use abbreviations or symbols a screen reader may mispronounce, with no spoken form set ("Park & Ride @ Bellevue Ave", "K St @ 23rd (northbound)", "M & A Market (westbound)", and more).
Consider: Add tts_stop_name with the spoken form, e.g. 'Main Street and Second Avenue', for the affected stops.
Opportunities to strengthen the data, not deductions from the sub-score above. States what the second accessibility lens can check from the feed, not verified physical usability.
Not scored yet. Nothing here counts against the grade.
Routes and stops
Each route is drawn once, using the longest shape its trips follow; stops are the dots.
This feed has 361 stops.
The route and stop data is ready below. Load the map only when you want the geographic view. It uses additional data.
Basemap: OpenFreeMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors. Routes and stops: this agency's GTFS feed.
- UC (orange)
- L (blue)
- LB (green)
- M1 (orange)
- M2 (brown)
- M3 (yellow)
- M4 (brown)
- M5 (orange)
- M6 (yellow)
- M7 (brown)
- A2 (red)
- A1 (red)
- P (gray)
- T (white)
- W1 (gray)
| Route | Type | Line color |
|---|---|---|
| UC UC-UC Merced | Bus | orange |
| L L - Livingston Commuter | Bus | blue |
| LB LB - Los Banos Commuter | Bus | green |
| M1 M1 - Merced West | Bus | orange |
| M2 M2 - R Street Route | Bus | brown |
| M3 M3 - M Street Route | Bus | yellow |
| M4 M4 - G Street Route | Bus | brown |
| M5 M5 - Merced South-East | Bus | orange |
| M6 M6 - Olive Loops | Bus | yellow |
| M7 M7 - South G Street Route | Bus | brown |
| A2 A2 - Winton Way | Bus | red |
| A1 A1 - Atwater Loop | Bus | red |
| P P - Planada Commuter | Bus | gray |
| T T - Turlock Commuter | Bus | white |
| W1 W1 - Winton Commuter | Bus | gray |
List every stop
- Park & Ride @ Bellevue Ave
- Merced Flea Market (to transpo)
- Merced Flea Market (to Planada)
- Azusa Market (temporary stop - to LB)
- Azusa Market (temporary stop - to Merced)
- K St @ 23rd (northbound)
- M & A Market (westbound)
- M & A Market (eastbound)
- Loughborough Dr @ M St
- El Redondo Dr @ Jenner Dr (northbound)
- Village Terrace Landing Apts (southbound)
- Loughborough Dr & M St (westbound)
- Main St @ Davis St (southbound)
- Main St @ Crowell St (northbound)
- Gurr Rd @ Valley Dr (northbound)
- Gurr Rd @ Valley Dr (southbound)
- W 15th @ P St (westbound)
- Dollar General (northbound)
- DMV (eastbound)
- Meadows @ Olive (northbound)
- K St @ 24th St (southbound)
- Los Banos Community Center (Westbound)
- Castle H.S.A. (to Atwater/Winton)
- Castle Clinic (to Atwater/Winton)
- Castle H.S.A. (To Merced)
- Castle Clinic (to Merced)
- Foster Farms (To Livingston)
- Foster Farms (To Merced)
- Sunny View Apartments
- Food 4 /Dollar Tree (To Los Banos)
- Food 4 Less / Dollar Tree (To Merced
- Merced College (To UC Merced)
- G St @ Olive/Save Mart
- Mercy Medical Center
- Merced College
- Alexander @ Aspen
- Parsons @ Alexander
- Yosemite Av @ Dove
- Yosemite Av @ Paulson
- Mansionette @ Redwing/St Patricks
- Mansionette @ Kingfisher
- G St @ University/Tri College Center
- Yosemite Av @ Steamboat
- M St @ Yosemite Av
- R St @ Donna
- R St @ Buena Vista/Black Rascal Bike Path
- M St @ Fairfield
- 27th @ Green)
- 27th @ Parsons
- Stretch @ Parsons
- Stretch @ Green
- Santa Fe @ Reef Apts
- 26th @ Glen (westbound)
- 26th @ 7th/Hoover MS (westbound)
- M St @ Olive Tree Professional Center (northbound)
- M St @ CVRC
- Loughborough @ Target/Merced Mall (westbound)
- R St @ Olive (southbound)
- R St @ Olive (northbound)
- Merced County Probation (southbound)
- M St @ N. Bear Creek (southbound)
- 27th @ Glen
- 26th @ Glen (eastbound)
- Transpo (south/west)
- Transpo (north/east)
- Yosemite Pkwy @ Cypress (eastbound)
- Yosemite Pkwy @ Rose (eastbound)
- 21st & Yosemite Pkwy (westbound)
- 21st @ Cherry (westbound)
- 21st @ Orchard (westbound)
- Amtrak (westbound)
- G St @ 26th (northbound)
- G St @ Alpine (northbound)
- G St @ Alexander (northbound)
- G St @ Brookdale (northbound)
- G St @ El Portal (northbound)
- G St @ Donna (northbound)
- M St @ Donna (southbound)
- Loughborough Dr @ Laurel Glen Apts (westbound)
- Loughborough Dr @ Village Meadow Apt (westbound)
- Olive @ Food 4 Less (southbound)
- Devonwood Dr @ Dogwood (eastbound)
- Meadows Ave @ Olivewood (northbound)
- 18th @ P St (eastbound)
- 18th @ P St (westbound)
- 18th @ S St / EDD (westbound)
- R St @ 23rd
- Meadows @ Olivewood
- Devondwood @ Dogwood (westbound)
- Olive @ PetSmart
- Loughborough @village Meadow apts (eastbound)
- Loughborough @ Laurel Glen Apts (eastbound)
- M St @ Village Apts (northbound)
- M St @ Donna (northbound)
- G St @ Yosemite (southbound)
- G St @ Columbia (southbound)
- G St @ Brookdale (southbound)
- G St @ Merced High School North Campus
- G St @ Park Av
- G St @ N. Bear Creek Dr (southbound)
- 24th @ MLK/Amtrak (eastbound)
- 21st @ G St (eastbound)
- 21st @ Glen (eastbound)
- 21st @ Cherry (eastbound)
- 21st @ Yosemite Pkwy (eastbound)
- Yosemite Pkwy @ Murthella (westbound)
- Yosemite Pkwy @ Jean (westbound)
- Yosemite Pkwy @ Laurel (westbound)
- HSA
- Valley Community School (eastbound)
- West Av @ 4th (southbound)
- West Av @ 1st (southbound)
- Q St @ 3rd (northbound)
- 4th @ P St (eastbound)
- N St @ Childs (Golden Valley Health Centers)
- M St @ Childs (northbound)
- M St @ 8th (northbound)
- M St @ 13th/Sacred Heart (northbound)
- 15th @ O St (westbound)
- M St @ 19th (northbound)
- M St @ 22nd/County Offices (northbound)
- M St @ 26th (northbound)
- M St @ Villages Apts (southbound)
- M St @ 26th (southbound)
- M St @ 22nd/Merced County Offices (southbound)
- M St @ Main (southbound)
- M St @ 12th (southbound)
- M St @ 8th (southbound)
- M St @ Childs (southbound)
- Valley Community School (westbound)
- G St @ Gerard (northbound)
- G St @ Carmen (northbound)
- General Medicine Clinic 13 & D St (eastbound)
- G St @ East Campus (northbound)
- G St @ 21st (northbound)
- G St @ 23rd (northbound)
- G St @ N. Bear Creek Dr (northbound)
- G St @ Olive (northbound)
- G St @ Alexander (southbound)
- G St @ 26th (southbound)
- G St @ 23rd (southbound)
- G St @ 21st (southbound)
- G St @ 18th (southbound)
- 13th @ D St (westbound)
- G St @ Skylark (southbound)
- Carmen @ Las Brisas
- Gerard @ La Mesa
- Transpo (small)
- O St @ 15th (southbound)
- 13th @ G St (eastbound)
- Yosemite Pkwy @ Carol (eastbound)
- Childs @ Manzanita/Golden Valley HS (eastbound)
- Childs @ Watertown (eastbound)
- Gerard @ Coffee/Pioneer Elementary (westbound)
- Gerard @ Laughlin (westbound)
- Villa Estates MHP (westbound)
- Gerard @ Parsons/Cal Storage
- Parsons @ The Grove
- Parsons @ Childs/ Holiday Inn (northbound)
- Parsons @ Golden Valley HS (northbound)
- 13th @ G St (westbound)
- O St @ 15th (northbound)
- K St @ 23rd (southbound)
- Fulkerth Shopping Center
- Main @ C St/Livingston City Hall (southbound)
- 4th @ El Capitan (northbound)
- Center @ Walnut/Winton Library (southbound)
- Center @ Walnut/Winton Library (northbound)
- Winton @ Doris/Winton PO (southbound)
- Winton @ Fruitland/Atwater HS (southbound)
- Bellevue @ Winton / Jack in the Box (eastbound)
- Bellevue @ 5th (eastbound)
- Bellevue @ Redwood (eastbound)
- Bellevue @ Constitution Atwater Community Center (eastbound)
- Bellevue @ Bellevue Elementary (eastbound)
- Bellevue @ Secretariat (eastbound)
- Hwy 59 @ Riviera Holiday Mobile Estates (northbound)
- Beachwood @ Oakland (northbound)
- Buchach @ Bellevue (southbound)
- Bellevue @ Secretariat (westbound)
- Bellevue @ Bellevue Elementary (westbound)
- Bellevue @ Constitution/Osborn Park (westbound)
- Bellevue @ Brownell (westbound)
- Bellevue @ Redwood (westbound)
- Bellevue @ 5th (westbound)
- Bellevue @ Winton (westbound)
- Winton @ Bellevue/SaveMart (northbound)
- Winton @ Fruitland/Atwater HS (northbound)
- Winton @ Doris/Winton PO (northbound)
- Planada/Golden Valley Clinic (to Merced)
- Sutter @ El Mercado (to Merced)
- Jefferson @ Le Grand/Community Ctr
- Planada/Golden Valley Clinic (to Le Grand)
- K St @ 18th/ MCAG (northbound)
- K St @ 21st (northbound)
- UC Merced Parking Lot (Merced College)
- Yosemite Av @ Paulson (eastbound)
- Yosemite Av @ Parsons (eastbound)
- Yosemite Ave @ Perch (eastbound)
- Yosemite @ Perch (westbound)
- Yosemite Av @ Chapparal (westbound)
- Yosemite Av @ Parsons (westbound)
- Atwater Transpo (Clockwise)
- Myrtle @ California (eastbound)
- Winton @ Bellevue/Westwood Apartments (southbound)
- Winton @ Juniper/ St. Anthony (southbound)
- Winton @ Grove (southbound)
- Atwater Target
- Atwater Transpo (westbound)
- Atwater Target
- Winton @ Olive (northbound)
- Winton @ Grove (northbound)
- Winton @ Juniper/St. Anthony's (northbound)
- Winton @ Bellevue/ Westwood Apartments (northbound)
- Buhach @ 5th
- Buhach @ Castle Park
- Bellevue @ Atwater Plaza Shopping
- California @ Helton
- 8th St @ T St (westbound)
- 8th @ V St (westbound)
- V St @ 10th (northbound)
- 11th @ W St (westbound)
- Lopes @ Linda (eastbound)
- T St @ 3rd (southbound)
- R St @ Childs (northbound)
- R St @ 4th (northbound)
- R St @ 8th (northbound)
- R St @ 10th (southbound)
- Winton @ Olive (southbound)
- Buhach @ Bellevue (northbound)
- Le Grand @ Washington
- Los Banos Memorial Hospital (westbound)
- Merced College/Los Banos Campus
- Los Banos Memorial Hospital (eastbound)
- F St @ 4th/County Offices - Fairgrounds (eastbound)
- El Nido Grocery (northbound)
- El Nido Grocery (southbound)
- Loughborough @ Target/Mall (eastbound)
- Hwy 140 @ Dollar General (westbound)
- Atwater Transpo (Counter-Clockwise)
- Bellevue Rd @ Alabama Ave (eastbound)
- Bellevue Rd @ Brownell Ave (eastbound)
- Buhach Rd @ Castlewood Ave (southbound)
- Buhach Rd @ Avenue One (southbound)
- Broadway @ Capitol St (westbound)
- Broadway @ Castle St (westbound)
- Buhach Rd @ Garden (southbound)
- Winton Way @ Gertrude Ave (northbound)
- Winton Way @ Crawfort St (northbound)
- Winton Way @ Myrtle Ave (northbound)
- and 111 more (see the full list on the map or in the GeoJSON)
Over time
Overall score across the last 4 checks — unchanged since 2026-07-31.
Show the numbers
| Check | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-25 | 65.5 | first check |
| 2026-07-30 | 65.5 | no change |
| 2026-07-31 | 65.5 | no change |
| 2026-08-01 | 65.5 | no change |
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 2026-07-31.
The feed file was re-published since 2026-07-31.
Subscribe to this feed’s changes (Atom) to hear about grade drops in a reader, with no sign-up.
Everything we checked
12 findings, ordered by severity.
Show every finding
- Warning555 instances
555 of 555 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. If every vehicle is accessible, this may be one default; otherwise use the value for each trip. (A default or per-trip field in your export.)
Finding code: scorecard_wheelchair_accessible_unknown · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)
- Warning361 instances
361 of 361 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.)
Finding code: scorecard_wheelchair_boarding_unknown · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)
- Warning34 instances
On some trips the stop distances run a little past the end of the route line.
The stop and shape distance values don't quite line up, so any math that uses them can drift.
Fix: Re-generate shape_dist_traveled on export so stop and shape distances use the same units. (Usually an export-tool fix, not hand editing.)
Finding code: trip_distance_exceeds_shape_distance_below_threshold · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
- Warning15 instances
Some route long names repeat the route's short name inside them.
Apps show both names together, so riders see the number twice, like '5 5 Downtown'.
Fix: Drop the short name from route_long_name and keep the long name descriptive, like 'Downtown via 5th Ave'. (One field per flagged route.)
Finding code: route_long_name_contains_short_name · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
- Warning8 instances
Some values have extra spaces at the start or end.
A stray space can break a match, so a stop or route may fail to link across files.
Fix: Trim leading and trailing spaces on export. The scorecard's auto-fixed copy already does this. (Usually one export setting.)
Finding code: leading_or_trailing_whitespaces · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
- Warning2 instances
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.)
Finding code: 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 does not state when this feed starts and ends.
Without stated dates, apps can't warn anyone before your data goes stale; it just disappears one day.
Fix: Fill in feed_start_date and feed_end_date in feed_info.txt. (Two fields, likely set once in your export settings.)
Finding code: missing_feed_info_date · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
- Warning1 instance
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.)
Finding code: missing_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
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.)
Finding code: 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.)
Finding code: scorecard_no_fare_data · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)
- Info4 instances
Service extends far in the future (flagged by the MobilityData validator).
See the linked rule for what this affects.
Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'service_extends_far_in_the_future' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)
Finding code: service_extends_far_in_the_future · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
- Info3 instances
The feed includes a file that is not part of the GTFS spec.
Apps ignore files they don't know, and a stray file can hide a misspelled standard file name.
Fix: Check the flagged file name for a typo of a standard GTFS file. Remove it if it is a vendor extra. (A quick look at the flagged file.)
Finding code: unknown_file · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
NTD GTFS readiness Ready
Published at a public URL, valid, current, and identified with agency_id: the four feed checks for RY2026 all hold here. Only your own D-10 and P-50 filings make that official; this is a heads-up, not a determination.
- Published Ready
- Published at a public URL.
- Valid Ready
- Passes validation with no errors.
- Current Ready
- The published window is current, but its service end date is unusually distant; confirm that date is intentional.
- 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 your 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.
- shapes.txt covers your trips Ready
- All 555 trips have a shape in shapes.txt.
In plain words: if you report to the federal transit database, you have to publish a working, up-to-date feed, provide a stable agency_id for each represented reporter, and confirm the feed and P-50 crosswalk each year. This box is a heads-up; your filings are the official check.
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). For RY2026, each represented reporter needs a stable agency_id, unique within the feed and crosswalked to its five-digit NTD ID on P-50; the values do not need to be equal. FTA also 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. States wheelchair access on 0% of stops and 0% of trips; the mark needs 90% of each.
- Valid Met
- Passes validation with no errors.
- Current Met
- The published window is current, but its service end date is unusually distant; confirm that date is intentional.
- 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.
Clears the Google and Apple Maps four-week coverage bar. This feed clears the four-week coverage window, but its service end date is unusually distant. Confirm that date is intentional before treating it as evidence of ongoing maintenance. No validator errors either, so riders keep seeing this agency in their trip planners; warnings lower the grade here but do not remove a feed from Maps.
How this agency maps to the standards
The scorecard is a data-quality lens, not a compliance determination. Its universal references describe good GTFS and useful rider information. Useful references here are GTFS Schedule Best Practices, GTFS-Realtime Best Practices, MobilityData grading scheme, Google Transit publication guidance, FTA National Transit Database GTFS requirement. Read the full standards crosswalk.
In California, the published guideline is California Transit Data Guidelines. Caltrans' published quality guidelines and compliance checklist; this rubric is anchored to them.
California Minimum GTFS Guidelines checklist (4 of 6 measured items met)
The state's own Data Process Checklist, matched item by item to what this scorecard already measures. An item marked "not measured here" is real ground the checklist covers that this tool does not check; see the official checklist for the full picture.
- Meets Publish GTFS Schedule at a stable, automatically-fetchable URL
The published feed URL downloaded at the last check.
- Not measured here Implement required fields: Fares v2, text-to-speech stop names, shapes.txt, wheelchair_boarding, and Pathways where applicable
This scorecard measures wheelchair_boarding, shapes.txt coverage, fare data, and station pathways separately, below; it does not check the Fares v2 format specifically or text-to-speech stop names.
- Not measured here Achieve a passing score in every category of the MobilityData GTFS Grading Scheme v1
This scorecard automates a proxy for the Grading Scheme's rider-facing fields (see the standards crosswalk) rather than running the scheme itself, which grades by comparison to the real world by hand.
- Not measured here Publish changes to the base schedule at least one week ahead of every service change
This scorecard does not track a feed's publish history, so advance notice cannot be checked.
- Meets Produce no critical errors in the MobilityData GTFS Validator
Passes validation with no errors.
- Not measured here Publish Trip Updates, Vehicle Positions, and Alerts feeds
This scorecard checks realtime reachability and freshness overall; it does not check for all three feed types individually.
- Not measured here Update Trip Updates and Vehicle Positions at least every 20 seconds
This scorecard samples realtime freshness; it does not check this specific 20-second cadence.
- Not measured here Publish information for at least 99% of vehicles in service
This scorecard measures the share of scheduled trips represented in TripUpdates, a related but different figure than vehicle coverage.
- Not measured here Keep 100% of trip_ids consistent between Schedule and Realtime
This scorecard does not currently check trip_id consistency between the Schedule and Realtime feeds.
- Not measured here Produce no critical errors in the Center for Urban Transportation Research realtime validator
This scorecard does not run the CUTR realtime validator.
- Not measured here Publish accessible feed links on the agency or regional partner website
This scorecard does not check the agency's own website.
- Not measured here Register GTFS and GTFS-Realtime feeds with transit.land and the Mobility Database
This scorecard does not currently check aggregator registration for this section.
- Meets Designate a technical contact in feed_info.txt's feed_contact_email
feed_info.txt states a technical contact.
- Gap wheelchair_boarding stated on stops and trips
States wheelchair access on 0% of stops and 0% of trips.
- Meets shapes.txt with a shape for every trip
All 555 trips have a shape in shapes.txt.
- Gap Fare data published, or the service marked fare-free
No fare data is published.
- Correctness 69 / 100
- GTFS Schedule best practices, checked by the MobilityData validator. MobilityData grading covers stop locations, route names, and colors. Google Transit requires a feed to pass validation for publication. FTA NTD readiness also checks that the published feed is valid.
- Freshness 85 / 100
- GTFS Schedule best practices call for a dataset that stays current. An expired calendar can remove service from Google Transit and other rider trip planners. FTA NTD readiness also checks that the published feed is current.
- Rider experience 45 / 100
- GTFS Best Practices for rider-facing fields. MobilityData grading covers stop names and headsigns.
- Realtime quality Not yet published
- GTFS-Realtime best practices: a stable URL, high uptime, and frequent updates.
Show your grade
Put a badge on your agency site or feed README. It updates after each completed scoring check and links back to this scorecard.
Prefer a shields.io style? Point a dynamic endpoint badge at the published badge.json.
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/merced-county-transit-the-bus-3117/2026-08-01.json and never overwritten, pinning the grade, category scores, rubric version, validator version, reader archive profile, and the scored feed's sha256 as they stood on 2026-08-01. Use it in a board packet, a regulatory filing, or a research citation instead of linking the live page, whose content will differ on your next visit.
Citing the tool itself rather than one agency's record? Use the repo's CITATION.cff.