Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA)

What changed since the last check

• Correctness down 30.5
• Freshness down 15.0
• Rider experience down 15.6

No longer reported since the last check (6 findings):

• 1 of 2322 trips have no headsign, the text that tells riders where the bus is going. A trip counts when it has trip_headsign or a stop_headsign at every stop. (scorecard_missing_headsigns)
• This feed offers flexible service that riders book ahead, but it has no booking_rules.txt. (scorecard_flex_no_booking_rules)
• Equal shape distance diff coordinates distance below threshold (flagged by the MobilityData validator). (equal_shape_distance_diff_coordinates_distance_below_threshold)
• Some trip headsigns name a stop along the way, not the final destination. (trip_headsign_matches_intermediate_stop)
• Some files contain columns that are not part of the GTFS spec. (unknown_column)
• Some service dates fall outside the date window set in feed_info.txt. (service_window_outside_feed_period)

This compares feed state. It does not identify who made a change or why.

Top three things to fix

1. Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops.

   807 of 807 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.

   Fixing this covers all 807 stops in the feed.

   Effort: A column in stops.txt; your scheduling software likely has it.

2. Set wheelchair_accessible on every trip. If every vehicle is accessible, this may be one default; otherwise use the value for each trip.

   3026 of 3026 trips don't say whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible. Even with accessible stops, riders need to know the bus itself can take them.

   Fixing this covers all 3,026 trips in the feed.

   Effort: A default or per-trip field in your export.

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

   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.

   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.

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 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

https://data.trilliumtransit.com/gtfs/merrimackvalley-ma-us/merrimackvalley-ma-us.zip

Last checked

2026-10-07

Service window

The feed states that service is published through 2099-12-31. Confirm that this end date is intentional before relying on it as a maintenance signal. Last service date 2099-12-31.

Feed version

Fall 2026 V19

Location

Massachusetts