Feed status · checked 2026-08-01
Metra
Based on the feed this agency publishes
Service mode Other
unchanged since 2026-07-31
Catalogued in Illinois.
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 15 days 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
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 in its category
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
241 of 241 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
8336 of 8336 trips don't say whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible. Even with accessible stops, riders need to know the transit vehicle itself can take them.
⏱ A default or per-trip field in your export.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
- Neither feed_info.txt nor the calendars state when service ends.
- Next action
- Add feed_start_date and feed_end_date to feed_info.txt and include calendar end dates in 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
- Feed evidence
- 241 of 241 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
- 8336 of 8336 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
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.
Add feed_start_date and feed_end_date to feed_info.txt and include calendar end dates in your export.
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. See this feed's finding-clearance log.
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. See this feed's finding-clearance log.
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. See this feed's finding-clearance log.
Rider view: what this feed publishes
A quick read of rider-facing information in this feed.
- Schedule visibility
- Schedule visibility is not known from this scorecard.
- 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
- Fare information is published using GTFS Fares v1.
- 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 6 kinds of issue across 11 instances (0 error, 7 warning, 4 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 published.
0% of stops state accessibility (0% marked accessible). Reflects what the feed states, not verified physical usability.
Fares are applied to trips.
Not scored yet. Nothing here counts against the grade.
Routes and stops
This feed has no located stops.
| Route | Type | Line color |
|---|---|---|
| BNSF | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| HC | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| MD-N | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| MD-W | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| ME | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| NCS | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| RI | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| SWS | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| UP-N | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| UP-NW | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
| UP-W | Transit line | green (no shape in feed) |
Over time
Overall score across the last 8 checks — unchanged since 2026-07-31.
Show the numbers
| Check | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-25 | 39.5 | first check |
| 2026-07-26 | 39.5 | no change |
| 2026-07-27 | 39.5 | no change |
| 2026-07-28 | 39.5 | no change |
| 2026-07-29 | 39.5 | no change |
| 2026-07-30 | 39.5 | no change |
| 2026-07-31 | 39.5 | no change |
| 2026-08-01 | 39.5 | 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 2026-07-31: 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
13 findings, ordered by severity.
Show every finding
- 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.)
Finding code: scorecard_no_expiry_date
- Warning8336 instances
8336 of 8336 trips don't say whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible.
Even with accessible stops, riders need to know the transit vehicle 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)
- Warning8336 instances
8336 of 8336 trips lack rider-facing destination or direction text.
When a route has multiple directions or patterns, the route name alone may not tell riders which service is coming.
Fix: Add the destination, direction, or 'via' label riders actually see to trip_headsign. Do not copy the route name. If the label changes during the trip, use stop_headsign. (Usually one value per route pattern in your scheduling source.)
Finding code: scorecard_missing_headsigns · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)
- Warning241 instances
241 of 241 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)
- Warning3 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.)
Finding code: missing_recommended_field · 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.)
Finding code: 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.)
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
Some stops exist in the feed but no trip ever stops at them.
Riders may walk to a stop where no transit vehicle is scheduled to arrive.
Fix: Remove retired stops from the export, or add them back to the trips that should serve them. (A review pass in your scheduling software.)
Finding code: stop_without_stop_time · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
- Warning1 instance
The feed contains route shapes no trip uses.
Harmless to riders, but it bloats the feed and suggests stale export data.
Fix: Turn on 'remove unused shapes' (or the like) in your export tool. (One setting.)
Finding code: unused_shape · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules 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.)
Finding code: scorecard_bad_agency_url
- Info241 instances
About 241 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 where the language has letter case (for example, 'Central Station'). (Often a bulk fix in your scheduling software.)
Finding code: scorecard_stop_names_all_caps · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)
- Info4 instances
Some files contain columns that are not part of the GTFS spec.
Harmless to riders, but apps ignore these columns and they can hide typos in real column names.
Fix: Check the flagged column names for misspellings of standard GTFS fields; remove them if they are vendor extras. (A quick look at the flagged files.)
Finding code: unknown_column · 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).
Trip-planning apps and regional data coordinators 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.)
Finding code: scorecard_no_feed_contact · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)
NTD GTFS readiness Not ready
Resolve this before you certify on the D-10. No service end date could be read, so currency is unknown.
- Published Ready
- Published at a public URL.
- Valid Ready
- Passes validation with no errors.
- Current Not ready
- No service end date could be read, so currency is unknown.
- 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) Different (allowed)
- Your feed's agency_id is METRA; your National Transit Database ID is 50118. A feed that serves several agencies (a shared regional feed) can legitimately carry more than one agency_id. The values do not need to equal the five-digit NTD ID, so this difference is allowed and carries no score. Confirm that P-50 crosswalks agency_id METRA to NTD ID 50118, and keep the feed value stable. Do not change it solely to make the two values equal.
- shapes.txt covers your trips Not ready
- No trips in this feed have a shape_id linked to a row in shapes.txt. Add shapes.txt with a shape_id for each trip's path, and set trips.shape_id to match. Reduced, Rural, and Tribal NTD reporters need this in their published GTFS starting Report Year 2026; Full Reporters needed it in Report Year 2025.
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. 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 Met
- Passes validation with no errors.
- 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.
Can riders use it?
Checks beyond structural validation: places where the feed is valid but a rider still could not travel.
- 241 of 241 boardable stops are never served by any trip. Riders see these stops in apps and on the map but can never catch anything there, which erodes trust in the data. Remove stops no route serves, or add the trips that should call at them.
These do not change the grade. They catch trips with no rideable leg and stops no trip serves, the kind of gap a trip planner trips over.
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.
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.
- Correctness 80 / 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 0 / 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 15 / 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.
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/metra-2854/2026-08-01.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.