Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA)

Some trips have stop times whose distances along the route go backwards.

Apps can show buses jumping backwards or mis-order stops.

Fix: Re-generate shape distances in your export; flag to your vendor if it persists. (Usually an export-tool fix, not hand editing.)

Finding code: decreasing_or_equal_stop_time_distance · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

The vehicle positions realtime feed failed during sampling.

When this feed is down, riders see scheduled times presented as if they were live.

Fix: Check the vehicle positions endpoint with your AVL vendor; it should return a fresh GTFS-Realtime protobuf on every request. (Usually a vendor support ticket.)

Finding code: scorecard_rt_vehicle_positions_unreachable · Read the fix guide for scorecard_rt_vehicle_positions_unreachable · See GTFS-Realtime reference (opens the GTFS-Realtime reference on an external site)

The service alerts realtime feed failed during sampling.

When this feed is down, riders see scheduled times presented as if they were live.

Fix: Check the service alerts endpoint with your AVL vendor; it should return a fresh GTFS-Realtime protobuf on every request. (Usually a vendor support ticket.)

Finding code: scorecard_rt_service_alerts_unreachable · Read the fix guide for scorecard_rt_service_alerts_unreachable · See GTFS-Realtime reference (opens the GTFS-Realtime reference on an external site)

Some scheduled trips move faster between stops than a bus can.

Usually a typo'd stop time; riders get arrival times no bus can meet.

Fix: Check the flagged stop times for transposed minutes. (A few minutes per flagged trip.)

Finding code: fast_travel_between_consecutive_stops · Read the fix guide for fast_travel_between_consecutive_stops · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

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 for mixed_case_recommended_field · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

7931 of 7931 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 for scorecard_wheelchair_accessible_unknown · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)

5269 of 5269 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 for scorecard_wheelchair_boarding_unknown · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)

Some stops exist in the feed but no trip ever stops at them.

Riders may walk to a stop where no bus 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 for stop_without_stop_time · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

68 of 7931 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.

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 for scorecard_missing_headsigns · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)

14 of 250 trips scheduled during the sampling window had no live predictions.

Riders on those trips get schedule times labeled as live. Caltrans asks that every trip you run shows up in TripUpdates.

Fix: Ask your AVL vendor to check that every vehicle assignment reaches TripUpdates. School-day and tripper runs are the ones most often left out. (A vendor data-mapping question.)

Finding code: scorecard_rt_trip_coverage · Read the fix guide for scorecard_rt_trip_coverage · See GTFS-Realtime reference (opens the GTFS-Realtime reference on an external site)

Some stops sit far from the route line they belong to.

Trip planners may draw the bus route through the wrong streets or point riders to the wrong corner.

Fix: Check the flagged stops' coordinates and the route shape in your scheduling software; re-snap whichever is misplaced. (A few minutes per flagged stop.)

Finding code: stop_too_far_from_shape · Read the fix guide for stop_too_far_from_shape · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

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 for missing_recommended_file · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

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.

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 for scorecard_missing_feed_info_dates · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Trip with shape dist traveled but no shape distances (flagged by the MobilityData validator).

See the linked rule for what this affects.

Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'trip_with_shape_dist_traveled_but_no_shape_distances' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)

Finding code: trip_with_shape_dist_traveled_but_no_shape_distances · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

About 5267 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 for scorecard_stop_names_all_caps · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)

Unsorted stop times (flagged by the MobilityData validator).

See the linked rule for what this affects.

Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'unsorted_stop_times' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)

Finding code: unsorted_stop_times · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

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. Small errors then sit in the feed for months.

Fix: Add feed_contact_email to feed_info.txt. (One field.)

Finding code: scorecard_no_feed_contact · Read the fix guide for scorecard_no_feed_contact · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)