Fix: the ServiceAlerts realtime feed failed during sampling
Code: scorecard_rt_service_alerts_unreachable
What this means
The scorecard tried to sample your GTFS-Realtime ServiceAlerts feed and it
failed to return usable data during the sampling window.
Why it matters
When this feed is down, riders see scheduled times presented as if they were
live, with no way to know about a detour, a stop closure, or a delay that the
agency already knows about and would otherwise be publishing.
How to fix it
- **Check the ServiceAlerts endpoint with your AVL vendor or CAD/AVL
provider.** It should return a fresh GTFS-Realtime protobuf on every
request, not a stale cache, an error page, or an empty response.
- Confirm the URL itself hasn't changed. A vendor migration or a renewed
certificate sometimes moves the endpoint without updating what's on file.
- Check for a rate limit or an IP block if the feed works in a browser but
not from an automated request.
How long it usually takes
Usually a vendor support ticket. If the fix is just a stale certificate or a
changed URL, it can be same-day.
Authoritative rule
This scores GTFS-Realtime, which the GTFS Validator does not check (it validates GTFS Schedule), so the expectation comes from the GTFS-Realtime reference's message definition. Read the relevant GTFS-Realtime reference section. (opens on an external site)
After you republish
Once the corrected feed is live at your published URL, the next scorecard run re-checks it automatically. When this finding is gone, it is recorded as a dated receipt on your agency's fix log — a citable, linkable record that the fix cleared. That closes the loop: the scorecard shows the fix; the agency publishes it.