Fix: a station with no pathways.txt

Published: 4 July 2026. Last reviewed: 4 July 2026.

Code: scorecard_station_no_pathways

What this means

Your stops.txt has at least one stop marked as a station (location_type

1. or an entrance (location_type 2), but the feed has no pathways.txt describing how a rider moves between them.

This only applies to feeds that model stations at all. A flat, stop-only feed, which is most small and rural agencies, is complete as is and never sees this finding.

Why it matters

Once a feed models a station with multiple entrances, platforms, or levels, a trip planner cannot route a rider through it without pathways.txt, and there is no way to tell a wheelchair user whether a step-free route exists. Without it, the station shows up as a single point with no instructions for getting from the entrance to the platform.

How to fix it

• Add pathways.txt connecting each entrance to the platforms it leads to, and each level to the ones it connects, including any elevators.
• Add levels.txt alongside it if the station spans more than one floor, so each pathway can reference the level it is on.
• Mark elevator pathways explicitly (pathway_mode 5) so a step-free route is identifiable, not just implied.

This is worth doing for a multi-level or large station where riders genuinely need directions inside it. A flat stop, or a simple single-entrance station, does not need it.

How long it usually takes

Depends on the station's complexity: mapping a single-entrance station is quick, while a large multi-level hub takes more care to get every connection right.

Authoritative rule

The linked GTFS Schedule reference defines the field or data this scorecard finding checks. Read the relevant GTFS Schedule reference section. (opens on an external site)