TransiCast

TransiCast - API Documentation

The TransiCast Web Service breaks down into six calls: agency list, stops, routes, route details, next bus and train times and service messages. The TransiCast Web Service is XML based, and uses REST GET method calls. Responses in JSON are provided on request.

For test purposes, please feel free to use the test application ID appid=sample522are4 and calls to the general TransiCast transit data server at (http://transicast.appspot.com/ws/V3). This opens all API calls, and the transit data loaded on the general TransiCast transit data server. Please add the test application ID as the last parameter of the call.

User facing release of your product or service requires an application ID on a TransiCast production plan. Separate transit data licensing requirements of transit agencies may also apply. Please contact us for more information.

The current version of the TransiCast API is /V3.

General call format

The general call format of API calls consists of four parts:

TransiCast web server address: http://<yourapp>.appspot.com/ws/V3

The identifier of the servlet of an API call

Required and optional request parameters such as WGS-84 coordinates (lat/lon), stop numbers and route numbers

appid license key issued by TransiCast

As an example, the following call to the general TransiCast web server instance, using a sample appid, calls the agency list for a location as determined by the call parameters lat and lon:

http://transicast.appspot.com/ws/V3/agencies?ll=41.727122,-87.55947&appid=sample522are4

General response format

The responses of the TransiCast Web Service are in XML. They are wrapped in a <ResultSet> tag which contains the following two attributes:

queryTime: Server time of the request

ct: Number of records that the call returns without filters

As an example, the sample call above may return the following response:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8">
<resultSet queryTime="1319328820274" ct="2">
<agency region="NA" country="CA" name="GO Ontario" top="44.44" left="-80.55" bottom="43.09" right="-78.28" stopcodes="false"/>
<agency region="NA" country="CA" common="Toronto" name="TTC" rt="true" top="43.92" left="-79.66" bottom="43.6" right="-79.11" stopcodes="true"/>
</resultSet>

TransiCast uses the following formats and encodings:

Requests are case sensitive

Coordinates are WGS-84 decimal values

Times are in elapsed milliseconds since midnight, January 1, 1970 UTC

Special characters contained in result strings are HTML encoded

Color values are RGB encoded, using hexadecimal values

If a flag element is not included in a response, the default value of "false" is assumed. A return value of "" indicates an unknown flag value.

JSON

Responses in JSON can be requested with the optional parameter format=json.

http://transicast.appspot.com/ws/V3/agencies?ll=41.727122,-87.55947&format=json&appid=sample522are4

Error handling

TransiCast returns errors in XML, using the error tag to provide a description of the error. As an example, the following call is not well formatted, and will trigger a data format error:

http://transicast.appspot.com/ws/V3/stops?max=4&appid=sample522are4&meters=1300&ll=%5Bapp:user-lat%5D,%5Bapp:user-lon%5D

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