GOFS is an open source, community-driven data standard for traveler-facing information about demand responsive transportation.
GOFS GitHub repoGOFS provides real-time information about point-to-point, demand-responsive service within a zone, using a lightweight, easy-to-implement format. It serves a distinct purpose from GTFS-Flex or other data standards and extensions.
Which standard(s) should be used for which types of transportation?
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Taxi / Ridehail
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Demand-responsive transit:
Zone based (“Microtransit”)
GOFS (includes real-time)or GTFS-Flex (zone) (static only)
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Demand-responsive transit:
Predefined routes with deviation
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Fixed stops
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Fixed-route transit
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Self-service shared vehicles:
carshare, bikeshare, etc.
Microtransit:When to use GOFS vs. GTFS-Flex?
Agencies may elect to use either or both standards for zone-based demand-responsive transit (“microtransit”).
GOFS is hosted in a separate dataset from fixed-route information but may allow for simpler implementation and includes additional functionally like estimated realtime pricing and availability.
Apps supporting:See GOFS README.md
GTFS-Flex represents service information for trip planning in a single dataset alongside the rest of the agency’s fixed-route data. It does not include real-time information.
Apps supporting:See GTFS-Flex adoption tracker.
What about other types of transportation services?
A number of additional use cases were identified by the initial GOFS Working Group. We encourage discussion about implementation of these use cases in the GOFS GitHub repo.
Key Questions on Using and Implementing GOFS
What about deeper integrations including open booking APIs?
A handful of emerging pilot projects exist. We encourage discussion about implementation of these use cases in the GOFS GitHub repo.
How do I get started using GOFS? Where is there documentation?
Consult the official GOFS specification on GitHub to understand the required data fields and structure for your on-demand service, then develop a process to generate this data accurately from your operational systems.
What’s the level of effort to implement GOFS?
Generally medium-to-low effort: existing technology systems usually already have the required data. Data producers should focus on understanding the GOFS standard and accurately transforming existing service data into GOFS.
Why open data standards?
There is a wide variety of demand-responsive transportation services. It is challenging for travellers to get an overview of their options. Standardization allows common journey planning apps to easily integrate a multitude of transportation providers. Read more at MDIP.