Stops

Stops are stops.txt entities imported from GTFS, and include the same basic structure and fields, plus some additional metadata.

Stop Location Types

According to the GTFS specification, stops can have different location_type values that indicate their purpose:

  • 0 (or empty): Stop or platform where passengers board or alight from a transit vehicle. This is the most common type.
  • 1: Station - a physical structure or area containing one or more platforms.
  • 2: Entrance/exit - a location where passengers can enter or exit a station from the street.
  • 3: Generic node - a location within a station used to link together pathways.
  • 4: Boarding area - a specific location on a platform where passengers can board or alight vehicles.

Location types 3 and 4 are only used in the context of the GTFS-Pathways extension.

Stop Hierarchies

Stops can form hierarchical relationships using the parent_station field:

  • Stops with location_type=0 (stops/platforms) may belong to a parent station (location_type=1)
  • Entrances (location_type=2), generic nodes (location_type=3), and boarding areas (location_type=4) must have a parent station
  • Stations (location_type=1) cannot have a parent station

This hierarchy is particularly important for complex transit facilities like major train stations or airports, where pathways connect multiple platforms, entrances, and boarding areas.

Stop Onestop IDs

As with , the values for stops are automatically generated. Two very similar stops may both generate the same Onestop ID, in which case a query for that Onestop ID will return two or more stop entries.

Relationships and metadata

When querying stops through the Transitland API, stops include additional context beyond the standard GTFS fields:

  • and : The route_stops field shows which routes serve each stop, including the operating agency
  • : Metadata about the source GTFS feed and when it was fetched
  • : The place object provides geographic context with country and state/province information (e.g., adm0_iso: "US", adm1_iso: "US-CA")
  • Levels: The level field references vertical position information for multi-level stations (platforms, mezzanines, etc.)

For detailed information about querying stops, see the .