Import GTFS Bus Routes Tool

This tool is used to perform a mass-import of bus runs — pre-processed from GTFS data during a separate procedure, and provided in the form of two CSV files: one of header data, and one of itinerary data. The user must specify whether to import the coding into the bus_base or bus_current feature class and corresponding itinerary table. (Since the bus_current data is likely to be updated more frequently, that is the default.) Any existing bus runs in the specified feature class will be deleted before the new ones are imported.

This tool also requires a CSV containing "pseudonodes", to specify nodes that a bus following a particular route must pass through if it is traveling a long distance without any stops (e.g. along an expressway). This allows bus routes to better follow their true paths, rather than relying solely on a distance-based shortest-path algorithm for routing between each stop.

The program import_gtfs_bus_routes_2.sas is called (via sasrun.bat) to import the coding data directly from the CSVs, perform some error checking and reformat the data for import into the coverage. This program checks for the following errors:

• Route data without corresponding itinerary data and vice-versa
• Unavailable ANODE-BNODE values or itinerary segment directional issues
• Coding applied to zone centroid connectors
• Itinerary gaps
• Too many layovers coded in an itinerary
• If errors are encountered, they are written to temp/import_gtfs_bus_routes_2.lst, all processing stops before any data are imported into the geodatabase, and the user is prompted to correct the issues before re-running the tool

To import planned bus routes (which are not included in GTFS data), the Import Future Bus Routes tool should be run.