INDUSTRY FIELD GUIDE
Bus and mixed-mode transit update data for AI evaluation
An update can apply to a particular trip rather than every vehicle on a route.
NAICS 485111 · Mixed Mode Transit Systems
NAICS 485113 · Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems
An update can apply to a particular trip rather than every vehicle on a route. GTFS describes trip updates and service alerts as separate entities. A transit operator can design a benchmark around the rider question the data should answer. GTFS trip updates · GTFS service alerts
Create a mock schedule with two bus departures using the same route. Cancel one stop for the first trip and delay the second. For a mixed-mode system, add a timed connection to a rail service. Ask what changed for the selected trip and whether the supplied evidence supports the connection. Score the answer by trip, service date, affected stop, and whether the connection information is current.
Use agency-authorized public feeds where their terms permit or an invented schedule. Exclude rider records, identifiable vehicle or staff assignments, and live dispatch access.
Describe a transit update evaluation
Original Fiund exercise
A stop cancellation applies to one dated trip rather than every departure on the route
A synthetic bus-and-rail timetable uses invented stops and service dates. There is no rider, vehicle assignment, live dispatch or actual travel recommendation.
| Record | Source | What it records |
|---|---|---|
| BTU1 | Base schedule | Route R, day D1: trip A serves stops S1–S3, arrival S3 10:00. Trip B serves same stops, arrival S3 10:30. |
| BTU2 | Trip updates | A's S3 stop canceled on D1; other A stops retained. B delayed 10 minutes with S3 retained, revised arrival 10:40. |
| BTU3 | Rail connection | Rail departure S3 10:35 listed for D0 only. No current D1 rail update, transfer rule or booking evidence. |
Question for the model
What changed for each D1 bus trip, and does the supplied rail record establish an onward connection?
Show the reference answer and checks
BTU2 removes S3 only from A on D1, while B still serves S3 with revised arrival 10:40. Do not apply A's stop cancellation to B or treat B's delay as a route-wide cancellation. BTU3 belongs to D0 and lacks current D1 transfer evidence, so it cannot establish an onward rail connection. Preserve trip, service date and affected stop rather than infer a journey from a route name alone.
- Propagating a trip-specific stop cancellation across the route.
- Using another service day's departure or stale connection information as current evidence.
Fields to preserve
- Route, trip and service day
- Defines the update scope.
- Stop and cancellation/delay type
- Preserves the actual change.
- Connection date and transfer evidence
- Limits onward-journey claims.
Test another case
Supply a D1 rail departure at 10:45 but no minimum-transfer rule. Require timetable proximity to be distinguished from a confirmed usable connection.
Use invented schedules or separately cleared public feeds. Exclude riders, staff and identifiable vehicle assignments.
Discuss a contribution
Describe the sources you control, the task they could support and what has already been checked. Use the existing-data assessment for an archive or the collection brief for a new recording project. The contributor agreement defines Fiund’s licensing authority and compensation. A guide or fictional exercise does not establish an accepted collection or a sale.