Public transit routing like google maps

[NaveedAhmed2]

Is this possible to develop a web app that leverage ArcGIS network service and GTFS data to perform routing and trip planning like google maps provide as shown in the screen capture below. At the moment I am not looking towards the interface that google team has developed, I am just wanting to know that can we develop something like that using ArcGIS platform.

In ArcPro or ArcMap I build a prototype network dataset that follows all connectivity rules for pedestrian and transportation network but not sure that ArcGIS platform (such as JS API) supports to leverage this in web app.  There is a lot of documentation available that explains how to perform service area and coverage analysis in ArcGIS but not sure that is it possible to plan trip and generate time aware routes using GTFS data.

Any help or guidance will be highly appreciated. Thanks

[MelindaMorang]

If you have created your own network dataset with GTFS data in ArcGIS Pro using the procedure outlined in this tutorial, then you can publish a routing service using this network dataset and access it from a web app.

However, currently our Route solver is not really configured for passenger-facing apps.  If you are trying to design an app to tell transit passengers how to get from one place to another, there are several limitations that will make this difficult for you:

• We do not currently create public transit directions. If you request directions from your Route result, it will simply say "Take public transit".  It will not say "Take Bus A arriving at <time>, ride 6 stops, and get off the bus at 1st and Main." or "Transfer to the Blue Line.".
• You cannot limit the number of transfers allowed.
• You cannot cap the walk time or distance. If the Route solver determines that the fastest way from point A to point B is to walk for an hour, this is the result you'll get, even though most transit passengers will not see this as a viable solution.

You are not the only person who has expressed interest in this type of functionality, though.  We would be interested in hearing more about your needs.  This information will help us formulate and prioritize future development plans.  If you would like to include some further details about what you're trying to do, we would be interested in hearing them. Or, feel free to send a private message or reach out to your Esri representative.

[NaveedAhmed2]

Thank you for prompt response. I will keep you inform if I have any further questions in this. It would be great if you could suggest the development team to incorporating these options for the future releases.

[MelindaMorang]

I am on the development team. 

However, in order to decide whether and how to proceed in providing such functionality, it would help to understand your needs better.  If you have time, could you answer the following questions?

• Do you work for a transit agency?
• What is your goal with this application?  Are you trying to create a web app to help passengers plan their transit journeys?
  • Will passengers access this app directly, or will it be used only internally by your dispatchers?
  • Where will users access this app (website, mobile app, etc.)?
• Assuming you work for a transit agency, why does your agency need to provide its own routing app instead of relying on existing 3rd party apps?

[NaveedAhmed2]

Hi Melinda  Thanks for reviewing my request and asking for more details.

I am working as GIS Application Developer at University of Arizona . At University of Arizona we develop and manage web mapping applications that fulfill requirements for different user groups. You can take a glance at web mapping applications that are developed for University of Arizona here.  

Urban area of the University is around 380 acres. Integration of campus routing to our existing and new web maps is one of the most demanding and desired component. We cannot integrate Google routing with in Esri based applications and want to develop routing based upon custom developed data that addresses specific route conditions like accessibility, shadow and lighting. Our department has already started working on creating network data using Esri tools and technologies.

Transit integration is one of the main network components that we are wanting to include in our routing network. Univ. of Arizona shuttle tracking is powered by transloc company and we already acquired GTFS data from them. Right now we are feeling limited in implementation of comprehensive routing and trip planning for students, faculty and staff due to lack of this feature in Esri Network Analyst. That would be great if you could start thinking about adding support for transit based routing in the Network analyst.

We planned to implement a Multimodal Network Service that could be integrated with custom interface in new and existing University based web mapping applications. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. 

Thanks,

Naveed

[Hasan_AlAswad]

Hi Melinda,

Any Updates about these limitations?

I am trying to do a public transit routing and provide directions to guide passengers to use different transit agencies to access a desired location showing also transit time, walking time, and fares.

Thank you in advance.

[MelindaMorang]

Unfortunately, no, the situation has not changed.  Supporting passenger-facing routing applications really  just isn't in our road map right now.  If you want to add more detail about what you're trying to do and why other commercially available routing apps aren't adequate for your needs, I can add this info to our collection of use cases, but it seems unlikely that we'll be pursuing this work in the near future.