Programmatic Access to Transport Data Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-02-09 Status: Research document -- URLs and API details should be verified before integration Scope: European National Access Points, global safety/logistics/aviation/SDG data

Table of Contents

1. France -- transport.data.gouv.fr
2. Germany -- Mobilithek
3. UK -- Bus Open Data Service (BODS)
4. Norway -- Entur
5. WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety (GHO)
6. FlightRadar24
7. FlightAware AeroAPI
8. World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI)
9. UN SDG Global Database (Transport Indicators)
10. Summary Comparison Matrix

1. France -- transport.data.gouv.fr

Platform URL: https://transport.data.gouv.fr/ Operator: French Ministry of Transport / DINUM (Direction interministerielle du numerique) Role: France's National Access Point (NAP) for transport data under EU ITS Directive

1.1 API Availability

The main endpoint GET /api/datasets returns the complete list of all datasets and associated resources in a single call. The API distributes information about datasets, resources, AOMs (Autorites Organisatrices de la Mobilite), historicisations, and validations.

1.2 Authentication

• No authentication required
• No quotas / rate limits documented
• Fully open access

1.3 Key Data Available

• GTFS static timetables for all French public transport networks
• NeTEx France profile data (auto-converted from GTFS via open-source tool Gtfs2NetexFr)
• GTFS-RT real-time feeds (proxy service for distributing real-time data)
• GBFS free-floating vehicle availability (bikes, scooters)
• Cycling infrastructure data
• Road data
• Parking data (static and real-time)

1.4 Direct Download Options

• Each dataset's resources are directly downloadable via URLs returned in the API response
• GTFS ZIP files can be fetched directly (URL in the url field of each resource)
• Historical data maintained via S3 storage (see transport-history)
• Bulk download: the single /api/datasets call returns all dataset metadata with download URLs

1.5 License

Datasets are published under one of two licenses:

• Licence Ouverte 2.0 (French government open data license, compatible with CC-BY)
• ODbL (Open Database Licence) -- requires share-alike for derivative databases

The license type is specified per dataset in the API response.

1.6 Example API Call

GET https://transport.data.gouv.fr/api/datasets

Returns JSON array of all datasets with metadata including format, license, geographic coverage, and resource download URLs.

2. Germany -- Mobilithek

Platform URL: https://mobilithek.info/ Operator: Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) Role: Germany's National Access Point (NAP), successor to MDM/mCLOUD (launched July 2022)

2.1 API Availability

Mobilithek was among the first platforms to implement the mobilityDCAT-AP specification for metadata. Metadata can be harvested via DCAT-AP endpoints.

2.2 Authentication

• No credentials required for open data downloads (the /noauth endpoint)
• Creating a subscription account is optional but recommended for email notifications on dataset changes
• Some datasets in the linked Mobility Data Space (IDS-based) may require registration

2.3 Key Data Available

• GTFS and NeTEx public transport timetable data for German operators
• SIRI real-time data (coming soon / in rollout)
• Road traffic data
• Parking data
• Cycling infrastructure
• E-charging infrastructure
• Ride-sharing and on-demand mobility data
• Timetable data, real-time traffic information, rental bike locations

2.4 Direct Download Options

• Individual datasets downloadable via the publication API endpoint pattern
• Web portal provides search and browse at https://mobilithek.info/
• Linked to Mobility Data Space for commercial/restricted datasets

2.5 License

• Most data published as open data under Datenlizenz Deutschland 2.0 (equivalent to CC-BY) or Datenlizenz Deutschland - Zero 2.0 (equivalent to CC0)
• Some datasets may have individual licensing via the Mobility Data Space
• License type is specified per dataset in metadata

3. UK -- Bus Open Data Service (BODS)

Platform URL: https://data.bus-data.dft.gov.uk/ Operator: Department for Transport (DfT), UK Government Role: UK's mandatory open data service for bus operators in England

3.1 API Availability

3.2 Authentication

• API key required (free)
• Register for a free account at https://data.bus-data.dft.gov.uk/
• API key found in: My Account > Account Settings
• Pass as query parameter: ?api_key={YOUR_KEY}
• Key is personal and should not be shared

3.3 Key Data Available

• Timetables -- TransXChange 2.4 PTI 1.1.a format (all English bus services)
• Vehicle location -- SIRI-VM real-time bus positions
• Fares -- NeTEx standard fares and ticketing data
• Coverage: all local bus services in England (mandatory publication)

3.4 Direct Download Options

• API response (JSON) contains metadata and a url field pointing to the original dataset file
• Datasets downloadable individually through the API or web portal
• Python client available: bods-data-extractor
• R package available: bodsr
• Browse datasets at https://data.bus-data.dft.gov.uk/search/

3.5 License

• Data is freely available for anyone to use
• Published under Open Government Licence (OGL) terms (UK standard for government open data)

4. Norway -- Entur

Platform URL: https://developer.entur.org/ Operator: Entur AS (state-owned company) Role: Norway's national registry for all public transport; operates as a NAP

4.1 API Availability

4.2 Authentication

Two-tier system:

1. Open APIs (Journey Planner, Geocoder, National Stop Register, Real-Time):

   • No API key required
   • Must include ET-Client-Name HTTP header (format: company-application)
   • Strict rate limiting on unidentified consumers; unidentified consumers may be blocked
   • Free and open access

2. Protected APIs (data management, products, pricing, customer management):

   • OAuth2 Client Credentials flow via Auth0
   • Requires client ID and client secret from Entur
   • Used for operators/partners managing data

4.3 Key Data Available

• All Norwegian public transport: 60 operators, 75,000 daily departures, 4,700 routes
• Journey planning across all modes (bus, train, ferry, metro, tram, air)
• National Stop Register: complete database of all public transport stops in Norway (ID, name, position, accessibility data)
• Real-time data: SIRI-VM (vehicle monitoring), SIRI-SX (situation exchange), SIRI-ET (estimated timetable), GTFS-RT
• Static timetable data: NeTEx (official format) and GTFS exports
• Shared mobility: GBFS feeds for bikes/scooters

4.4 Direct Download Options

• NeTEx bulk export: permanent URLs for national and per-operator datasets
• GTFS bulk export: auto-converted from NeTEx nightly
• Download frequency: datasets re-exported every night; no more than one download per 24 hours recommended (IP blocking for excessive downloads)
• Stops and timetable data: https://developer.entur.org/stops-and-timetable-data/
• All datasets at: https://data.entur.no/

4.5 License

• NLOD (Norwegian Licence for Open Government Data) -- similar to CC-BY
• All data exchanged with Entur is distributed as open data under NLOD

5. WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety (GHO)

Platform URL: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/road-safety Operator: World Health Organization (WHO) Data source: Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 and GHO database

5.1 API Availability

5.2 Authentication

• No authentication required
• No API key needed
• Open access

5.3 Key Road Safety Indicator Codes

Additional indicators cover: national legislation (speed limits, drink-driving, helmet/seatbelt laws), road safety strategy existence, road safety audits, registered vehicles.

Full road safety indicator list: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/road-safety

5.4 Example API Calls

# Get road traffic death rate data for all countries
GET https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/RS_198

# List all available indicators
GET https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/Indicator

# Get dimension values for countries
GET https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/DIMENSION/COUNTRY/DimensionValues

5.5 Direct Download Options

• Excel download available from the Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 page
• Contains country/territory profiles and survey data
• PDF report: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/375016/9789240086517-eng.pdf
• WHO Road Safety Data mobile application
• Python client: ghoclient
• R client: ghost and rgho

5.6 License

• CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Intergovernmental Organization)
• Attribution required
• Non-commercial use only
• Share-alike required for derivative works
• Important restriction: commercial use of WHO data requires separate permission

6. FlightRadar24

Platform URL: https://fr24api.flightradar24.com/ Operator: Flightradar24 AB (Sweden) Type: Commercial aviation tracking service

6.1 API Availability

6.2 Authentication & Pricing

• API key required (obtained with subscription)
• Credit-based system: each API call costs a defined number of credits
• No free tier (trial only)
• Additional credits purchasable beyond monthly quota

6.3 Key Data Available

• Real-time aircraft positions (ADS-B tracking from 50,000+ receivers worldwide)
• Historical flight tracks
• Flight status (ETAs, delays, diversions)
• Airline information
• Airport information
• 250,000+ flights monitored daily
• Ground speed, altitude, heading data

6.4 Direct Download Options

• No bulk download available
• All access through API only
• Temporary caching permitted per endpoint documentation
• Separate commercial data services for custom datasets: https://www.flightradar24.com/commercial-services/data-services

6.5 License

• Proprietary / commercial license
• Commercial use permitted at all subscription levels
• No resale of raw data
• No redistribution or sublicensing
• Cannot manipulate raw data to mask origins
• Data storage limited to endpoint-specific cache durations
• Prohibited for flight-critical or safety-critical applications

7. FlightAware AeroAPI

Platform URL: https://www.flightaware.com/commercial/aeroapi Operator: FlightAware (Collins Aerospace / Raytheon Technologies) Type: Commercial aviation data API

7.1 API Availability

7.2 Authentication & Pricing

• Authentication via x-apikey HTTP header
• Usage-based pricing: from $0.002 per query
• 1 result set = 15 records
• Historical data back to 2011

7.3 Key Data Available

• Flight status and tracking (real-time)
• ETAs, last position, full track
• Ground speed, altitude
• Historical flight data (from 2011)
• Airport information and delays
• Airline/operator data
• Decoded ADS-B data
• Weather-related flight impacts

7.4 Direct Download Options

• No bulk download; all access via API
• Data available on demand per query

7.5 License

• Personal License: storage/distribution of derivative works for personal/academic purposes only
• Standard License: commercial use and B2C derivative works permitted
• Enterprise License: full B2B and commercial distribution rights
• Standard license agreement: https://www.flightaware.com/commercial/aeroapi/AeroAPI_Standard_License.pdf

8. World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI)

Platform URL: https://lpi.worldbank.org/ Operator: World Bank Group Type: Benchmarking index based on logistics professionals survey

8.1 API Availability

8.2 Authentication

• No authentication required
• No API key needed
• Fully open access
• Default pagination: 50 records per page (configurable via per_page parameter)

8.3 Key LPI Indicator Codes

LPI 2023 covers 139 countries across six dimensions of trade logistics.

8.4 Example API Calls

# Get overall LPI score for all countries (JSON format)
GET https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/all/indicator/LP.LPI.OVRL.XQ?format=json&per_page=300

# Get LPI infrastructure score for a specific country (e.g., Kenya)
GET https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/KE/indicator/LP.LPI.INFR.XQ?format=json

# Get LPI overall for a date range
GET https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/all/indicator/LP.LPI.OVRL.XQ?date=2018:2023&format=json&per_page=1000

8.5 Direct Download Options

• DataBank: interactive query and CSV/Excel download at https://databank.worldbank.org/source/logistics-performance-index-(lpi)
• Data Catalog: https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/logistics-performance-index
• Data360: https://data360.worldbank.org/en/dataset/WB_LPI
• Individual indicator page: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/LP.LPI.OVRL.XQ (CSV, XML, Excel downloads)

8.6 License

• Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0)
• Free for any use (including commercial) with attribution
• World Bank Open Data terms: https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/public-licenses

9. UN SDG Global Database (Transport Indicators)

Platform URL: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/database Operator: UN Statistics Division (UNSD) Type: Official repository for SDG indicator data

9.1 API Availability

9.2 Authentication

• No authentication required
• No API key needed
• Open access

9.3 Key Transport-Related SDG Indicators

9.4 API Query Structure (SDMX)

# General SDMX REST query pattern
GET http://data.un.org/ws/rest/{artifact}/{artifactId}/{parameters}

# SDG API endpoints (via Swagger)
# List targets for a goal
GET https://unstats.un.org/SDGAPI/v1/sdg/Goal/{goalNumber}/Target/List

# List indicators for a target
GET https://unstats.un.org/SDGAPI/v1/sdg/Target/{targetId}/Indicator/List

# Get data for a specific indicator
GET https://unstats.un.org/SDGAPI/v1/sdg/Indicator/Data?indicator={indicatorCode}

9.5 Direct Download Options

• Data Portal: browse and download at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/database
• Open SDG Data Hub (ArcGIS-based): https://unstats-undesa.opendata.arcgis.com/
• SDMX bulk download: machine-readable data via SDMX API
• Country profiles and metadata available
• R package: SDGsR

9.6 License

• UN data is generally available for non-commercial use with attribution
• Specific terms vary by indicator custodian agency
• UNSD data portal terms of use apply

9.7 Data Quality Notes

• SDG 9.1.1 (RAI): Data availability is limited; many countries lack measurements. The World Bank RAI methodology requires geospatial analysis.
• SDG 11.2.1: Relatively new indicator; data collection still expanding
• SDG 3.6.1: Well-established; sourced from WHO road safety reports with good country coverage

10. Summary Comparison Matrix

Key Takeaways for a Global Transport Intelligence System

1. Easiest to integrate (open, no auth, well-documented APIs): World Bank LPI, WHO GHO, France transport.data.gouv.fr, UN SDG Database
2. Best real-time public transport data: Entur (Norway) and BODS (UK) -- both free with minimal auth
3. Aviation data: FlightAware offers a free personal tier; FlightRadar24 requires paid subscription. Both prohibit data resale/redistribution.
4. License constraints: WHO data is non-commercial only (CC BY-NC-SA). Aviation APIs are proprietary with storage restrictions. All European NAPs use open licenses.
5. Standards alignment: European NAPs converge on GTFS/NeTEx/SIRI, which aligns well with UNECE Transport Data Commons standards work.
6. Data freshness: NAPs and aviation APIs provide real-time data. WHO, World Bank, and UN SDG data are periodic (annual/biennial reports).

Programmatic Access to Transport Data Sources

Last updated: 2026-02-09 Status: Research document -- API endpoints and access policies should be verified before integration Purpose: Document API availability, authentication, endpoints, downloads, and licensing for 5 key real-time/near-real-time transport data sources

Table of Contents

1. UNECE Transport Statistics (PXWeb)
2. Africa Transport Observatory (ATO)
3. OpenSky Network (Aviation ADS-B)
4. AISHub / MarineTraffic (Maritime AIS)
5. GBFS Feeds (Shared Mobility)
6. Comparison Matrix

1. UNECE Transport Statistics (PXWeb)

Overview

The UNECE Statistical Database provides annual transport statistics for 56 UNECE member states (Europe, Central Asia, North America) covering road, rail, inland waterway, and pipeline transport. The database is built on PXWeb, a standard API framework developed by Statistics Sweden and used by dozens of national statistical institutes across Europe.

API Availability

API Documentation

• PXWeb API general documentation: https://pxdata.stat.fi/api1.html
• SCB (Sweden) API description PDF: https://pxdata.stat.fi/API-description_SCB.pdf
• PXWebApi 2.0 (newer version, launched Oct 2025 at SCB): https://www.scb.se/en/services/open-data-api/pxwebapi/pxapi-2.0
• UNECE Statistical Database portal: https://w3.unece.org/PXWeb/en
• UNECE legacy database interface: https://w3.unece.org/PXWeb2015/pxweb/en/STAT/

Authentication

• None required. The API is freely accessible without authentication.
• Rate limits: PXWebApi 2.0 (at SCB) enforces max 30 requests per 10 seconds and 150,000 data cells per GET. The UNECE instance likely has similar limits but these are not publicly documented.

Key Endpoints / Data Available

Transport data is organized under the path STAT__40-TRTRANS:

Example API call (browse tables):

GET https://w3.unece.org/PXWeb2015/api/v1/en/STAT/STAT__40-TRTRANS__02-TRROAD

Example API call (query data):

POST https://w3.unece.org/PXWeb2015/api/v1/en/STAT/STAT__40-TRTRANS__02-TRROAD/04_en_TRRoadPassgKm_r.px
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "query": [
    {
      "code": "Country",
      "selection": {
        "filter": "item",
        "values": ["826"]
      }
    }
  ],
  "response": {
    "format": "json-stat2"
  }
}

Direct Download Options

• Tables can be exported via the web interface in CSV, XLSX, and PC-Axis formats
• The API itself supports CSV and XLSX as response formats (set "format": "csv" in POST body)
• No single bulk download of the entire transport statistics database

GitHub Repos / Client Libraries

• R package pxweb: https://ropengov.github.io/pxweb/ (CRAN) -- works with any PXWeb API including UNECE
• R package PxWebApiData: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/PxWebApiData/ -- simpler wrapper
• Python: No official client; use requests library with the REST API directly
• PXWeb source (Statistics Sweden): The PXWeb platform is developed by SCB but the UNECE instance source is not publicly available

License

• Free for all uses. UNECE statistical data is publicly available without restrictions. Standard UN terms of use apply (attribution expected).

2. Africa Transport Observatory (ATO)

Overview

The Africa Transport Observatory (ATO) at ato.africa is a continental transport data platform operated by the African Union Commission with technical support from the SSATP (Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Program) at the World Bank. It aims to be the central repository for transport statistics across all 54 AU member states.

API Availability

Important clarification: The domain ato.africa hosts the African Trade Observatory (an AfCFTA trade data instrument run by the African Union and ITC), not a transport observatory. The SSATP-led transport observatory work appears to be folded into corridor-specific monitoring systems rather than a single unified platform.

Related Platforms and Data Sources

The SSATP ecosystem includes several related initiatives, none of which currently offer programmatic access:

Best Alternative for Programmatic Access to African Transport Data

The Africa Information Highway Portal (by the African Development Bank) is the closest alternative with an actual API:

• API Explorer: https://dataportal.opendataforafrica.org/dev/explorer
• Covers energy, transport, ICT, water, and ports across Africa
• Includes some transport indicators that would otherwise come from ATO

Documentation

• SSATP Corridor Transport Observatory Guidelines (PDF): https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/295971468191647427/pdf/854750NWP0SSAT0Box382155B00PUBLIC0y.pdf
• SSATP publications page: https://www.ssatp.org/publications

Authentication

• N/A (no API)

Direct Download Options

• Country profiles and corridor reports downloadable as PDF from SSATP
• Africa Road Safety Observatory data shared via Dropbox
• No structured data downloads (CSV/JSON) from a transport-specific observatory

GitHub Repos

• None identified for ATO or SSATP transport data platforms

License

• Not clearly defined. African Union / World Bank data policies would apply.

Assessment

The ATO/SSATP transport data ecosystem has the weakest programmatic access of all sources reviewed. This represents a significant gap for any global transport intelligence system. Integration would require either:

1. Web scraping (fragile, not recommended)
2. Partnership agreement for direct data access
3. Using the Africa Information Highway API as a proxy for some indicators

3. OpenSky Network (Aviation ADS-B)

Overview

The OpenSky Network is a community-based ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) receiver network that collects and provides aircraft position and flight data. It is the largest open-access source of live and historical aviation tracking data, with 2,500+ volunteer receivers worldwide.

API Availability

API Documentation

• REST API docs: https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/rest.html
• Python API docs: https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/python.html
• Full documentation index: https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/
• API landing page: https://opensky-network.org/data/api
• Trino historical data: https://opensky-network.org/data/trino

Authentication

OAuth2 token request:

curl -X POST "https://auth.opensky-network.org/auth/realms/opensky-network/protocol/openid-connect/token" \
  -d "grant_type=client_credentials" \
  -d "client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID" \
  -d "client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"

Note: All accounts created since mid-March 2025 must use OAuth2. Legacy username/password auth is being phased out.

Rate Limits

• Header X-Rate-Limit-Remaining shows remaining credits
• HTTP 429 returned when limit reached; X-Rate-Limit-Retry-After-Seconds indicates wait time

Key Endpoints

Example -- get all current aircraft states:

curl "https://opensky-network.org/api/states/all" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Example -- get all states in a bounding box (Europe):

curl "https://opensky-network.org/api/states/all?lamin=45.8389&lomin=5.9962&lamax=47.8229&lomax=10.5226"

Direct Download / Bulk Data Options

• Trino access is available to university-affiliated researchers, government organizations, and aviation authorities
• Zenodo dataset: https://zenodo.org/records/7923702

GitHub Repos

License

• API & data: Free for non-commercial / academic use. Commercial use requires agreement.
• API client code: GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPLv3)
• Zenodo datasets: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)
• Terms of use: https://opensky-network.org/about/terms-of-use

4. AISHub / MarineTraffic (Maritime AIS)

4a. AISHub

Overview

AISHub is a community-based AIS data exchange network. Members contribute raw AIS data from their receivers and in return get access to the aggregated worldwide AIS feed from all other contributors. It is the maritime equivalent of the OpenSky model.

API Availability

API Documentation

• API page: https://www.aishub.net/api
• Third-party documentation: https://publicapi.dev/ais-hub-api

Authentication

Rate Limits

• Maximum 1 API request per minute

Key Endpoints / Parameters

The API is a single endpoint with parameters:

Example:

https://data.aishub.net/ws.php?username=YOUR_KEY&format=1&output=json&compress=0&latmin=45&latmax=46&lonmin=-1&lonmax=0

Data Fields

Returns standard AIS position report data: MMSI, timestamp, latitude, longitude, course over ground (COG), speed over ground (SOG), heading, navigation status, vessel name, IMO number, call sign, vessel type, dimensions.

Direct Download

• No bulk historical downloads
• Real-time data only through API
• Raw NMEA feed available to members

GitHub Repos

• aishub-api-public: https://github.com/lagersmit/aishub-api-public (community wrapper)

License

• Free for contributors; no explicit open data license
• Data is shared under the reciprocal contribution model

4b. MarineTraffic (by Kpler)

Overview

MarineTraffic is the world's largest commercial maritime data platform, now part of Kpler. It provides comprehensive vessel tracking, port data, and maritime intelligence via a suite of paid API services.

API Availability

API Documentation

• Official API docs: https://servicedocs.marinetraffic.com/
• API services overview: https://support.marinetraffic.com/en/articles/9552659-api-services
• Setup guide: https://help.marinetraffic.com/hc/en-us/articles/205115108-Set-up-your-API-Services

Authentication

• API key required (obtained after purchasing a subscription plan)
• Key passed as URL parameter: ?v=8&api_key=YOUR_KEY&...

Pricing

• Commercial, subscription-based. Prices vary by:
  • Endpoint / service type
  • Response detail level (simple / extended / full)
  • AIS data source (terrestrial / satellite)
  • Number of tracked vessels
  • Request frequency
• Volume discounts available (e.g., 25+ vessels)
• No free tier for API access (the website has a free tier for manual browsing)
• Contact sales for pricing: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/online-services/plans/comparison-list

Key API Services (Endpoints)

Example:

https://services.marinetraffic.com/api/exportvessel/v:8/YOUR_API_KEY/timespan:60/protocol:json

Direct Download

• No bulk data downloads via API (query-based only)
• Historical data available as paid data products
• MarineTraffic Data Services (via Kpler): https://www.kpler.com/product/maritime/data-services

GitHub Repos

• Marine-Traffic-API (Python): https://pypi.org/project/Marine-Traffic-API/ / https://github.com/amphinicy/marine-traffic-client-api
• MarineTraffic.NET (C#): https://github.com/sandrock/MarineTraffic.NET

License

• Proprietary / commercial. All data subject to MarineTraffic/Kpler terms of service. Not open data.

Maritime AIS Comparison

5. GBFS Feeds (Shared Mobility)

Overview

The General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS) is the open data standard for shared mobility (bikeshare, scooter share, car share, etc.). It defines a set of JSON endpoints that operators publish to make real-time availability data publicly accessible. GBFS is maintained by MobilityData and is used by 900+ shared mobility systems worldwide.

API Availability

GBFS is not a single API but a specification that each operator implements. Access is decentralized.

Documentation

• GBFS specification (current): https://gbfs.org/documentation/reference/
• GBFS spec on GitHub: https://github.com/MobilityData/gbfs/blob/master/gbfs.md
• Get started guide: https://gbfs.org/learn/guide/
• v3.0 spec: https://github.com/MobilityData/gbfs/blob/v3.0/gbfs.md
• FAQ: https://gbfs.org/learn/faq/

Feed Discovery -- The systems.csv Catalog

The master catalog of all known GBFS feeds worldwide is maintained by MobilityData:

The systems.csv file contains columns:

• Country Code, Name (system name), Location (city), System ID, URL (operator website), Auto-Discovery URL (the gbfs.json endpoint)

Authentication

• GBFS feeds: No authentication required for most feeds. The specification mandates public access.
• Mobility Database API: Requires a free access token (sign up at mobilitydatabase.org)

Key GBFS Endpoints (per system)

Each GBFS system publishes a gbfs.json file that links to the following feeds:

Example -- discover a system's feeds (Citi Bike NYC):

curl https://gbfs.citibikenyc.com/gbfs/gbfs.json

Example -- get station status:

curl https://gbfs.citibikenyc.com/gbfs/en/station_status.json

Direct Download Options

• systems.csv can be downloaded directly from GitHub for the full catalog
• Individual feeds are JSON and can be polled/scraped
• No single bulk download of all feeds (each system is independent)
• The Mobility Database API provides a programmatic way to discover and catalog feeds

GitHub Repos

License

• GBFS specification: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0)
• GBFS validator: Apache License 2.0
• Individual feed data: Varies by operator. If license_id and license_url are blank in system_information.json, data defaults to Creative Commons Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0). The specification recommends open data licensing.
• systems.csv catalog: CC BY 3.0

6. Comparison Matrix

Access Model Comparison

Data Richness Comparison

Integration Effort Estimate

This document complements the platform profiles in /research/databases-platforms/ by focusing specifically on programmatic access patterns for real-time and near-real-time data sources that could feed into a Global Transport Intelligence System.