This page provides a list of static transit terms and definitions to help transit partners and data aggregators use the terms consistently across multiple documents or user interfaces.
| Terms | |
|---|---|
| Agency | A company or an organization that operates the transit services or that's known by passengers to be responsible for those services. |
| Aggregator | A company or an organization that provides software services and works on the transit data aggregation. |
| Calendar | A schedule that contains days and times when transit service is available for one or more routes. |
| Departure board | On the transit layer of Google Maps, when you click a stop icon, the departure board appears. It shows the stop name, route type, route name, headsign, and estimated time to arrival. |
| Exact timetable | A schedule that's clearly defined in calendar.txt and
calendar_dates.txt, which shows the availability of transit services. |
| Frequency-based trip | A trip based on a certain time period between the previous trip and subsequent one. For example, a trip with the description "every 3 minutes." |
| Headsign | The text that appears on signage and shows the destination to passengers. |
| Pathway | A particular way that has only two nodes, to represent the beginning and ending. This path helps passengers travel through a station. |
| Platform | A particular location for passengers to get on board or leave a vehicle. |
| Route | A particular way between the start location and destination, along which the passengers travel in the public transit vehicle. |
| Static feed | A ZIP package that complies with the GTFS format and provides information about planned routes running on fixed schedules. |
| Station | A physical structure or area that contains one or more stops. |
| Stop | A location where a vehicle stops to let passengers get on board or leave the vehicle. |
| Transit layer | A layer on Google Maps that shows the public transit routes, stops, vehicles, and other information. |
| Transit partner dashboard | A dashboard that lets transit partners set up, manage, and monitor their transit feeds, and configure account access for users in their organization. |
| Trip | A sequence of two or more stops within a specific time. |
| Trip directions page | In the page with trip search results, when you click one result, the trip directions page displays. It shows details about your trip from the start location to the destination. |
| Trip search results | On Google Maps, when you click Directions, a page displays for you to specify the start location and destination. After you specify them, the page with trip search results displays. |