Correction Notice
Corrections were made in the stops_and_routes.gpkg file to the custom_id field denoting transit agencies. Minor typos in URLs were fixed in the data_sources.csv file. Two columns were added to the validation_summary.csv file to denote the start and end date of each GTFS service.
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Overview
The Canadian Public Transit Network Database is a consolidated, national-level collection of General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data. The release aims to provide a consistent dataset for examining transit coverage and accessibility across jurisdictions, supporting researchers, planners, and developers.
The data and metadata files can be downloaded as part of the Linkable Open Data Environment. The Canadian Public Transit Network Database was produced by the Urban Data Lab at Statistics Canada and is available under the Open Government License - Canada.
Download
The Canadian Public Transit Network Database and associated metadata files are downloadable as a compressed folder:
What’s included in the dataset?
The Canadian Public Transit Network Database release includes:
- GTFS files: GTFS format .txt files for each transit agency, including stops, routes, trips, stop times, calendars, and additional fields where available.
- Geospatial dataset: a national geospatial dataset compatible with geographic information systems combining data on stops and routes.
- Data validation files: files summarizing warnings and errors for each transit agency feed.
- Metadata: Details on data sources and column name definitions.
Data sources and methodology
General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) is the open standard format used for public transit data. It is composed of a series of .txt files detailing the services provided by each transit agency, including the location of stops, transit schedules, routes, and trips. The GTFS data format is now a simple and accessible worldwide open standard that is commonly used in trip-planning software and applications.
Data from transit agencies across Canada were gathered from transit provider websites. Key processing steps included aggregating GTFS feeds from various providers, performing basic validation checks to assess compliance with GTFS standards and exporting GTFS data to a geospatial format.
More information on methodology can be found in the metadata report included in the Canadian Public Transit Network Database download folder.
Credits
The Canadian Public Transit Network Database was made possible by the ongoing efforts of organizations that produce and maintain open data and by the cooperation of organizations that have either given permission to include their publicly available data or directly provided their data for release as open data. The contribution and assistance of these organizations are gratefully acknowledged.
- Data compiled by the Urban Data Lab, Centre for Special Business Projects, Statistics Canada
- Supported by: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC)
How to cite this dataset
Statistics Canada. (2025). Canadian Public Transit Network Database. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/23-26-0003/232600032025001-eng.htm.
Contact
For queries, corrections, or omissions, please contact us at statcan.lode-ecdo.statcan@statcan.gc.ca. Please include the title of the open database in the subject line of the email.
- Date modified: