The Public Transit API returns the Transit Score for a location and provides easy access to nearby public transit stops and routes.

Programmers can use the Public Transit API to:

• Add Transit Score to your website
• Show public transit stops on a map
• Show details about nearby transit routes

The Public Transit API has data from over 350+ public transit agencies.

Transit data missing in your area, or have a feed to submit? Email us here.

Getting Started

To start using the Public Transit API, request an API key.

  Get an API Key  

Branding Requirements

All API calls must comply with the Walk Score branding requirements.

Transit API Calls

There are six available API calls from the base URL https://transit.walkscore.com:

All Transit API calls return JSON information and the HTTP 200 status code on success, or return an HTTP 4xx status code on failure.

All Transit API calls require an API Key parameter, wsapikey. If you do not include this parameter, you will receive a 4xx status code. If you are over quota, you will also receive a 4xx status code.

The "Transit Score" API Call

The score API call returns a Transit Score for a location that is an integer between 0 and 100 along with an English description of the score.

Transit Score is available in the following cities. You must pass in a valid city along with either a two-letter state or country code in order to receive a Transit Score.

The score API takes the following parameters:

The score API returns a JSON dictionary containing the following keys:

The returned logo_url is an https link, but it may also be accessed via http.

EXAMPLE. To get the Transit Score of Pike Place Market in Seattle, make the following call:

The Transit API will return the following JSON:

{
    "scored_lat": 47.610135900000003,
    "scored_lon": -122.3420567,
    "transit_score": 100,
    "description": "World-Class",
    "summary": "266 nearby routes: 260 bus, 4 rail, 2 other",
    "ws_link": "http://www.walkscore.com/...",
    "help_link": "https://www.redfin.com/how-walk-score-works"
}

Transit Score API Status and Error Codes

Successful API requests return an HTTP 200 response:

Contact us for tech support.

The "Stop Search" API Call

The stop search API call returns information about stops near a given location.

This call returns sixteen stops that service unique routes near the location. In other words, each stop must contain a unique route or it is considered a duplicate stop. For example, if there were three bus stops near a location that only served the Route #16 bus, only the first of those stops would be returned by the stop search API call.

If you want all stops and routes use the network search call.

Summary text and HTML about the stops and the corresponding routes is also returned. Structured information about related routes is also provided.

The stop search API takes the following parameters:

The stop search API returns a JSON array of stop dictionaries. Each stop dictionary contains the following keys:

A route_summary is provided for each stop. The route_summary is a JSON array containing dictionaries with the following keys:

EXAMPLE. To get stops near JFK airport that service unique routes, make the following call:

The Transit API will return the following JSON:

[
    {
        "name": "Aqueduct Racetrack",
        "summary_text": "Aqueduct Racetrack (0.1 mi)\tA 8 Avenue Express",
        "summary_html": "
            <span class=\"walkscore\">
                <span class=\"stop\">Aqueduct Racetrack</span>
                <span class=\"distance\">(0.1 mi)</span>
                <span class=\"Rail\">A 8 Avenue Express</span></span>",
        "route_summary": [
            {
                "text_color": "FFFFFF",
                "id": "8c057",
                "agency": "MTA New York City Transit",
                "agency_url": "http://www.mta.info",
                "color": "2850AD",
                "short_name": "A",
                "name": "A 8 Avenue Express",
                "description": "Trains operate between Inwood-207 St, Manhattan and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue...",
                "long_name": "8 Avenue Express",
                "category": "Rail"
            },
            ...
        ],
        "lon": -73.834058,
        "lat": 40.668234,
        "distance": 0.1,
        "id": "s16679"
    },
    ...
]

The "Transit Network Search" API Call

The network search API is an advanced API call that returns detailed information about all of the routes and stops within one mile of a given location. Information is returned in two dictionary data structures so that it can be cross-correlated. In general, you should only use this API if you have advanced needs; the data it returns is richer but is more complex to process.

The network search API takes the following parameters:

The network search API returns a JSON dictionary containing two keys:

Each route detail dictionary contains the following keys:

And each stop detail dictionary contains the following keys:

The network search API call guarantees that, for a given stop, all of the corresponding route_id values are found in the routes dictionary. The reverse is not guaranteed.

EXAMPLE. To get extensive information about the transit network within a mile of JFK Airport, make the following call:

The Transit API will return the following JSON:

{
    "routes": {
        "r446": {
            "category": "Rail",
            "agency": "MTA New York City Transit",
            "name": "A 8 Avenue Express",
            "short_name": "A",
            "long_name": "8 Avenue Express",
            "agency_url": "http://www.mta.info",
            "color": "2850AD",
            "text_color": "FFFFFF",
            "description": "Trains operate between Inwood-207 St, Manhattan and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue...",
            "stop_ids": [
                "s10644",
                "s14748",
                ...
            ],
            "id": "r446"
        },
        "r462": {
            "category": "Bus",
            "agency": "MTA Bus Company",
            "name": "Q11 Elmhurst / Queens Ctr - Old Howard Bch",
            "short_name": "Q11",
            "long_name": "Elmhurst / Queens Ctr - Old Howard Bch",
            "agency_url": "http://www.mta.info",
            "color": "6CBE45",
            "text_color": "FFFFFF",
            "description": null,
            "stop_ids": [
                "s13828",
                "s11155",
                ...
            ],
            "id": "r462"
        },
        ...
    },
    "stops": {
        "s17737": {
            "lat": 40.668234,
            "route_ids": [
                "r415",
                "r282",
                ...
            ],
            "lon": -73.834058,
            "id": "s17737",
            "name": "Aqueduct - North Conduit Av"
        },
        "s11544": {
            "lat": 40.663429,
            "route_ids": [
                "r478",
                "r254",
                ...
            ],
            "lon": -73.833281,
            "id": "s11544",
            "name": "101 ST /157 AV"
        },
        ...
    }
}

The "Stop Details" API Call

The stop details API call returns detailed information about a single stop. You must call this URL with a valid stop ID.

The stop details API takes the following parameters:

The stop details API returns a JSON dictionary containing the following keys:

EXAMPLE. To get detail about stop s17737, make the following call:

The Transit API will return the following JSON:

{
    "lat": 47.610702500000002,
    "route_ids": [
        "r415",
        "r282",
        "r403",
        "r375",
        "r367"
    ],
    "lon": -122.340332,
    "id": "s17737",
    "name": "2nd Ave & Stewart St"
}

The "Route Details" API Call

The routes details API call returns detailed information about a single route. You must call this URL with a valid route ID.

The route details API takes the following parameters:

The route details API returns a JSON dictionary containing the following keys:

EXAMPLE. To get detail about route r403, make the following call:

The Transit API will return the following JSON:

{
    "category": "Rail",
    "agency": "MTA New York City Transit",
    "name": "A 8 Avenue Express",
    "short_name": "A",
    "long_name": "8 Avenue Express",
    "agency_url": "http://www.mta.info",
    "color": "2850AD",
    "text_color": "FFFFFF",
    "description": "Trains operate between Inwood-207 St, Manhattan and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue...",
    "stop_ids": [
        "s12203",
        "s13993",
        ...
    ],
    "id": "r403",
    "geometry_wkt": "LINESTRING(...)"
}

The "Supported Cities" API Call

The supported cities API call returns a list of cities where the score API is known to provide good results. This call is a structured way to get a list of our supported cities and is not generally used by our API partners.

The supported cities API takes the following parameters:

The supported cities API returns a JSON array of supported cities. Each city is represented as a dictionary containing the following keys:

EXAMPLE. To get detail about supported cities, make the following call:

The Transit API will return the following JSON:

[
    {
        "city": "Seattle",
        "state": "WA",
        "population": 617000
    },
    ...
]