Real-time Elevator updates for people with disabilities

[SamsenRd]

Hello,

I am writing to inquire if GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) offers real-time elevator status updates for subway stations. This data would be extremely beneficial for developing a real-time map that provides regular updates. This feature would enable individuals with disabilities to plan their trips more effectively and avoid being stranded at subway stations due to unforeseen elevator outages.

Could you please let me know if real-time elevator status information can be incorporated into the real-time section of your website?

Thank you very much, I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Samantha

[eliasmbd]

@SamsenRd Thank you for reaching out Samantha. I'm Elias, Community Manager at MobilityData. Thank you for reaching out and contributing to the GTFS community with your first issue!

As per your request, the GTFS Realtime Feature you outlined is not adopted but, there are other adopted features that can provide similar information. Service Alerts can provide the status of elevators at stops.

Accessibility issue: The alert provides information about accessibility issues that affects step-free access. Examples include an out of service elevator or movable ramps.

To accomplish what you are proposing above I would look into this proposal on google/transit, the official GTFS Repository. This Pull Request adds details to the information displaying elevators in the GTFS Realtime feed.

In addition, you can also take a look at what is currently being developed in the GTFS-PathwayUpdate proposal. This may online some of the points brought up in PR #268 linked above.

Finally, I would like to invite you to join MobilityData's slack. It is a free community resource that allows you to connect with the GTFS community. It is very responsive and an ideal place for this type of discussion / inquiry.