TransiCast / Rasa - The Web API
TransiCast / Rasa is a public transportation data aggregation platform that offers real-time next bus and train times for North American metros. Also included are transit routes and stops. All wrapped in a REST API with a single, unified format, that consolidates the various incompatible formats that transit agencies offer today.
TransiCast includes the following metro areas and agencies:
TransiCast / Rasa enables instant reach across multiple metro areas and eliminates the effort of finding the relevant transit data from various sources and the development of data readers against the various real-time feed formats that transit agencies offer. Currently, TransiCast / Rasa implements twelve different real-time feed formats and GTFS service network data.
How it works
Think of TransiCast / Rasa as a Gigya for public transportation data. You license the data (sources here), and use TransiCast / Rasa to aggregate your data feeds. TransiCast / Rasa delivers the content of these feeds through a hosted REST API in an unified, integrated data format.
Check out the TransiCast apps for Android™ and Nokia / Symbian to get an impression of TransiCast / Rasa's capabilities.
Try it out
Below a few quick samples of TransiCast / Rasa calls:
| Next bus times for LA Metro stops 11918 and 3429 for routes 45, 83 and 834 |
| Stops at 37.794543,-122.394922 (near San Francisco Ferry Plaza) |
| Route List of SFMTA (San Francisco) |
| Route details of CTA (Chicago) route 28 |
| Agency List, sorted by distance from 41.727122, -87.55947 (near Chicago) |
| Service Messages for the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station in Washington, D.C. |
Beyond these samples, the REST API is open for full hands-on test drives. No sign up required (although you can register for the Test on General TransiCast Web Server plan here). Check it out with an open sample key, and code against the REST API. Assuming familiarity with the implementation of client side REST API calls, the documentation should contain all necessary information to get started. Please let us know what you think.
Please note that user facing production calls to TransiCast / Rasa require an application ID on a production plan, and licenses for the transit data, as applicable.
Production setup
"Production" calls to TransiCast / Rasa which you use to provide service to your users require a subscription of a TransiCast / Rasa production plan. We manage this aspect of TransiCast / Rasa through 3scale. With sign-up to a production plan, we:
- • Set up and maintain a dedicated and exclusive instance of the TransiCast / Rasa web server on Google App Engine
- • Provide a dedicated and exclusive application ID
- • Perform monthly updates of the base data (stops, routes) as provided by the original source (transit agencies)
Cost structure
Once production is set up, the following cost elements drive your recurring cost:
- • Base subscription to TransiCast/Rasa: USD 30/month. Billed monthly
- • Usage of TransiCast/Rasa: USD 0.1ct/call. Billed monthly
- • App Engine instance cost, depending on configuration. Google bills directly to you
- • Arrangements with data sources, if needed
Your expected monthly cost, in examples:
Example 1: 500 overall calls to TransiCast/Rasa using a free instance on App Engine: $30 plus 500 * 0.1ct = $30.50
Example 2: 12500 calls to TransiCast/Rasa using a billed, resident instance on App Engine: $30 plus 12500 * 0.1ct plus $30 (est. expense to Google) = $72.50
Example 3: 100800 calls to TransiCast/Rasa using a billed, resident instance on App Engine: $30 plus 100800 * 0.1ct plus $45 (est. expense to Google) = $175.80
You can cancel your subscriptions at any time and for any reason, no questions asked.
Contact
By email
| © 2011, 2012 Joachim Pfeiffer |
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