OVERVIEW

These data layers represent bus routes and stops within the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) public transit system. The layers were developed by the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) and are based on data provided by the MBTA as of May 2007.

The bus routes layer, named MBTABUSROUTES_ARC, includes the many local variations during the course of a day along each primary route, such as a short turn or a spur into a shopping center.

The bus stops layer is named MBTABUSSTOPS_PT. Each point has a unique identifier (STOP_ID), with a different point for stops on both sides of the road (for inbound and outbound bus routes).

For the bus routes, CTPS GIS staff attached bus route information provided by the MBTA to the then-current Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) Roads layer.

For the bus stops, CTPS geocoded bus stop locations and snapped the points to the corresponding routes on the then-current EOT roads layer. Bus stops on both sides of the street are each represented with a single point in the same location.

Two related tables are stored and distributed with the route and stop data.:

• MBTAROUTES_ARC_NAMES contains information specific to each bus route. MassGIS joined this table to the line layer provided by CTPS.  ROUTE_NUM acts as the primary key in table relationships.
• MBTABUSSTOPS_PT_LIST  contains information for all bus stops and the routes they serve. Attributes include:
  
  

  ROUTE_NUM		Full route number, to indicate variations along the route
  DIRECTION		Direction of routes served by the stop  0 = Outbound  1 = Inbound
  BUS_ID		Bus Route Identifier; equal to 1000 * ROUTE_NUM + DIRECTION
  STOP_ID		Bus Stop Identifier
  SEQUENCE		Represents the order in which the stops are visited along the route

To associate a bus stop with the route(s) it serves, MassGIS created two ArcSDE relationship classes. Each bus stop in the point layer has a unique STOP_ID, which may be related (1:Many) to STOP_ID in the MBTABUSSTOPS_PT_LIST table. The unique ROUTE_NUM field in MBTAROUTES_ARC_NAMES may be related (1:M) to ROUTE_NUM in MBTABUSSTOPS_PT_LIST. The relationship classes MBTA_BUS_STOPS_TO_LIST and MBTA_BUS_RTE_TO STOP_LIST, respectively, establish these relates.

The MBTABUSROUTES_ARC layer contains the following attributes:

BUS_ID		Unique Bus Route Identifier
DIRECTION		Direction of route  0 = Outbound  1 = Inbound
ROUTE_MAJ		Major (primary) route number
ROUTE_NUM		Full route number, to indicate variations along the route
ROUTE_DESC		Route description
LOC_EXP		Local or Express route designation  L = Local  E = Express
PRIVATE		Type of carrier or operator  0 = Operated by the MBTA  1 = Private Carrier

The MBTABUSSTOPS_PT layer contains the following attributes:

STOP_ID		Unique bus stop identifier
STOP_NAME		Descriptive bus stop name

MAINTENANCE

The Central Transportation Planning Staff will update the datalayer as needed and provide data files to MassGIS for distribution. Currently CTPS plans an update each March.

Last Updated 5/15/2008
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