Trak.tools - GTFS Transit Data Explorer

A Vue 3 + Vite application that makes MBTA transit data accessible and easy to explore without the complexity of working directly with GTFS APIs.

Features

• Route Explorer: Browse all MBTA routes with interactive cards
• Route Details: View stops, vehicles, and real-time data for each route
• JSON Viewer: Developer-friendly raw data access with syntax highlighting
• Responsive Design: Mobile-first Bootstrap 5 interface
• Real-time Data: Live vehicle positions and service updates

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 16+
• npm or yarn

Installation

1. Clone the repository

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables:

   cp .env.example .env

4. Configure your MBTA API key in .env:

   VITE_MBTA_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   

   Get your free API key at: https://api-v3.mbta.com/

Development

npm run dev

Build for Production

npm run build

Environment Variables

• VITE_APP_ENV: Set to DEV for development, PROD for production
• VITE_MBTA_API_KEY: Your MBTA API key (optional but recommended for higher rate limits)
• VITE_MBTA_API_BASE_URL: MBTA API base URL (defaults to https://api-v3.mbta.com)

API Usage

The app uses the MBTA V3 API. While an API key is optional, it's recommended to avoid rate limiting:

• Without API key: 20 requests per minute
• With API key: 1000 requests per minute

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Vue 3 with Composition API
• Build Tool: Vite
• UI Framework: Bootstrap 5
• HTTP Client: Axios
• Routing: Vue Router
• Language: TypeScript

Project Structure

src/
├── components/          # Reusable Vue components
├── pages/              # Page components
├── services/           # API services
├── style.css          # Global styles
└── main.ts            # App entry point

Contributing

This is an open-source project. Contributions are welcome!

License

MIT License