Transit Nearby Routes API

openapi: 3.0.3
info:
  title: Transit Locations Nearby Routes API
  description: 'The Transit API delivers real-time public transit data - nearby routes and stops, stop departures, route details, multimodal trip planning, and service alerts - across 1,100+ cities in 37 countries, plus shared-mobility availability for bikes, scooters, and carshare. The API is publicly documented at https://api-doc.transitapp.com/ but access is key-gated: developers request an access key (free tier of 5 requests/minute and 1,500 requests/month) via Transit''s request form, and higher volumes are arranged with the partnerships team.


    Requests are made against https://external.transitapp.com/v3 and authenticated with an `apiKey` request header. An `Accept-Language` header selects the response language.


    Grounding note: the `apiKey` header, the `https://external.transitapp.com/v3` base URL, and the `GET /public/nearby_stops` endpoint (with `lat`, `lon`, and `max_distance` parameters) are confirmed from Transit''s public documentation and working integrations. The remaining endpoints (`nearby_routes`, `stop_departures`, `route_details`, `otp/plan`, `service_alerts`, `available_networks`) and their request/response shapes are modeled honestly from Transit''s documented v3 API surface, GTFS / GTFS-realtime conventions, and Transit''s public capability descriptions; they are marked with `x-modeled: true`. Confirm exact field names against the live docs once an access key is issued.'
  version: '3.0'
  contact:
    name: Transit Partnerships
    url: https://transitapp.com/partners/apis
    email: partners@transit.app
  x-logo:
    url: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
servers:
- url: https://external.transitapp.com/v3
  description: Transit public API v3
security:
- apiKeyAuth: []
tags:
- name: Nearby Routes
  description: Public transit routes near a location with real-time departures.
paths:
  /public/nearby_routes:
    get:
      operationId: getNearbyRoutes
      tags:
      - Nearby Routes
      summary: Get nearby routes
      description: Returns the public transit routes near a latitude/longitude, each with upcoming real-time departures, direction and headsign, wheelchair accessibility, and network branding.
      x-modeled: true
      parameters:
      - name: lat
        in: query
        required: true
        description: Latitude of the search center (WGS84 decimal degrees).
        schema:
          type: number
          format: double
          example: 45.5088
      - name: lon
        in: query
        required: true
        description: Longitude of the search center (WGS84 decimal degrees).
        schema:
          type: number
          format: double
          example: -73.5878
      - name: max_distance
        in: query
        required: false
        description: Maximum search radius in meters.
        schema:
          type: integer
          default: 500
          example: 500
      - name: should_update_realtime
        in: query
        required: false
        description: When true, include live real-time departure predictions.
        schema:
          type: boolean
          default: true
      - name: Accept-Language
        in: header
        required: false
        description: Preferred response language (BCP 47), e.g. en, fr, es.
        schema:
          type: string
          example: en
      responses:
        '200':
          description: A list of nearby routes with departures.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                properties:
                  routes:
                    type: array
                    items:
                      $ref: '#/components/schemas/Route'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
components:
  responses:
    RateLimited:
      description: Rate limit exceeded (free tier is 5 requests/minute, 1,500/month).
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
    Unauthorized:
      description: Missing or invalid API key.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
  schemas:
    Leg:
      type: object
      properties:
        mode:
          type: string
          example: BUS
        from:
          type: string
          example: YUL Aéroport
        to:
          type: string
          example: Centre-ville
        route_short_name:
          type: string
          example: '747'
        duration:
          type: integer
          example: 1500
    Route:
      type: object
      properties:
        global_route_id:
          type: string
          example: STM:route:747
        route_short_name:
          type: string
          example: '747'
        route_long_name:
          type: string
          example: YUL Aéroport - Centre-ville
        route_color:
          type: string
          example: 009EE0
        route_text_color:
          type: string
          example: FFFFFF
        mode_name:
          type: string
          example: bus
        itineraries:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Itinerary'
    Error:
      type: object
      properties:
        status:
          type: integer
          example: 401
        message:
          type: string
          example: Invalid API key.
    Itinerary:
      type: object
      properties:
        duration:
          type: integer
          description: Total trip duration in seconds.
          example: 1980
        start_time:
          type: integer
          description: Unix epoch seconds of departure.
        end_time:
          type: integer
          description: Unix epoch seconds of arrival.
        legs:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Leg'
  securitySchemes:
    apiKeyAuth:
      type: apiKey
      in: header
      name: apiKey
      description: Transit access key requested via Transit's API request form. Sent as the `apiKey` request header on every call.