Query the BART real-time API for estimated departures
domain: api.bart.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Decide between BART's Legacy API (api.bart.gov, XML by default, JSON via &json=y) and BART's GTFS/GTFS-Realtime feeds, which BART now recommends as the current, supported option
For the Legacy API, use the real-time ETD (estimated time of departure) command for live departure predictions by station
Use the Legacy API's route, schedule, and station information commands for static topology if not using GTFS
A shared public key works without registration, but register a personal key for stability in case the shared public key is ever rotated
Prefer the GTFS-Realtime feeds for any new integration per BART's own current guidance
Known gotchas
BART explicitly calls the classic api.bart.gov interface the 'Legacy API' and steers new development toward GTFS/GTFS-RT instead — check current guidance before building on it
Legacy API responses default to XML; forgetting the json=y parameter will break a JSON-only parser
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