io.github.cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server
Real-time transit stops, routes, arrivals, vehicle positions, and schedules via OneBusAway APIs.
Open source Repository Open in the app JSON README (API)
About
Real-time transit stops, routes, arrivals, vehicle positions, and schedules via OneBusAway APIs.
Details
- Kind
- MCP servers
- Topic
- Maps, weather & travel
- Publisher
- cyanheads
- Origin
- official
- Category
- ferramentas
- Transport
- http
- Version
- 0.1.14
- Stars
- 1
- Last push
- 2026-08-24T02:59:56Z
- Repository state
- ativo
- Language
- TypeScript
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Added
- 2026-08-29 03:02:39
- Updated
- 2026-08-29 03:02:39
- Origin id
io.github.cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server
README
<div align="center">
<h1>@cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server</h1>
<p><b>Query stops, routes, real-time arrivals, vehicle positions, and schedules from OneBusAway transit APIs via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP.</b>
<div>15 Tools • 2 Resources</div>
</p>
</div>
<div align="center">
[](./CHANGELOG.md) [](./LICENSE) [](https://github.com/users/cyanheads/packages/container/package/onebusaway-mcp-server) [](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server) [](https://www.typescriptlang.org/) [](https://bun.sh/)
</div>
<div align="center">
[](https://github.com/cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server/releases/latest/download/onebusaway-mcp-server.mcpb) [](https://cursor.com/en/install-mcp?name=onebusaway-mcp-server&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoibnB4IiwiYXJncyI6WyIteSIsIkBjeWFuaGVhZHMvb25lYnVzYXdheS1tY3Atc2VydmVyIl0sImVudiI6eyJPTkVCVVNBV0FZX0FQSV9LRVkiOiJURVNUIn19) [](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode:mcp/install?%7B%22name%22%3A%22onebusaway-mcp-server%22%2C%22command%22%3A%22npx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22-y%22%2C%22%40cyanheads%2Fonebusaway-mcp-server%22%5D%2C%22env%22%3A%7B%22ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY%22%3A%22TEST%22%7D%7D)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core)
**Public Hosted Server:** [https://onebusaway.caseyjhand.com/mcp](https://onebusaway.caseyjhand.com/mcp)
</div>
---
## Tools
15 tools covering the full OneBusAway transit data surface — discovery, real-time operations, schedules, alerts, and block schedules:
| Tool | Description |
|:---|:---|
| `onebusaway_list_agencies` | List all transit agencies on this OneBusAway instance with IDs, contact info, and geographic coverage |
| `onebusaway_find_stops` | Find bus stops near a lat/lon within a configurable radius, optionally filtered by stop code |
| `onebusaway_search_stops` | Search stops by name or code string to resolve a human-readable name to a stop ID |
| `onebusaway_get_stop` | Fetch details for a specific stop by agency-prefixed ID |
| `onebusaway_find_routes` | Find transit routes near a lat/lon, optionally filtered by name or number |
| `onebusaway_search_routes` | Search routes by name or number to resolve a route short name to a route ID |
| `onebusaway_get_route` | Fetch details for a specific route by agency-prefixed ID |
| `onebusaway_list_routes_for_agency` | List all routes operated by an agency |
| `onebusaway_get_arrivals` | Real-time arrivals and departures at a stop — GPS-tracked predictions, schedule deviation, vehicle positions, and active alerts |
| `onebusaway_get_trip` | Real-time status and full stop sequence for an active trip |
| `onebusaway_get_vehicles` | Real-time positions of all active vehicles for an agency, optionally filtered to one route |
| `onebusaway_get_schedule_for_stop` | Full-day departure schedule for a stop by route and direction |
| `onebusaway_get_schedule_for_route` | Full-day schedule for a route — all trips and stop sequences |
| `onebusaway_get_alert` | Fetch full service alert detail by situation ID — summary, description, reason, affected stops/routes, consequence, and active time windows |
| `onebusaway_get_block` | Fetch the full-day block schedule for a vehicle by block ID — all trips in order with stop times, useful for fleet tracking |
### `onebusaway_find_stops`
Find bus stops near a geographic location.
- Configurable search radius (default 300m, max ~1600m before results degrade)
- Optional stop code filter (the number printed on the sign, e.g. `75403`)
- Returns stop ID, code, name, direction, served route IDs, and wheelchair boarding status
- `limitExceeded` flag signals when more stops exist beyond the returned set
- Stop IDs returned here feed directly into `onebusaway_get_arrivals`
---
### `onebusaway_get_arrivals`
Real-time arrivals and departures at a stop.
- Configurable time window (`minutesBefore`, `minutesAfter` — defaults 5/35)
- `predicted` boolean distinguishes GPS-tracked estimates from schedule-only projections
- Schedule deviation in seconds (positive = late, negative = early)
- Vehicle position and stops-away count when available
- Active service alert summaries included inline
- `tripId` on each arrival feeds `onebusaway_get_trip` for vehicle tracking
---
### `onebusaway_get_trip`
Real-time status and stop sequence for a specific trip.
- Journey phase (`in_progress`, `layover_before`, `layover_during`)
- Vehicle GPS position, heading, and schedule deviation
- Full stop sequence with GTFS arrival/departure times and distance along trip
- Optional `serviceDateMs` for looking up trips from a prior service day
---
### `onebusaway_get_vehicles`
Real-time positions of all active vehicles for an agency.
- Returns GPS coordinates, heading, schedule deviation, and current trip for every active vehicle
- Optional `routeId` filter (applied client-side after fetching all agency vehicles)
- Phase and `predicted` flag distinguish actively-reporting vehicles from stale entries
---
### `onebusaway_search_routes`
Search for routes by name or number across the instance.
- Falls back gracefully: the Puget Sound instance returns 404 on the search endpoint — `onebusaway_find_routes` (lat/lon) or `onebusaway_list_routes_for_agency` are the alternatives
- Error contract surfaces this with structured recovery hints
---
### `onebusaway_get_schedule_for_stop` and `onebusaway_get_schedule_for_route`
Static schedule lookups — full-day timetables without real-time data.
- Date parameter (ISO 8601) defaults to today in the agency's timezone
- `onebusaway_get_schedule_for_stop`: all departures grouped by route and direction, with trip IDs for follow-up calls
- `onebusaway_get_schedule_for_route`: all trips for the route with full stop sequences and GTFS stop times
## Resources
| Type | Name | Description |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Resource | `onebusaway://stop/{stopId}` | Stop metadata — name, coordinates, served routes, and wheelchair accessibility |
| Resource | `onebusaway://route/{routeId}` | Route metadata — short name, description, agency, and schedule URL |
All resource data is also reachable via `onebusaway_get_stop` and `onebusaway_get_route`. Stop and route IDs use agency-prefixed format: `{agencyId}_{localId}` (e.g. `1_75403`, `1_100259`).
## Features
Built on [`@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core):
- Declarative tool and resource definitions — single file per primitive, framework handles registration and validation
- Unified error handling — handlers throw, framework catches, classifies, and formats
- Pluggable auth: `none`, `jwt`, `oauth`
- Swappable storage backends: `in-memory`, `filesystem`, `Supabase`, `Cloudflare KV/R2/D1`
- Structured logging with optional OpenTelemetry tracing
- STDIO and Streamable HTTP transports
OneBusAway-specific:
- Wraps [`onebusaway-sdk`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/onebusaway-sdk) with typed error classification (`NotFound`, `RateLimited`, `ServiceUnavailable`)
- Defaults to the Puget Sound instance (`api.pugetsound.onebusaway.org`) — works with `ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY=TEST` for development
- Configurable `ONEBUSAWAY_BASE_URL` for any OneBusAway-compatible instance (NYC, Washington DC, Tampa, etc.)
- Server-level instructions guide agents through stop ID format, recommended workflows, and OneBusAway's limitations (no trip planning)
Agent-friendly output:
- `predicted` boolean on every arrival and vehicle distinguishes GPS-tracked data from schedule-only projections — agents branch on data, not string parsing
- Schedule deviation in seconds on arrivals, trips, and vehicle positions — structured for countdown timer math
- Cross-tool linkage: `tripId` from arrivals feeds `onebusaway_get_trip`; `stopId` from searches feeds arrivals; `agencyId` from list feeds vehicles and route listing
- Structured error contracts with recovery hints (`onebusaway_search_routes` 404 → fallback to `onebusaway_find_routes` or `onebusaway_list_routes_for_agency`)
## Getting started
Add the following to your MCP client configuration file. `ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY=TEST` works on the Puget Sound instance without registration.
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"onebusaway-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "bunx",
"args": ["@cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server@latest"],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
"MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info",
"ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY": "TEST"
}
}
}
}
```
Or with npx (no Bun required):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"onebusaway-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server@latest"],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
"MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info",
"ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY": "TEST"
}
}
}
}
```
Or with Docker:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"onebusaway-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run", "-i", "--rm",
"-e", "MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE=stdio",
"-e", "ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY=TEST",
"ghcr.io/cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server:latest"
]
}
}
}
```
For Streamable HTTP, set the transport and start the server:
```sh
MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE=http MCP_HTTP_PORT=3010 ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY=TEST bun run start:http
# Server listens at http://localhost:3010/mcp
```
### Prerequisites
- [Bun v1.3.0](https://bun.sh/) or higher (or Node.js v24+).
- An OneBusAway API key. `TEST` works on the Puget Sound instance for development. For production use or other instances, register at the relevant agency's developer portal.
### Installation
1. **Clone the repository:**
```sh
git clone https://github.com/cyanheads/onebusaway-mcp-server.git
```
2. **Navigate into the directory:**
```sh
cd onebusaway-mcp-server
```
3. **Install dependencies:**
```sh
bun install
```
4. **Configure environment:**
```sh
cp .env.example .env
# edit .env — set ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY if needed
```
## Configuration
All configuration is validated at startup via Zod schemas. Key environment variables:
| Variable | Description | Default |
|:---|:---|:---|
| `ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY` | OneBusAway API key. `TEST` works on Puget Sound for development. | `TEST` |
| `ONEBUSAWAY_BASE_URL` | Base URL for the OneBusAway instance. | `https://api.pugetsound.onebusaway.org` |
| `MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE` | Transport: `stdio` or `http`. | `stdio` |
| `MCP_HTTP_PORT` | HTTP server port. | `3010` |
| `MCP_HTTP_ENDPOINT_PATH` | HTTP endpoint path. | `/mcp` |
| `MCP_SESSION_MODE` | Session handling: `auto`, `stateful`, or `stateless`. | `stateless` |
| `MCP_AUTH_MODE` | Auth mode: `none`, `jwt`, or `oauth`. | `none` |
| `MCP_LOG_LEVEL` | Log level (`debug`, `info`, `notice`, `warning`, `error`). | `info` |
| `LOGS_DIR` | Directory for log files (Node.js only). | `<project-root>/logs` |
| `STORAGE_PROVIDER_TYPE` | Storage backend: `in-memory`, `filesystem`, `supabase`, `cloudflare-kv/r2/d1`. | `in-memory` |
| `OTEL_ENABLED` | Enable OpenTelemetry instrumentation. | `false` |
See [`.env.example`](./.env.example) for the full list of optional overrides.
## Running the server
### Local development
- **Build and run the production version:**
```sh
# One-time build
bun run rebuild
# Run the built server
bun run start:http
# or
bun run start:stdio
```
- **Run checks and tests:**
```sh
bun run devcheck # Lint, format, typecheck, security, changelog sync
bun run test # Vitest test suite
bun run lint:mcp # Validate MCP definitions against spec
```
### Docker
```sh
docker build -t onebusaway-mcp-server .
docker run --rm -e ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY=TEST -p 3010:3010 onebusaway-mcp-server
```
The Dockerfile defaults to HTTP transport, stateless session mode, and logs to `/var/log/onebusaway-mcp-server`. OpenTelemetry peer dependencies are installed by default — build with `--build-arg OTEL_ENABLED=false` to omit them.
## Project structure
| Directory | Purpose |
|:---|:---|
| `src/index.ts` | `createApp()` entry point — registers tools/resources and inits the OneBusAway service. |
| `src/config/server-config.ts` | Server-specific env var parsing: `ONEBUSAWAY_API_KEY`, `ONEBUSAWAY_BASE_URL`. |
| `src/mcp-server/tools` | Tool definitions (`*.tool.ts`). 15 tools across discovery, real-time, and schedule operations. |
| `src/mcp-server/resources` | Resource definitions (`*.resource.ts`). Stop and route metadata resources. |
| `src/services/onebusaway` | OneBusAway service — wraps `onebusaway-sdk`, typed error classification, domain types. |
| `tests/` | Unit and integration tests mirroring `src/`. 340 tests covering all tools and resources. |
## Development guide
See [`CLAUDE.md`](./CLAUDE.md) for development guidelines and architectural rules. The short version:
- Handlers throw, framework catches — no `try/catch` in tool logic
- Use `ctx.log` for request-scoped logging, `ctx.state` for tenant-scoped storage
- Register new tools and resources in the `createApp()` arrays in `src/index.ts`
- Wrap external API calls: validate raw → normalize to domain type → return output schema; never fabricate missing fields
## Contributing
Issues and pull requests are welcome. Run checks and tests before submitting:
```sh
bun run devcheck
bun run test
```
## Data
Transit data is sourced from the [Puget Sound OneBusAway API](https://api.pugetsound.onebusaway.org), operated by Sound Transit and King County Metro. Use of this data is governed by the [Sound Transit Transit Data Terms of Use](https://www.soundtransit.org/help-contacts/business-information/open-transit-data-otd/transit-data-terms-use).
Downstream users of this server's hosted endpoint receive data subject to those terms. Key obligations include:
- **Clause 2** — Usage metrics are available on request.
- **Clause 3** — Data is fetched live from the OneBusAway API and is not modified or cached beyond the request cycle.
- **Clause 4** — You agree to pass through substantially similar terms to any users you provide this data to.
- **Clause 7** — This server does not use Sound Transit trademarks in its name or branding.
## License
Apache-2.0 — see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.