SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT
Navigating
the Transit Landscape through NTD
CLIENT
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
FOCUS
Transit Systems; Data Reporting; Transportation Policy; Program Management
METHODS
Technical Validation (SQL, Power BI, Microsoft Suite); Workflow/Task Optimization (JIRA, SharePoint), and Advanced GIS functions (ArcGIS)
OUTCOME
Informed national investment; High-volume data production; Improved data integrity; Actionable industry trends; Enhanced operational efficiency
Quote Please
— Office of FTA Employee
3K
Transit Agencies Served
90K
Validation issues resolved annually
60
Annual data products produced
30+
Data forms managed and maintained
Ensuring Data Accuracy in a Complex Transit Landscape
Public transportation in the U.S. depends on reliable and up-to-date transit data. With thousands of agencies, countless service types, and billions of annual passenger trips, the system is complex and constantly evolving. The National Transit Database (NTD) stands at the center of this effort, serving as the primary source for comprehensive transit data nationwide.
Ensuring that this data remains current and accurate requires ongoing collaboration and a commitment to quality at every step. Policymakers at all levels—local, regional, state, and federal—depend on this information to guide planning, set policies, make investments, and allocate funding for transportation projects. Whether it’s a major city system with thousands of daily riders or a rural service helping seniors and people with disabilities, the transit industry relies on consistent data to operate efficiently and meet the needs of communities across the country.
Untangling a Nationwide Transportation Data Web
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) publishes the National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). It is a nationwide collection of maps and data on transportation networks like highways, railways, waterways, and airports. It also contains critical spatial information on bridges and intermodal terminals. And it can function as an early warning system, showing natural hazards in our transportation infrastructure.
Without the NTAD, the government would be flying blind…literally. Transportation planners would not have the reliable data they need for analysis and decision-making across government and industries.
The problem is that NTAD’s 90+ datasets come from a slew of different federal agencies, and these agencies rely on diverse state, regional, local, and private sources. The result was inconsistency with standards and data quality. BTS needed help creating a strong quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. Its goal was to ensure that the NTAD’s critical data was reliable for the nation’s transportation planning and useful for private-sector projects.
Putting NTAD Data to the Test
MacroSys leaned on clear protocols and outputs to untangle the web of data. Our team developed rigorous QA/QC processes for datasets such as the ‘Intercity Bus Atlas Routes and Stops’ and the ‘General Transit Feed Specification.’
We worked closely with BTS to create assessment categories, scoring methods, and standardized outputs. The process reviewed each geospatial dataset for integrity, completeness, and compliance with BTS standards across key areas. Analysts carefully examined every NTAD dataset using defined criteria and tools like Esri’s Generate Near Table and Get Unique Values functions.
Plotting Point A to Point B—and Beyond
As a team effort between the FTA and MacroSys, the NTD collects monthly and annual data to produce thousands of unique data products. Each year, the NTD releases 41 annual database files, 6 time series data tables, 2 specialized reports on Reduced Reporter Safety Information and Transit Agency Security Personnel, plus an individual Transit Agency Profile for every reporting agency. An estimated 3,208 profiles were released in 2024 alone. On top of that, 8 files featuring the country’s largest transit agencies are released monthly, which adds up to 24 Monthly Ridership (MR-20) files and 72 monthly Safety and Security (S&S) files over the course of the year.
And it doesn’t stop there—every year brings a new edition of the National Transit Summaries and Trends (NTST), which transforms the annual data collected into powerful visuals that make patterns and industry trends easy to understand. All told, these products build a comprehensive and long-running survey of the public transit landscape, while preserving vital historical data that paints a picture of where the industry is heading.
The result? Better decisions, smarter investments, and innovations that keep the public transit industry moving forward. And a more modern path that is supported by the speed and automation that artificial intelligence offers.
YOUR CHALLENGE
Let us help
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Tel: 703-812-8380
Fax: 703-812-8381
MacroSys, LLC
522 21st Street NW, Suite 120A
Washington, DC 20006
