Python MTA Utilities

This is a set of Python utilities that I use to deal with real-time NYC subway data.

I usually want to know when trains are going to depart a specific stop along a specific train line, so right now the tools are mostly for that. But I tried to write them to support arbitrary functionality.

Install

pip install underground

Or if you'd like to live dangerously:

pip install git+https://github.com/nolanbconaway/underground.git#egg=underground

To request data from the MTA, you'll also need a free API key. Register here.

Python API

Once you have your API key, use the Python API like:

import os

from underground import metadata, SubwayFeed

API_KEY = os.getenv('MTA_API_KEY')
ROUTE = 'Q'
feed = SubwayFeed.get(ROUTE, api_key=API_KEY)

# request will read from $MTA_API_KEY if a key is not provided
feed = SubwayFeed.get(ROUTE)

# under the hood, the Q route is mapped to a URL. This call is equivalent:
URL = 'https://api-endpoint.mta.info/Dataservice/mtagtfsfeeds/nyct%2Fgtfs-nqrw'
feed = SubwayFeed.get(URL)

# or
URL = metadata.resolve_url(ROUTE)
feed = SubwayFeed.get(URL)

List train stops on each line

feed.extract_stop_dict will return a dictionary of dictionaries, like:

>>> feed.extract_stop_dict()

{

  "route_1": {
    "stop_1": [datetime.datetime(...), datetime.datetime(...)], 
    "stop_2": [datetime.datetime(...), datetime.datetime(...)], 
    ...
  }, 
  "route_2": {
    "stop_1": [datetime.datetime(...), datetime.datetime(...)], 
    "stop_2": [datetime.datetime(...), datetime.datetime(...)], 
    ...
  }

}

CLI

The underground command line tool is also installed with the package.

feed

$ underground feed --help
Usage: underground feed [OPTIONS] ROUTE_OR_URL

  Request an MTA feed via a route or URL.

  ROUTE_OR_URL may be either a feed URL or a route (which will be used to
  look up the feed url).

  Examples (both access the same feed):

      underground feed Q --json > feed_nrqw.json

      URL='https://api-endpoint.mta.info/Dataservice/mtagtfsfeeds/nyct%2Fgtfs-nqrw' &&
      underground feed $URL --json > feed_nrqw.json

Options:
  --api-key TEXT         MTA API key. Will be read from $MTA_API_KEY if not
                         provided.

  --json                 Option to output the feed data as JSON. Otherwise
                         output will be bytes.

  -r, --retries INTEGER  Retry attempts in case of API connection failure.
                         Default 100.

  --help                 Show this message and exit.

stops

$ underground stops --help
Usage: underground stops [OPTIONS] [H|M|D|1|Z|A|N|GS|SI|J|G|Q|L|B|R|F|E|2|7|W|
                          6|4|C|5|FS]
    
  Print out train departure times for all stops on a subway line.

Options:

  -f, --format TEXT      strftime format for stop times. Use `epoch` for a
                          unix timestamp.
  -r, --retries INTEGER  Retry attempts in case of API connection failure.
                          Default 100.
  --api-key TEXT         MTA API key. Will be read from $MTA_API_KEY if not
                          provided.
  -t, --timezone TEXT    Output timezone. Ignored if --epoch. Default to NYC
                          time.
  -s, --stalled-timeout INTEGER  Number of seconds between the last movement
                                 of a train and the API update before
                                 considering a train stalled. Default is 90 as
                                 recommended by the MTA. Numbers less than 1
                                 disable this check.
  --help                 Show this message and exit.

Stops are printed to stdout in the format stop_id t1 t2 ... tn .

$ export MTA_API_KEY='...'
$ underground stops Q | tail -2
Q05S 19:01 19:09 19:16 19:25 19:34 19:44 19:51 19:58
Q04S 19:03 19:11 19:18 19:27 19:36 19:46 19:53 20:00

If you know your stop id (stop IDs can be found in stops.txt), you can grep the results:

$ underground stops Q | grep Q05S
Q05S 19:09 19:16 19:25 19:34 19:44 19:51 19:58

If you don't know your stop, see below for a handy tool!

findstops

$ underground findstops --help
Usage: underground findstops [OPTIONS] QUERY...

  Find your stop ID.

  Query a location and look for your stop ID, like:

  $ underground findstops parkside av

Options:

  --json  Option to output the data as JSON. Otherwise will be human readable
          table.

  --help  Show this message and exit.

Enter the name of your stop and a table of stops with matching names will be returned.

$ underground findstops parkside
ID: D27N    Direction: NORTH    Lat/Lon: 40.655292, -73.961495    Name: PARKSIDE AV
ID: D27S    Direction: SOUTH    Lat/Lon: 40.655292, -73.961495    Name: PARKSIDE AV

Some names are ambiguous (try "fulton st"), for these you'll have to dig into the metadata more carefully.