GTFS — open transit data standard created Google + TriMet 2005; 10,000+ operators, 100+ countries; MobilityData stewardship

Claim: GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) is the de facto open standard for transit data. Created by Google + TriMet (Portland) in 2005; now used by over 10,000 transit operators in 100+ countries. Split into GTFS Schedule (static timetables/stops) and GTFS Realtime (arrivals, alerts, vehicle positions). Maintained as an open standard by MobilityData.

Source: https://gtfs.org ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GTFS

Confidence: Verified.

Why this matters for Candid: Any "trip-planning," "near-transit," or accessibility feature on an SMB site can be built off GTFS without licensing a commercial transit data feed. The pattern (open standard backed by an industry steward) is also illustrative for Candid's broader open-data position.