ParseForge
MBTA Boston Live Transit Scraper
parseforge/mbta-transit-scraper
BusinessAutomationOther
Scrapes MBTA transit data including routes, stops, vehicles, predictions, alerts, schedules, and shapes. Returns each record as a flat row with all attributes.
- Total users
- 2
- Monthly active
- 1
- Total runs
- 109
- Bookmarked
- 0
- Rating
- Not rated yet
- Last modified
- 12 days ago
Overview
MBTA Boston Live Transit Scraper
Scrape live MBTA Boston transit data for routes, stops, vehicles, predictions, alerts, and more. Every record comes with its full set of attributes, ready for export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML. No API key required.
The MBTA's official API requires an API key and has rate limits. This Actor reads the public MBTA v3 API directly, returning live and scheduled transit data for the Boston area. Filter by route, stop, transit mode, or direction, and get each record in a flat, consistent schema.
| Who uses it | What they scrape MBTA for |
|---|---|
| Transit app developers | Build real-time arrival displays and trip planners |
| Urban planners | Analyze service patterns and stop usage |
| Data journalists | Report on MBTA performance and disruptions |
| Researchers | Study public transit behavior and accessibility |
| Commuters | Check live arrivals and service alerts |
What it does
This Actor collects MBTA transit data by mode, including routes, stops, vehicles, predictions, alerts, trips, schedules, shapes, facilities, and lines, and returns each record as a flat row.
- 🚇 Routes and lines: Get all MBTA routes with their modes, names, and line groupings.
- 🚏 Stops and facilities: Retrieve station details, including accessibility features like elevators and escalators.
- 🚌 Live vehicles: Track current vehicle positions across the network.
- ⏱️ Predictions: Get next arrival and departure times for any stop or route.
- ⚠️ Alerts: Monitor service disruptions and advisories in real time.
- 🗓️ Schedules and trips: Access timetables and scheduled trips for planning.
- 🗺️ Shapes: Download route geometry polylines for mapping.
Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.
What you can do with MBTA data
📱 Build a real-time arrival board.
A developer runs the Actor with mode=predictions and a stop filter to power a station display showing next train and bus arrivals.
🚨 Monitor service disruptions.
A transit advocate runs the Actor with mode=alerts and a route filter to track and report on MBTA service issues.
🗺️ Map the MBTA network.
A GIS analyst runs the Actor with mode=shapes to download route geometry for a custom transit map.
📊 Analyze stop usage.
An urban planner runs the Actor with mode=stops and a transit mode filter to study station accessibility and ridership patterns.
⏰ Plan a commute.
A commuter runs the Actor with mode=schedules and a stop filter to get the day's timetable for their station.
Why choose this scraper
| What you get | |
|---|---|
| No API key | Uses the public MBTA v3 API without registration |
| Live and scheduled | Covers real-time predictions, vehicles, and static schedules |
| Flexible filters | Narrow by route, stop, mode, or direction |
| Flat output | Each record is a simple row, ready for analysis |
| Multiple formats | Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML |
How it compares
This Actor covers all MBTA data modes, while the competitor focuses only on live arrivals and departures.
| Feature | ParseForge | MBTA Live Arrivals Scraper - Boston Transit Data |
|---|---|---|
| Live arrival predictions | Yes | Yes |
| Live vehicle positions | Yes | Not listed |
| Service alerts | Yes | Not listed |
| Schedules and timetables | Yes | Not listed |
| Route geometry (shapes) | Yes | Not listed |
| Stop and facility details | Yes | Not listed |
Configure the run
Drive the Actor with a data mode and optional filters for route, stop, transit mode, and direction. Filters run as each record is read, so only matching data reaches your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.
A first run with the defaults:
{
"maxItems": 10
}
A larger pull:
{
"maxItems": 200
}
Pricing
Pay-per-result: $0.0385 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.
| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $3.85 |
| 1,000 results | $38.50 |
| 10,000 results | $385.00 |
New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.
Free users
Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.
Run it
- Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
- Open the MBTA Boston Live Transit Scraper.
- Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
- Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.
Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.
Use with AI agents (MCP)
Give an AI agent live access to MBTA through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/mbta-transit-scraper"
Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.
Troubleshooting
Why am I getting no results?
Check your filters. For predictions and schedules, you must provide a routeFilter or stopFilter. For trips and shapes, a routeFilter is required. Also ensure your route or stop IDs are correct.
Why are times in a different timezone?
All times are in America/New_York. If you need UTC, you can convert after export.
How do I get more than 10 records?
Increase the maxItems input. The default is 10, but you can set it up to 1,000,000.
Why is my sort not working?
Make sure you use a valid field name and prefix with '-' for descending order. For example, '-arrival_time' sorts by arrival time descending.
Can I get data for a specific direction?
Yes, use the directionId input. 0 is typically outbound, 1 is inbound, or choose 'any'.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need an MBTA API key? | No. This Actor uses the public MBTA v3 API, which does not require an API key for basic access. |
| What data modes are available? | You can scrape routes, stops, vehicles, predictions, alerts, trips, schedules, shapes, facilities, and lines. |
| How do I filter results? | Use the routeFilter, stopFilter, transitMode, and directionId inputs to narrow results. Filters are applied as data is fetched. |
| Can I get live vehicle positions? | Yes, set mode to 'vehicles' to get current positions of buses, trains, and ferries. |
| What timezone are the times in? | All times are returned in the local Boston timezone (America/New_York). |
| How many records can I get? | You can set maxItems up to 1,000,000 records per run. |
| Can I include related resources? | Yes, use the 'include' input to side-load related resources like route, stop, trip, or vehicle details. |
| What export formats are supported? | You can export data to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML. |
| Is this Actor free to use? | The Actor runs on the Apify platform, and usage is subject to Apify's pricing. The MBTA API itself is free. |
| Can I schedule this Actor to run periodically? | Yes, you can set up a schedule in Apify to run the Actor at regular intervals, such as every minute for live data. |
Related actors
Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.
🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.
⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.
Input
| Field | Type | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| mode | string (10 options) | Choose what to scrape. Predictions and Schedules require routeFilter or stopFilter. Trips and Shapes require routeFilter. Times are returned in the local Boston (America/New_York) timezone. | routes |
| maxItems | integer | How many transit records to collect per run. | 10 |
| sectionCaptionFilters | string | Narrow results by route, stop, or transit mode. | not set |
| routeFilter | string | Comma-separated route IDs (e.g. 'Red,Orange,Green-B,1,77'). Used by predictions, vehicles, alerts, and stops. | not set |
| stopFilter | string | Comma-separated stop IDs (e.g. 'place-pktrm,70061'). Used by predictions and alerts. | not set |
| transitMode | string (6 options) | Filter by transit mode (route_type). Heavy rail = subway, light rail = trolley, bus = local bus, ferry = harbor ferry, commuter-rail = MBTA Commuter Rail. | all |
| directionId | string (3 options) | Direction of travel: 0 (typically Outbound / South / West), 1 (Inbound / North / East), or any. | any |
| sort | string | Sort field. Prefix with '-' for descending (e.g. 'arrival_time', '-departure_time', 'name', '-severity'). Leave blank for default ordering. | not set |
| include | string | Comma-separated list of related resources to side-load (e.g. 'route,stop,trip,vehicle'). Useful for predictions and schedules. | not set |
Pricing
from $28.87 per 1,000 results
| Charged for | What it is | Price each |
|---|---|---|
| result | Single result in the default dataset. | $0.02887 to $0.0385 |
Tiered: the lower figure is the price on a higher Apify plan. Billing and the free credit live on Apify.
API
One POST returns the dataset directly. Same shape for every scraper in the library, so swapping the slug is the only change.
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/parseforge~mbta-transit-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"helloWorld": 123
}' Examples
Input that runs as-is.
{
"helloWorld": 123
} Reviews
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Issues
We build and maintain this scraper, so a problem with it comes to us. Report it on the Apify listing and the thread stays attached to the scraper where the next person can find it: open an issue.
Broken and urgent, or you would rather not post in public? Write to parseforge@protonmail.com and it reaches the people who wrote it.