Get Started

Not sure if OneBusAway is right for you? Learn more about why transit agencies choose our software.

Choosing the setup that is best for your agency

Many vendors offer “one size fits all” solutions for real-time. The problem is that not only is there no solution that is universally best for all agencies, but you can end up locked into a multi-year contract with a vendor regardless of how technology changes, paying for features you don’t actually use.

Although it may seem daunting at first that there is no one “correct” or “best” setup for OneBusAway, it means that you can get the best solution for your agency, with the freedom and flexibility to change at any time.

Self-Hosting

If your agency has an on-staff I.T. department or technical team, it may make sense for your agency to host and maintain OneBusAway. Have a technical lead look over the development materials, and they can advise you on whether you have the capabilities to host in-house. They may also be able to easily set up and run a test server so you can see it for yourself.

Contract with a OneBusAway Vendor

For agencies with limited technical capacity, this option will likely make the most sense. There are multiple vendors with experience hosting and maintaining OneBusAway for agencies of different sizes and budgets. We maintain a spreadsheet of firms that are interested in providing OneBusAway as a service (SaaS). If you would like help deciding on a contractor, we recommend getting in touch with the agencies in our deployments list, and asking about their experiences.

If you need help writing an RFP for OneBusAway hosting, you can read some of our recommendations for RFPs or contact us directly.

Need help?

We can help you figure out what you need to get OneBusAway working for your agency, discuss how it can benefit your riders, and get you started on the right track. Set up a phone or email consultation with us today!

Requirements

OneBusAway relies on GTFS and GTFS-Realtime data to produce real-time arrivals. If your agency does not already have GTFS or GTFS-RT feeds, you can talk to us, an OBA vendor, or take a look at examples of what other agencies have done.