google / google/transit

Refinement of GTFS Terminology: Transitioning from "Schedule" to "Static"

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Change type: Documentation Maintenance GTFS Schedule Ready for Pull Request
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Description

**TL;DR: we propose to officially harmonize the name GTFS-Static**

**Issue Description:**

There has been a longstanding debate surrounding its naming conventions, particularly concerning the term "Schedule." As the GTFS specification has evolved, it has become evident that the term "Schedule" may no longer comprehensively encapsulate the diverse range of functionalities available today. Moreover, the interchangeability of terms like "Schedule" and "Static" has led to confusion among users.

**Background:**

- GTFS Static has been utilized across various platforms and resources, exemplified in [Google's GTFS Static Overview](https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs) and [OpenTransportData Swiss - GTFS Page](https://opentransportdata.swiss/en/cookbook/gtfs/).

- Confusion persists as evidenced by the interchangeability of "GTFS Schedule" and "GTFS Static" in references such as [Google Transit GTFS Schedule Reference](https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference), which redirects to GTFS.org.

**Community Insight:**

- Community member @gcamp has expressed concern over the ambiguity of terms, advocating for a shift towards clarity. They suggest a nomenclature like "GTFS-Static," which better reflects the essence of the static GTFS dataset encompassing more than just schedules. As @gcamp remarked:

> Is “[GTFS Schedule](https://gtfs.org/schedule/)” an official name? The GTFS real time spec refers it as “[(CSV) GTFS](https://github.com/google/transit/blob/master/gtfs-realtime/proto/gtfs-realtime.proto#L346)” which is probably worst. I would prefer something like “GTFS-Static” because represent better what the static GTFS is (more than just schedule).

**Proposal:**

- It is proposed to replace all instances of "Schedule" with "Static" throughout the documentation.

- Additionally, the descriptive text will explicitly acknowledge the historical usage of "Schedule" and its interchangeability with "Static" while emphasizing the latter as the preferred term moving forward.

**Rationale:**

- With the introduction of features like GTFS-Flex and Pathways, GTFS has evolved beyond solely representing schedules. The defining characteristic remains the static nature of the data.

**Action Items:**

- Amend documentation to substitute "Schedule" with "Static" consistently.

- Enhance descriptive text to elucidate the historical context and the preference for "Static" over other terms.

**Benefits:**

- Enhanced clarity and consistency in GTFS documentation.

- Mitigation of confusion among users regarding terminology.

- Alignment with the evolving nature of GTFS specifications and functionalities.

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