CATA Bus

This MCP server provides live GTFS-Realtime data and static schedule information for the CATA bus system in State College, PA. It lets you query routes, stops, upcoming arrivals, current vehicle positions, and service alerts with fast in-memory access, so you can build responsive applications and tools around CATA data.

How to use

You connect to the CATA MCP server using an MCP client or an HTTP endpoint for testing. There are two available runtimes: a local,stdio server that you run directly in your environment and an HTTP server you can query over the network. Practical usage patterns include listing all routes, searching for stops by name or ID, retrieving upcoming arrivals at a specific stop, tracking vehicle positions on a route, and fetching service alerts. You can combine these capabilities to build real-time dashboards, trip planning helpers, or alerts for detours and disruptions.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Python and Git installed on your machine. You should also have access to a working network if you plan to use the HTTP mode.

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/catabus-mcp.git
cd catabus-mcp

# Install dependencies
pip install -e .

Additional setup or notes

Run the server in stdio mode for MCP clients that communicate over the standard MCP protocol. Run the HTTP mode for testing and browser-based experimentation. In HTTP mode, the server will be reachable at the default address once started.

# Run in stdio mode (MCP client friendly)
python -m catabus_mcp.server

# Run in HTTP mode (for testing)
python -m catabus_mcp.server --http

Available tools

list_routes

Retrieve all bus routes supported by the MCP server.

search_stops

Find bus stops by name or ID, returning matching stops.

next_arrivals

Get upcoming arrivals at a specific stop with optional horizon in minutes.

vehicle_positions

Track real-time bus positions along a route.

trip_alerts

Fetch active service alerts and detour notices for specified routes.