TransitData Hub — Chennai MTC Network
A modern transit data aggregation and visualization platform for Chennai's MTC bus network, serving standardized GeoJSON transit data through a performant API with an animated, interactive frontend.
Interactive map — scroll and click to explore.
Context
Chennai's MTC operates one of India's largest urban bus networks, but transit data is fragmented and inaccessible for analysis and public visualization. A centralized data hub can enable better planning tools and public transparency.
Problem Statement
How can Chennai's MTC transit network data be standardized, served efficiently, and visualized interactively in a way that supports both planning analysis and public engagement?
Methodology
Backend designed as a GeoJSON API serving MTC master table data with PostGIS spatial queries and node-cache for performance. Frontend built for animated route visualization with spatial analysis capabilities.
Analysis
Backend: Node.js + Express 5 + PostgreSQL/PostGIS with compression middleware and caching. Frontend: React 19 + Vite + MapLibre GL 5 for route rendering, D3.js for data visualization, Turf.js for spatial analysis, Framer Motion for UI animations. ESM-only architecture throughout.
Insights
Standardizing MTC data as GeoJSON FeatureCollections reveals network gaps in peripheral zones. Route density analysis shows significant clustering in the city core, with low coverage in northern and southern suburban areas.
Outcome
Live transit data hub with GeoJSON API, interactive route map with MapLibre GL, animated network visualization, and spatial analysis tools. Platform designed for extension to GTFS and real-time data feeds.