septa-mcp-python

simplyjackfoster/septa-mcp-python

3.2

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MCP Server for SEPTA in Python is a server implementation designed to facilitate communication and data exchange for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

SEPTA MCP Server (Python)

This repository provides a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes SEPTA's public transit APIs as structured tools. It lets MCP-compatible clients fetch realtime and scheduled information about buses, trolleys, subways, and Regional Rail through a consistent interface.

Installation

  1. Ensure Python 3.11+ is available.
  2. Install the package (use the optional dev extras if you plan to contribute): 
    pip install -e .[dev]
  3. Start the server via the console script: 
    septa-mcp

Configuration

Configuration is driven by environment variables with the SEPTA_ prefix:

  • SEPTA_BASE_URL (default: https://www3.septa.org/): Base URL for all SEPTA API requests.
  • SEPTA_TIMEOUT_SECONDS (default: 10.0): Timeout in seconds for HTTP requests.
  • SEPTA_LOG_LEVEL (default: INFO): Logging verbosity for the server.
  • SEPTA_API_KEY (optional): API key passed as a bearer token when required.

Available tools

The server registers the following tools (names match the MCP tool identifiers):

  • arrivals: Upcoming arrivals for a station with optional direction and time window.
  • next_to_arrive: Next available trips between an origin and destination, with optional datetime and travel preferences.
  • train_view: Real-time Regional Rail train data, filterable by train or line.
  • transit_view: Real-time vehicle locations for a specific bus route, with caching to limit repeat requests.
  • transit_view_all: Real-time vehicle locations for all bus routes, optionally cached briefly.
  • bus_detours: Current detours for all bus routes or a specific route.
  • alerts_basic: Basic service alerts, optionally limited to a route.
  • alerts_messages: Detailed alert messages, optionally filtered by route or mode.
  • elevator_outages: System-wide elevator outage information.
  • rr_schedule: Regional Rail timetables between an origin and destination, with optional datetime.
  • bus_schedule: Scheduled bus trips for a stop/route/direction via the SMS bus schedule endpoint.
  • sms_schedule: SMS-formatted schedule data for a stop, with optional route and direction filters.
  • stops: Stop listing for a route/direction or lookup by stop id, with optional route normalization.
  • locations: Nearby stops or stations based on latitude/longitude and optional radius.
  • gtfs_feed: Downloadable GTFS feed archives such as google, google_bus, google_rail, or cct.

Example prompts

Use natural language to trigger the MCP tools in your client. Examples:

  • "Show arrivals at 30th Street Station heading east in the next 20 minutes."
  • "Find the next trains from Suburban Station to Trenton after 5pm."
  • "List current bus detours for route 17."
  • "Get TransitView data for route 47 and cache the response."
  • "Download the latest google_rail GTFS feed."

Contributing

See for guidance on development workflow, style, tests, and CI expectations.