Do I need an API key to use this NYC transit data?

No. Vinkius hosts the MCP and manages the connection, so you can use it without your own API key.

How far back does the NYC Ferry ridership data go?

The ferry ridership data is available from 2017 to the present.

How is school bus data organized?

School bus breakdowns and routes are organized by school year, such as 2024-25, rather than by calendar dates.

Can I find the location of bus shelters?

Yes. You can use the list_bus_stop_shelters capability to find locations by borough, street, or shelter ID.

Which AI clients can use this MCP?

Any MCP-compatible client like Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, or VS Code can use this capability.

Do I need an API key?

No. NYC Open Data serves all public datasets anonymously over its SODA API (data.cityofnewyork.us). This MCP defines no credentials and needs nothing configured.

Why does top_ferry_stop_boardings use a window?

Boardings by stop are an aggregate over years of history, so the capability bounds the look-back: 90 days by default, up to 730 days via the days parameter. Pass days: '365' to widen the window.

Which dates do the transit datasets cover?

NYC Ferry daily data runs from 2017; Staten Island Ferry rows carry service dates through early 2027; OPT bus breakdowns and school bus routes are organized by school year ("YYYY-YY"). Dispatch records lag a few months, so the newest months can be empty.

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Connect Nyc Transit Waterway to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Get real-time and historical NYC transit data through your agent.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

How Vinkius works: one connection, every tool, in any AI

V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Complete set · 8 capabilities

The complete NYC Open Data capability set.

These are the exact actions your AI can choose when you ask it to work with NYC Open Data.

Capability set01 / 02

01-04

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 8 available through NYC Open Data.

01
List si ferry ridership
This capability retrieves daily Staten Island Ferry ridership counts between the Port Authority Bus Terminal and St. George. You can pin a specific date to get the most recent counts first.
02
List bus stop shelters
This capability provides the locations of NYC bus stop shelters. You can filter the results by borough, street, or specific shelter ID.
03
List rtpi signs
This capability locates real-time passenger information (RTPI) signs. You can search for these sign locations by stop name, corner, or borough.
04
Search bus breakdowns
This capability accesses OPT school bus breakdown and late incident records. You must specify the school year in YYYY-YY format, such as 2024-25.

Capability set02 / 02

05-08

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 8 available through NYC Open Data.

05
Search ferry ridership
This capability pulls hourly NYC Ferry ridership data by route, stop, and direction. The dataset includes records from 2017 to the present.
06
Search school bus routes
This capability lists DOE school bus routes, service types, and operating vendors. You can filter by school year, route number, or vendor.
07
Top bus breakdown routes
This capability identifies school bus routes with the highest number of breakdowns. It ranks the most troubled routes first for a given school year.
08
Top ferry stop boardings
This capability finds the NYC Ferry stops with the highest boarding numbers. You can set a look-back window of up to 730 days or restrict it to a specific route.

One connector, every AI

NYC Open Data works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put NYC Open Data to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 8 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of NYC Open Data, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with NYC Open Data. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

NYC Open Data Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_7Nc9v22MCBV7pMomCldDdJhhajts2W4yG6Q8aGeU/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
3Click Add and start a new chat — NYC Open Data capabilities are ready to use.

Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nyc-transit-waterway-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_7Nc9v22MCBV7pMomCldDdJhhajts2W4yG6Q8aGeU/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude
ChatGPT
Cursor
VS Code
Windsurf
Claude Code
JetBrains
Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? How to give Claude access to NYC Open Data

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work NYC Open Data owners hand off.

This MCP is built for professionals working with urban movement and city infrastructure.

01
Transport Planners
They use the capability to analyze ridership trends and stop locations for network planning.
02
Multimodal Researchers
They pull ferry and bus data to study how different transit modes interact.
03
City Operations Analysts
They monitor school bus breakdowns and service reliability for municipal oversight.

FAQ

Questions NYC Open Data owners ask.

01
Do I need an API key to use this NYC transit data?
No. Vinkius hosts the MCP and manages the connection, so you can use it without your own API key.
02
How far back does the NYC Ferry ridership data go?
The ferry ridership data is available from 2017 to the present.
03
How is school bus data organized?
School bus breakdowns and routes are organized by school year, such as 2024-25, rather than by calendar dates.
04
Can I find the location of bus shelters?
Yes. You can use the list_bus_stop_shelters capability to find locations by borough, street, or shelter ID.
05
Which AI clients can use this MCP?
Any MCP-compatible client like Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, or VS Code can use this capability.
06
Do I need an API key?
No. NYC Open Data serves all public datasets anonymously over its SODA API (data.cityofnewyork.us). This MCP defines no credentials and needs nothing configured.
07
Why does top_ferry_stop_boardings use a window?
Boardings by stop are an aggregate over years of history, so the capability bounds the look-back: 90 days by default, up to 730 days via the days parameter. Pass days: '365' to widen the window.
08
Which dates do the transit datasets cover?
NYC Ferry daily data runs from 2017; Staten Island Ferry rows carry service dates through early 2027; OPT bus breakdowns and school bus routes are organized by school year ("YYYY-YY"). Dispatch records lag a few months, so the newest months can be empty.

Explore

More in Government Public Data

Connect NYC Open Data to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

List si ferry ridership

List bus stop shelters

List rtpi signs

Search bus breakdowns

Search ferry ridership

Search school bus routes

Top bus breakdown routes

Top ferry stop boardings

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

NYC Open Data Connector

Claude Desktop

Transport Planners

Multimodal Researchers

City Operations Analysts

Do I need an API key to use this NYC transit data?

How far back does the NYC Ferry ridership data go?

How is school bus data organized?

Can I find the location of bus shelters?

Which AI clients can use this MCP?

Do I need an API key?

Why does top_ferry_stop_boardings use a window?

Which dates do the transit datasets cover?

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