# Exploring the Potential of Large Language Models in Public Transportation: San Antonio Case Study

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.03904 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.03904/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 7 Jan 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Large Language Models and Their Applications in Roadway Safety and Mobility Enhancement: A Comprehensive Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.06301/) (2025)
- [TripTide: A Benchmark for Adaptive Travel Planning under Disruptions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.21329/) (2025)
- [CrashSage: A Large Language Model-Centered Framework for Contextual and Interpretable Traffic Crash Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.07853/) (2025)
- [Beta Distribution Learning for Reliable Roadway Crash Risk Assessment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.04886/) (2025)
- [Large Language Models in Transportation Systems Management and Operations: From Text Reasoning to Multi-modal Decision Support](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.00991/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The integration of large language models (LLMs) into public transit systems presents a transformative opportunity to enhance urban mobility. This study explores the potential of LLMs to revolutionize public transportation management within the context of San Antonio's transit system. Leveraging the capabilities of LLMs in natural language processing and data analysis, we investigate their capabilities to optimize route planning, reduce wait times, and provide personalized travel assistance. By utilizing the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and other relevant data, this research aims to demonstrate how LLMs can potentially improve resource allocation, elevate passenger satisfaction, and inform data-driven decision-making in transit operations. A comparative analysis of different ChatGPT models was conducted to assess their ability to understand transportation information, retrieve relevant data, and provide comprehensive responses. Findings from this study suggest that while LLMs hold immense promise for public transit, careful engineering and fine-tuning are essential to realizing their full potential. San Antonio serves as a case study to inform the development of LLM-powered transit systems in other urban environments.