Bts

What Bts MCP server does

Bts MCP server gives AI agents access to datasets published on the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics open-data portal, data.bts.gov. The portal uses the Socrata platform, so datasets are identified by Socrata 4x4 codes such as crem-w557 and queried with SoQL.

The available data spans aviation passenger counts, on-time performance, air fares, airline financials, freight movement, transit ridership, border crossings, and transportation safety. Dataset search returns matching names, descriptions, and identifiers that can be passed to the other tools.

This server fits the Travel & Transportation category when an agent needs current or historical BTS data rather than a general-purpose web search or a local database.

How it works

A typical workflow has three steps:

1. Call search_datasets with a topic such as aviation, transit, freight, or border crossing.
2. Pass the returned dataset ID to dataset_columns to inspect available field names, labels, and data types.
3. Use query_dataset with SoQL clauses to select, filter, sort, group, or aggregate rows.

query_dataset returns an array of row objects keyed by field name. Supported query options include $select, $where, $order, $group, and $q. $select can request individual columns or aggregates such as count(*) and avg(air_fare). The default result limit is 50 rows, while Socrata permits up to 50,000 rows per page.

Setup and configuration

The Bts MCP server can be connected through the hosted endpoint https://gateway.pipeworx.io/bts/mcp:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bts": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/bts/mcp"
    }
  }
}

The repository names Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf as compatible clients. The hosted connection includes the Bts tools and shared Pipeworx gateway meta-tools. Its initialization response is the authoritative source for the tools exposed at connection time.

For a local connection without a gateway account, run the package over stdio:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-bts"]
    }
  }
}

The local process communicates over standard input and output and exposes only the pack's tools. The package can also be started directly with npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-bts.

Tools and capabilities

• search_datasets: Finds BTS datasets and returns each dataset's ID, name, and description.
• dataset_columns: Lists field names, human-readable labels, and data types for a selected dataset.
• query_dataset: Executes SoQL queries and returns matching row objects.
• Hosted HTTP access: The gateway also exposes tool calls through HTTP, including POST /v1/tools/bts_search_datasets.

Limitations and notes

The integration is independent and unofficial; it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Call dataset_columns before writing a query so field names and data types match the selected dataset. The hosted endpoint adds shared Pipeworx meta-tools and can route broader questions through ask_pipeworx; the standalone package does not provide those gateway-wide tools.

Bts MCP server does not describe a separate authentication setup for initial hosted calls, and the provided quick start states that no account is needed for the first calls. Results depend on the datasets and fields available through data.bts.gov. Bts MCP server is licensed under MIT.