diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate-data.yml b/.github/workflows/validate-data.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d7801367
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate-data.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+name: Validate-Samples
+
+on:
+  push:
+    paths:
+      - 'data/*/TIDES/*'
+      - 'spec/*'
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - 'data/*/TIDES/*'
+      - 'spec/*'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  create:
+
+jobs:
+  validate:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: Validate data
+        uses: frictionlessdata/repository@v2
+        with:
+          packages: "data/*/TIDES/datapackage.json"
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0c6439c5..64ff4eff 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 .DS_Store*
 .vscode*
+/__pycache__/*
 .env
 /venv*
-/site
-/__pycache__
+/site/*
+# pages that are copied in from main repo
+/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md
+/docs/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
+/docs/README.md
+# pages that are generated from templates
+/docs/tables.md
+/docs/architecture.md
diff --git a/.markdownlint.yaml b/.markdownlint.yaml
index 71f3b6e9..f1568491 100644
--- a/.markdownlint.yaml
+++ b/.markdownlint.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ MD041: false
 # Remove line length limit
 MD013: false
 
+# Remove "fenced code blocks should have language specified"
+MD040: false
+
+# Remove "no inline HTML"
 # Remove code block style because it also fails on admonition
 MD046: false
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 95a3d065..ea595c0c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,14 +30,6 @@ Directories with TIDES data must contain metadata in a [`datapackage.json`][tide
 
 [`/samples/template/datapackage.json`][template-datapackage] has a template datapackage which can be used.
 
-## Sample Data
-
-[Sample data][samples] can be found in the `/samples` directory, with one directory for each sample.
-
-### Template
-
-Templates of `datapackage.json` and each TIDES file type are located in the `/samples/template` directory.
-
 ## Validating TIDES data
 
 TIDES data with a valid [`datapackage.json`](#data-package) can be easily validated using the [frictionless framework], which can be installed and invoked as follows:
@@ -53,6 +45,22 @@ Several other validation scripts and tools with more flexibility such as validat
 bin/validate-datapackage [-v remote_spec_ref | -l local_spec_path] [-d dataset_path]
 ```
 
+### Specific files
+
+Specific files can be validated by running the frictionless framework against them and their corresponding schemas as follows:
+
+```sh
+frictionless validate vehicles.csv --schema https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TIDES-transit/TIDES/main/spec/schema.vehicles.json --schema-sync
+```
+
+## Sample Data
+
+[Sample data](https://tides-transit.github.io/TIDES/main/samples) can be found in the `/samples` directory, with one directory for each sample.
+
+### Template
+
+Templates of `datapackage.json` and each TIDES file type are located in the `/samples/template` directory. They can be used to build out TIDES data, particuarly samples.  Most TIDES data in practice will be directly produced as an output from software or scripts.
+
 ## Contributing to TIDES
 
 Those who want to help with the development of the TIDES specification should review the guidance in [contributing].
diff --git a/bin/replace-spec-in-datapackage b/bin/replace-spec-in-datapackage
index 889800ed..13ee5e1b 100755
--- a/bin/replace-spec-in-datapackage
+++ b/bin/replace-spec-in-datapackage
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Arguments:
 "
 
 example_usage="
-Example Usage: 
+Example Usage:
 bin/replace-spec-in-datapackage samples/template/TIDES spec samples/template/TIDES/datapackage.tmp.json
 "
 
@@ -95,4 +95,4 @@ jq --arg spec_path_prefix "$spec_path_prefix" --arg profile_file "$profile_file"
   | .profile = ($profile_file)
 ' "$output_file" > "$output_file.tmp" && mv "$output_file.tmp" "$output_file"
 
-echo "$output_file"
\ No newline at end of file
+echo "$output_file"
diff --git a/bin/utils b/bin/utils
index 75f5a05a..a7fb8235 100755
--- a/bin/utils
+++ b/bin/utils
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 
 # Check if jsonschema-cli is installed
 check_jsonschema-cli() {
-  if ! command -v jsonschema-cli >/dev/null 2>&1; then 
-    echo >&2 "\033[31m!!! jsonschema-cli is required but not found.\033[0m 
-    
+  if ! command -v jsonschema-cli >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo >&2 "\033[31m!!! jsonschema-cli is required but not found.\033[0m
+
     You can install it using 'pip install jsonschema-cli'. Aborting."
     exit 1
   fi
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ check_jsonschema-cli() {
 
 # Check if frictionless is installed
 check_frictionless() {
-  if ! command -v frictionless >/dev/null 2>&1; then 
-    echo >&2 "\033[31m!!! frictionless is required but not found.\033[0m 
-    
+  if ! command -v frictionless >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo >&2 "\033[31m!!! frictionless is required but not found.\033[0m
+
     You can install it using 'pip install frictionless'. Aborting."
     exit 1
   fi
diff --git a/bin/validate-data-package b/bin/validate-data-package
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..be74095b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/validate-data-package
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Script: validate_data_package
+# Description: Bash script to validate a Frictionless Data Package using the Frictionless CLI.
+# Usage: validate_data_package [-v tides_version | -l local_schema_location] [-d dataset_location]
+#   -v tides_version: Optional. Specify the version of the TIDES specification or 'local' to
+#       use a local schema. Default is to use the schema specified in the datapackage.
+#   -l local_schema_location: Optional. Specify the location of the local schema directory.
+#        Default is '../spec'. Is only used if tides_version = local.
+#   -d dataset_location: Optional. Specify the location of the TIDES datapackage.json.
+#       Default is the current directory.
+
+# Set default values
+tides_version=""
+local_schema_location="../spec"
+dataset_location="."
+
+# Parse command-line arguments
+while getopts ":v:l:d:" opt; do
+  case $opt in
+    v)
+      tides_version=$OPTARG
+      ;;
+    l)
+      local_schema_location=$OPTARG
+      ;;
+    d)
+      dataset_location=$OPTARG
+      ;;
+    \?)
+      echo "Invalid option: -$OPTARG" >&2
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# Create a temporary data package if using a different schema reference or a local schema
+tmp_datapackage=""
+if [ "$tides_version" != "" ]; then
+  tmp_datapackage=$(mktemp)
+  cp "$dataset_location/datapackage.json" "$tmp_datapackage"
+fi
+
+# Set the schema URL based on the option chosen
+schema_url=""
+if [ "$tides_version" == "local" ]; then
+  schema_path_prefix="$local_schema_location"
+else
+  schema_path_prefix="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TIDES-transit/TIDES/$tides_version/spec"
+fi
+
+# Update the 'schema' property in the temporary copy of the datapackage.json file, if applicable
+if [ "$tmp_datapackage" != "" ]; then
+  schema_file=$(echo "$tmp_datapackage" | sed 's/\//\\\//g')
+  sed -E -i "s/\"schema\": \"[^\/]+\.schema\.json\"/\"schema\": \"$schema_path_prefix\/\${schema_file##*\/}\"/g" "$tmp_datapackage"
+  dataset_location="$tmp_datapackage"
+fi
+
+# Validate the data package JSON against the TIDES schema
+./validate-data-package-json -v "$tides_version" -f "$dataset_location" -l "$local_schema_location"
+
+# Validate the Frictionless Data Package using the Frictionless CLI
+frictionless validate "$dataset_location" --schema-sync
+
+# Remove the temporary data package file, if applicable
+if [ "$tmp_datapackage" != "" ]; then
+  rm "$tmp_datapackage"
+fi
diff --git a/bin/validate-data-package-json b/bin/validate-data-package-json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4d8495fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/validate-data-package-json
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Script to validate a local JSON file against a schema specified in a GitHub repository.
+# Usage: validate-data-package-json [-r ref | -l local_schema_location] [-f datapackage_file]
+#   -r ref: Optional. Specify the ref name of the GitHub repository. Default is 'main'.
+#   -l local_schema_location: Optional. Specify the location of the local schema directory.
+#   -f datapackage_file: Optional. Specify the location of the datapackage.json file. Default is 'datapackage.json' in the execution directory.
+
+# Check if jsonschema-cli is installed
+command -v jsonschema-cli >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+  echo >&2 "jsonschema-cli is required but not found. You can install it using 'pip install jsonschema-cli'. Aborting."
+  exit 1
+}
+
+# Set default values
+ref="main"
+local_schema_location=""
+datapackage_file="datapackage.json"
+
+# Parse command-line arguments
+while getopts ":r:l:f:" opt; do
+  case $opt in
+    r)
+      ref=$OPTARG
+      ;;
+    l)
+      local_schema_location=$OPTARG
+      ;;
+    f)
+      datapackage_file=$OPTARG
+      ;;
+    \?)
+      echo "Invalid option: -$OPTARG" >&2
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+echo "Validating data package file in $dataset_location"
+
+# Set the temporary directory path
+temp_dir=$(mktemp -d)
+
+# Set the schema file path based on the option chosen
+schema_file=""
+if [ "$local_schema_location" != "" ]; then
+  schema_file="$local_schema_location/tides-data-package.json"
+else
+  # Download the schema file to the temporary directory
+  schema_url="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TIDES-transit/TIDES/$ref/spec/tides-data-package.json"
+  schema_file="$temp_dir/data-package.json"
+
+  if curl -s --head "$schema_url/tides-data-package.json" >/dev/null; then
+    echo "Schema file not found on GitHub for the specified TIDES version: $tides_version"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+curl -o "$schema_file" "$schema_url"
+fi
+
+# Validate datapackage against the downloaded schema
+jsonschema-cli validate "$schema_file" "$datapackage_file"
+
+# Clean up the temporary directory
+rm -rf "$temp_dir"
diff --git a/bin/validate-datapackage-to-profile b/bin/validate-datapackage-to-profile
index 24d92feb..2c02dcf1 100755
--- a/bin/validate-datapackage-to-profile
+++ b/bin/validate-datapackage-to-profile
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-description="Script to validate a local JSON file against a profile for tides-data-package specified in 
+description="Script to validate a local JSON file against a profile for tides-data-package specified in
 profile field or optionally against a remote or local profile."
 
 usage="
 Usage: validate-datapackage-to-profile [-r remote_spec_ref | -l local_spec_path] [-f datapackage_file]
    -r remote_spec_ref: Optional. Specify the ref name of the GitHub repository for validating agianst
-             a remote profile where the profile is in the sub-path /spec/tides-data-package.json. 
+             a remote profile where the profile is in the sub-path /spec/tides-data-package.json.
              Should not be used with -l option. Example: -r main
    -l local_spec_path: Optional. Specify the location of the local tides-data-package-json to use.
              Should not be used with -r option. Example: -l spec
-   -d dataset_path: Optional. Specify the path of the datapackage.json file. 
+   -d dataset_path: Optional. Specify the path of the datapackage.json file.
              Default is datapackage.json. Example: -d samples/template/TIDES/datapackage.json
 "
 
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ fi
 if [ -f "$dataset_path" ]; then
   datapackage_file="$dataset_path"
   dataset_path=$(dirname "$dataset_path")
-else 
+else
   datapackage_file="$dataset_path/datapackage.json"
 fi
 check_valid_path "$datapackage_file"
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index e31d914c..2578b68e 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
-{{ include_file('README.md', downshift_h1= False) }}
+# TIDES Transit Specification Suite
+
+{{ include_file('README.md', start_line = 2, downshift_h1= False) }}
diff --git a/tests/test_samples_to_canonical b/tests/test_samples_to_canonical
index 0bfc5ac9..cd83d9c9 100755
--- a/tests/test_samples_to_canonical
+++ b/tests/test_samples_to_canonical
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if output=$("$script" $args 2>&1); then
 else
   printf "\033[31m!!! %s encountered an error.\033[0m\n" "$script"
   echo "$output" >&2
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+fi
diff --git a/tests/test_samples_to_local b/tests/test_samples_to_local
index 57041bf8..74286dcd 100755
--- a/tests/test_samples_to_local
+++ b/tests/test_samples_to_local
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if output=$("$script" $args 2>&1); then
 else
   printf "\033[31m!!! %s encountered an error.\033[0m\n" "$script"
   echo "$output" >&2
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+fi