diff --git a/lib/editor/util/validation.js b/lib/editor/util/validation.js
index 43fa8006d..b34b3a7cc 100644
--- a/lib/editor/util/validation.js
+++ b/lib/editor/util/validation.js
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ export type EditorValidationIssue = {
   reason: string
 }
 
+const EMPTY_FIELD_REASON = 'Required field must not be empty'
+
 export function doesNotExist (value: any): boolean {
   return value === '' || value === null || typeof value === 'undefined'
 }
@@ -39,7 +41,6 @@ export function validate (
   const isOptionalAndEmpty = !required && valueDoesNotExist
   const agencies = getTableById(tableData, 'agency')
   let locationType: ?number = null
-  let reason = 'Required field must not be empty'
 
   // entity.locationtype is a string.  Convert to number for conditinals later on.
   if (entity && entity.location_type !== null) {
@@ -52,13 +53,21 @@ export function validate (
     result: false | EditorValidationIssue
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Construct an EditorValidationIssue for the field name and reason (defaults to
+   * empty field message).
+   */
+  function validationIssue (reason = EMPTY_FIELD_REASON, field = name) {
+    return {field, invalid: true, reason}
+  }
+
   /**
    * Checks whether value is a positive number
    */
   function checkPositiveNumber (): CheckPositiveOutput {
     if (isRequiredButEmpty) {
       return {
-        result: {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        result: validationIssue()
       }
     } else if (isOptionalAndEmpty) {
       return {
@@ -70,14 +79,14 @@ export function validate (
     // make sure value is parseable to a number
     if (isNaN(num)) {
       return {
-        result: {field: name, invalid: true, reason: 'Field must be a valid number'}
+        result: validationIssue('Field must be a valid number')
       }
     }
 
     // make sure value is positive
     if (num < 0) {
       return {
-        result: {field: name, invalid: true, reason: 'Field must be a positive number'}
+        result: validationIssue('Field must be a positive number')
       }
     }
 
@@ -112,21 +121,20 @@ export function validate (
         idList.length > 1 &&
         valueDoesNotExist
       ) {
-        reason = 'Identifier is required if more than one agency exists'
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue('Identifier is required if more than one agency exists')
       }
       if (isRequiredButEmpty || isNotUnique) {
+        let reason
         if (isNotUnique) {
           reason = 'Identifier must be unique'
         }
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty || isNotUnique, reason}
+        return validationIssue(reason)
       } else {
         return false
       }
     case 'TEXT':
       if (name === 'stop_name' && locationType !== null && (typeof locationType === 'number' && locationType <= 2)) {
-        reason = 'Stop name is required for your current location type'
-        return {field: name, invalid: isOptionalAndEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue('Stop name is required for stop, station, and entrance location types.')
       }
       if (name === 'route_short_name' && !value && entity && entity.route_long_name) {
         return false
@@ -139,7 +147,7 @@ export function validate (
         return false
       } else {
         if (isRequiredButEmpty) {
-          return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+          return validationIssue()
         } else {
           return false
         }
@@ -150,82 +158,77 @@ export function validate (
     case 'GTFS_FARE':
     case 'GTFS_SERVICE':
       if (isRequiredButEmpty) {
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue()
       } else {
         return false
       }
     case 'URL':
       const isNotUrl = value && !validator.isURL(value)
       if (isRequiredButEmpty || isNotUrl) {
+        let reason
         if (isNotUrl) {
           reason = 'Field must contain valid URL.'
         }
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty || isNotUrl, reason}
+        return validationIssue(reason)
       } else {
         return false
       }
     case 'EMAIL':
       const isNotEmail = value && !validator.isEmail(value)
       if (isRequiredButEmpty || isNotEmail) {
+        let reason
         if (isNotEmail) {
           reason = 'Field must contain valid email address.'
         }
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty || isNotEmail, reason}
+        return validationIssue(reason)
       } else {
         return false
       }
     case 'GTFS_ZONE':
       if (isRequiredButEmpty) {
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue()
       } else {
         return false
       }
     case 'TIMEZONE':
       if (isRequiredButEmpty) {
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue()
       } else {
         return false
       }
     case 'LANGUAGE':
       if (isRequiredButEmpty) {
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue()
       } else {
         return false
       }
     case 'LATITUDE':
       const isNotLat = value > 90 || value < -90
       if (isNotLat) {
-        reason = 'Field must be valid latitude.'
-        return {field: name, invalid: isNotLat, reason}
+        return validationIssue('Field must be valid latitude.')
       }
       if (isOptionalAndEmpty && locationType !== null && (typeof locationType === 'number' && locationType <= 2)) {
-        reason = 'Latitude and Longitude are required for your current location type'
-        return {field: name, invalid: isOptionalAndEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue('Latitude and Longitude are required for your current location type')
       }
       return false
     case 'LONGITUDE':
       const isNotLng = value > 180 || value < -180
       if (isNotLng) {
-        reason = 'Field must be valid longitude.'
-        return {field: name, invalid: isOptionalAndEmpty || isNotLng, reason}
+        return validationIssue('Field must be valid longitude.')
       }
-      if (isOptionalAndEmpty && locationType !== null && (typeof locationType === 'number' && locationType <= 2)) {
-        reason = 'Latitude and Longitude are required for your current location type'
-        return {field: name, invalid: isOptionalAndEmpty || isNotLng, reason}
+      if (isOptionalAndEmpty && typeof locationType === 'number' && locationType <= 2) {
+        return validationIssue('Latitude and Longitude are required for your current location type')
       }
       return false
     case 'TIME':
     case 'NUMBER':
       const isNotANumber = isNaN(value)
       if (isRequiredButEmpty || isNotANumber) {
+        let reason
         if (isNotANumber) {
           reason = 'Field must be valid number'
         }
-        return {
-          field: name,
-          invalid: isRequiredButEmpty || isNotANumber,
-          reason
-        }
+        return validationIssue(reason)
       } else {
         return false
       }
@@ -247,8 +250,7 @@ export function validate (
       }
       if (!hasService && name === 'monday') {
         // only add validation issue for one day of week (monday)
-        reason = 'Calendar must have service for at least one day'
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue('Calendar must have service for at least one day')
       }
       return false
     case 'DROPDOWN':
@@ -257,7 +259,7 @@ export function validate (
         field.options &&
         field.options.findIndex(o => o.value === '') === -1
       ) {
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue()
       } else {
         return false
       }
@@ -267,11 +269,7 @@ export function validate (
         agencies.length > 1
       ) {
         if (valueDoesNotExist) {
-          return {
-            field: name,
-            invalid: true,
-            reason: 'Field must be populated for feeds with more than one agency.'
-          }
+          return validationIssue('Field must be populated for feeds with more than one agency.')
         }
       }
       return false
@@ -300,18 +298,19 @@ export function validate (
         }
       }
       if (!value || value.length === 0) {
-        return {field: `dates`, invalid: true, reason}
+        return validationIssue(EMPTY_FIELD_REASON, 'dates')
       }
       // check if date already exists in this or other exceptions
       for (let i = 0; i < value.length; i++) {
+        const dateItemName = `dates-${i}`
         if (dateMap[value[i]] && dateMap[value[i]].length > 1) {
           // eslint-disable-next-line standard/computed-property-even-spacing
-          reason = `Date (${value[
+          const reason = `Date (${value[
             i
           ]}) cannot appear more than once for all exceptions`
-          return {field: `dates-${i}`, invalid: true, reason}
+          return validationIssue(reason, dateItemName)
         } else if (!moment(value[i], 'YYYYMMDD', true).isValid()) {
-          return {field: `dates-${i}`, invalid: true, reason}
+          return validationIssue(EMPTY_FIELD_REASON, dateItemName)
         }
       }
       return false
@@ -331,7 +330,7 @@ export function validate (
           )
         )
       ) {
-        return {field: name, invalid: true, reason: 'Field must be a positive integer'}
+        return validationIssue('Field must be a positive integer')
       }
       return false
     case 'POSITIVE_NUM':
@@ -342,7 +341,7 @@ export function validate (
     case 'COLOR':
     default:
       if (isRequiredButEmpty) {
-        return {field: name, invalid: isRequiredButEmpty, reason}
+        return validationIssue()
       }
       return false
   }