In the News: How Geeks Get Us Around Town
Here is an interesting article in support of agencies opening their transit data. It discusses how transit agencies in big urban cities, like New York, San Francisco and Boston, are making their raw data available to the public, ushering in an era of what the geek community is calling transit-data democracy. Now, information ranging from which subway stops have working elevators to service alerts about construction and delays are available to the public, developers and entrepreneurs.
The article draws parallels to George Orwell’s book, “1984,” concerning the broader implication opening transit data might have on society. However, it is argued that unlike “1984”, technological advances have effectively provided a greater democratization and decentralization for individuals.
When transit agencies are reluctant to release their transit data they frequently allude to concerns about the accuracy of data and how it will be used. But riders are often already getting inaccurate data, so by making transit data public, developers and entrepreneurs can use this information for good, giving people the ability to plan and navigate their trips easily and simply.
To read the entire article, click here. To learn more about the open transit data debate, go here to download a free white paper.
