3 ms·

I don't know why transit agencies don't just open-source and make available the raw data they have. Often I see them trying to put together "apps" or some such

by ajays 15y ago

I don't know why transit agencies don't just open-source and make available the raw data they have. Often I see them trying to put together "apps" or some such gizmos, when the reality is, if they just made the underlying raw data available (in a reliable manner), someone will come along and build apps for them on their own dime. The transit agencies would rather spend money hiding the data, and then more money building some crappy app, than open the data and get all the labor for free. They just don't get this whole "open-source" thing.

albertsun 15y ago
There's a lot of privacy implications to that as opening up truly raw data could, depending on the form, allow people to track other's movements through the system.
- ajays 15y ago
  I'm sorry, but: the position of a transit bus at a given point in time is not really "private" data. Neither is the number of parking spots open in a City garage; or the meter rates of parking meters.
jbermudes 15y ago
The underlying issue is that some agencies can't for some odd reason or another give out their data. There is either some archaic policy in place or for some historical/contractual reason the data isn't actually owned by the agency but instead by some contractor that provides the technology to generate the data. Some smaller agencies might not even have a department that is aware of that issue/possibility because they once again subcontract it all out and the contractor isn't going to suggest to release data for free to get free projects. The best way to change that is to request it at the local level. If local developers put pressure on their transit agencies then that will help speed up the process.
- apievangelist 15y ago
  I'm working on deeper stories along these lines. Many of these agencies have signed into extremely long, and closed contracts, that give away ownership of "our" data.
- ajays 15y ago
  I agree. A lot of times the contractor who built the system will either (a) see the value in the data, and put in a clause walling it off, or (b) try to obfuscate the data so it's not easy to get to, so that they'll get more money to free the data. SF's MUNI had a huge mess on its hands with the whole NextBus thing. Eventually the developers prevailed, but this is SF, where you can't throw a stone without hitting some developer. Imagine the situation in not so tech-heavy cities.

by ajays 15y ago

albertsun 15y ago

There's a lot of privacy implications to that as opening up truly raw data could, depending on the form, allow people to track other's movements through the system.

ajays 15y ago
I'm sorry, but: the position of a transit bus at a given point in time is not really "private" data. Neither is the number of parking spots open in a City garage; or the meter rates of parking meters.

jbermudes 15y ago

The underlying issue is that some agencies can't for some odd reason or another give out their data. There is either some archaic policy in place or for some historical/contractual reason the data isn't actually owned by the agency but instead by some contractor that provides the technology to generate the data. Some smaller agencies might not even have a department that is aware of that issue/possibility because they once again subcontract it all out and the contractor isn't going to suggest to release data for free to get free projects. The best way to change that is to request it at the local level. If local developers put pressure on their transit agencies then that will help speed up the process.

apievangelist 15y ago
I'm working on deeper stories along these lines. Many of these agencies have signed into extremely long, and closed contracts, that give away ownership of "our" data.
ajays 15y ago
I agree. A lot of times the contractor who built the system will either (a) see the value in the data, and put in a clause walling it off, or (b) try to obfuscate the data so it's not easy to get to, so that they'll get more money to free the data. SF's MUNI had a huge mess on its hands with the whole NextBus thing. Eventually the developers prevailed, but this is SF, where you can't throw a stone without hitting some developer. Imagine the situation in not so tech-heavy cities.