Democratization of Data:
Massachusetts Shares Transit Information in a Publicly Accessible Database
http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/67891.html?wlc=1250687478
Here is an excerpt:
Massachusetts is inviting developers to integrate public transportation information into applications for mobile devices by sharing its code and background data on the state’s official Web site. The move will be an efficient way for the state to provide citizens with easier ways to access directions, bus and train schedules, and transportation routes.
Creative Commons License. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/denmar/118562264/
It makes me think of the site:
http://myttc.ca
…which is not an official site. It is better than anything the TTC has in terms of helping somebody navigate the system for the first time.
A rider being confident about how to get where he or she is going before departing will enable the TTC to lure new riders who were previously sitting on the fence. If the routes are presented via GPS coordinates in an open database, then overlays could be made for almost any navigation software or GPS device. Read the rest of this entry »
