Transit transparency : effective disclosure through open data.

Harvard University. Kennedy School of Government

United States. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Innovative Technology Administration

HVDR22-11

Tech Report

United States

New England University Transportation Center

Public transit agencies have employed intelligent systems for determining schedules and routes and for monitoring the real-time location and status of their vehicle fleets for nearly two decades. But until recently, the data generated by daily operations in the transit system were only available to managers and engineers inside agencies. Transit riders could only consult static information when planning trips, primarily through printed or online timetables or maps. Where dynamic train or bus arrival predictions were accessible, riders could only see this information on fixed signs at transit stations or stops. With the popular adoption of smartphones and other mobile technologies transit riders gained the capacity to access information anywhere and at anytime. Some transit agencies have responded by publicly releasing disaggregated data files for schedules and real-time feeds of vehicle locations. These agencies have thus empowered civic entrepreneurs to innovate in delivering transit information to riders through mobile applications and other technologically-assisted means.

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US Transportation Collection