While Metro Transit is getting its Go Time and Google Transit
act together, a local software developer has launched a bus route
planner to help Haligonians—without help from the city.
William Lachance created hbus.ca beta,
a route planner that allows Metro Transit patrons to plug in starting
points and destinations to get route plans. The information includes
what time bus riders should walk to paticular bus stops—including
those pesky stops Metro Transit doesn’t list in its online route
schedules—and what transfers to take.
It’s a project Lachance thought of when he came to Halifax almost
two years ago. He was talking to his friend, Daniel Haran, about the
city’s transit system.
“We were just kind of thinking about what we really could do to make
transit that much more compelling here,” explains Lachance.
He adds that it’s “kind of painful” to go through Metro Transit’s
online schedules to determine routes. Haran contacted Metro Transit
numerous times from 2004 onwards, trying to get the city to release its
transit data for all bus routes and bus stops. He even filed a Freedom
of Information Act request to access the data. But no luck.
“You get one of two responses,” says Lachance of Metro Transit’s
replies to his friend’s—and later his own—requests. “One is just
‘no.’ The other one is that they give you their policy on the
dissemination of geographical data, something on the order of ‘give us
a lot of money and we’ll give you the information you can basically
only use for personal use.'”
Lori Patterson, spokesperson for Metro Transit, explains
further.
“We can’t give our information out for somebody else to put up and
run their own Metro Transit trip planning because we ultimately are
accountable for it,” she explains.
Patterson adds that routes are updated four times a year, and she
doesn’t have the resources to make sure organizations with transit data
get the updated version. If someone riding the bus gets the wrong
information, they’ll call Metro Transit.
She’s quick to add that Metro Transit has been working on a trip
planner for a year, which will be out in two months. It’ll be part of
Google Transit, and up-to-the-minute Go Times are to be released
shortly thereafter.
While Lachance says it’s not uncommon for a city to keep its transit
data private, the fact that Metro Transit is spending money on making
its own trip planner while programmers like Lachance and Haran are
willing to do it on their own time baffles him.
“I think from the social point of view, there’s a lot of scope for
private citizens to improve the transit system for everyone,” Lachance
explains. He adds that sharing the responsibility for improvement with
a city’s citizens can improve Halifax’s transit system quickly, with
significantly less cost. But Patterson says there are too many
organizations and too many ideas to act outside of Metro Transit’s
staff.
Lachance decided to make a route planner anyway, as market research
on software he created, called Routez. He converted Metro Transit’s
schedules and input the data into Routez. And those stops not listed on
the Metro Transit schedule? Lachance biked all the routes with a GPS,
recording all the times and locations.
“When I tell [people] about the biking thing, they tend to assume
that I’m insane,” says Lachance with a grin. “We’re talking between 20
and 30 hours of biking—people easily spend that amount of time in a
month watching TV.”
Lachance began the project last August, and has biked most of the
Halifax peninsula and some Bedford and Dartmouth routes. All of
Lachance’s data is open source, for other programmers to use if they
wish. Now, Lachance is looking for feedback. The trip planner is far
from perfect—significant routes are missing, and he wants to improve
on the information the site gives its users, while also creating
Blackberry and iPod applications. The incompleteness of the site isn’t
from bugs—it’s from lack of data.
“My real hope right now is that the city can be made to see that
they really have nothing to lose by opening up their transit data,”
says Lachance. “It’s kind of fun to bike around the city, but really it
shouldn’t be necessary.”
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2009.
I support this man’s efforts. The site’s pretty good as it is, and will be even better when landmark recognition is implemented. If nothing else, it’ll force Transit to actually make their website better, which is something I’ve been hoping would happen for years.
Good job on Lachance. While I can understand some of the points raised by Metro Transit regarding accountability, it still makes little sense why MT can’t simply release the data under condition that a clear statement on hbus.ca informs users that this is not an official Metro Transit site/service.
As Lachance says, the data is in the public domain already, but did he really have to bike for 30 hours to manually record the locations of bus stops? The ‘unwanted’ end result (that Metro Transit claims to be the reason for their uncooperative approach) is now in place regardless of their efforts to stifle it.
This is yet another example of the backwards and uninspired way Metro Transit thinks and operates.
When Lachance came to them with this request, they could have given him the data, encouraged local innovation, and ensure that when his site is up, it at least presents as accurate a route plan as possible, while clearly showing a disclaimer on his site that would address their data accuracy/accountability/update concerns.
But, that would be the action of a forward thinking organization. An organization that understands what innovation is, and that innovation does not wait for or require permission in order to take place. An organization that chooses to be part of that innovation, not a (futile) force against it.
It took Lachance a little over 6 months to put this together, and he is doing it manually with a bike, a GPS, and a computer. Why exactly is Metro Transit’s equivalent project taking over a YEAR so far (if it actually materializes), and they have all the data and resources that they need in-house?
Well done Lachance & Haran.
Open data is a new idea for some public agencies. However, I think many are beginning to understand that opening up their data will increase innovation and decrease development cycles. They’ll have more flexibility to make technology choices in an environment with more choices, instead of being beholden to specific vendors.
issamat– as always, you’re way off the mark. What Lachance and Haran are doing is simply entering values on open source software (all it is is a Google Maps rework). MT is building a system from the ground up, and it’s completely new, as far as MT is concerned. That said, it’s a good site, but it definitely needs to have a disclaimer for MT not being liable for the recommendations, especially considering that as I was plugging in some figures from my morning commute and it added 20 minutes onto my trip, making me late. You know people would treat this stuff like the gospel.
(hbus’s author here)
Doctor, the software behind hbus is not a google maps rework. In fact, it doesn’t use google maps at all. The core elements of the site (pathfinding, user interface, and geocoding) were all written from scratch by myself. I did take advantage of some fantastic open source software (Django, YUI, CloudMade’s Map Visualization API, and pyparsing) to help build the site, but that’s pretty normal for this sort of thing. You never start completely from scratch.
You don’t have to take my word for this. I’ve made the route finding source code opensource for others to examine and build upon:
http://github.com/wlach/libroutez
As for the disclaimer bit, there’s several on the site. The very first paragraph, in the top left hand corner, says: “hbus.ca is an *unofficial service*”. The second says “This site is *still under development*”. Of all the people I’ve heard comment about hbus (and there have been many), you are honestly the first to say that my non-affiliation with Metro Transit is remotely ambiguous.
Finally, feel free to tell me what hbus should have calculated for your route on http://hbus.uservoice.com. I’m always on the lookout for cases where the path finding software performs poorly.
In many cities, like Vancouver, this is common place and expected. When I moved back to Halifax I was baffled at its sad, sad transit system. If Metro Transit wants more bad press for absolutely no reason – it has it.
Actually Dr. Fever you’re the one who’s off the mark. Metro Transit isn’t building their system “from the ground up” it’s collaborating with Google Transit.
Nice vendetta attempt though.
Indeed, it would seem my foot was in my mouth, and I stand corrected. I still think it’s a site dedicated for stupid people.
From an economic development perspective, we’re providing a government monopoly to a foreign, multi-billion dollar advertising company while shutting out a small local competitor.
Dr. Fever, it is issmat that got it right.
-It is Lachance that is doing all the work – I provide only encouragement.
-MT is *not* creating something new, but using Google’s proprietary software. They told me they couldn’t give me the data because they had a $20k contract with a company to build one; that obviously failed.
-The reason many recommendations are wrong is almost certainly due to lack of data, something MT could fix easily by opening up their data.
Google Transit does not always give proper recommendations either. Some competition (on a level playing field) would let transit users choose the most accurate system.
MT provides Google a URL (web address) where they can download the most recent data. That’s all Lachance needs to know. Making that URL public would take less work than making excuses or answering a single email. The resulting competition would benefit us all.
Proprietary is proprietary for a reason. Sorry, I don’t buy the argument of everything on the internet should be open and free, that also goes for information. MT has no reason to share the information with you; nor do you have any right to it. You don’t vote for them, and they’re a private entity (despite the fact that they are a public funded one). Your request is moot. Besides, anyone can read a map doesn’t need to use the service… so….
Dr. Fever: “You don’t vote for them, and they’re a private entity (despite the fact that they are a public funded one).”
Nope, wrong. Metro Transit is a public government agency. They are covered by the freedom of information law, and I read no exemption for this kind of data. Metro Transit has quite correctly figured that these guys don’t have the resources and/or time to challenge the issue in court, so forget what the law says, they’re not getting the info.
Simply stated, hbus has added value to my life and I am using the bus more than I did before it existed. I have a small child so timing is critical and I have found hbus to be very helpful and accurate. Like anything, I’m sure it could be better but I know the developer is open to feedback and really cares about this city and the bigger picture surrounding this issue.
In that bigger picture is a question about how open our city is with data that could be used by talented people such as Will, to innovate and add value to existing services.
David Eaves did a great job of explaining the value of what happened in Toronto around open data in his post “From here to open – How the City of Toronto began Opening up”
This is what I’m interested in:
“The exciting outcome is that web designers, coders and companies can then use this data to better deliver services, coordinate activities in neighborhoods, make government more transparent, or analyze problems.”
Read more here:
http://eaves.ca/2009/02/09/from-here-to-op…
How do we move forward with this in Halifax? I want talented and capable people in this city to bring their ideas and innovation into application to address some of our challenges and for our civil servants, who I believe also care, to figure out ways to engage with and enable this to happen.
William LaChance is a dreamboat.
Dr. Fever: “Sorry, I don’t buy the argument of everything on the internet should be open and free, that also goes for information. MT has no reason to share the information with you”
You are obviously trolling. You picked the most insignificant part of D. Haran’s post (that the info is on the Internet) and twisted it into your entire argument. Who cares how the information is transmitted? Write it on a DVD. Put it on a USB stick.
D. Haran provided several reasons why MT should consider sharing the information (open competition, support local business, benefit the public), and your counter-argument addressed exactly none of them.
While I can read a map, that doesn’t mean I enjoy deciphering MT’s crude PDF route schedules. And I’m not about to chase buses on my bike with a GPS I’d have to purchase in order to work out if I can catch a bus on my street corner in five minutes. I’ll take my car instead — and that’s bad for everyone.
And what about people who actually can’t read MT’s online PDF maps? Many people my parent’s age have trouble sending an email, let alone reading a PDF. And after a lifetime building a world for my generation to enjoy, I’m not going to begrudge them that! What if you’re blind? Hbus.ca gives text instructions that a screenreader can speak. Does MT provide this service? (Yes, one can call the bus stop number. But you need to make a transfer mid-route. What now? Even so, what benefit does MT gain by prohibiting alternatives?)
While still in it’s first edition, hbus.ca is an excellent, easy to use rendition of the data you need to know in a complex system. and it’s been developed for FREE. Should anyone be denied this? I don’t think so.
Metro Transit is dragging its feet while progressive, forward-thinking movers and shakers are pushing us into the future. That’s not the image you want for your city infrastructure, and I hope their management realizes that sooner rather than later. Well done hbus.ca!
D.Morrison– those who do not have the capability to read the PDF can pick up a transit map anywhere you can pick up a schedule. In fact, in most cases there is an overabundance of them, for free. I’m not saying the website has a use, nor should it be denied to people. I just don’t feel that the argument of MT providing all of their information is a valid one. It would be like me providing another bank with trade secrets.
Dr. Fever: “I just don’t feel that the argument of MT providing all of their information is a valid one. It would be like me providing another bank with trade secrets.”
I feel like the comments here are turning into everyone refuting Dr. Fever’s arguments. But I’m willing to keep this going, because I think it’s educational and important for everyone to understand.
The idea of “trade secrets” does not apply in this situation. Metro Transit is a public government agency, not a money-making venture. Ticket prices don’t even remotely cover the costs of running the service. Any and all money coming into the city through Metro Transit does so indirectly through “consumers” and the work force.
So any improvement to MT’s transit system is a benefit to MT and the city. There are no “trade secrets.” At least, none that are really secrets. Cities are always comparing themselves with the models that have been put forward by different cities. Governments talk to each other. Metro Transit has nothing to lose by sharing its information. It has plenty to gain.
The only people who *might* stand to lose anything by the sharing of Metro Transit’s route information are the companies MT has signed on with to make their new trip planner. And that “loss” is really just the result of competition.
I can only hope that MT is sourcing to local programmers. In that case it actually would be a shame if they are being undercut by other local programmers who are providing the same services for free.
lu_lu: regardless if it’s a publicly funded organization, it’s still proprietary information (sorry Tim, it is, regardless if it’s available through freedom of information) and that leads to specific legal issues like copyright. If MT is using Google’s proprietary format (as Mr. Lachance has educated me about) they’ve given them the rights to use that information. Google as a part of the legal agreement, most likely, has specific oversight and rights to that information (let’s face it; they’re large and wealthy enough to weild that sort of power). That said, if Mr. Lachance was provided that information that Google has, that may infringe on Google’s exclusive right to use that information, and MT is stuck (and rightfully so) in a legal quagmire.
Google hasn’t ever demanded an exclusive right to Google Transit Feed formatted information to my knowledge. In fact, they’ve done an awful lot to encourage the innovative use of transit information, by making the GTFS specification public and producing the Google Transit Data feed library:
http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdata…
http://code.google.com/transit/spec/transi…
Read all about how a city submits information to Google in GTFS here:
http://maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/p…
Note that nowhere does it say anything about
how Google has an exclusive license to use the information
In fact, you can find a list of cities that have made their transit feeds public on Google’s own site:
http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdata…
I think Google (and Google Transit) are awesome and I salute Metro Transit for giving them GTFS-formatted information. I just think that (1) competition (especially local competition) is always healthy and (2) there’s a lot of scope for innovation in services beyond what Google has to offer. If it’s possible to produce a site like hbus in just six months of part time work, imagine what else the creative programmers in this city might be capable of! Why shouldn’t we encourage that? The cost is basically zero.
Wow..what ….someone is actually working on a relevant HRM issue……I stand in awe….can we take pictures…..best wishes to this innovative thinker…….. did I say I am shock…..