Uber Releases Some of its Coveted Trip Data

Linda Poon reports: "in what seems like a move calculated to mend ties, Uber has opened up that cherished trove of info to city planners, researchers, and (eventually) the public."

Uber calls its new data sharing Movement, and touts its anonymized database of over two billion trips. The goal of Movement, according to its web portal: "to help improve urban planning around the world."

"The tool, which is currently available in Boston, Manila, Sydney, and Washington, D.C., tracks how long it takes to get from one point to another, and how that changes depending on the time of the day, day of the week, and factors like road shutdowns or city-wide events," explains Poon.

Poon also relates the experience of a demonstration of Movements power, as applied in the case study of the March 2016 shutdown of the Metrorail system in the Washington, D.C. region.