Public transit agencies don't normally get the kind of fine-grained location and navigation data made possible by tracking phones. London got temporary access to that info at the end of 2016, however.
James O'Malley reports on the results of a pilot project conducted at the end of 2016 in London: between November 21 and December 19, Transport for London (TfL) tracked the phone on anyone with a WiFi connection enabled while navigating the London Underground.
O'Malley got the first crack at the "utterly fascinating findings that the agency has been able to make from all of our data," while acknowledging that TfL has to justify the collection of all this data.
"Perhaps the number one reason to do the trial was to better understand the journeys that people actually make on the Tube," writes O'Malley in relaying the case made by officials at TfL. The new WiFi data, combined with existing sources of data, offers new insight into route tracking, in-station tracking, and, in a potentially more controversial use for the tracking, data for advertisers.
The first two benefits of the tracking should help with site and system planning efforts in the future, and O'Malley digs into some of the data shared by TfL to get an idea of how the data might improve planning efforts in the future.
FULL STORY: Here's What TfL Learned From Tracking Your Phone On the Tube
How London's Leading on Transit Data
Transport for London is forging ahead on several projects to collect and use more rider data. One initiative draws on WiFi connections to map users' paths through the London Underground.
London’s Superloop BRT Ridership Grows by 20% While Other Bus Ridership Declines
The new rapid bus system launched its first suburban line, the first of 10 that will extend outside central London.
Biking in London Grew by 20 Percent Since 2019
Pandemic-induced changes and improved bike infrastructure have contributed to the impressive growth of cycling as a mode share.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association