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and civic issues

MTA Continues to Open Its Doors

By Sam Wong | Published: July 8, 2010
A screenshot from NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications' (DoITT) NYCityMap showing subway entrances/exits and their intersections (green globe), subway station, and the lines serving that station. The MTA recently released a new dataset with exact latitude and longitude coordinates of station entrances and exits. This was a highly requested dataset for many transit developers Read more...
Also posted in Activity Feeds, all, community, data, mta, open data, open government, transit | 2 Comments

The MTA is iterating

By Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock | Published: January 15, 2010
When you think of iterative development, you’re unlikely to also think “government agency.” You’re even less likely to think “MTA.” But that might not be the case in the future, as today the MTA showed a strong sign that the situation is changing: They listened to feedback and responded. Quickly. In my post yesterday, I identified several Read more...
Also posted in Uncategorized, data, mta, open data | 6 Comments

The largest transit agency in the US is now open

By Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock | Published: January 13, 2010
It’s here: The MTA has officially launched its redesigned website, complete with a spiffy new look, access to multiple trip planners, and a convenient way to quickly check on the status of subway and bus lines. While there’s much to say about the site’s new design, what excites us most is the developer center, which I Read more...
Also posted in data, mta, open data | 4 Comments

Redesigned MTA website and more coming Wednesday

By Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock | Published: January 11, 2010
The quest for open transit data in New York continues, but the Times’ coverage today of the upcoming launch of the MTA’s new website gives cause to be optimistic. As the Times reports, the MTA is set to launch a redesign of its website this Wednesday, giving the agency’s site a much needed — and Read more...
Also posted in data, mta, open data | Leave a comment

NYC BigApps Meetup and DevCamp

By Philip Ashlock | Published: November 9, 2009
Last week the first NYC BigApps meetup was held at our office and later this month on November 21st we’ll also serve as the venue for the NYC BigApps DevCamp (please RSVP). The meetup last week was a good opportunity for app developers to learn more about the process and have a chance to talk to Read more...
Also posted in data, open government | 1 Comment

NYTransitData.org launches

By Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock | Published: September 17, 2009
Building on the work that has been taking place on the NY transit data wiki, we’ve just launched a new site, NYTransitData.org, which makes the case for improving New York’s transit system through open data. Check out the introduction or browse the frequently asked questions. Then come back and share your thoughts in the comments. We know Read more...
Also posted in Launch, data, government, mta, open government | Leave a comment

Software Freedom Day: From Software to Everywhere

By Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock | Published: September 14, 2009
It’s an exciting time. The values that have been championed for decades by the free software movement — values of sharing, participation, and freedom — have over the past several years spread well beyond the confines of computer software and are permeating everything from the arts to government. That’s why the Software Freedom Law Center, TOPP, Read more...
Also posted in free culture, party, software freedom | 2 Comments

NY City Council member calls for open transit data

By Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock | Published: September 10, 2009
Earlier this week, City Councilwoman Gale Brewer wrote a public letter to interim MTA CEO Helena Williams advocating for open public transit data. Though Councilwomen Brewer does not have direct political influence over the MTA as it’s a state-based agency, she makes a strong argument for open transit data. Indeed, Councilwoman Brewer, who chairs the Read more...
Also posted in data, mta, open government | Leave a comment

Better Data -> Better Apps -> Better Transportation

By Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock | Published: August 26, 2009
Last night’s New York Public Transit Data Summit was a resounding success. We had a room packed with passionate and thoughtful people eager to help make public transit in New York more efficient, accessible, and and easy to use. For more than two hours, the group — comprised of over two dozen transit advocates, mobile and Read more...
Also posted in data, mta, open government | 2 Comments

New York Public Transit Data Summit. With Beer.

By Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock | Published: August 19, 2009
Access to transportation schedules has been a hot topic lately. Most recently, iPhone developer Chris Schoenfeld has  come in conflict with the MTA over schedule data. Chris wrote an app that uses schedules for Metro-North, and the MTA wants him to pay royalties for his use of the data from both past and future sales of his Read more...
Also posted in data, mta, open government | 13 Comments