Via Planetizen:
Here’s an interesting idea from the east coast: CleverCommute.com allows commuters to share information about current commute conditions. It seems to be centered around commuter rail.
Could we do it here? What kind of information would it focus on?
5 responses to “Peer-to-peer Commuter Intelligence?”
It seems like this could apply to Tri-Met. Do people actually commute using the Cascades, or anything besides Tri-Met currently? Regardless, you sign up for the service, enter your bus/MAX/streetcar route, and then wait for something to happen. When it does (snow, construction delays, power outage, special event, police action, etc.), if you encounter it first, you text off an alert to the service, which broadcasts it to others who use your line. If somebody else encounters it first, you get a text message letting you know that something is up with your route before you go out there and try to wait for it to show up in vain.
At least, this is how I would see it working in Portland, based on a quick review of that website.
Just another way to get a heads-up when something goes awry.
I’ve heard about ideas of using cell phones to track where people are. Mode of transportation supposedly does not really matter, it’s more of that the denser the congregation of people, the more you should avoid an area.
It really makes sense to me, and provided the data is properly aggregated to represent percentages and not people, I like the idea. If nothing else, it might help us understand congestion as it occurs at unexpected times and places.
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like on TripCheck and Google Maps I see congestion that makes no sense based on time of day. I’d love to see where some of this traffic is going.
And for those who care less, it provides useful data for people who just use the transportation system(s), while offering a lot of data to improve planning and traffic studies.
From the founder of Clever Commute: It started quite modestly…and has grown nicely. Clever Commuter recently launched in Boston (in addition to NY). Feel free to Google around for articles from the NY Times and Boston Globe.
I’d be open to talking with folks interested in exploring rolling it out in your area. It’s free to use. Please feel free to contact me via the website’s “Contact us” link.
Thanks!
-Josh
“From the founder of Clever Commute: ”
Well why the hell not?
Make a video about it will ya, put it on YOUTUBE!
I actually do something like that now believe it or not.
Given that, on any given morning, or evening, whatever, a small minority of commuters will get rides that are comfortable and efficient, and a far greater number will wait far too long for uncomfortable standing rides……why would anyone help his or her competitors?