We’d be interested to hear your perspectives.

If you have had similar difficulties sharing and accessing transport streams, or want to talk about the situation across other transport sub-sectors, get in touch. Our research revealed ineffective realtime API deployments as a problem common to multiple transport modes, from trams to AVs. Note: The scope of this article uses several major providers: TFL NationalRail NetworkRail MTA, and Digitransport, as examples. The article below explores these challenges, with recommendations for further opening up 'open' transport data. These range from a lack of ‘real’ realtime information, to a lack of protocol support, to heterogeneous data structures. The benefits of open data in the mobility sector are well-known, but the process of populating the Hub threw up several reoccurring obstacles to its effective deployment. My work introducing transport data to the Ably Hub has involved identifying the most useful, publicly available realtime transit data, converting it to a single realtime feed, and inputting it to the Hub, which then re-distributes it to users in whichever realtime protocol and data structure they need. Introduction: The state of transport data This article offers a developer's perspective on four major technical barriers to effective realtime API deployment in transport, with steps transport providers can take to maximize innovative use of their data. While the benefits of exposing transit data streams has been well-documented, when it comes to making these APIs easy to use, many providers fall short. A case study based on public transport data feeds.

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