HSR Real-Time Open Data Now Available to Open Hamilton Developers - Hackathon Announced
Joey Coleman
The HSR is giving up access to HSR real-time open data for testing and development. The data will publicly launch on July 31st.
Open Hamilton will hold a hackathon on July 26 to build and submit apps that use the data. (We'll launch separate threads on GitHub to plan the event)
Anyone seeking access to the data prior to July 26 is asked to contact me (Joey) or Matt Grande to get the location of the data files for development only. We CANNOT make the location of the data public as the capacity does not yet exist for public use.
Read the Open Hamilton blog post announcing the data's availability here: http://blog.openhamilton.ca/2014/07/hsr-real-time-data-hackathon-announced.html
Register to attend our hackathon here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/hsr-real-time-open-data-hackathon-tickets-2170391700
(Note: we're going to work on logistics of getting developers from Aldershot Station to the venue. If you're in Toronto - we want you to attend!)
Below is the email we received from the HSR (minus the location of files as this a public forum)
Hello,
To provide Open Hamilton with as much pre-testing time as possible prior to the anticipated launch of the HSR GTFS real-time feed to the public on July 31, 2014, we are informing you that the HSR GTFS real-time files are available for testing purposes only. The files have been approved by Google as being in the appropriate format, however Google has not yet completed their testing of the content of the files. We may still need to make corrections to the data. As outlined in the Information Update to Council on January 22, 2014, two data files are currently being updated, Vehicle Positions and Trips Updates. Service Alerts are not currently updated by the City of Hamilton.
As background, please note that the files as they currently exist are being created from our test application server with real-time updates from the production AVL servers. We will need to upgrade the software on the production servers, move the file creation to those servers, and install various software patches. In the period between now and the July 31st production launch, while these changes occur, the feed will not update.
Once in production, during the City of Hamilton’s regularly scheduled monthly server and network maintenance window, the feed will not update as real-time information is not available. At any time to perform system maintenance on the software or servers creating the files, or related to the AVL system as a whole, the real-time update feed may be interrupted without warning.
The use of these data sets is governed by the City of Hamilton’s Acceptable Use Agreement and Open Data License Terms And Conditions.
The City of Hamilton does not provide technical support for development efforts. Information on the General Transit Feed Specification Real Time files can be found at https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/.
There is no API validation key required to access the GTFS real-time feed files.