Muni releases NextBus GPS arrival data stream for app developers

[Raines Cohen, *Camp Counselor]

Muni releases NextBus GPS arrival data stream for app developers
Posted by: "11/11 SF Appeal" ba...@yahoogroups.com batn_control
Date: Wed Nov 11, 2009 12:37 pm ((PST))

Published Wednesday, November 11, 2009, by the SFAppeal.com

Will The MTA's Release Of Real Time Muni Arrival Data End Developer
Harassment From Private Company?

By Eve Batey

You probably know the story already -- scrappy developer Steven
Peterson made an iPhone app called Routesy <http://routesy.com> to
help users figure out when Muni was actually going to arrive using
data from NextBus <http://nextbus.com>, a company that places GPS
transponders on buses to provide relatively accurate arrival
predictions. Then, a guy with a murky connection to NextBus approached
Peterson and told him our Muni arrival times actually belonged to his
company, demanded money, then just had Apple kill the app.

However, the SF MTA disagreed and said that that data belongs to we,
the people. In the interim, that guy with the murky NextBus connection
(his name is Alex Orloff, his company is called NextBus Information
Systems <http://nextbusmobile.com>, which is not the same thing as
NextBus) emailed us saying things like "Language is such a tricky
thing," when it came to who owned and could access NextBus' real-time
arrival information.

Well, language got a little less tricky this weekend, as the SF MTA
released instructions <http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asite/
nextmunidata.htm> on how to access NextBus' XML data for all to use.
Not that they made a big to-do about it -- we actually only realized
it after seeing this BART announcement <http://tinyurl.com/yfefo3c> on
how you can now coordinate Muni Metro and BART arrival information.
Trust the SF MTA to not bother to mention it when they do something
good!

So what does this mean for the casual Muni rider? Nothing,
immediately, and maybe that's why the MTA hid their light under a
basket. But for aspiring Steven Petersons, folks eager to make take
Muni's arrival data and make applications for riders, this is pretty
exciting news. (And we had one of our nerdiest friends try this feed
<http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asite/nextmunidata.htm> out, and he assures
us it works.)

NextBus spokesperson Mike Smith, a longtime advocate of open transit
data, seems pleased, telling us "SF MTA clarified several months ago
that they are sole owners of the NextMuni real-time data. But now with
the public feed they are actually enabling passengers to reap the
benefits by enabling the information to be provided to passengers in
new and interesting ways. It will be very exciting to see what new
applications third-party developers come up with."

Speaking of third-party developers, there is a developer who believed
Alex Orloff when he told them that Muni's arrival times belonged to
his company: AppTight, the makers of iCommute, admittedly entered into
a contract with Orloff's company. Their spokesperson, Kelly Beener
(who did not respond to an email requesting comment for this story),
has told us "our understanding of the issue leads us to believe that
NBIS is accurate in their assessment of their right to control the
publishing of Nextbus predictions and therefore we are not inclined to
seek a change in our agreement" and "we're confident that NBIS is
acting in good faith and in the best interest of all involved."

However, Mike Smith, of NextBus, states things pretty plainly, saying
"Alex Orloff and NBIS are not agents of NextBus Inc, the company that
creates the real-time passenger information for San Francisco Muni and
other agencies." (Orloff did not respond to an email requesting
comment for this story.) So, Muni data app developers, if Orloff comes
knocking at your door, please do let us know <edi...@sfappeal.com>,
but don't worry -- he's without a leg on which to stand.

This is great news -- now, developers need not fear a shakedown from
some tangential company claiming ownership of data that belongs to all
of us! Now they'll be free to make all sorts of applications telling
us just how long we have to wait for the bus. So get going, kids, and
make us some cool stuff.