Austin signals commitment to open data

The US city of Austin in Texas is re-affirming its commitment to open data with the new Data and Performance Hub that makes real-time data about signal operations accessible to everyone.

Launched by Austin Transportation, the information has been organised into an easy-to-navigate dashboard interface at transportation.austintexas.io.

“We recognise the power open data has to spur smart mobility innovation and we want to keep everyone up-to-speed on the services we provide,” said Austin Transportation Director Robert Spillar.

The data hub allows users to see:

• locations of all signals and whether they are functioning properly
• status of signals that are being constructed or designed
• when Austin Transportation re-times corridors
• whether someone has requested a signal at a certain location and the status of that request
• status of a repair to a signal or other device
• overview of all signal assets, year-to-date activities and signal operations
• real-time traffic counts (beta roll-out)
• transportation management operations map showing service requests, work in progress, completed repairs, incident reports and more (beta roll-out)
• frequently updated views of intersections equipped with traffic cameras (accessible via the CCTV map layer of the Operations Map, or through the Device Status map)
• other maps and resources, including a signal asset map and a preventative maintenance map.

Austin Transportation hopes it will help its citizens in everyday situations. For example, someone who sees a signal on flash on the way to work can check the Traffic Signal Monitor dashboard to see its repair status. Additionally, someone curious about whether a new signal is coming to a nearby intersection can peruse the Signal Requests dashboard to see whether a signal has been recommended or is moving forward.

It added that “more advanced data hackers” may want to dive into the open data inventory, which is a comprehensive list of public transportation datasets made available by Austin Transportation for download and analysis, or the City of Austin GitHub account, which contains open data and code from the city.

The Data and Performance Hub will continue to evolve as Austin Transportation staff add new data and features, so users are encouraged to check back regularly.

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