Session coverage by guest blogger Liam Stanley
Session Details
Over 3000 data sets have already been released publicly through data.vic.gov.au - However so far the data releases have involved more pushing data into the public domain rather than data being pulled from public service at the request of the public.
As such this discussion formed around asking the group to imagine what data they could possibly want with Steve, Andrew and Adrian's collective knowledge to help workshop the potential usages.
Two major constraints surrounding the withholding of the information are the confidentiality and the commercial value of the data.
To overcome this the onion approach can be taken, looking into different levels of data provided - however this then leads to a question of quality, are you looking for high quality analytics - then data at a raw form should be allowed.
Open to the floor… What data could you possibly want?
Patronage data
- Myki data, revealing the trip data for everyone to access
- Precedents within Australia exist for this - Canberra has done it, why can’t melbourne
- Application for tourists and for tourism locations
- People have tried for data for private clients, however the data was not released
Tram and more importantly bus patronage and reliability.
- Data collected by new E-class trams, is handled by bombardiers (tram maker), measures the geometry of the track it is travelling on and other high tech sensors collecting boardings etc, however the resulting holder of the data does not want to release such information
Taxi tracking
- Only certain companies have this ability (Slivertop app)
- About communication to passenger, about timing/potential delays
Telephone data
- Understanding the flow of people within cities
- When and where are they using their phones, for what purposes
- Phone carriers collection is through a triangulation method - large scale
- Individual phone makers, looking at Apple and Samsung would hold far more accurate data
- Google tracking of location through google maps etc
- Passed on or sold in aggregated forms in the US
- Why not Australia?
Free public WiFi - amazing opportunity
- City of Melbourne ensuring it captures and understands the use of the city
Road segments and traffic information
- For the programming/routing of emergency services
Public Transport timetables, why won’t they just get on with it and release the data?
- Apparently PTV upgrading system… then allowed. However this is not perceived by the group discussion as a really challenging problem
- Any other reasons behind withholding the data?
- PTV have their timeline
- PTV have their own app - However the app is crummy and using that excuse is poor form
- Offi - A great example of a transport app, international coverage etc with the availability of PTV data Melbourne could be integrated into this service.
Utility data collection
- Indicating the vacancy of houses
- Through photography of if the bins are out or not
- City of Melbourne - looking into water meters
Street sweepers
- GPS tracking to check if outsourced tasks are completed
Real time data
- Traffic flows
- Emergency management currently offered
- Looking the capacity of the existing roads
Size of the road users to help cyclists avoid roads with larger scale traffic
- cycletour.org already developed to help assist cyclists with this task
Furthering discussions continued around topics such as Australia Post data for the efficient routing of residential addresses, designing routes around left turns and ways to improve the routing of the travelling salesman.