The Metropolitan Transportation Commission—the Bay Area's regional transportation planning agency—recently did fans of data and mapping a huge favor and launched a website called Vital Signs.
"Data lovers can now nerd out on a new website that collects Bay Area transportation data and puts it into customizable maps and charts that anyone can play with," reports Melanie Curry.
The website, called Vital Signs, is part of an open data project by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and could inform measurements if/when the beleaguered Plan Bay Area effort begins to shape the region.
"The first rollout of the website includes transportation data from a variety of sources, including the US Census. Land use data will be added in March. Information and measures of the economy–job creation, employment, and housing affordability–and environment—emissions, fuel sales, injuries from collisions–will complete the website by June," according to Curry's sources with the MTC.
Curry goes on to detail some of the uses of the portal, including comparisons between San Francisco and Los Angeles on measures of annual and daily transit ridership.
Members of the mainstream have already picked up on the tools available through Vital Signs, including Gary Richards for the Contra Costa Times and Ann Notarangelo for CBS SF Bay Area.
FULL STORY: New Data Website Tracks Bay Area Vital Signs
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