Uploaded on 2016-11-27 by Jason Beffa

I would like to develop a citizen designed data heat map of the mass transit, bicycle & pedestrian traffic throughout Seattle, based on commuter flow around the metro area. For the past 8 years, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has conducted a bicycle and pedestrian count once a year with constantly improving data results. Volunteers position themselves at a selection of points throughout the state (the majority being in major cities, but there are rural counts involved as well) to count the pedestrian and cyclist traffic passing through that specific point at peak rush hours in the morning (7-9am) and afternoon (4-6pm). Volunteers note weather, method (walking or cycling), direction headed (NSEW), gender (M/F/Undetermined) and also note if cyclists are wearing helmets or not (this matters in Washington State because wearing a helmet is state law). That data is then collected and organized by a local advocacy organization, which then returns it to the WSDOT who uses it for planning and budgeting for the upcoming years. The data itself has been historically very accurate , but that said, there are three main elements missing from this data collection. 1) There is no determination if mass transit has or will be a part of that commute. 2) There is no determination of commute distance nor a determination of start point or end point, only that that person has passed through that specific location going in a specific direction at that time of day. 3) There is no notation of congestion or car traffic effects on this sort of transportation method. I would like to propose an expansion of this information collection project to include these three points by seeking volunteers to provide further information about their commutes. At first I would like to test this out in Seattle, and then determine if this is the kind of project that could be implemented state wide. The citizen design aspect of this would be to crowd source the routes that should be included, the methodology of tracking participants, feedback on the data (especially at problem commute points) and how the data is presented to the public. Personally, I’d like to develop a low cost bluetooth tracking sticker that could be attached to a bike, backpack or other outerwear. Tracking would only be initiated during commuter hours during the week (though a wider range of hours, perhaps 6am-10am and 3-7pm), and their personal information would be securely held and rinsed as to only tie their as their age, gender, and occupation method (full, part, contract, freelance) to the sticker. I would give them a user ID that they could log into a version of the tracking system to follow their own commute, allowing them to comment on certain locations, incidents or positive feed back throughout their trip. Once the data is collected and annotated by users, I would like for that information to be made public in a visual presentation where any and all can visit and review the general data. If they so decide, they can also sign in and comment on the same kind of information points involved. Hopefully once they see the value of this project they will then use the data presentation website to sign up and volunteer to contribute themselves. I would also like WSDOT, Metro and Sound Transit, the three main organizers of mass transit throughout the Seattle, to contribute their data collected through users of the ORCA card, our regional smart card used for payment on all mass transit systems. The combination of this data with the collection through my proposed citizen design project could give the citizens of this city the kind of hard data that could improve the way we plan, budget and use non-car transportation for years to come, hopefully contributing to further projects that will reduce our traffic problems and the accompanying pollution that is harming our environment. Thank you for a brilliant course this year, and I look forward to the next one!! Jason Beffa Seattle, USA