(→‎Project Roadmap and Participants: - updating status of WPs)
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[[Image:HiTrans-ConnectedNetwork.png|right|thumb|width=300px|Fig 1: Picture of a Network concept for public transport, from HiTrans: Planning the Networks guidebook.]]
[[Image:HiTrans-ConnectedNetwork.png|right|thumb|width=300px|Fig 1: Picture of a Network concept for public transport, from HiTrans: Planning the Networks guidebook.]]


To develop, plan and implement an alternative to this situation, we need an alternative transport "paradigm" that still gives citizens a good degree of mobility around their cities, but uses resources much more effectively. One of the foremost alternative paradigms developed is one that puts much more emphasis on an expanded, better-run, coordinated public transport network. Many cities around the world show aspects of such an approach, using ideas such as [[Integrated multimodal network planning]] and [[Public transport prioritisation]] on our street network. Several researchers, such as [[wikipedia:Paul Mees]], have developed and distilled the key aspects of how such an approach needs to work, and written about this in guides such as the [[http://www.civitas.no/pdf/HiTrans2PublicTransportPlanningThe%20Networks.pdf HiTrans: Planning the Networks]] booklet.
To develop, plan and implement an alternative to this situation, we need an alternative transport "paradigm" that still gives citizens a good degree of mobility around their cities, but uses resources much more effectively. One of the foremost alternative paradigms developed is one that puts much more emphasis on an expanded, better-run, coordinated public transport network. Many cities around the world show aspects of such an approach, using ideas such as [[Integrated multimodal network planning]] and [[Public transport prioritisation]] on our street network. Several researchers, such as [[wikipedia:Paul Mees]], have developed and distilled the key aspects of how such an approach needs to work, and written about this in guides such as the [http://www.civitas.no/pdf/HiTrans2PublicTransportPlanningThe%20Networks.pdf HiTrans: Planning the Networks] booklet, now freely available online.


Many cities, like [[Melbourne]] Australia, already have the basic elements of such a network:- the challenge is both working out, and making the case, for bringing them together effectively.
Many cities in the developed world, like [[Melbourne]] Australia, already have the basic elements of such a network, in terms of existing heavy rail tracks, and tram networks:- the challenge is both working out, and making the case, for bringing them together effectively as an integrated system.


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Revision as of 03:49, 6 March 2014


Public Transit and Bikes unite!
OSSTIP: a long-term effort to collaboratively build an Open Source Sustainable Transport Informatics Platform.

Project Goal and Rationale

Transport is a crucial aspect of modern societies, but it also has a significant impact on the planet in multiple ways. A big part of creating Sustainable cities needs to be working out how to co-evolve more Sustainable transport systems.

This project is motivated to try and support and better understand the potential for civil society groups to use computer Geographic Information Systems (GISs) and modelling software for Transport Informatics to imagine, develop and communicate alternative paths forward for transport systems in their city-regions. See Open Source Transport Informatics tools for a developing knowledge-base about these tools.

The case for a new Sustainable Transport Paradigm based on fast, frequent, interconnected public transport

In the developed Western world, especially in English-speaking countries such as the USA, UK, and Australia, the bulk of our transport is now oriented towards using private cars. Yet this is problematic given what we now know of the negative environmental and social side effects of transport systems in large cities too dominated by individual private car travel, as well as the problem of traffic congestion. Critical transport planners have called this situation wikipedia:Automobile Dependency.

Fig 1: Picture of a Network concept for public transport, from HiTrans: Planning the Networks guidebook.

To develop, plan and implement an alternative to this situation, we need an alternative transport "paradigm" that still gives citizens a good degree of mobility around their cities, but uses resources much more effectively. One of the foremost alternative paradigms developed is one that puts much more emphasis on an expanded, better-run, coordinated public transport network. Many cities around the world show aspects of such an approach, using ideas such as Integrated multimodal network planning and Public transport prioritisation on our street network. Several researchers, such as wikipedia:Paul Mees, have developed and distilled the key aspects of how such an approach needs to work, and written about this in guides such as the HiTrans: Planning the Networks booklet, now freely available online.

Many cities in the developed world, like Melbourne Australia, already have the basic elements of such a network, in terms of existing heavy rail tracks, and tram networks:- the challenge is both working out, and making the case, for bringing them together effectively as an integrated system.

The role computer GIS tools play in transport planning, and Open Source software

The reason we think this is necessary and worthwhile to pursue is because:

  • Many of the computer tools for analysing transport that came out of the developed world countries from the 1950s-60s onwards, especially the United States, focused on managing and planning transport with the assumption that the private car would be the clearly dominant mode of transport.
  • But if we are to imagine and plan a future transport system that presents a genuine alternative to ongoing automobile-dominance, then we need tools that are closely oriented to the key ideas of an effective alternative :- using ideas such as Integrated multimodal network planning of public transport.
  • A second aspect of this is that most of the tools used by professional transport planners and engineers has been developed and distributed as wikipedia:Proprietary software. The siginificant license costs and restrictions tend to restrict the use of these tools to large government departments and for-profit consultancies.

But if sustainable transportation is 'everybody's problem', shouldn't we try to reduce the barriers as low as possible for different groups and people in society to understand their region's transport system, and work and advocate for possible improvements?

Our goal in this project is to investigate if Open Source software, as well as Open data formats such as GTFS, have advanced far enough to support a new approach to transport planning that is usable by small civil society organisations already advocating for better public transport planning in their city-regions. This should support a larger Transport modeling reform effort so that the design, structure and use of information systems used in transport planning better matches the goal of a more environmentally sustainable transport system.

Project Roadmap and Participants

One of the ways this project is being pursued is through an Action-Research project in Melbourne, Australia. This is a collaboration between User:PatSunter at the University of Melbourne, and several civil society organisations interested in future transport policy. For more background on this, see Melbourne Sustainable Transport Reform.

The key stages of this AR project are: (Last updated 2014-02-07 - for previous statuses see OSSTIP/WP Progress Archive)

WP Description Status
OSSTIP/WP1 Initial data gathering and familiarisation: Gathering, and familiarisation, with key data requirements and possibilities Completed (c.f extensions)
OSSTIP/WP2 Transport Informatics tools review: Assessment of key existing tools such as OpenTripPlanner given the needs of the project, see Open Source Transport Informatics tools Completed (Bar better archiving of results in a VM etc)
OSSTIP/WP3 Setup and design of Spatial Data Infrastructure to support project Largely complete - need to add step of documenting VMs of system state
OSSTIP/WP4 Display of current Melbourne PT network in chosen tool (In practice, this will be quite closely integrated with previous WPs, especially WP2) Complete
OSSTIP/WP5 Workflow for conversion of GIS data into PT network schedule (Necessary as part of process so that a new network can be visualised) Significant progress (working, but need to document and better automate)

Then with each organisation, once we've developed some modifications to Melbourne's PT network (likely in an open source Desktop GIS such as Quantum GIS, will do several custom further WPs based on this common base.

So far for BZE these are:

WP Description Status
OSSTIP/WPBZE1 Phase 1 Display of new BZE Network in chosen transport informatics platform. Largely complete
OSSTIP/WPBZE2 Evaluation of OSSTIP Tools Batch Trip Routing Capabilities for OD Datasets and to be refined decide, possibly using either the OSSTIP platform as a base for Travel zone based O-D analysis, such as in the Open Source Accessibility Toolkit project - or else supporting integrating results back in from other 3rd party tools being explored by BZE. Complete
OSSTIP/WPBZE3 Develop a web-based server to publicly communicate the benefits of BZE's new network, based on the OSSTIP platform. In progress

Possible extensions discussed with BZE:

  • Supporting a 'demand-driven local service'. Simplest way to do this would be to allow modification of walking speeds.

Integrated into all of the above will be Evaluation and Reflection and review of the tools' effectiveness given the project's goals, and also on the challenges and using Open source software in small civil society organisations.

While particular details of our case studies can only be published at the discretion and timing of the collaborating organisations - we are keen to share as much general source code and knowledge as possible.

Long-term goals for system

The goal is to work iteratively and collaboratively to develop an open source 'informatics' platform that supports understanding cities' existing transport systems, and as a decision-support tool that allows looking at options that suggest they will support a more sustainable transport system.

The core design goals of the system should be:

  • Sustainable transport as a core design goal, not an add-on to modelling the status-quo. E.g. focus limited development resources around the most promising aspects of the system to improve sustainability of transport for large urban regions given current research.
  • Incorporate current knowledge of best practices for planning public transport networks, such as Integrated Multimodal Network Planning.
  • An informatics tool, that allows "scalable complexity" to support different types of users with different goals and data availabilities. For example, when data, time and resources are limited, support 'sketch planning' to visualise the impacts of adding public transport services, for example in the form of augmented Travel Time Maps. When the above resources are more available - then be able to call on more complex models and simulations, e.g. long-term predictions of integrated transport and land-use changes.
  • Modularity, flexibilty, and update-ability.
  • Be runnable on at least one Free and Open Source operating system, e.g. Linux

Such a platform would include not just software, but:

  • Open Source software packages, and guides and howto's to put them together;
  • Openly published data standards for key relevant aspects of the info system, e.g. public transport networks and timetables;
  • Plans and protocols for the effective transfer of such data (e.g. web services);
  • Known good sources of data, such as government providers with a track-record of good data curation practice;
  • Documentation of suggested necessary computer hardware needed to run the platform, in either basic or advanced forms.

Initial designs will be linked to here as the ideas and project iterates. See the 'Next steps' section below for parts of this as they are written.

Current Work and Future Goals

For updates on work, see the Project blog.

As a project drawing on existing Open Source software, open standards such as GTFS, as well as Open/Collaborative data projects like OpenStreetMap) we welcome international collaboration, especially in sharing knowledge and expertise with using available Open Source GIS and transport analysis tools.

If others were interested in contributing :- I think a great thing would be to see public-transport oriented informatics platforms integrated with bike-oriented tools. This is possibly a very strong combination for a transport systems that includes both broad coverage, but low negative impact. Update 18/7/2013 :- OpenTripPlanner already contains very significant cycling support now using its integration with OpenStreetMap data. See for example their [New York bike routing system in support of the City Bikes scheme there].

Project Subpages

Networked, Open Source Development Mode

The philosophy here would be to follow and the networked, distributed nature of Open Source development - and also the iterative approach of Agile software development. That is, in the short to medium term goals should be modest and match the resuources available, and leverage existing efforts as much as possible. Then as tools are field-tested and learning is involved and more stakeholders get interested - more ambitious goals can be attempted.

References and Inter-Wiki links

Project reference book

I have set up an Appropedia:Books functionality for the project, to gather together key pages and allow ready export to PDF/ODT - at User:PatSunter/Books/OSSTIP-SustTransportReference.

Contact details

Interested Appropedia contributors:

Talks, Media, and Academic Publications Related to the Project

External Links and Related Efforts

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