Bus detective

You know I'm a fan of alternative transit, I'll bike or bus given the opportunity. But lets face it, riding the bus, or waiting for the bus to be more specific isn't the greatest experience in the world. First off you don't want to miss the bus so you show up ten minutes early. Then on the odd day, usually when its below freezing, the bus is 10-20 minutes late. The worst part of the whole ordeal is you don't know how long the wait is. I could deal with a late bus if I knew.
Cincinnati Metro released the API for their database in late January opening the door for developers to use the information how ever they wanted.
The first App I've seen is Bus Detective, I'm so excited about it I contacted the developer and got a short interview to find out more about them and it.


1) Can you tell me a little about Gaslight and yourself

Gaslight is a small software design and development shop. We're passionate about open source, and we specialize in delivering awesome software. Our projects span everything from educational software to automating the SUBWAY spending and gift card program to working locally with Enjoy the Arts to bring their ticketing process online. You can check out our work at Gaslight.
I've been a developer with Gaslight for 3 years now. I moved here from Wisconsin so my wife could attend grad school at UC. We live in Hyde Park and use Metro every day. You can read my official bio here: Kevin Rockwood

2) I thought it was awesome when Metro opened up their API to developers, what made you decide to create Bus Detective?

We moved our office downtown in February, and most of are taking the bus. There are a few transit apps out there, but we found that they're either spammy or don't work well for everyday riders. We found the realtime API stuff on Nate Wessel's blog and spent an afternoon hacking an app together.
It started out pretty simple. I just wanted to know if my bus was ahead or behind schedule. Then everyone in the office started using it and we put some more design and development time into it. I started showing it to people at my bus stop, and they would get really excited. So we decided it polish it more and share it with the whole city. Now you can use it online (busdetective.com) or download the app for iPhone or Android.

3) Metro started experimenting with real time info late last year and have a beta Info line to call. I've been using that but it has many downsides, Gaslight's app is light years better. But there is always room for improvement, any plans to develop Bus Detective farther?

We use the app everyday, and there are a ton of features we want to add. We're really excited that people are using it and we plan to continue adding adding new features as quick as we can.
There's a lot of excitement around what we've built and that's cool to see. We recently partnered with Metro Now, a People's Liberty grant winner who's going to provide tablets to local businesses with realtime departure data. We also have a meeting planned with Metro's ridership and PR folks to talk about the best way to promote the app.

4) Anything else you want to add?

We're really passionate about open source software, so we're making Bus Detective as open as possible. All the code is available on Github, and we've made our development Trello board public as well. We'd really like to get the community involved in the process.
This was a big team effort in the Gaslight office. A bunch of us have worked on the code, user interface design and even the super cute Bus Detective logo.We're having stickers printed right now!

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red light cameras: the answer to the wrong question

When it comes to roads and traffic people are always asking the wrong questions. And once they become fixated on the wrong question they hang on to it like Captain Koons hung onto that watch in Pulp Fiction.
What is the best way to enforce red lights? Seems like a logical question. But its the wrong one.
I've been thinking about this because every time a light turns red downtown, up to four cars blast through it. 5th St and 7th St in the morning are particularly bad, you have to keep your wits about you.
I can think of two right questions, how about...

1) Why do drivers feel entitled to run red lights endangering pedestrians, bicyclist and other motor vehicle operators?

or

2) Why do traffic engineers design intersections that encourage drivers to run red lights?

Lets find the right question before we debate and outlaw the wrong answer.
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4 red lights ran

Carol Ann's Carousel

Carol Ann's Carousel Ribbon-cutting is this Saturday 11am-Noon with free rides until 7pm.
I'm going to be out of town so take a ton of instagrams for me.

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Interior shots of the new 84.51 building (formly dunnhumby)

I knew the interior of the 84.51 building at 5th & Race was going to be dramatic and it didn't disappoint. From the expansive views out its windows to the wide open spaces and canyons inside I kept having to remind myself I was in a building downtown. The closest building I can even compare it too would be DAAP on UC's campus but that doesn't even come close. It is a building with a seemingly single purpose. To expand the minds of the people working in it.
With that said allow me to go off in a slight tangent. When ever you have a ribbon cutting like this its going to attract politicians claiming credit and hoping some of the glory will rub off on them. Exhibit #1 Cincinnati's accidental tourist of a mayor waxing poetic about attracting creatives to the city as if he had a clue what he was talking about. It amazes me how our relentlessly ill equipped mayor can claim credit for attracting young workers to the city while being completely tone deaf to what they want. For one, he helped negotiate down an apartment deal one block away from 84.51 completely ignoring the fact that these creatives he takes credit for want to live in dense walkable neighborhoods. The kind of neighborhood he is pitting against the rest of the city.
The mayor doesn't have a clue, he's never had a clue, and he's not about to get one anytime soon.
That said, all this will outlive him, so enjoy some pictures of this incredible space.
First thing you encounter is 84.51's street level lobby before an elevator takes you to the 9th floor.

Notice these small placards hanging down
In a demonstration of their computing and analytic power if yoou stand in just the right spot..............

These two little stainless steel guys could almost me driods out of Star Wars. If you don't have the right badge for that area they will throw a barrier in your way, take your picture and call security. And you thought they looked kind of friendly.
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Sid Saturday

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Main St.

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Spinning is free on Fountain Square every Tuesday

Every Tuesday on Fountain Square at 6:30 the Urban Basin Bicycle Club departs for a relaxing ride around the basin.
The last ride was another nice one, and always a favorite, the brewery ride. We rode around exploring new and not so new breweries in town and sample their wares.
William had his new whip, really cool ride he built up with used parts on the cheap.

Just an FYI, you can't stand outside a bar in Covington with a beer. You can sit but you can't stand.
Don't ask me how I know
One of Andrew's libraries, I love riding around Covington.
I wonder what the farthest distance is you can still see downtown?

Live better, live longer, ride a bike.
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1 cool vintage bike

Buck's Badass Bash

A nice warmup for Cinco de Mayo in the heart of OTR.
Now we're reading for Cinco de Nada!











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Sid Saturday

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No justice, no peace

I try not to blog much about politics and national affairs because I'm not good at it. But this has been bothering me since last August.
I think years from now people will look back at right now as a turning point. Unfortunately, right now we live in a post-fact, victim-blaming world. There are serious human rights violations going on in this country and most everyone looks the other way.
Well guess what? It is not ok for police to murder Americans in the backs of vans. The media goes on and on about the riots when the protests and violence could easily be avoided. If we can't trust the people who are supposed to protect and keep us safe then what is the point?
The government should be apologizing and back pedaling but what do they do instead?
They double down.
A peaceful protest? Send shield and club wielding riot police in.
The tension isn't high enough yet?
Send in the National Guard with assault rifles. To confront Americans. In an American city. And who does everyone mock? The protesters. It makes no sense to me.
It sickens me that people think a citizen smashing a car window is somehow worse than the police murdering young African-Americans.
It is also not amusing that white society, after having carried a campaign of genocide against Native Americans, having fought a bloody civil war over slavery and then dropping a nuclear bomb on Japan, is telling the black community to calm down and be quiet.
I can't imagine what it must be like to go through life having society tell you your life doesn't matter. Then killing your friends or family indiscriminately to prove it.
African-Americans being angry and pushing back against a government that is terrorizing them is not a riot, it's a rebellion.

“Looting, too, is about power. ... Something you’ve been told you can’t have because you’re not human enough to live, let alone prosper.” ~ Mia McKenzie


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