An “Aha!” Commute Moment

“Calgary's Open Data portal made it possible for me to build YYC Bus Audit, a full network optimization analysis of Calgary Transit's bus system, entirely from public datasets, with zero data-access issues. From GTFS schedules to ridership totals to cordon counts, everything I needed was there, well-documented, and free. This is exactly what open data is for: it let one person independently produce analysis that would otherwise require insider access to city systems.” - Blessing

When Blessing Udor’s wife missed a bus due to scheduling issues, the experience prompted a question: what could publicly available open data reveal about Calgary’s bus network? Blessing turned to Open Calgary and created YYC Bus Audit, an independent citizen project using Calgary Transit scheduling data, real-time vehicle positions and trip updates, ridership data, route information, LRT station data and civic census travel-to-work data.

The project reflects an independent citizen contribution to conversations about public transit and is not a Calgary Transit planning study, recommendation, or service plan. Citizen-led analyses can help foster civic engagement and bring forward new perspectives, while Calgary Transit considers a broader range of operational, financial, customer, infrastructure and network factors when planning and improving service. Together, they illustrate how Open Data can support meaningful civic participation by enabling residents to independently explore, analyze, and better understand their communities.

Learn more about the project and its methodology here.

Open data used in the project:

* This narrative is not intended to reflect, represent, or convey the official views, policies, or positions of the City of Calgary. It is presented solely for the purpose of acknowledging and honouring the contributions of the individuals involved. *

Categories: Dataset