Uber is offering an olive branch to the city governments it’s often clashed with by sharing some of its transportation data to help with traffic planning. Boston will be first in line, the company said Tuesday.
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The crowdsourced taxi service said it will provide anonymized data about Uber ride dates, times, and trip durations. This will ideally help the city ease traffic congestion by pinpointing peak locations and hours for travel.
This marks the first time Uber has opened up its data trove to anyone, but it could be argued that the company is returning a favor. This month, Massachusetts formally recognized ride-sharing services as an official mode of transportation in the state.
Furthermore, if Uber becomes a powerful tool in city government officials’ pockets, it can better make a case for its legitimacy and usefulness nationwide.
Next up is New York City, where Uber is currently in talks for another data sharing program, Justin Kintz, head of policy for North America, told the Wall Street Journal.
Photo by Navaneeth KN
