Report to/Rapport au :
Commission du transport en commun
14 March
2012 / le 14 mars 2012
Submitted
by/Soumis par : Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager, City Operations /
Directeur municipal adjoint, Opérations municipales
(613) 842-3636
ext. 2111, john.manconi@ottawa.ca
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Ref N°: ACS2012-COS-TRA-0001 |
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
POLITIQUE d’OC Transpo SUR
LES données GPS en temps réel |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
Approve the OC Transpo Real-Time GPS Data
Policy as described in this report; and,
2.
Delegate authority to the General Manager of
OC Transpo to revise the OC
Transpo Live Next Bus Arrival Data Feed Application Programming Interface (API)
Account Terms of Service as necessary with a report back to the Transit
Commission on an annual basis respecting the use of this delegated authority.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que la Commission du transport en commun :
1.
approuve la Politique d’OC Transpo sur les données GPS
en temps réel, décrite dans le présent rapport;
2.
délègue au directeur général d’OC Transpo le pouvoir de réviser au besoin les conditions
de service du compte d’interface de programmation d’applications(API) sur le
flux de données en direct d’arrivée du prochain autobus d’OC Transpo, et le
charge de lui rendre compte annuellement concernant l’utilisation de ce pouvoir
délégué.
BACKGROUND
As part of the City of Ottawa's commitment to improving citizen engagement and enhancing transparency, the City of Ottawa has sought to increase the quantity of datasets that are available through the City of Ottawa Open Data website. Various open data initiatives, including the Open Data website, were approved by Council on May 12, 2010. These initiatives were designed to encourage digital innovation, improve service delivery, stimulate economic growth, and help residents better understand our city.
The
City’s Open Data Ottawa project was designed as a multi-phased
approach. The first phase included the release of readily available datasets
and a beta launch of the website. As the
City now moves towards a new phase, there is an opportunity to make more
information available, including OC Transpo real-time GPS information.
The Transit Commission approved the OC Transpo
Real-Time GPS Data Policy Report (ACS2012-CMR-OTC-0003) on January 26, 2012. The report directed OC Transpo to work in
partnership with the Transit Commission IT Working Group, and in accordance
with existing City of Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use, to create a Real-Time GPS
Data Policy, which includes, but is not limited to, an API Overview and Terms
of Service Agreement. Part of this
process was to create a policy statement (Document 1) to lay the foundation and
clarify the intent of the policy for both OC Transpo and those people receiving
the information.
As part of the development of the policy, staff were also directed to refer to the Winnipeg Transit’s
Open Data Policy as a model.
OC Transpo has provided regular IT-related updates to
Transit Commission through presentations, memos and inquiry responses. The Transit Commission IT Working Group has also
been part of ongoing discussions with OC Transpo on issues such as real-time
GPS data, 560560 texting, the timeline for development of OC Transpo-related applications,
and technical aspects of the introduction of PRESTO smart cards.
At the meeting of January 16, 2012, the Transit
Commission IT Working Group was presented with a full technical briefing
related to all aspects of the release of real-time GPS data and application
(App) development, including information on data quality, filtering, and server
capacity.
Additionally, the Transit Commission IT Working Group
met on February 27, 2012, specifically to review the existing City of Ottawa
Open Data Terms of Use (Document 2), OC Transpo’s Real-Time GPS Data policy, and
the draft OC Transpo Live Next Bus Arrival Data Feed Registered API Account
Terms of Service (Document 3). The Transit
Commission IT Working Group endorses the proposed documents, policies and work plan.
DISCUSSION
At the meeting of January 23, 2012, the Transit
Commission IT Working Group discussed the feasibility of the release of
real-time GPS data for the location and timing of buses. The Transit Commission IT Working Group recommended
that issues regarding the reliability of independent Apps be addressed through
the provision of Application Programming Interface (“API”) keys and a Terms of Service. The Terms of Service provides the framework
to address issues of reliability or abuse of information.
The Transit Commission IT Working Group recommended
that the City proceed with the release of real-time GPS data as soon as a Terms
of Service Agreement could be developed and to allow the public access to the
data detailing the locations and timing of OC Transpo buses.
As part of developing the policy staff researched the
models of Winnipeg, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, New York
and Washington. To develop the policy
staff used the models of Winnipeg and Washington. The relevant information that was reviewed
from these two cities includes:
•
Open
Data API;
•
API
key access requirements;
•
Terms
of Use;
•
Types
of hardware and software being used (Omnibus, Nextbus, Clever Devices); and,
•
Hosting
and server capabilities.
After the review, staff found that there were a number
of consistencies, including technology
factors for live data, API keys, API
Rate Limits, measurement and management of API, and the developer Terms of Use.
Additionally, staff
were able to determine a number
of other factors that were important to develop a robust and transparent
policy. Those factors include:
•
No
cost for API keys;
•
Developers
can charge user for Apps created with transit data;
•
No
automated pulling of data feed;
•
API
Is: Next bus arrival prediction, including the GPS coordinates (with time stamps)
for the next three buses;
•
GTFS:
Google Transit Feed Specification;
•
RSS:
Real-time Simple Syndication;
•
Management
tools required; and,
•
Notification
system for developers required.
Next Steps
Moving forward staff will create a
mobile/developer section for the OC Transpo website, and develop
a framework for API
management and rate limits.
Staff will develop guidelines for
the management of the policy to ensure that key management issues are addressed, which
would include items such as analytics
tools, mass harvesting concerns, static
data release on roadmap, and the developer
roadmap.
Additionally, staff will ensure that the public has access
to the API key application by March 22, 2012.
RURAL
IMPLICATIONS
There are no
rural implications to implementing the recommendation in this report.
CONSULTATION
This policy was developed by the Transit Commission IT
Working Group, which included OC Transpo staff and Transit Commission
members. Consultation was held with the
City of Ottawa IT Department and Legal Services. As well, a representative of Open Data Ottawa
was consulted.
There
are no legal impediments to implementing the recommendations in this report.
RISK
MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
Both the City of Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use and OC
Transpo’s Terms of Service provide the framework to mitigate risks.
CITY
STRATEGIC PLAN
The recommendation
outlined in this report aligns with Council’s strategic direction with respect
to Transportation and Mobility:
Meet the current and future transportation and mobility needs of residents,
visitors and enterprises by improving transit and by emphasizing choice and
accessibility of multiple types of transportation including the development of
a Light Rail Transit system.
TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS
ITS resources will be required to
implement a data feed to accommodate the OC Transpo Real-Time GPS Data Policy.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
Operating or capital cost implications, which would be
incremental over current budget allocations, will be identified and brought
forward as part of the 2013 budget process.
No incremental pressures are anticipated in 2012 as
a result of this policy.
ACCESSIBILITY
IMPLICATIONS
There are no accessibility
implications to implementing the recommendation in this report.
SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 – OC Transpo Real-Time GPS Data Policy
Statement
Document 2 – City of Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use
Document 3 – OC Transpo Real-Time GPS Data Terms of
Service
DISPOSITION
Pending Transit Commission approval, staff will work
with the Transit Commission IT Working Group to implement the OC Transpo
Real-Time GPS Data Policy.
DOCUMENT 1
OC Transpo Real-Time GPS Open Data Policy Statement
The City of Ottawa Transit
Services Department (OC Transpo) shall make GPS data available to the public. The data stream is to provide Next Bus
Arrival information to the developer community for inclusion in their
applications. The City of Ottawa Open
Data Terms of Use will govern the use of the data. Due to the technical
requirements in making this real-time data available, users will be required to
register for an API Account that will be governed by an API Account Terms of
Service.
DOCUMENT
2
City of Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use
Introduction
Please
note that by accessing the datasets, you agree to these Terms of Use, which are
intended to protect and promote the City's commitments to open data and ensure
that the recipients of these datasets give back to the community the benefits
they derive from these datasets.
Your open
licence to the datasets
The City
of Ottawa (City) now grants you a world-wide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, modify, and distribute the datasets in all
current and future media and formats for any lawful purpose. You now acknowledge
that this licence does not give you a copyright or
other proprietary interest in the datasets. If you distribute or provide access
to these datasets to any other person, whether in original or modified form,
you agree to include a copy of, or this Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for,
these Terms of Use and to ensure they agree to and are bound by them but
without introducing any further restrictions of any kind.
Giving
City credit
Although
you are not required to credit the City for each use or reproduction of the
datasets, you are entitled to do so and encouraged to conspicuously announce
that these datasets are publicly available from the City under these Terms of
Use. Upon the request of the City, you may be required to remove a credit from
future uses or reproductions should the City decide that such credit is not in
the public interest.
Future
changes to datasets/Terms of Use
The City
may at any time and from time to time add, delete, or change the datasets or
these Terms of Use. Notice of changes may be posted on the home page for these
datasets or this page. Any change is effective immediately upon posting, unless
otherwise stated.
Compliance
with law - Your responsibility
You
assume sole responsibility for your use and reproduction of the datasets
complying with all applicable laws and industry standards.
No
warranty with datasets
You get
NO WARRANTIES, none of any kind. By this, we mean, for example (but without
limiting the total intended scope of the preceding sentence), (1) that while
reasonable efforts have been made in preparing these datasets for use by you,
the City cannot give any promises as to the completeness, currency, or accuracy
of the datasets nor that access will be continuous, (2) the City cannot make
any promise that the datasets are free and clear of any possible third party
copyright, moral rights, or other claim, (3) the datasets have been modified
from their original source, as data initially generated by the City for its
internal uses, and (4) all data visualizations on maps are approximate and
include only records that can be mapped. You accept these datasets on an
"as-is, where is" basis and agree to use them at your own risk.
You agree
that you will not and cannot sue the City for anything, which the City does or
does not do (even if intentional or negligent) in connection with the datasets
and your use or inability to use them. Without limiting the general scope of
the preceding sentence, this means that the City and its agents are not liable
on any legal theory or basis for any direct, incidental, indirect, special,
punitive, exemplary, or consequential damages or losses, including without
limitation, loss of revenue or anticipated profits, loss of goodwill, loss of
business, loss of data, computer failure or malfunction, or any other damages
or losses.
Liability
for not complying with Terms of Use
If, as a
result of your breach of these Terms of Use, the City gets sued or is required
to pay someone money, you agree to protect the City and reimburse the City for
everything which you cause the City to suffer. This means that you agree to
defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City and all of its agents from any
and all liabilities incurred in connection with any claim arising from any breach
by you of these Terms of Use, including reasonable legal fees and costs. You
agree to cooperate fully in the defence of any such
claim. The City reserves the right to assume, at its own expense, the exclusive
defence and control of any matter otherwise subject
to indemnification by you. You agree not to settle any matter without the
written consent of the City.
Cancellation
for non-compliance
The City
may, in its sole discretion, cancel or suspend your access to the datasets
without notice and for any reason, including anything which the City, in its
sole discretion, believes is a breach of these Terms of Use or is otherwise
unlawful or harmful to others. In the event of cancellation or suspension, you
will no longer be authorized to use or reproduce these datasets, and the City
may use any means possible to enforce its decision. Such cancellation or
suspension will not affect any person who has received the datasets from you
and who is otherwise in compliance with these Terms of Use.
No
endorsement
You may
not publicly represent or imply that the City is participating in, or has
sponsored, approved, or endorsed the manner or purpose of, your use or
reproduction of these datasets.
No
association
You may
not use any trade-mark, official mark, official emblem or logo, of the City, or
any of its other references or means of promotion or publicity without the
City’s prior written consent nor in any event to represent or imply an
association or affiliation with the City.
Governing
law and jurisdiction from which datasets are published
These
datasets are published from within the Province of Ontario, Canada. These Terms
of Use are governed by Ontario law and the City and you now irrevocably submit
to the exclusive jurisdiction of Ontario courts with respect to any and all
matters arising under these Terms of Use or these datasets.
DOCUMENT 3
OC Transpo Live Next Bus Arrival Data Feed
API Account Terms of Service
The OC Transpo Live Next Bus
Arrival Data Feed Application Program Interface Service (the “API Service”) provides a gateway into a data
feed that consists of near-real-time OC Transpo bus locations and estimated
arrival times. Access to this gateway is provided subject to the following API
Account Terms of Service. If you have any questions or concerns about these
Terms of Service contact OC Transpo at developer@octranspo.com.
Open License to API Service
The City
of Ottawa now grants you a world-wide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, limited,
revocable license to use the API Service for any lawful purpose.
Open License to Datasets
All of
the data obtained via the API Service is separately licensed under the City of
Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use. You agree to comply with the City
of Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use as may be updated from time to time. The City
of Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use grant you a
world-wide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, modify, and distribute
the datasets in all current and future media and formats for any lawful purpose
and
may be accessed at: http://www.ottawa.ca/online_services/opendata/terms_en.html
Future changes to Terms of Service
The City
of Ottawa may at any time and from time to time modify these Terms of Service.
The City will notify users of any changes to these Terms of Service and/or City
of Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use via the email address users provided when
registering for an API Account and an updated version posted on the API Service
website. Any change is effective on the date the City sends the email
notification and posts the updated version, unless otherwise stated.
Data API Limitations and Restrictions
The
intent of this API Service is to provide live next bus predictions. Mass
harvesting of the API data is not permitted. Each API key has a default limit
set of 10,000 connections per day. The City of Ottawa reserves the right to
reduce your maximum number of connections per day in order to prevent abuse of
these Terms of Service and to maintain the reliability of the data feed. The
City of Ottawa also may, in its sole discretion, approve or disapprove a user
request for an increase to the default connection limit and/or number of API
keys.
Cancellation for Non-compliance
The City
of Ottawa may, in its sole discretion, cancel or suspend your access to the API
Service without notice and for any reason, including anything which the City of
Ottawa, in its sole discretion, believes is a breach of these Terms of Service
or is otherwise unlawful or harmful to others. In the event of cancellation or
suspension, you will no longer be authorized to access the API Service, and the
City of Ottawa may use any means possible to enforce its decision. Breaches
and/or harms may include but are not limited to:
(a) Failing to comply with the City of Ottawa Open Data Terms of Use;
(b) Interfering or disrupting City of Ottawa services or servers;
(c) Circumventing or modifying API keys;
(d) Requesting/soliciting access to sign-in names/API keys for other developers;
(e) Transferring API keys to another user;
(f) Obtaining access to a registered API Account or OC Transpo Live Next Bus Arrival data without permission;
(g) Creating more than one user account including creating user accounts by automated means;
(h) Enabling personal identification of any user accessing the API without their consent; and
(i) Transmitting destructive software connected to the API.
No Warranty
You get
NO WARRANTIES, none of any kind. By this, we mean, for example (but without
limiting the total intended scope of the preceding sentence) that while
reasonable efforts have been made in providing this service to you, the City of
Ottawa cannot give any promises as to the completeness, currency, or accuracy
of the data feed nor that access to the data feed will be continuous. You
accept the API Service on an "as-is, where is" basis and agree to use
it at your own risk.
Exclusion of liability
You agree
that you will not and cannot sue the City of Ottawa for anything, which the
City of Ottawa does or does not do (even if intentional or negligent) in
connection with the API Service and your use or inability to use it. Without
limiting the general scope of the preceding sentence, this means that the City
of Ottawa and its agents are not liable on any legal theory or basis for any
direct, incidental, indirect, special, punitive, exemplary, or consequential
damages or losses, including without limitation, loss of revenue or anticipated
profits, loss of goodwill, loss of business, loss of data, computer failure or
malfunction, or any other damages or losses.
Liability for not Complying with Terms of Service
If, as a
result of your breach of these Terms of Service, the City of Ottawa gets sued
or is required to pay someone money, you agree to protect the City of Ottawa
and reimburse the City of Ottawa for everything which you cause the City of
Ottawa to suffer. This means that you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold
harmless the City of Ottawa and all of its agents from any and all liabilities
incurred in connection with any claim arising from any breach by you of these
Terms of Service, including reasonable legal fees and costs. You agree to
cooperate fully in the defence of any such claim. The City of Ottawa reserves
the right to assume, at its own expense, the exclusive defence and control of
any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you. You agree not to settle
any matter without the written consent of the City of Ottawa.
No Endorsement
You may
not publicly represent or imply that the City of Ottawa is participating in, or
has sponsored, approved, or endorsed the manner or purpose of, your use of the
API Service.
No Association
You may
not use any trade-mark, official mark, official emblem or logo, of the City of
Ottawa, or any of its other references or means of promotion or publicity
without the City of Ottawa’s prior written consent nor in any event to
represent or imply an association or affiliation with the City of Ottawa.
Governing Law
These
Terms of Service are governed by Ontario law and the City of Ottawa and you now
irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of Ontario courts with respect
to any and all matters arising under these Terms of Service.