Despite advice to the contrary from OC Transpo (ON) general manager Alain Mercier, a group of Ottawa transit commissioners is ready to recommend releasing the agency’s bus-location data as soon as possible. Councillor Tim Tierney, who leads a working group of commissioners and senior staff, told the Ottawa Citizen that he plans to add the item to agenda for a special transit commission meeting on Thursday. General city policy calls for releasing its data, but OC Transpo has waffled on the issue. Most recently, Mercier told the commission that OC Transpo would incur costs by sharing its data — either the costs of training third parties to use the data or advertising and sponsorship revenues forgone. Should the council recommend releasing the transit data, the city can make the bus-location files available in about two months. Link to full story in Ottawa Citizen.
