BENCOLLINS WEBSCRAPER UPDATE
BENCOLLINS WEBSCRAPER CODE

For the OSM mapping, I use Mapnik, and the website itself makes heavy use of OpenLayers 4 (amazing web API for drawing those circles). For some cities I use HERE maps as a background. For some cities I use a third party вЂ“ most notably citybik.es, an excellent third-party data collector using PyBikes.Д«ackground map: Data is Copyright OpenStreetMap contributors. Please donвЂ™t rely on it for finding bikes or spaces! CreditsДata: Generally the operatorвЂ™s or city authorityвЂ™s website, or via their official API where provided, particularly if the operator provides an industry standard GBFS-format feed. This website is run on an academic development server and so is subject to occasional interruption. ItвЂ™s an interesting metric for understanding how вЂњstressedвЂќ the system is. many bikes in the centre, few on the edge. Higher numbers indicate a more unbalanced distribution, e.g. The distribution imbalance graph shows the number of cycles that would need to be moved to a different stand, in order for all stands to be the same % full. This is why the number showing is often lower вЂ“ sometimes much lower вЂ“ that the operatorвЂ™s official statistic on the size of the system. Total bikes available doesnвЂ™t include bikes in use (obviously) but also doesnвЂ™t include bikes that are broken (if this information is available) or are being repaired or being redistributed. Actual total usage across the day will be much higher. Some systems, which require requesting the status of each docking station individually, or appear to be on servers that struggle with repeated requests, are collected every ten minutes or even less frequently than that.Д«ike usage numbers, where quoted, are simultaneous usage and normally include cycle redistribution. The data is normally collected, and the visualisation updated, every two minutes. IвЂ™ve continued to tweak and evolve the look of the site, adding a вЂњTimelineвЂќ view in September 2010 that replays the last 48 hours of docking station changes, and most recently (June 2013) launched a global view of all the systems I am monitoring, which is has gradually increased from just under 100 to over 300 вЂ“ there are more than 1500 systems in the world though, so this remains a snapshot. I would still love to get more information on Chinese systems thoughвЂ¦ B-cycle, who run many small systems in the US, have also been very helpful. Paris and Brussels) but these days, such issues have been largely overcome, with the recent unveiling of the JCDecaux developer portal and Barcelona City Council making their feed available. There were data access issues with some systems (e.g. Washington DC was Number 3, and it then went on from there. I realised quite quickly that the two systems were built with the same technology, so the same data was available. Someone found out about it who lived in Minneapolis, and wanted to do the same for the NiceRideMN system there.

BENCOLLINS WEBSCRAPER CODE

I reused some code from an election visualisation (where circles were used to provide a balanced view across multiple constituencies) and got the system up running in a few days. The operatorвЂ™s own map wasnвЂ™t very useful ( itвЂ™s improved but still not great).

Bike Share Map for London (Timeline вЂ“ last 48 hours)Д«ike Share Map was born out of wanting to visualise the shiny new London Barclays Cycle Hire bikesharing system (now known as Santander Cycles), which appeared in July 2010, shortly after I joined UCL CASA.

Bike Share Map is complemented by a UK bikeshare news blog, Bikesharp. In many cities, an ebb and flow of cycle commuters can be seen. There is a version that replays the last 48 hours of colour and size changes.

BENCOLLINS WEBSCRAPER UPDATE

The maps generally update every few minutes. Each docking station is represented by a circle, its size and colour depending on the size and number of bicycles currently in it. Bike Share Map shows the locations of docking stations associated with bicycle sharing systems from 400+ cities around the world.

Bencollins webscraper