TfL is making it easier to beat traffic and find parking
The travel authority has opened up more of its data so app developers can bake more features in.
With the majority of Brits now owning a smartphone or tablet, developers have jumped at the chance to deliver up-to-the-minute information on traffic and travel. Transport for London (TfL) has helped facilitate a number of these features by opening its data feeds, which let app makers display train departure times, ticket costs and even list which stations have toilet facilities.
That dataset is always expanding, so today TfL has opened more information to developers, allowing them to include live updates on the number of parking spaces available at Tube stations, as well as improved traffic cam imagery that will help drivers navigate around gridlocked areas. Transport for London already delivers information on planned roadworks and road incidents, but "JamCam" information will let Londoners see the damage for themselves.
TfL says it has more updates in the pipeline, with simpler access to annual road safety data and complex fare breakdowns on the agenda. It's also looking into how it can predict the status of roads, buses and trains so it can deliver warnings way in advance.
