Attention Bike Geeks: The MBTA Wants You!

On January 12, 2012, the MBTA and City of Boston announced the MBTA + Boston Bikes Developer Challenge. The MBTA + Boston Bikes Developers Challenge calls on local software developers to create innovative applications and visualizations that show the power of Boston′s transportation options. In particular, the challenge calls on developers to highlight connections brought together by the combination of MBTA and New Balance Hubway systems. The challenge has two components; each offering prizes including both a one year MBTA CharlieCard LinkPass, a one year Hubway Membership, and passes to area food truck festivals. The prize for the Bikes, Lunch & T challenge will be a free pass to area food truck festivals.

• Applications Challenge: This challenge calls on developers to create applications using MBTA data such as real-time and schedules bus, subway, and commuter rail data, together with New Balance Hubway Live Station Inventory Data to create an app, website, or other software application that provides an innovative way to access MBTA and New Balance Hubway information in real-time.
• Visualization Challenge: This challenge calls on developers to create a visualization of, “A day in the life of the MBTA and New Balance Hubway” using both MBTA and New Balance Hubway data such as  historical vehicle location, for the MBTA and Hubway origin-destination data.
• Bonus Challenge Bikes, Lunch, & T Challenge- This Challenge calls on developers to create innovative applications that help hungry residents learn about, locate and get to Boston′s food trucks. This app, for web or mobile, would ideally include locations of the trucks, menus, and routing information on how to get to them by walking, T or New Balance Hubway.