AUGUST 03, 2015
BIG STEP FOR BIG DATA: YELLOW/GREEN TAXI TRIP RECORDS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), in partnership with the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT), is pleased to announce that, as of August 1, 2015, millions of trip records from both Yellow Medallion and Green (Street Hail Livery) Cabs are now accessible to the public online.
This innovative step to make trip record data available through an open platform gives any interested individual instant access to taxi trip records, which previously were only available through submission of a formal Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request. The public will now also be able to easily query, tabulate, and download extracts of the data using Google's BigQuery tools.
"Making this data easy to access and complementing it with great analytics tools, thanks to our partners at Google, furthers our goal as an administration to remove obstacles and permit access to big data. This data access will hopefully provide improvements to the lives of New Yorkers."
"The release of TLC taxi trip data is testament to New York City's ongoing commitment to fostering a more transparent government and ensuring a data informed City," said DOITT Commissioner Anne Roest. "I commend Commissioner Joshi for her dedication to making agency data available to all New Yorkers,"
"Making public data easier to access is a win-win. It's good for the public and good for government," said Minerva Tantoco, Chief Technology Officer for the City of New York. "We look forward to continue enabling civic technologists and entrepreneurs as they work to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers."
"This is a rich resource for New Yorkers," said Jessica Singleton, Chief Digital Officer for the City of New York. "Making taxi trip data available to developers, civic groups, and the public will encourage engagement and lead to new insights around a critical piece of our city's urban transportation landscape."
"New York City's Open Data initiative is about inviting all New Yorkers - application developers, researchers, the interested public - to use the City's data to find insight and opportunity," said Dr. Amen Ra Mashariki, Chief Analytics Officer and Director of the Mayor's Office of Data Analytics (MODA).
"MODA is excited by TLC's choice to offer their data in multiple formats to best meet the needs of multiple user groups. It's exactly this kind of commitment by City agencies that enables MODA and DOITT to deliver on our citywide promise to provide high quality, accessible, and usable data for all."
"Congratulations to Commissioner Joshi and Commissioner Roest on today's announcement. With greater transparency comes greater accountability and this step ensures that our Yellow and Green Taxis are held to a high standard. I look forward to working with the Taxi and Limousine Commission and stakeholders to expand this data collection across all sectors to ensure that we keep track of fares, and the number of accessible trips made to improve our taxi system," said NYC Council Transportation Committee Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez.
"I applaud today's release of the TLC taxi trip data. Open Data is a critical component of the City's commitment to transparency and citizen engagement," said Council Member James Vacca, Chair of the New York City Council's Committee on Technology. "I look forward to this data being used by stakeholders to present a clearer picture of taxi utilization in NYC. The TLC and DOITT should be commended for working together to make this release possible. It's an example of their commitment to the intent of the Open Data law."
"At least half a million New Yorkers use taxicabs every day, and TLC's new data set is a treasure trove for New York City's research, civic tech and policy communities. We applaud the TLC for taking this innovative next step," said Sarah M. Kaufman, Assistant Director for Technology Programming, Rudin Center for Transportation.
"The NYU Rudin Center is eager to analyze it to uncover the complexities and nuances of getting around, like where riders transferred from delayed subways, when they choose taxis over other modes, and how taxi usage has changed over the last several years. We are thrilled to have TLC's data at our fingertips to help improve how New Yorkers move, making the city more efficient and accessible."
The initial launch includes records for all completed yellow taxi and green cab trips between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. The TLC and DOITT currently plan to upload new trip record data sets every six months moving forward.
Trip data prior to January 2014 will be available in the coming weeks, including yellow taxi trip data going back to January 2009 when yellow taxi digital trip record collection began, and green taxi trip data back to August 2013 when green cabs began operating. The data sets include:
There are three different ways to access the trip record data online:
1. Download monthly trip record files;
2. Visualize and download yearly trip record files on NYC Open Data;
3. Query, tabulate, and download extracts of the data on Google Big Query (requires Google account).
For the quickest way to access the new data, visit and bookmark www.nyc.gov/tlcresearch. The TLC and DOITT are thrilled to make this data available to interested New Yorkers knowing that the public can add new insight into taxi service in NYC. Share any findings you may have at research@tlc.nyc.gov!
In addition to yellow and green taxi trip records, the public can also easily access up to date lists of all validly licensed and able to operate TLC for-hire drivers and vehicles on the City's Open Data platform.
About the NYC TLC:
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) was created in 1971, and is the agency responsible for the regulation and licensing of over 200,000 yellow medallion taxicabs and for-hire vehicles, their drivers, and the businesses that operate and support their industries. It is recognized as the largest and most active taxi and limousine regulatory body in the United States.
To find out more about the TLC, or to review its rules and procedures, we encourage you to visit our official Web site at www.nyc.gov/taxi or contact 311/311 Online.
