GIS and Geospatial Stories I’m Reading - 3/18/13

• Hackers can cause traffic jams by manipulating real-time traffic data, researcher says 
• Inject tech into geography: "Rather than showing ...a static map..., show ... video ...and ,,,useful websites"
• If Only All Subway Sandwich Shops Were Actual Subway Stations (in Baltimore) In Boston Dunkys = bus stop
• Crowdsourcing funding for atlases, AP Human Geography study guides Next maybe the Elmhurst certificate prgm?
• From One Failing School, Nine Experiments Now that's what I call a story map.
• Texas all over the map when it comes to drones  Of note: How often FAA turns down emergency requests for use.
• World Bike-Sharing Programs (Map)
• GIS learners: Ask a faculty member to nominate you to speak at Esri EdEc plenary. CC and online folks, too!  
• The new (@stamen, @cartodb) John Snow map from the Guardian 
• How Public Lab Creates Memorable Field Trips for Students
• Are giant "walk on in your sox" maps more effective for teaching and learning than any other type of map?
• Map: Where Poverty & Test Scores (Don’t?) Intersect In Indianapolis 
• Chris Hadfield’s photos from space mapped by Nova Scotia teacher
• How many hydrants in GIS database for the U.S.?  "6,042,683 fire hydrants and other static water supply sources"
• Ignite Education: How does an app that compares countries' areas prompt critical and spatial thinking?
• Seven easy steps to access Montana’s food system map on ArcGIS Online.  
• Map: 95.3% of Calif pop lives within 10 miles of a gun dealer, Mayors say: supports easy background checks  …
• NPR got the details of Esri hackathon at SXSW.  
• LINZ suggests freemium model for imagery service ree low res imagery, fee for higher res 

Analyzing Plow Data from Boston’s February 2013 Blizzard

The Boston Globe plotted and explored the data on the 800 odd pieces of snow clearing equipment used to tackle the Feb 8-9 event. The consultions:

■  One plow driver working for a city contractor was toiling on Massachusetts Avenue and crossed the Charles River into Cambridge, clearing several streets in the wrong city. The driver got lost and will not be paid for any of his work, city officials said.

■  Plows spent most of their time scraping the city’s major streets, which were largely cleared down to the pavement.

■  There was no discernible pattern as to which side streets were cleared— and which weren’t. In some neighborhoods, hills or narrow roads posed an impediment. In others, equipment broke down, and the snow piled up too fast for standard plows to push it.

Sadly, the low resolution graphic  is not very helpful, but it's itneresting that time, rather than location, had a lot to do with complaints from residents. There was a four hour required rest break for contract workers (most of the force in this huge event) that caused the whole city to get "behind" on plowing. The one remedy for the future mentioned in the article was staggering that break across the workforce instead of them all taking it at once. It will be interesting to see what changes, if any, the city makes after its analsyis is completed later this month.

- Boston.com via@GISDoctor

Image by kaitlin.marie licensed under CC-BY-ND 2.0.