Speaking of cycling, researchers from Texas A&M’s Texas Transportation Insti­tute and the University of Texas at Austin want your help gathering data to improve routes and services in Austin. Participation is easy: Just download a program called CycleTracks to your iPhone or Android and use it on your trips. “The GPS system will allow us to gather information about bicyclists and their preferred bike routes,” says Texas Transportation Institute associate research engineer Joan Hudson. “By taking part in the Austin-based program, users are providing valuable data that tells us where we need to focus improvements. We will also be able to determine how effective this satellite data collection is, compared to traditional information-gathering techniques such as surveys.” The study coincides with Bike to Work Week (which began May 16), and data collection continues through next May. Participation is anonymous unless the cyclist chooses to share personal info, which will allow the researchers to compare demographics. For more info, go to www.cycletracksaustin.com.

This article appears in May 20 • 2011.

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