The project "Creating Data Together: Improving Urban Transport Management in Mexico", funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, is part of TranSIT, an initiative that seeks to improve the quality and efficiency of public transport in Mexico at the national and subnational levels. TranSIT is built on three thematic pillars: developing decision-making instruments, designing and implementing demonstration projects, and exchanging knowledge and experiences on mobility-related topics.

This project, which received funding under TranSIT, is led by Trufi Association, the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and Codeando México. It aims to strengthen local technical communities in Mexico by promoting their participation in building detailed, up-to-date maps of unstructured public transport. Through collaboration among local governments, academia and citizens, high-quality open data will be generated to serve as a basis for improving transport planning, management and operations in several cities across the country.

Accurate map data on road space and public transport is being developed collaboratively in the cities of Oaxaca de Juárez and Toluca, with the participation of local and regional university students, civil society collectives and local public officials. The Mobility Secretariats of both states have collaborated from the earliest stages of the project, including planning, the selection of areas, the portions of the transport system and the topics of interest, as well as in validation stages. The Secretariats are also actively involved in sharing the results internally and incorporating them into relevant administrative processes. The project has the technical support of the civil society organizations Codeando México, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and Trufi Association.

Photo courtesy of Trufi Association, showing a volunteer mapping in downtown Oaxaca de Juárez as part of the TranSIT Project.

Objectives

• Build detailed public transport map data: Generate accurate, up-to-date public transport route data, in relevant formats, in 3 mid-sized Mexican cities: Toluca, Oaxaca de Juárez and Salina Cruz.

• Strengthen local capacities: Train student and citizen communities, as well as public officials, in collaborative mapping techniques and the use of open-source tools.

• Promote an open data culture: Encourage the publication of public transport data in open, accessible formats for reuse.

• Strengthen a permanent mapping community: Establish a national public transport mapping network that connects students, researchers and citizens interested in the topic.

Methodology

City selection

Two mid-sized cities (Oaxaca de Juárez and Toluca) were selected based on criteria such as: the need to update route maps for a local programmatic context, an expressed need from local authorities, the presence of student and mapping communities, and technical capacity.

Assessment and partnerships

• An assessment of the base map and existing public transport and road network data will be carried out in each city.

• Partnerships will be established with local authorities, universities and civil society organizations to ensure the project's sustainability.

Collaborative mapping

• Participants will be trained in mapping techniques using open-source tools and databases such as OpenStreetMap (completed).

• Field and online mapping activities are carried out to collect data on the road network, key facilities, transport routes, stops and other relevant elements (in progress).

• The information is integrated into the appropriate formats in OpenStreetMap and GTFS (gradually in progress).

Data publication

• The collected data is rigorously processed and cleaned to ensure its quality.

• GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) files are generated to integrate the data into trip planning apps and mobile applications.

• The data will be published on national and international portals and databases, and on each city's open data portal.

Building a mapping community

• Mapping groups are created in universities and schools through mechanisms that validate social service and internships, and are also open to people who wish to volunteer with the initiative.

• Ongoing workshops and exercises are organized from October to February 2025 to strengthen the mapping community.

• Students will join a permanent, wider-reaching digital community specializing in urban mobility mapping at the regional level.

Timeline

• August 2024: City selection and initial assessment.

• August to October 2024: Partnerships and planning.

• October 2024 to February 2025: Training sessions and collaborative mapping activities.

• January to April 2025: Data processing, publication and presentation of results.

• May to June 2025: Local presentation of the projects in each city; recognitions.

Expected impact

• Better information on public transport: Detailed, up-to-date transport and city data will make it possible to complete OpenStreetMap and create a GTFS feed, both available to existing apps and local governments, resulting in better transport planning and management.

• Citizen and student empowerment: The active participation of volunteers in building the data will strengthen local sense of belonging and citizen oversight of public space.

• Local capacity development: Training in open-source tools and mapping techniques will strengthen the capacities of local communities and public officials.

• Fostering an open data culture: Publishing public transport data will contribute to transparency and foster a culture of collaboration.

• Creating a mapping network: The mapping community created will be able to address other urban challenges and contribute to the development of research and innovative solutions.

Photo courtesy of Trufi Association, showing OSMTracker, the tool used for route mapping, as part of the TranSIT Project.