Uber Movement website reveals Bay Area's traffic trouble spots

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - The rides you take on Uber could actually help fix traffic problems in the Bay Area. Uber launched a website called Uber Movement Monday. It's a public website that makes Uber’s rideshare data available to the public, showing the average time it takes to get from one place to another, even during rush hour.

“I can see where Uber wants that information out there so they can gauge the needs for the county,” said Nicole Simmons of Tampa, who uses Uber to go to the airport.

The website allows people to find out when routes tend to back up, and that feature is a valuable tool for the public and for counties planning where to put resources.

“That is the key to transportation planning for us because knowing where people are going and the route that they are taking allows us to identify where resources should be invested in the transportation network,” said Johnny Wong, a senior planner with the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Wong said the website gives a bird’s eye view of traffic challenges based on certain times of the day, month, or even year, including backups during specials events like a Bucs game or a concert at Amalie Arena.

“By studying that in a little bit more detail it can allow us to do things like program signals so that it moves traffic at a faster rate,” said Wong.

And any help toward traffic problems sounds good to people who live and work in the Bay Area.

“We need to definitely make more roads around to get rid of the traffic,” said Klodjana Aliu of Tampa.

Transportation planners said Uber Movement is also a good tool for people who want to educate themselves on traffic data in the area, and people can use the website to study traffic patterns and figure out how to avoid traffic during rush hour or special events.

The website is also available with traffic data for Central Florida and South Florida.

LINK: http://movement.uber.com