Strava already uses GPS data to track the progress of runners and cyclists, and now Strava is using that data to help local governments.
Strava Metro, the new fitness-tracking outfit, provides data from 24 million runs and 90 million bike routes. Local governments will use this information to help city planners get a better understanding of how runners and cyclists use the roads.
Oregon’s Department of Transportation shelled out $20,000 to be the first customer, with London, Glasgow, and Orlando, FL also signing up.
Jennifer Dill, a professor at Portland State University, told the Wall Street Journal, “Right now, there’s no data. We don’t know where people ride bikes. Just knowing where the cyclists are is a start.”