About Transit Lens

Visualizations of transportation systems--transit maps--have existed as long as the systems themselves. Today, however, digital technologies have removed the constraints of static transit maps, and the exploration of the boundaries of interactive visualization is just beginning. Transit Lens aims to further the burgeoning development of interactive transit visualizations, advancing visual presentation while keeping honest to accurate and valid transit information.

Transit Lens uses real-world data to visualize the effects of frequency and time span of service on access. Unlike some of the flashier online maps, this data uses travel times from actual transit itineraries, rather than heuristics that ignore wait times and transfer layovers. As such, Transit Lens allows users to explore the facets of the transit network and see an accurate representation of what is within reach at different times of the day and week.

Transit Lens is the Honors in Multimedia Scholarship thesis created by Lucas Smith at the University of Southern California.