The Stolen Bike Listings just took a nice step up. Michael Jones, the man behind Finetoothcog, just completed one of the main features we planned since we joined forces back in June.
He has combined stolen bike location data with Google Maps to provide a nifty view of where bikes get nabbed.
All the stolen bike listings on BikePortland.org are automatically entered into Finetoothcog. Michael points out that this data, combined with the theft location and Google Maps can tell us:
- Where police should conduct bike sting operations.
- The worst places to lock your bike in Portland.
- How many bikes are stolen in our neighborhoods.
Now, Michael wants to team up with the Police Bureau’s efforts to share this tool and to help facilitate the theft reporting process. Stay tuned for developments… when you’re as smart as Michael, there’s really no limit to what you can do.
[Update: Michael says if the points aren’t visible on the map, just wait a few seconds for them to load.]