TL;DR
A browser-hosted project at bikemap.nyc presents a visualization of Citi Bike's ride history. The map-based interface uses Mapbox and OpenStreetMap and exposes playback controls, search, and a command palette.
What happened
A Show HN submission linked to a site, bikemap.nyc, that renders the entire recorded history of Citi Bike within a web browser. The page surface shows a tiled map (Mapbox and OpenStreetMap attribution) and a time stamp displayed as Wed, Jan 1, 2025 9:41:00 AM. UI elements visible on the page include a search box with keyboard shortcut hint (Ctrl+K), a command palette prompt, playback controls (Pause, Space), a 'Random' button, directional compass, and time-offset options labeled -3h, -2h, -1h, and Now. On-screen counters for RIDES and FPS appear, and an on-page note warns the visualization "could take ~20s depending on connection." At the time captured on the page the Now state shows "No data." The project appears to be an interactive, client-side animation or replay of bike trips, accessible through a standard browser.
Why it matters
- Presents a large civic dataset in an interactive, browser-native format that can aid exploration without specialized software.
- Uses widely adopted mapping stacks (Mapbox and OpenStreetMap), which can make the visualization broadly accessible and familiar to users.
- Playback and time controls make temporal patterns in bike usage easier to observe than static charts.
- A web-based interface lowers the barrier for journalists, researchers, and the public to inspect ride patterns and anomalies.
Key facts
- Project URL shown on the page: https://bikemap.nyc/
- Map attributions included for Mapbox and OpenStreetMap.
- On-screen timestamp reads Wed, Jan 1, 2025 9:41:00 AM.
- Controls visible: Search (Ctrl+K), Pause (Space), Random, and a Command Palette.
- Time navigation includes options labeled -3h, -2h, -1h, and Now.
- On-screen counters for RIDES and FPS (frames per second) are present.
- A notice on the page states "This could take ~20s depending on connection."
- When captured, the Now state displayed "No data."
What to watch next
- Whether the site will display live or near-real-time rides in future updates: not confirmed in the source
- If the project will publish details about its underlying data sources and update cadence: not confirmed in the source
- Potential feature additions such as filters by station, user type, or trip attributes: not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- Citi Bike: A public bicycle sharing system operating in parts of New York City (generic definition).
- Mapbox: A provider of mapping and location tools used to render map tiles and map styling in web applications.
- OpenStreetMap: A collaborative, open-source map dataset that supplies geographic data for web maps and applications.
- Command palette: An on-page interface element that accepts text commands or shortcuts to control an application quickly.
- FPS (frames per second): A measure of how many frames a visualization renders each second, relevant to animation smoothness.
Reader FAQ
Where can I see the visualization?
The project is accessible at https://bikemap.nyc/ as shown on the page.
Who built this visualization?
not confirmed in the source
What data sources power the visualization?
not confirmed in the source
Is the visualization live or updated in real time?
not confirmed in the source
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map Search Ctrl+K Pause Space Random R About A This could take ~20s depending on connection Wed, Jan 1, 2025 9:41:00 AM N S…
Sources
- Show HN: I visualized the entire history of Citi Bike in the browser
- I visualized the entire history of Citi Bike in the browser
- Citi Bike System Data – NYC
- CitiBike Analysis
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