[QUOTE=KC8QVO;22237435]
John N Ah. Cool.
That almost sounds like Google-type data collection, but if they are only gathering data off those users that upload data to Strava it would be a significantly reduced amount of data than, say, the "live traffic" feed from everyone's phones that have google services traveling on all the roads at any one time. If they (Strava - or what ever service actually collects the data) had the ability to ping everyone's phones that would surely be a lot more numbers, but I don't know how they would differentiate between activities (vehicular travel, biking, hiking, jogging, cross country skiing, kayaing, etc).[QUOTE]
The user upload is (was, more likely) just one of the ways Strava collected data. There are also several companies that do this type of data collection (pedestrian data). Some use electronic beams to count bike/people passing a particular spot on a path much like the little rubber hoses that count traffic on a highway. Others use cameras/video and some even use humans to count. Since the cost of creating bike paths is so much, governments want to ensure they are not building a path to nowhere. Only reason we know of Strava is because they have a very heavy emphasis on voluntary user collection. I don't begrudge them, Google, et al, them selling the data. After all, they tell you they will and they are trying to make money. I just don't need to help them do it. RWGPS could very well do the same as Strava if they wanted to. On the vast majority these companies, the user can easily opt out by 1) not uploading their data and 2) turning off their "location" on their phone. I personally am a privacy nut so I don't load the stuff and limit tracking as much as possible. It truly is amazing to see what Google (and all the apps you allow your location to be tracked) data has on you if you just leave the Location on always on your phone. Scary, at least to me. Best thing is I get fewer ads for some reason that my wife who never turns her location off.
My problem with using user supplied data is that the routes may not be the most suitable. Also, sometimes a new path or lane needs go specifically where there is no popular (good) route, i.e. near a traffic congested section of town so bikes can safely get across. Luckily, most governments look at the where everyone is riding data as just part of the equation of deciding where to put the paths.