The San Francisco-based company explained that it will share the distance and time of travel, as well as pick up and drop off locations. Uber promises however to maintain the anonymity of the passengers and drivers.
Meghan Joyce, general manager of Uber Boston, explained that this data can help the city adjust traffic light patterns, reduce road congestion, and help further understand other street-related issues.
"The implications for the insights that come out of this data are enormous," Joyce told the Associated Press.
— Uber (@Uber) January 14, 2015
“For us, it's really a tool to look at the overall characteristics of roadways, trends and changes," said Boston’s chief information officer Jascha Franklin-Hodge. "It's not a tool to zoom into every detail of every individual and ride. That's not our goal here."
Uber has been known to snub government requests for ride information. The company is currently in a legal battle with the California Public Utilities Commision over data requests. The CPUC requests all data from ride hailing services (like taxi services, ride-share companies and limo companies) that include pick ups and drop offs.
While similar companies like Sidecar and Lyft have provided their data, Uber has not. According to the San Jose Mercury News, the CPUC threatened to shut down Uber at airports because they did not have permission to be there.
In New York, Uber rejected a request from the Taxi and Limousine Commission for trip data from April to September, out of concerns for privacy. According to Newsweek, because Uber did not comply with demands, the company was fined $1000 and five out of six Uber bases were suspended until the statistics are turned over.
Other ride-sharing companies claim to be open to the idea of sharing data with other cities, but so far Uber is the only one who has reached an agreement with Boston.
— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) January 13, 2015
The state of Massachusetts is currently seeking to expand regulations on companies like Uber. According to the AP, the state will require background checks, drivers will have to carry proper insurance, and obtain state operations insurance.
Franklin-Hodge says Boston's transportation department, neighborhood development department and redevelopment authority will have access to Uber's trip data, but there's no restriction on other city agencies using it.
