Strava has launched a smartphone app to help cyclists and runners all over the world to keep track of their performances. Every week, two million (bike) runs are recorded, generating billions of data points. When aggregated, the data produce great information on the movements of runners and bikers, including the movements between home and work (commuting).

In densely populated areas, according to Strava, half of the trips logged with the app are for commuting purposes.

Strava comments that commuters and athletes share a preference for good roads when cycling through the city. The data can be sorted by day and time of day, so that even more accurate information on commuting patterns becomes available.

Strava has produced a world map to demonstrate the possibilities. The map shows 77,688,848 bike trips and 19,660,163 runs.

It is not yet clear whether the data provide sufficient detail for Dutch traffic experts and city planners. But pilot projects are under way in the USA. The state of Oregon has bought data and cities like London and Glasgow are said to be interested.