There’s a part of Freebase that’s seen lots of growth recently but not had much attention: transportation.
Whether it’s trains, planes or automobiles we’ve got something to describe it. Much of our transportation data (including those domains just mentioned) is in the Freebase Commons, but we’ve also seen a number of new user domains relating to forms of transportation.
Motorcycles
Ed Laurent’s Motorcycle domain is one of the most detailed user domains in Freebase. Ed’s created types for everything from motorcycle models and manufacturers to magazines and internet forums on the topic. At the centre of it all is the type for privately owned motorcycle, like Ed’s Short Bus One or Dae’s Ducati 900 SS/CR.
If you’ve got a motorcycle, you can fill in the details of its make, model, after-market parts, and even where you’ve ridden it. By entering data about your own bike, you help populate the whole domain. (More on that later in the week!)
Bicycles
Jerritt Collord created this Bicycle domain, which is still in draft mode but shaping up nicely. He has types for bicycle genres like mountain bikes and recumbents, as well as details like frame construction and drivetrain systems.
If you’re interested in adding data to this bike domain, a good place to start might be with manufacturers or bicycle models.
Car sharing
Alec posted on the developers mailing list yesterday looking for people interested in helping him fill in data about car sharing. His model includes car sharing locations like this one at El Cerrito Plaza, and vehicles used for car sharing, like the Toyota Prius.
What other forms of transport are there? Does Freebase have domains and types for your favourite form of transportation? Let us know in the comments.
