13 Project: Finding the fastest way to get around NYC
This chapter covers
- Setting up an Airflow pipeline from scratch
- Structuring intermediate output data
- Developing idempotent tasks
- Implementing one operator to handle multiple similar transformations
By now we’ve discussed most of the ins-and-outs of using Airflow and you’re well on your way to becoming an Airflow expert. Let’s make good use of all that knowledge and see how to apply those new skills in a real-life use case.
13.1 Use case: investigating traffic in New York
Transportation in New York City (NYC) can be hectic. It’s always rush hour, but luckily there are more alternative ways of transportation than ever. In May 2013, Citi Bike started operating in New York City with 6,000 bikes. Over the years, Citi Bike has grown and expanded and has become a popular method of transportation in the city.
Another iconic method of transportation is the Yellow Cab taxi. Taxis were introduced in NYC in the late 1890s and have always been popular. However, in recent years the number of taxi drivers has plummeted, and many drivers started driving for ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft.
Regardless of what type of transportation you choose in NYC, typically the goal is to go from point A to point B as fast as possible. Luckily the city of New York is very active in publishing data, including rides from Citi Bikes and Yellow Taxis.