Legal and Ethical Issues

TransitSync is an academic research prototype that simulates whether holding trains for REM–Metro transfers could improve passenger travel times. It does not control real transit infrastructure and should not be used as an operational train-control system.

Privacy

TransitSync does not intentionally collect personal information, analytics, or user activity.

The project uses public transit data. Names or other identifying information are not recorded.

Accessibility

Accessibility requirements have not yet been finalized. During development, the team will consider readable text, colour contrast, keyboard-accessible controls, and avoiding reliance on colour alone to communicate information.

Fairness

It is possible that holding a train may help passengers that are transferring while also delaying the passengers that are already onboard. Therefore, TransitSync compares both the benefits and the negative effects, including the passengers that were helped or harmed, the time saved or lost, missed connections, and overall passenger delay.

Because some of the inputs are estimated or uncertain, the results may not entirely represent all passengers or operating conditions equally. Important values will therefore be labelled as measured, published, estimated, or assumed.

Incorrect recommendations

The results from the simulation may not be entirely inaccurate because of data that is incomplete, assumptions, prediction errors, or conditions that are not modelled.

It is possible for poor recommendations to unnecessarily delay passengers, fail to protect a useful connection, or can even cause downstream delays. Therefore, the results should be treated as research outputs instead of real-world operating instructions.

Environmental and employment effects

The prototype itself does not have environmental impact beyond the normal computing resources. However, train holding in the real world could affect the energy use and the operating efficiency, but this is not inside the scope of the project.

TransitSync intends to support both transit planners and operators, and does not seek to replace them. Human professionals would therefore remain responsible for the real operational decisions.

See also the Risks page.

Agreements and documents

• Software license: Link to LICENSE
• Signed stakeholder agreement: Link when available
• NDA, if applicable: Link when available

Course-provided references

• Stakeholder responsibilities — includes a liability limitation clause requirement for the software license.
• IP and copyright ownership guidance
• Concordia IP opt-out form
• University NDA template
• MIT license overview