When Apple rolls out its next iPhone and upgrades the operating system, users in cities across the country will lose the functionality of Google Maps‘ transit route finder. But here in Honolulu, the city’s open data policies might help mitigate the impact.

That’s from Atlantic Cities, which explains today that Apple is developing its own mapping software and ditching Google, which means third-party developers are going to be relied on to come up with apps to help users find their way on buses and trains. And that can only happen in cities that share their data.

Honolulu is one of those few cities, according to City-Go-Round, a transit advocate. Nationwide, just 210 of 838 municipalities share their transit data, but Honolulu is among them, the group says.

The author believes the new iPhone will first expose cities with lacking data availability, and then potentially serve as a “catalyst” for pushing the data into the open.

Read the full piece: How the New iPhone Will Expose Cities Lagging on Open Data

For more about Honolulu’s technical adaptations, read:

• Honolulu’s Tech Deputy: Government Can Help
• Tech-Savvy Leaders Push Honolulu Toward Gov 2.0

— Michael Levine