mqtime: A Stata tool for calculating travel time and distance using MapQuest web services

Abstract

In this article, I describe mqtime, a new Stata library that provides functionality to perform a variety of mapping tasks, including calculating travel time, distance (driving, biking, or walking), and estimated fuel use. mqtime uses an overlooked free and open-source mapping service provided by MapQuest. This service has significantly more attractive terms of use than widely used alternatives (for example, Google Maps), which limit use to a few thousand queries per day. Hence, mqtime makes analysis with even very large datasets practical. I also provide a convenient function for geocoding character addresses to geographic coordinates.