Overview
This report examines and analyzes technical and institutional issues associated with the use of private sector travel time and speed data for public sector performance management. The primary data needs for congestion performance measures are outlined, and core data elements and various metadata are introduced as a way to ensure consistency among private sector data providers. The report examines issues associated with "blended" traffic data and concludes that what is most important is the accuracy of the end product (i.e., average travel times and speeds), which can be evaluated with several different quality assurance methods. The report also describes a process to integrate private sector travel time data with public agency traffic volume data for a more comprehensive performance reporting system.
A state-of-the-practice review summarizes the products and services of several private sector data providers, and the review also includes the experience of several public agency consumers of this data. Overall guidance is provided on quality assurance methods, ranging from office-based statistical analysis to actual field validation with reidentification methods. The report concludes by summarizing key legal issues related to data licensing, data rights, privacy, and concerns about Open Records requests.