Overview
This report takes a broad, multimodal look at the real-time traveler information market in the U.S. One of the study’s key objectives was to identify gaps in current approaches, systems, partnering strategies, and technologies relative to the real-time traveler information marketplace across the modes of traffic, transit, parking, and freight/intermodal. The analysis also documents the institutional, technical, and cost issues associated with collecting real-time data from these modes; opportunities for closing the gaps; and utility of real-time data for uses beyond traveler information. The study includes a review of the state of the practice in:
- Real-time data coverage – traffic on both state-owned and private sector systems, transit, parking, and freight
- Data quality – which includes accuracy, timeliness, reliability, and granularity, has not traditionally been formally measured and published, and is need of standards development and data validation methods and processes
- Usage – for traveler decision making and scheduling as well as internal improvement of systems operations and performance
Also examined are major trends and influences over the next 5 to 10 years on the collection, delivery, and partnership strategies within the real-time traveler information marketplace. Finally, data gaps that influence the real-time data market are identified: coverage gaps, gaps in data quality, gaps in promoting increased usage of real-time data—as well as cost estimates to fill them and roles for USDOT in helping to improve and develop standards, provide resources, facilitate research and development, and encourage partnerships.