Populus Releases a New Guide on Mobility Data Sharing for Cities and Companies
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 20, 2020 - Today, Populus has released a new guide for cities and private operators on mobility data sharing to help both parties as they collect, store, and share vast amounts of GPS data for transportation policy and planning. Mobility data sharing helps cities more effectively manage their streets, curbs, and sidewalks. This new report includes an overview of the current state of the art in mobility data sharing and analysis, key use cases that cities have for requiring data from private fleets, and an update on the privacy and policy issues that continue to evolve.
As private shared mobility services such as Uber, Lyft, shared electric scooters, and delivery of food and goods continue to proliferate, it is clear that these services represent an ever increasing portion of travel in the public right of way. Access to data from mobility services is essential for public agencies to make informed policy and planning decisions that reduce congestion, expand equitable access, and limit the environmental impacts of transportation in cities. While private mobility operators may also desire to serve societal goals, it is public agencies that are held accountable - and they require information to chart the path forward.
In 2017, when dockless shared bikes and scooters began to rapidly expand across the globe, many cities began to require that these “micromobility” companies provide access to data generated by these vehicles. Initially started in Seattle and Washington, D.C., these data-sharing requirements often took the form of self-reported static data with occasional requests for dynamic real-time data streams. Given the ease at which local municipalities can require that micromobility operators provide data, mobility data-sharing requirements have expanded significantly and have become common practice.
While much of the data-sharing that occurs today is regulated to shared micromobility services, the policies, standards, and frameworks that many cities are putting in place today can pave the way for broader digital infrastructure that empowers cities to more effectively drive progress towards key transportation goals. In a rapidly-changing technology and policy landscape, this report is a practical guide to the complex world of mobility data.
About Populus
The Populus platform helps cities and private mobility providers deliver safe, efficient, and equitable streets. Populus is a comprehensive digital solution that empowers cities to manage their streets, and develop data-driven policies with access to data from mobility operators (shared bikes, scooters, and cars). Founded by transportation PhDs from MIT and UC Berkeley, the Populus team combines over 30 years of experience building software for public agencies to plan for the future of transportation. Learn more at populus.ai