Data – at the heart of the mobility revolution

In today's mobility sector, we witness the emergence of vast, complex, and fast-moving data systems. These systems are generated ubiquitously, with numerous examples such as millions of individuals utilizing location-based applications, sensors overseeing traffic patterns, and the rising prevalence of connected vehicles. And this invaluable resource holds the key to unlocking the full potential of a sustainable, efficient, accessible, and safe transportation system. In other words: Data lies at the heart of the mobility revolution.

Comprehensive understanding of data enables evidence-based decisions that lead to improved infrastructure, reduced emissions, and enhanced user experiences. At Umovity , we work every day to provide mobility stakeholders with the best data-driven solutions to shape mobility for the better. Both PTV Group and Econolite have long-standing foundations in advocating for and pioneering the use of data to transform mobility. Together, our solutions are proving to be the critical enablers for how transportation ecosystems are planned and deployed for a more sustainable and accessible mobility future.????

Only some weeks ago we launched PTV Flows. This innovative, cost-saving tool for real-time traffic management analyzes current and historical speeds. Based on floating car data and machine learning and by identifying patterns and trends, the self-learning system generates forecasts of unexpected congestion up to 2 hours in advance. We’ve designed PTV Flows with cities and road authorities in mind that don’t have the time or the resources to set up and maintain an advanced traffic management infrastructure. This will help focus efforts toward optimizing mobility.

Another great example is PTV Model2Go. With our smart automation technology basic transportation models can be set up for any city or region worldwide within just one week – a previously manual process that took several months. In the newest version, PTV Model2Go Demand, we now integrated traffic demand data provided by our longstanding partner TomTom . Model2Go drastically reduces the time, effort, and cost of model-building, making model-based decisions viable even for small projects. With the integration of origin and destination (O/D) traffic data, we've taken our out-of-the-box models to new heights. Users can directly implement a wide range of common traffic and mobility analyses.

Our innovative cloud-based advanced transportation management solution Centracs Mobility (ATMS) centralizes intersection signal and detection data.?It is the next generation of Centracs, the industry leading ATMS for over hundreds of customers across North America that controls over 50,000 signalized intersections. This data is highly valuable. Centracs has evolved along with the industry, keeping pace with both day-to-day operational demands and the emerging connected vehicle environment to ensure the highest levels of safety, system reliability, and optimized mobility in our data-driven world.

The foundation of advancing our technologies lies in dependable data. Hence, reliable partnerships, collaborations and initiatives in this domain hold immense significance for our work.

That’s why, I am particularly proud that PTV – Part of Umovity is the first German company that joined the Overture Maps Foundation. ?Overture was founded by TomTom, 微软 , Amazon Web Services (AWS) Services and Meta at the end of last year, with the aim to create a new standard for open map data.

High-accuracy and high-fidelity geospatial data is critical in understanding the physical environment that provides situational awareness capabilities. It’s also critical in building new innovative technologies and future mapping solutions. A new collaborative standard presents abundant potential, particularly in expediting and streamlining the process of model development in the future. That’s why we are looking forward to supporting this initiative with our expertise in multimodal modeling and simulation, as well as map development and mobility data. I am convinced that something great will emerge from the interplay of the different Overture partners – as in music, where the overture marks the opening of a symphony.

Another example of a new collaboration in this area: our research department is currently working on the EU project Emeralds. Partners from 10 European countries and different disciplines such as data science and mobility are collaborating to exploit the potential of extreme urban mobility data and develop a cloud-based mobility analytics toolset. PTV is working on an Extreme Scale Map Matching tool. I’m very excited to see the results, especially because they will also be used in PTV Flows.

It is imperative for mobility stakeholders to recognize the importance of data, invest in robust data collection and analysis mechanisms, and collaborate to harness their full potential. By leveraging data effectively, we can unlock a new era of mobility that is efficient, sustainable, safe and human-centric.