Data insights can make mobility more efficient, sustainable and inclusive

Smarter use of actionable data insights will make the world of mobility more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive, according to a new research paper from The Future Mobility Network.

Whether in renewing infrastructure or increasing electronic vehicle fleets, the future of mobility will be marked by technological developments and data. A more data-driven approach could help to transform mobility management as cities face more and more pressure to adapt their transportation systems to be more integrated, efficient, and sustainable.

This shift towards leveraging data is not just a technological step forward, but rather a necessary improvement in addressing the balance between cities’ ever-growing mobility needs and larger environmental concerns.

Mobility management refers to the way that mobility is designed. It includes analyzing travel behavior, promoting sustainable modes of transportation, and enhancing accessibility for all. It also focuses on making the best use of existing infrastructure, especially in the case of disruptions, which require quick solutions.

With contactless systems and subscription plans in many major European transportation systems, the treasure trove of mobility data that cities are now able to gather is on the verge of transforming how they approach transportation challenges, said The Future Mobility Network in its report. “Data-driven mobility management allows policymakers to base decisions on real-time data, which leads to more efficient and sustainable transportation systems overall.”

What’s more, data-driven mobility management can also increase efficiency and sustainability, can help to improve service reliability, and can help cities to find more targeted mobility solutions. Cleary, the more stakeholders can learn about how people move around on day-to-day basis, the more they can improve services.

Challenges remain

Though the potential is clear, some challenges remain. For example, data quality, accuracy, and open data availability are lingering issues. If the data is unreliable, the resulting insights will also be unreliable – often referred to as ‘garbage in, garbage out’.

Other issues include data privacy concerns, technical complexity and cost, resistance to change, and problems when it comes to combining data from various sources (interoperability). These are all obstacles that still need to be overcome for the success of data-driven approaches in mobility.

Holistic approach

The Future Mobility Network further emphasizes that data-driven mobility management will require a shift towards a more holistic understanding of mobility needs. “Stakeholders need to look not just at data but also the social, economic, and environmental context of the city”, noted the authors.

It is not just local transportation within cities that can benefit from tech and data solution. Research has shown that overcoming operational issues in order to make long-distance rail travel more reliable and competitive could be a major part of the Europe’s road to net-zero. This transition also hinges largely on data-driven strategies.