Overview
The use of data to support transportation operations has evolved but has always played a key role in managing the transportation system.
Big data, the concept of collecting and integrating data from numerous sources, has provided practitioners with new opportunities to manage and visualize transportation data, enabling increased capabilities in performance management, real-time traffic operations, traffic signal retiming, ramp metering, incident management, and traveler information.
These benefits require careful consideration for transportation system management and operations (TSMO) departments. First, the collection and management of data may require a robust data management program to drive “data collection and procurement, validation, quality control, creation, processing, storage, backup, organization, documentation, sharing, protection, integration, dissemination, archiving, and disposal.” (AASHTO, 2023) Additionally, big data that relies on smart phone and vehicle data may miss the “complete transportation patterns and needs of unique and underrepresented groups and users.” (AASHTO, 2023).
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