Urban Analytics: Closing the Feedback Loop

Krista Palen & Justin Brandon

You cant improve what you dont measure

You cant improve what you dont measure We are pretty good at measuring motorized traffic:

You cant improve what you dont measure Bicycles and pedestrians go largely un-measured and their influence is diminished.

You cant improve what you dont measure Even the data that is gathered typically ends up in binders in filing cabinets, utterly under-utilized.

Web analytics people have figured this out. The data builds the site. A/B testing allows

Web analytics people have figured this out. ...and there is plenty of data to work with.

Web analytics people have figured this out.

The current state of traffic analytics Very few data points. On paper it all looks like this:

Bringing Lessons from Web Analytics to the Streets:

Set goals and let the streets build themselves? Take away ambiguity for measuring effect of spatial changes Empower planners / activists to push for improved bike/ped infrastructure The visual stuff blows people away. City Hall loves this stuff. The hard part is getting the data
- Jeff Parenti, City of Cambridge Traffic Engineer

Bringing Lessons from Web Analytics to the Streets:

Collecting the data

Mobile Cycle Sensors

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Bringing Lessons from Web Analytics to the Streets:

Collecting the data

Bringing Lessons from Web Analytics to the Streets:

Mobility Infrastructure Real Time Informatics Network Information architecture Static Intersection Sensors

Urban Analytics

Cloud Data Storage

Dashboard - City of Cambridge

Date Rage: 09/01/11 - 09/30/11

Count 3,456

#/10
YOY + 2.23% - 5.47% + 3.12% - 1.13% + 0.22%

10,397 5,223 1,762 829

mintutes

Compare
Previous year Previous period

Locations

Mid-block Intersections

Vehicles
Pedestrians Bicycles Autos Trucks Buses

Full Report

Days & Time

Weekends & holidays Weekdays Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays

Air Pollution
NOx Particulates CO2

Other

Noise levels Average speeds

Mobile Cycle Sensors

Urban Analytics Website

Dashboard - City of Cambridge
Date Rage: 09/01/11 - 09/30/11 Count 3,456 10,397 YOY + 2.23% - 5.47% + 3.12% - 1.13% + 0.22%

dis

ce an

di

n sta

ce

Compare

5,223 1,762 829 Full Report

Cyclist Safety Actuator

Previous year Previous period

Locations

Mid-block Intersections

Vehicles
Pedestrians Bicycles Autos Trucks Buses

Days & Time

Weekends & holidays Weekdays Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays

Air Pollution
NOx Particulates CO2

Other

Noise levels Average speeds

Bringing Lessons from Web Analytics to the Streets:

Information architecture
A D C

Intersection Tra c Count Array

Intersection Traffic Count Array Design

B
A-A A-B A-C A-D B-A B-B B-C B-D C-A C-B C-C C-D D-A D-B D-C

Dashboard - City of Cambridge Dashboard09/01/11 - 09/30/11Cambridge Date Rage: - City of Date Rage: - City of Dashboard09/01/11 - 09/30/11Cambridge Date Rage: 09/01/11 - 09/30/11 Dashboard - City of Cambridge Dashboard - City of Cambridge Date Rage: 09/01/11 - 09/30/11
Date Rage: 09/01/11 - 09/30/11 Count Count Count Count Compare
Previous year Previous period Previous year Compare Locations Previous period Previous year Mid-block Compare Previous period Locations Intersections Mid-block Previous year Compare PreviousLocations period Traffic flow timeline graphic Intersections Vehicles Previous year Mid-block Locations Previous period Pedestrians Vehicles Intersections Locations Mid-block Pedestrians Bicycles Vehicles Mid-block Intersections Autos Bicycles Intersections Vehicles Pedestrians Autos Trucks Bicycles Pedestrians Buses Vehicles Trucks Autos PedestriansBicycles Buses Days & Time Trucks Autos Bicycles Days & Time Weekends & holidays Buses Trucks Autos Weekdays Weekends & holidays Buses Days & Time Trucks Mondays Weekdays Weekends & holidays Buses Days & Time Tuesdays Mondays Weekdays Wednesdays Weekends & holidays Days & Time Tuesdays Mondays Weekdays Wednesdays Thursdays Weekends & holidays Tuesdays Mondays Thursdays Fridays Weekdays Wednesdays Tuesdays Mondays Fridays Air Pollution

YOY 3,456

Count YOY 3,456 + 2.23% 10,397 - 5.47% 5,223 + 3.12% 1,762 - 1.13% 829

YOY + 2.23% - 5.47% + 3.12% - 1.13% + 0.22%

3,456 10,397 5,223 1,762 829

Compare

YOY + 2.23% 3,456 YOY + 2.23% 10,397 3,456 10,397 - 5.47% + 2.23% 5,223 10,397 - 5.47% 5,223 + 3.12% - 5.47% 5,223 + 3.12% 1,762 + 3.12% 1,762 1,762 - 1.13% 829

+ 0.22% Full Report - 1.13% 829 + 0.22% Full Report - 1.13% 829 + 0.22% Full Report + 0.22% Full Report

Full Report

Bringing Lessons from Web Analytics to the Streets:

Analyzing & presenting the data
Dashboard - City of Cambridge
Date Rage: 10/01/11 - 10/31/11 Count 3,456 10,397 5,223 Compare to previous year 1,762 829 Intersections Between Intersections Pollution Noise Levels Average Speed Full Report YOY + 2.23% - 5.47% + 3.12% - 1.13% + 0.22%

Bringing Lessons from Web Analytics to the Streets:

Analyzing & presenting the data

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Smartphone Urban Analytics Application

Some challenges:
Fears of big brother.

Implementation
Mobile cycle army and widespread intersection sensing network: