Texas Department of Transportation (DOT) has built relationships with major mapping companies that are now ingesting our data to enhance their navigation apps that are widely used by the public. This model, which was boosted by the development of the WZDx is ripe for further development and expansion, the planning and proposal which is the subject of this research. Providing information such as weather data, freight vehicle wayfinding around ports, roadway safety information, events, and others could further enhance the information provided to the traveling public and partner agencies that will directly lead to reductions in crashes and congestion. This work will directly benefit AASHTO's strategic goals and objectives, including:
- Advancing a safe, multimodal transportation system
- Aligning transportation interests across partners and regions
- Evaluating emerging trends in technologies, policies, and practices
- Innovating and modernizing products and services
This project will facilitate conversation between DOTs and 3rd party mapping companies, including OEMs with proprietary in-vehicle mapping systems, and produce a model data flow diagram, suggestions for national support of the system, and identification of data types that are possible to share and would enhance communication to the traveling public and proposals for an expanded national standard. The research will consider data from real-time to near-time to historic time frames. It will also identify stakeholders and resources necessary to implement the system.
The research will elevate the national conversation around data sharing. It will involve critical stakeholders and model success stories that will build enthusiasm and interest for expanded data sharing. It will provide a local and national roadmap for implementation that state DOTs can leverage to rapidly procure and implement data-sharing services. It will also provide a framework for consistently organized data at a national level which will enable many more analyses in the future.
