Reducing summer traffic congestion with mobility data

How real-time data insights can lead to a better driving experience

When the warmer temperatures and longer days of summer arrive, people hit the road seeking a change of pace. Businesses and tourist regions love to see the increase in visitors during this busy season, but it’s hard to love the congestion that comes with them.  

Most communities are well aware of their transportation pain points, but knowledge alone isn’t enough to get ahead of the problem. That’s where mobility data can give you the edge in managing that summer traffic—while also setting you up for more proactive transportation planning in every season. 

Defining mobility data 

Mobility data may be defined as data related to transportation and traffic, contextually enhanced (or enriched) telematics data, and/or data related to how people move around places like points of interest or neighborhoods.  

Mobility data can come from a variety of sources including private companies, consumer mobile apps, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Private companies, such as technology, mobility data, or transportation companies, can gather mobility data through mobile app platforms once consumers agree to share their data. Finally, sensors and IoT devices, such as smart traffic lights, road sensors, and connected vehicles, can also generate mobility data. 

The annual problem of summer traffic 

Every region has its seasonal traffic hot spots. As the temperatures rise, so does the volume of vehicles; tourists, special event traffic, and construction and service-related trucks create congestion. Increased traffic affects both visitors and locals alike, raising stress levels just when we’re hoping for a break.  

Take Northern Michigan. Every summer weekend, an exodus of travelers from the southern part of the state hit the Great Lakes beaches, towns, and the smaller interior lakes and rivers up north. According to Mackinacbridge.org, over 500,000 vehicles cross the bridge during the summer months, versus the roughly 200,000 that do so in January. 

How mobility data can help relieve traffic 

Summer is a critical season for communities that rely on tourism. The just-in-time insights of mobility data are increasingly being used to understand travel behavior and help get traffic moving again.   

Predictive mobility analytics

Mobility data can help demonstrate how people move so that municipalities can:  

• Develop better, more useful products and experiences;  

• Understand, predict, and manage risk; and  

• Develop better value propositions based on points of interest.  

By analyzing traffic patterns, local government leaders can determine where to build new roads, bike lanes, or public transit lines, promoting traffic reduction as well as safety. 

More timely traffic data

Many transportation departments use publicly available traffic data. However, the time-lag that accompanies publicly available data means that you can only see what happened on your roads months ago. Moreover, an estimated 60% of property-damage-only crashes and 32% of injury crashes are not reported to law enforcement, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That means these numbers are not represented in publicly available data. 

There is growing interest in how mobility data can provide a view into emerging hot spots and lead to more timely and proactive safety solutions. Mobility data insights can help reduce congestion and improve road efficiency and safety. Additionally, smart traffic management systems can support responsive solutions such as adjusting signal timings based on real-time conditions. 

Real-world examples of using mobility data 

In Northern Michigan, MDOT officials instituted data-driven solutions to help avert potential traffic congestion. For example, in Charlevoix, a popular summer destination: 

• They tracked which routes were busiest and installed detection systems to provide real-time traffic signal timing. 

• They analyzed traffic and pedestrian flows and removed key crosswalks to increase pedestrian safety and improve traffic flow. 

Challenges and considerations 

Privacy

At Arity, we take privacy very seriously. We firmly believe consumers should have clarity into how a company is using their data. You can learn more about our privacy practices by visiting our Privacy Center. 

Cross-agency collaboration

Effective management of road systems and regional infrastructure investment decisions require coordination across municipalities and agencies. Mobility data can support regional transportation agencies with policy development and strategic decision-making, ensuring everyone is on the same page. 

Data quality and relevancy

Is your data source accurate and broad enough to encompass multiple use cases? For example, are all road types covered? How do you ensure the reliability of the data? Are all types of drivers and regions represented? How timely is the data? 

Arity’s mobility data is a stable, reliable, up-to-the-minute source of driving data at scale. It includes 19% of the U.S. driving population and covers not just highways and interstates but also the everyday arterial roads in communities across the country—65% of our data, in fact, represents traffic on these local roads. 

Transform your seasonal traffic management with insights from mobility data

By embracing mobility data, departments of transportation can move beyond reactive measures and toward proactive, intelligent traffic management. Not only does this ensure smarter, smoother summer travel, it also lays the foundation for a more connected, responsive transportation future.