Sharing and using data to optimise transportation in European cities

With a rapidly growing population, managing the physical infrastructure of cities is crucial. Open data can support countries in improving their digital infrastructure by, for example, creating opportunities and optimising transportation.  

Talking Traffic is a Dutch app that facilitates geolocation data exchange between road users and intelligent infrastructure within a public-private data chain to reduce the negative effects of mobility, based on real-time data. In particular, the members of the Dutch ambulance sector Association Ambulance Care Netherlands (AZN) decided that all ambulance regions should join Talking Traffic to enhance traffic safety. Smart traffic lights can change the color to green when an ambulance is approaching, allowing for fast and safe passage when driving through an intersection. Furthermore, other road users are warned by the application when an ambulance is approaching, allowing drivers to anticipate and adjust. By taking the ambulance's route into account, the system can also prevent delays due to bridge openings and movable posts.

Citymapper, a London-based application is another example of using open data on transportation in cities across Europe to provide real-time information on the ideal public transportation options. The application collects data from multiple local sources and combines them to minimize inaccuracies, including public transit agencies for departure times, bike-sharing programmes, and crowdsourcing data from users. Machine learning algorithms are used to provide personalised recommendations and routing information for users.

Open data opportunities give insights into fast and safe journeys to your location. Interested in datasets regarding traffic in Europe? Find more than 16,000 traffic-related datasets on data.europa.eu!

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