At Castrosua, we have long recognized that a good public transport service always goes hand in hand with the intelligent and effective use of the most innovative technology. The transformative possibilities offered by big data in public transport, for example, are surprising.
In this post, we analyze how the collection of large amounts of data processed by technological applications can help transport companies and urban planners to improve public transport and, consequently, to enjoy more livable cities.
Improved urban mobility thanks to big data
We understand big data as a large set of data that requires non-traditional computer applications for processing. This massive data collection provides companies and institutions with valuable information that allows them to make better decisions.
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The utility of big data in public transport is enormous; transport companies and urban planners can redesign services and routes thanks to data collected from various sources (transport companies, new mobility providers [VMPs, carsharing], the automotive industry…), thus adapting to the current needs of citizens.
In short, big data offers all stakeholders a unique opportunity to change public transport and thus optimize urban mobility. A good selection of data should help us answer questions such as:
- What is the real mobility demand at different times of the day?
- What is the actual capacity of each means of transport?
- How are new mobility forms used in each city: electric microcars, personal mobility vehicles (VMPs), carsharing…?
Information like the above helps transport companies and urban planners to decide which routes serve the largest number of people, what would be a better emission-free zone (by concentrating a large amount of mobility), what new traffic measures a city might need (due to the use of VMPs, for example), or where VMP parking lots could be located to promote intermodality.
Big data in public transport can contribute to changing the traditional transfer model and designing transport networks that meet real demand, thus making rush hours more manageable. Big data is a good ally in bringing people closer to public transport; we need to research and listen to the user instead of predicting behaviors.
How big data has helped public transport during the pandemic
If there is one thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has made clear to us, especially in large cities, it is that public transport is fundamental for citizens. Public transport must guarantee access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and food establishments. In addition to all of this, public transport connects people to their workplaces. Improving and modernizing public transport, therefore, not only benefits the environment but is also a matter of social integration and equity.
MIT Technology Review recently published a very interesting report explaining how the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) of New York found in big data the solution to the closure of its night metro service during the early days of the pandemic. Using data provided by Remix, a transport planning platform, the MTA managed to get thousands of essential workers to their jobs at night by replacing the metro service with new bus routes.
Big data, an effective tool for urban planners
As MIT Technology Review reports, at the end of April 2020, the MTA decided to suspend the night service of the New York subway to collectively curb the spread of COVID-19. The problem that arose was that many essential workers had no way to get to their workplaces (for example, some healthcare professionals from Brooklyn who work in Manhattan hospitals). The MTA needed to quickly resolve this situation and thought about setting up an alternative night bus network. But where did these essential workers live? What time did they take public transport? Where were they going? It was about planning efficient bus routes, and for this reason, the MTA used the transport planning platform Remix.
Remix extracted data from various sources about the routines of night public transport users in New York and integrated it into its application, making it easier for the MTA to launch three new night bus routes that kept different New York neighborhoods connected. Big data was essential to act with precision, activating bus routes that coincided exactly with the most frequented areas during those hours. Big data and tools like Remix contributed to preventing a city like New York from grinding to a halt.
Situations like this make us transport companies reflect on the great utility of transport planning platforms like Remix. These tools help planners decide whether a route is profitable or not. In the case of Remix, when a planner draws a possible route on a map, the platform calculates its cost and who could use it (the cost-benefit).
Big data, a tool that improves the user experience
There are other applications like Moovit (very popular in Spain) that offer real-time public transport information with the aim of improving the user experience. This collaborative app facilitates public transport mobility by providing data on routes, stops, or schedules for different types of transport in a city.
With Moovit, the user searches for a destination and gets directions to get there by public transport. The app informs the traveler about the real-time status of the selected route (indicating when the next bus or train is arriving) and, once on the vehicle, notifies them of the stop where they should get off or transfer.
This application, popular worldwide, gathers data on urban and/or interurban transport from almost all cities in Spain. In fact, transport companies such as Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid (EMT) or Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) have collaborated with Moovit since the early years of this application to improve urban mobility. Moovit provides these transport companies with information on passenger flow and behavior, allowing them to improve their services and design strategies.
After writing this post, we are even more convinced that technology improves public transport in many ways: not only with digital clocks at stops indicating how long until the next bus or with navigation apps that tell us how to get to places. Big data allows urban mobility experts and transport companies to respond to people’s needs and provide reliable and quality public transport services. Technology is a key support for achieving eco-sustainable urban mobility with flexible public transport that meets the real needs of a community.
Do you agree with us? Do you use Moovit or other big data tools in public transport daily? Tell us about them in the comments!
