The document discusses problems and solutions regarding data collection to support urban transport policymaking. It notes that data is often collected by different entities for different purposes, creating issues of scale, availability, reliability, and comparability. To address this, the document recommends developing standardized definitions and methodologies, promoting open data strategies, incentivizing data collection, exploiting new technologies, and creating guidance for policymakers on relevant indicators and harmonizing data. The overall goal is to improve the use of data in evaluating and guiding urban mobility solutions.

1. www.TransformingTransportation.org
Data in Support of Urban Transport
Policy: Problems and Way Forward
Jerome Pourbaix
Head of Policy, UITP
Presented at Transforming Transportation 2015

2. UITP
DATA IN SUPPORT OF URBAN
TRANSPORT POLICY:
PROBLEMS AND WAY FORWARD
JEROME POURBAIX

3. FOCUS
Collection and use of data in support of urban
transport policy:
- Comparing performance of urban transport
between different cities and mobility patterns
- Measuring societal costs and benefits of urban
transport
- Monitoring changes in urban transport patterns
Data used for these purposes usually are collected for
other purposes, by many different players.
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4. 0
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Proportion of trips made on foot, by bicycle and on public transport
R²=0,77
Annualenergyconsumption
(megajoules/inhabitant)
ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR
PASSENGER TRANSPORT

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0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
R²=0,54
Number of parking spaces per 1000 jobs in the CBD
Publictransportmarketshare
(mechanised&motorisedtrips)
PARKING POLICY AND URBAN
TRANSPORT

6. URBAN MOBILITY PATTERNS
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7. SOURCES OF DATA
- Transport operators (public transport, taxi, car
sharing, etc.)
- Local, regional and national governments (various
departments and agencies)
- Research centres (universities, consultancies, etc.)
- Telecom operators, service providers, banks, …
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8. PROBLEMS
- Geographical scale
- Availability and reliability of data
- Comparability of data
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9. GEOGRAPHICAL SCALE
Problems:
- Need to compare areas that have similar functions.
- Frequent mismatch between functional and
administrative areas.
- Multiplicity of sources at metropolitan level
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Way forward:
- Development of methodologies
for definition of comparable
functional areas (cf. OECD, EU)
- Development of urban transport
accounts

10. AVAILABILITY AND
RELIABILITY OF DATA
Problems:
- High costs of data collection
- Commercial sensitivity of data
- Methodological issues
Way forward:
- Promotion of open data strategies
- Inclusion of data provision in service contracts
- Provision of financial incentives for data collection
- Devise new indicators
- Exploit the potential of new technologies
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11. HOUSEHOLD TRAVEL SURVEYS:
UPDATE FREQUENCY
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• London and Vienna: annual
• Turin: two years
• Berlin, Hamburg, Munich: six years
• Rome, Milan, Budapest, Brussels: ten years

12. COMPARABILITY OF DATA
Problems:
- Definitions reflect local circumstances, and
local/national standards.
- Different hypotheses/bias behind different data
collection methodologies.
- Unwillingness to break time-series.
Way forward:
- Develop methods for post-harmonisation of data
(through explicitation of underlying hypotheses).
- Progressive diffusion of harmonised methodologies
and definitions.
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13. CONCLUSION
Agenda for international associations and agencies
Developing guidance and building capacity for:
- Translation of objectives into indicators,
- Choosing relevant data collection methods,
- Developing of observatories of mobility and local
transport accounts
- Exploitation of new technologies
- Post-harmonsation of data
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14. THANK YOU FORYOUR
ATTENTION
Jerome Pourbaix
Head of Policy
International Association of Public Transport
UITP
jerome.pourbaix@uitp.org
www.uitp.org
@jp_uitp