Understanding and Using New Data Sources to Address Urban and Metropolitan Freight Challenges

TRB's National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) has released the NCFRP Web Resource 49: Understanding and Using New Data Sources to Address Urban and Metropolitan Freight Challenges explores how transportation agencies can employ a variety of analytical techniques using new freight data sources. The web resource also addresses organizational principles and includes a checklists that agencies can use to safeguard against the common policy and institutional challenges of leveraging new data sources.

The rapid explosion of new freight data sources is creating significant opportunities for more effective and well-targeted planning and operation of roadways, particularly in urban and metropolitan areas.

The project that developed the web resource explored how new sources of freight data, including “big data” from smart cities initiatives, crowd-sourcing, sensors, and cameras are being or could be used to address urban and metropolitan freight challenges.

The interactive web resource includes a source-use concept map to show how transportation agencies can employ a variety of analytical techniques using these data sources to address persistent freight challenges. Video vignettes are also included on the web resource to help make the value proposition for agency use of these new data. Application case studies are also included to illustrate a variety of agency best practices.