National Data Warehouse. NDW: a nationwide portal for traffic information

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1 National Data Warehouse for Traffic Information NDW: a nationwide portal for traffic information

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3 Less congestion, lower emissions, improved safety In the Netherlands, the National Data Warehouse for Traffic Information (NDW) is an organisation best known for the product that gives it its name: its enormous database of both real-time and historic traffic data. Yet NDW is more than its database. First and foremost, it is a unique alliance in which 24 public authorities work together, learn from each other, and consolidate their data and other resources. Its goal? To apply the right data to obtain optimal traffic management and to provide road users with the best possible information resulting in less congestion, lower emissions of CO2 and other pollutants, and improved safety.

4 A unique database thanks to a unique alliance The central, provincial and municipal authorities are collaborating closely in more and more regions on finding the most effective ways of managing traffic on their road networks. Achieving this requires knowing exactly what the real-time traffic situation is on the major roads in the region. Only then it is possible to inform road users properly and to redirect traffic where necessary. It was to simplify access to each other s traffic data and the shared use of this data that the National Data Warehouse for Traffic Information (NDW) was established at the end of At present, 24 public authorities have joined this alliance. Together, they are generating many terabytes of data collected from thousands of kilometres of national, provincial and municipal roads. Within the framework of NDW, 24 public authorities collect real-time data from 24,000 measurement sites located along 6,000 kilometres of national, provincial and municipal roads.

5 A single source of information When it comes to efficiency, the unique NDW database offers some interesting advantages. Prior to the alliance, each road authority was responsible for storing, verifying and monitoring its own traffic information if, that is, this data had already been collected. Now, there is a flexible team of data specialists - the NDW - that is facilitating all of the partners responsibilities for managing the data and, where necessary, supporting them in collecting it. Even more important is the fact that NDW serves as a nationwide portal for traffic data of all the major roads in the Netherlands. Road authorities themselves take advantage of this fact: the various traffic control centres base their decisions on NDW data so that traffic problems can be caught in an early stage or at least reduced. And they are not alone: the ANWB (the national motorists association), INRIX and other service providers draw on the reliable real-time information available from the NDW database to alert their customers to congestion and road incidents. NDW processes real-time data pieces 150,000/min 9,000,000/h 216,000,000/day This makes the NDW database the basis for improving traffic flow on the roads (simply traffic management improves traffic flow by 10-15%), lowering emissions of CO2 and other pollutants, and improving traffic safety.

6 Real-time traffic information, status information and historical traffic data Real-time traffic information Real-time traffic information provides a picture of the actual traffic situation on the road. More than 24,000 measurement sites in the Netherlands collect data every minute which is sent to the database and distributed to recipients within 75 seconds. The information provided includes: Traffic flow (the number of vehicles that pass a measurement site within a certain period of time) Average speed Realised or estimated travel time Vehicle class (derived from the length of the passing vehicles) This data is collected from along 6,000 kilometres of national, provincial and urban through roads. Status information Included under status information is all the data that describes the availability of the road. The status information distributed from the NDW portal includes: Road works and event-related traffic measures on virtually all the roads in the Netherlands Reports of congestion, accidents and incidents on all the national roads. Safety-related announcements (such as a wrong-way driver) that are issued by the traffic control centres The status (open/closed) of bridges The status (open/closed) of peak and regular lanes (to become available at the end of 2014).

7 200 TB of data Historical data This is equal to the data it takes to fill 12,500 USB-sticks A historical record of the real-time traffic data is accumulated over time. This historical data is used to generate traffic analyses. Road authorities can draw on this database to determine priorities for changing or expanding the road network and for creating a feasible schedule for conducting these activities. Policy makers use the historical data to evaluate the effects of previously made measures and to develop new approaches. Developers of traffic models also use the data for such purposes as calibrating these models. The NDW s historical database contains 200 terabytes of data. This is equal to the data it takes to fill 12,500 USB-sticks (16 GB). As of today, public authorities, knowledge institutions and the private sector have consulted the data around 10,000 times. 10,000 X

8 NDW: data in, data processed, data out Various kinds of information from many different sources are sent to NDW. This data is assembled, stored and then distributed among the recipients. NDW historic database NDW The road authorities themselves use the data to redirect traffic by means of ramp meters, route information panels and other traffic management instruments. Service providers use radio, traffic speed and travel time status of lanes roadworks Traffic information providers apps, radio, tv, websites, navigation Traffic control centres status of bridges TV, websites, apps and navigation systems to inform and advise travellers before traffic flow and vehicle class and during their journey. reports of congestion

9 The support services Correctly processing this vast amount of traffic data and making it available is no simple matter. Monitoring quality, managing and maintaining the underlying ICT systems, and complying with international standardisation agreements are just some of the matters to be addressed. One of the major advantages of joining forces in an alliance such as NDW is that none of the NDW partners has to take on all these responsibilities itself anymore. On behalf of the road authorities, NDW facilitates the partners by assuming these responsibilities for them. Purchasing data NDW entered into a framework agreement with eleven private companies in 2014 for the purchase of real-time traffic information. This provides a way for NDW to issue tenders that are completely customised according to the needs of the particular road authority. Since the public authorities have formed an alliance, they can use the economies of scale to buy at lower prices. The NDW partners can also decide to arrange for collecting the data themselves and then having it entered into the NDW database. The organisations who are party to the framework agreement offer a wide range of data-collecting services that include the use of mobile devices (smartphones and vehicle navigation systems) and taking measurements with roadside systems such as vehicle detection loops, cameras and Bluetooth sensors.

10 Quality monitoring The NDW partners arrived at clearly defined agreements about the quality of the data. What should always be clear, for instance, is the purpose for which data is being collected; after all, different kinds of criteria are set for data intended for policy making, traffic management and traffic information intended for road users. NDW monitors these agreements pertaining to quality levels. Action is undertaken if the level of quality is not met or if malfunctions occur. A 24/7 service desk is also available for malfunction reports and requests for support. 24/7 The purchase and management of ICT systems A 24/7 service desk is available for malfunction reports and requests for support. The data chain is actually made up of one large chain of ICT systems. Various parties in the private sector supply these systems and their accompanying services. NDW is in charge of the contract management for the partners, including Europe-wide tendering for new contracts.

11 A shared data portal NDW is also the central source of data to be passed on by service providers to their customers. For a standard annual fee, these parties can purchase NDW s information stream and distribute it via the internet, radio and vehicle navigation systems to provide motorists with more, better and more up-todate traffic information. Once a new standard has to be introduced, NDW directs this process. In this way, the systems used by everyone in the chain - all the data suppliers, the data purchasers and the central systems - can upgrade to a new standard simultaneously. NDW s data is also available as open data, meaning that it is available to third parties for reuse in their applications. The open data portal is designed in such a way that it will not interfere with the operational connections for traffic control centres and traffic information. Standardisation and transition management National and international standardisation agreements are needed for the smooth exchange of information between various systems. NDW coordinates this aspect with other parties, participates in decision-making, and also contributes substantially to the development of standards.

12 Shared services User-friendly reporting software transforms the historical data into tables, maps and graphs. The public authorities affiliated with NDW benefit from NDW s accumulated expertise. Whenever this is lacking, the partners can issue a shared tender for conducting research and/ or identifying benchmarks. NDW also develops specific applications for its partners. Examples are a viewer to present the traffic data, and user-friendly reporting software to transform the data stored in the historical database into tables, maps and graphs.

13 Public-private collaboration Within NDW, 24 public authorities maintain a unique shared database of road traffic information. The mutual collaboration among these public authorities as well as their contacts and contracts with the private sector have resulted in traffic data of excellent quality with a high level of geographical coverage. The approach used also ensures that the data can easily be conveyed to road users.

14 Traffic management targeted to the needs of specific users, and accurate traffic information available on radio, TV, apps, vehicle navigation systems and in-car systems: contributing to making all this possible is the unique collaboration of public authorities in NDW and NDW s good contacts with the private sector. There is good reason for the great amount of interest at the international level for how the Netherlands has organised this.

15 More information NDW has 24 public authorities working together on collecting, storing and distributing traffic data. This data is used to provide traffic information, to ensure effective traffic management, and to conduct accurate traffic analyses. The objective of all this is better accessibility and traffic flow. The partners in NDW are: the central government, all the provinces, all the urban regions, and the municipalities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. For more information, you can contact: NDW Griffioenlaan LA Utrecht The Netherlands PO Box MA Utrecht The Netherlands T +31 (0) E info@ndw.nu NDW March 2014