ABOUT MAC

The Mobility Data Analytics Center (MAC) 

Over the last decade, new technologies and innovations in the transportation industry have produced massive amounts of data, which has enabled us to better monitor, evaluate and manage our transportation systems. The rich data from various sources provides an unprecedented opportunity for the transportation industry to understand characteristics of infrastructure and services, to learn travelers’ behavior, and ultimately provide efficient solutions to address challenges in mobility, safety, sustainability, and equity.

However, data sources are usually disparate among public agencies and private companies. They rarely communicate with each other and as a result, data is only used and analyzed for a particular piece of the transportation system, such as an intersection, a stretch of freeway or bus operated by the same agency. With disparate data sources, each part of the system is individually operated and clearly, the entire transportation system is far from being socially optimal.

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The Mobility Data Analytics Center (MAC) aims to collect, integrate and learn from the massive amounts of mobility data and contribute to the development of smarter multi-modal multi-jurisdictional transportation systems. The ultimate objective of MAC is to:

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·    Provide archived and real-time traffic data of every element of multi-modal transportation systems;

·    Reveal the behavior information for both passenger transportation and freight transportation;

·    Serve as a key instrument for managing transportation systems.

·    Target a range of users including legislators, transportation planners, engineers, researchers, travelers, consultants, and technology companies.

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MAC has been actively developing a centralized data engine supported by a web application to manage and analyze massive data. The engine has been customized and applied to many applications in transportation, e.g. predictive analytics for incident management, optimal curbside management, work zone safety improvement, first-/last-mile mobility services, and multi-modal transportation network design, just to name a few. The engine offers organization, visualization, and analytics of a wide array of mobility data, roadway, incidents, parking, public transit, weather, electric vehicles, social media, telematics, etc. Furthermore, the engine can translate the data into useful information for people who need it: legislators, transportation planners, engineers, researchers, travelers, and companies. MAC also works with private sector to develop travel-related products or service that ultimately improves travelers’ experience.