City of Toronto to use traffic data to get Toronto moving

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:

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News Release:  April 7, 2015            

City of Toronto to use traffic data to get Toronto moving

The City of Toronto is taking steps toward investing in the power of data to help understand how, where and when people travel and how the City can use this information to better assist the public in moving around Toronto.

"The availability of travel data has improved dramatically over the past few years and is at a point where the City can – and should – be using it to better understand travel patterns, evaluate the City’s investments and monitor performance. With this information, we can get Toronto moving smarter," said Mayor John Tory. "This will be a game changer and will establish Toronto as a leader in running a truly smart city."

"Learning about how we can better use travel data – by all modes – is a huge step forward," said Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the City's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "We need to be investing in projects that tap into the power of big data. This type of work will serve as a foundation for improving commutes for all Torontonians, whether you travel by transit, bike or car."

Transportation Services is announcing the creation of a Big Data Innovation Team. The team will be spending the first few months developing a strategy for how the City can and should use big travel data to improve travel by all modes. 

The Innovation Team will be building on some of the current big data work of Transportation Services, including:

• partnering with McMaster University to analyze historical travel data on city expressways and streets 

• working with the TTC to closely analyze surface transit data to identify operational improvements to further improve streetcar service 

• releasing a report from the Cycling Unit of Transportation Services evaluating cycling travel patterns based on data collected from its cycling tracking app -- showing the impacts of Cycletracks 

• developing a Big Travel Data strategy for Transportation Services to determine ways to make this type of information available, and 

• vetting products and services that might be useful in assisting the City in better decision making and investments.

The City will be seeking a team lead for this unit who understands both transportation and big data.

The City recently posted a Request for Information (RFI) for vendors that have proven products for monitoring and measuring travel and traffic in the urban environments. Interested vendors will take part in an event on April 14 and 15 to showcase their technology, products and solutions for City staff and show how travel data can be collected and turned into actionable information for improving mobility and managing congestion.

Transportation Services is also working with partners on hosting an open data "hackathon" planned for later this year.

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1DGJ2NE

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

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Media contacts: 

Steve Johnston, Strategic Communications, 416-392-4391, sjohnsto@toronto.ca Keerthana Kamalavasan, Mayor’s Office, 647-460-7507, keerthana.kamalavasan@toronto.ca