Since 2019, we have been proud partners of Nationaal Dataportaal Wegverkeer (NDW), where within the NDW Data Science Society (NDSS) we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate on multiple data science solutions within the mobility domain. One example was in 2022, when we joined forces with MAPtm and Dat.mobility on the IDEA project.
Project
Project Insight and Forecasting
Project Insight and Forecasting
Client
NDW
NDW
Industry
Rail, Asset management
Rail, Asset management
Project type
Data science
Data science
Geography
Netherlands
Netherlands
Year
2019-current
2019-current
Website
prorail.nl
prorail.nl
What is IDEA?
IDEA stands for Intelligent Data Exchange Alliance. It is an innovative approach that allows us to accurately validate planned roadworks and closures using real-time Floating Car Data (FCD) and other sources, which is initiated by the municipality of Amsterdam as client and development partner. IDEA determines whether the respective roads are actually closed, delayed, or open, all within 10 minutes! In this project, we leveraged our expertise to develop an advanced algorithm. This algorithm not only provides the current status of the roads (closed or open), but also provides users with the current likelihood of this status. This collaborative effort with NDW enables us to pinpoint the right decision points that determine the road's real-time status.
Challenge
Roadworks and closures are always scheduled, but execution rarely adheres precisely to the plan. Work can be completed earlier or delayed, making it crucial to deliver the latest information to service providers like Google Maps and TomTom as quickly as possible. To achieve this, geographical information from different sources needs to be efficiently managed and cleaned, and mapped into a consistent format that allows for all parties to present this information to both the intermediate- and end users.
Results
Thanks to our algorithm, we can now determine the road's status within just 10 minutes! With this, the IDEA project has not only led to improved traffic information for end-users but also helps road managers gain insights into the accuracy of the plan data they provide. By closing the feedback loop in this manner, the entire process can continually improve across the board. Currently, IDEA is being successfully developed and deployed in Amsterdam, The Hague, North Holland, and with Rijkswaterstaat. In 2023, we welcome other road managers to join us and benefit from this innovative solution.
What the Future Holds
We take pride in our partnership with NDW, MAPtm, and Dat.mobility, and we look forward to further expanding and contributing to the evolution of mobility data solutions through IDEA.
If you’d like to learn more about the IDEA project and how it has benefited our clients and partners, please feel free to contact us.