How 50 smart cities use vehicle data

The report surveyed 50 smart city stakeholders across 24 states, to understand how they’re using vehicle data to increase the quality of life for their citizens. While 62% of respondents use vehicle data for a variety of purposes, they rely primarily on legacy infrastructure such as cameras and in road sensors to capture vehicle data, substantially limiting their ability to tap into its transformative potential.

Key Takeaways:

• 62% of smart cities sampled are using vehicle data to improve the quality of life for their citizens. Here is a breakdown of how
• 18% to improve roadway management and infrastructure
• 18% for monitoring road usage and capacity 
• 18% for zoning and urban planning
• 14% to manage high accident areas
• 6% parking
• 2% environmental impact

• 36% are using vehicle data to improve the experience of business travelers and tourists, with an additional 28% planning to

• Only 22% are using vehicle data for real-time traffic management. However, 31% plan to, and 68% report using vehicle data for managing mass events, which is traffic management 

• 46% are planning to build applications integrating vehicle data to inform public and private transportation options for city residents, with almost 30% planning to use or increase their use of vehicle data to do so

• Only 34% have or plan for EV charging stations, with 62% reporting that it’s difficult to get reliable EV data

• Only 8% of the cities surveyed currently use connected car data to deliver better transportation and mobility services. Here’s the full breakdown:
• 32%  -  cameras
• 24%  - in road sensors/toll payment sensors         
• 16%  - human surveyors                
• 4% - GIS data 
• 16% - mobile phone data
• 8% -  connected car data

“This survey confirms what we’re seeing in the field - that for connected vehicle data to power smart city development in a meaningful way, they need to shift to a single connected data source,” said Ben Volkow, CEO and Co-Founder of Otonomo. “The growing ubiquity of connected vehicles will streamline data processing and make predictive analytics -- the engine that powers smart city planning -- economically viable for urban planners. Connected vehicle data not only makes smart cities much smarter, but when leveraged for real time safety, emergency planning, and reducing congestion, it saves countless lives and enables a better, cleaner urban experience.”

“Another key takeaway from this survey is that connected car data can turbocharge the ability of smart cities to support EV expansion into their communities,” Volkow continued. “In fact, our recently launched Mobility Intelligence solutions foster smart city innovation by eliminating guesswork and empowering change across the mobility and transportation landscape. With accurate data, insights and intelligence solutions city planners will be able to provide tailored services to their citizens as well as the riding and driving community.”  

Methodology

In July 2021, Otonomo commissioned Lead to Market, an independent survey firm, to query decision makers and data science experts with an interest in mobility. Those surveyed include C-suite executives, senior leaders in finance, compliance, and procurement departments, senior transportation directors and many other decision makers from 50 cities in 26 states including California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.