Building More Resilient Transportation Networks With Big Data

Whether discussed in the context of supply chains, sustainable transportation infrastructure, or public safety, improving resiliency is a key way to prevent process disruptions for both nations and states. Using data to guide new transportation planning projects, leaders can pinpoint problematic areas and forecast the possible results of a new initiative, ultimately enhancing their region's resiliency. This article will explore both national and state resiliency with a transportation lens. We'll address practical ways that data can bolster transportation infrastructure projects, resulting in more equitable and safer regions.

Resilient States: The Future of Supply Chains, Transportation Planning and Incident Management

Supply chains play a major role in a state's traffic congestion and economic continuity. Factors that may drastically affect a supply chain's efficiency include demand, available resources, and even unpredictable events like a catastrophic storm or bridge collapse. By developing transportation plans that account for all possible factors and prioritize continuity, there will be fewer instances of interference and smoother vehicle movement throughout your region.

In a recent emergency case, the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore demonstrated how a state's resiliency could be tested when a major roadway became incapacitated. Using a well-coordinated response and ground truths on real-time traffic movement, transportation analytics can help prevent the rest of the state's operations from grinding to a halt while restoration takes place. Analyzing commercial impacts with data enables states to move forward in the safest and most equitable ways possible after an incident occurs.

Resilient Nations: The Sustainable Future of Highway Infrastructure

Many of these same resilience elements can also be applied on a wider scale to entire nations. Better highways and infrastructure can be built using contextual insights like total vehicle movement, vehicle vocations, and classes. These insights help a nation's officials understand how their major roadways are being traveled on and which commercial industries might need more help with existing transportation infrastructure.

The Biden-Harris Administration's plan for a zero-emissions transportation grid involves investing in new sustainable infrastructure and using transportation insights to do so, resulting in purer air quality for citizens and cost-savings on fuel for companies. Initiatives like this help fortify the nation's resiliency by adapting transportation networks to the trends of today's vehicles.

Leveraging Real-world, Comprehensive Data to Improve EV Infrastructure

Transportation insights are the backbone of an effective resiliency plan. To enhance safety, supply chain management, and sustainability, vehicles' tendencies and traffic patterns must be examined closely. Geotab ITS offers robust insights with our Altitude platform to help you see where commercial vehicles are traveling to and from most frequently. By viewing vehicle movement holistically, it's easier to choose optimal locations to support commercial and passenger EVs with new charging options.

One of the projects we've participated in to help advance the zero-emissions strategy was a series of fleet electrification clinics conducted with The Ray. These sessions demonstrated how traffic data analytics could be used to intelligently site new electric vehicle (EV) charging options and enhance transportation grid sustainability as a whole. This heatmap from our case study highlights frequent locations where trucks are stopping while en route from Dallas, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia. Areas with larger dots represent more common breakpoints where new EV charging stations might be effective:

Heat map from GeoTab case study highlighting frequent locations where trucks are stopping while en route from Dallas, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia.

The Benefits of Better Transportation Infrastructure

Using Geotab ITS' data, including insights on stop times, origins and destinations, and vehicle context, you can build stronger infrastructure that enhances statewide and national resiliency. Read our full case study with The Ray for an extensive overview of how we supply powerful data that enhances sustainability and regional resilience.

Prioritizing adaptability helps your state or nation make better use of its resources and gain critical benefits like improved public safety, air quality, and traffic efficiency. By preventing disturbances to normal operations with smarter infrastructure and the power of real-world transportation insights, you can reinvent your region's future.

Learn more about our incident management and EV charging use cases by exploring our Interactive Map

About The Content Author and Sponsor: Nate Veeh and GEOTAB ITS

Nate Veeh is the Senior Business Development Manager at Geotab ITS.

The Geotab ITS team of data science, AI, software engineering, and user experience specialists has one purpose — helping transportation data stakeholders understand and act on the context behind their traffic data. We aggregate observed real-world data so you can make more informed decisions to improve efficiency, sustainability, profitability, and safety. For more information on Geotab Intelligent Transportation Systems and the Altitude Platform, visit: its.geotab.com and follow us on LinkedIn.