Data for analyzing traffic and city transportation
The NeDaMo project, a collaboration between several universities, institutions, and partners from the mobile sector, is set to revolutionize transport infrastructure and mobility planning. The project employs methodological approaches that integrate digital data sources with traditional transport and mobility data to provide more precise and comprehensive insights.
At the heart of the NeDaMo project is the use of mobile phone data, considered a promising source for determining how frequently certain routes are used. The University of Wuppertal, along with the statistics experts of the Universities of Trier and Bamberg, is working to develop a quality concept for mobile phone data evaluations.
Mobile phone data is available in aggregated and anonymized form since almost everyone uses a mobile phone. However, there are significant limitations to using mobile phone data for direct mobility estimates due to differences in customer structures among mobile network operators, varying market shares, and open methodological and legal questions.
The goal of the NeDaMo project is to address these limitations and make it easier for data users in planning institutions to define their quality requirements for mobility data generated with the support of mobile phones. The project aims to combine digital data with classic official sources and develop new statistical procedures for improved data use.
Data fusion techniques are a key part of the NeDaMo project. These techniques merge heterogeneous data types to enrich the analysis of travel behavior and mobility patterns. Advanced data analytics and modeling, leveraging machine learning and GIS tools, are used to extract actionable insights from combined datasets. Cross-validation of digital and traditional data is also employed to enhance reliability and reduce biases inherent in single-source analyses.
Pilot studies and case applications where combined data approaches are tested for real-world transport planning scenarios are an essential part of the NeDaMo project. The project is also collaborating with partners from the mobile sector, including Deutsche Telekom GmbH and Teralytics GmbH.
The overarching goal of the NeDaMo project is to improve the accuracy and timeliness of mobility data, reduce costs associated with traditional data collection, and enable proactive, evidence-based transport infrastructure planning that responds dynamically to population movement trends and mobility demands.
The NeDaMo project is funded by the innovation initiative mFUND of the Federal Ministry of Digital and State Modernization (BMDV) with approximately three million euros. The Statistical Office of North Rhine-Westphalia (IT.NRW) and the Federal Employment Agency's Statistics are also part of the project. The goal is to explore the opportunities and limitations as well as the prerequisites for the usability of mobile phone data.
Before mobile phone data can be widely used, further research is needed. The NeDaMo project is a significant step towards understanding the potential of mobile phone data in transport infrastructure and mobility planning, and it reflects a growing trend in transport planning towards smart mobility solutions that capitalize on the rich data ecosystems generated by digital technologies, while maintaining grounding in established survey and observational methods to ensure robustness and policy relevance.
- The NeDaMo project involves collaboration with partners from the mobile sector, aiming to revolutionize transport infrastructure and mobility planning by employing digital data sources, including mobile phone data.
- To address limitations in using mobile phone data for mobility estimates, the project is developing a quality concept for mobile phone data evaluations, combining digital data with classic official sources and using advanced data analytics.
- The NeDaMo project’s goal is to improve the accuracy and timeliness of mobility data, reduce costs associated with traditional data collection, and enable proactive, evidence-based transport infrastructure planning.
- The project is funded by the innovation initiative mFUND of the Federal Ministry of Digital and State Modernization and collaborates with statistics experts and research institutions in data-and-cloud-computing, technology, and finance domains.
