Data Processing and Analysis Framework for Infrastructure Planning to Promote Active Transport

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) seeks a suite of decision-support tools to help state, local, and tribal transportation agencies adopt Complete Streets policies. The guiding philosophy behind the Complete Street framework is to provide safe roadways for all users, regardless of age or physical ability, and include active transportation modes. This framework complements the Vision Zero strategy that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe and equitable mobility. However, to design, implement, and evaluate Complete Streets policies, users need high quality, local data relevant to their community. These data need to accurately capture: (1) existing infrastructure; (2) traveler behavior; and (3) context explaining traveler behavior. Unfortunately, infrastructure and traveler behavior data for active transport modes are incomplete or non-existent. Creare proposes to develop StreetPulse, a system that automatically generates user-specified infrastructure data and enables customized community-specific analyses needed to implement Complete Streets policies. It uses data formats that closely follow existing and emerging standards, providing interoperability with existing Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis tools and pipelines. StreetPulse aims to enable data-driven decision support tools, enabling state, local, and tribal communities to implement safer, more effective transportation networks.