Frequently Asked Questions

The project name stands for Traffic Information Services upGRADe Europe.

Despite significant progress in digital mobility, traffic information services across Europe remain fragmented. One of the main causes is that traffic data is often incomplete, outdated, or stored in different formats, making it difficult to exchange and use by service providers. In many cases, real-time traffic data from public authorities is either unavailable, of insufficient quality, or not shared according to European standards.

As a result, service providers do not always have access to accurate and up-to-date information on roadworks, road closures, speed limits, and other traffic measures. This can lead to inconsistent route guidance for road users and slows down the deployment of smarter and more efficient traffic information services.
TISGRADE addresses these challenges by bringing together public authorities, service providers, and other stakeholders to improve the availability, quality, accessibility, and harmonisation of traffic data across Europe. The project aims to create a stronger foundation for reliable traffic information services and better-informed travel decisions.

The current traffic data chain faces several challenges that limit the effectiveness of traffic information services across Europe. Key issues include limited data availability, interoperability and continuity between systems and services, insufficient coordination between stakeholders, and gaps in data availability, accessibility, quality, and exchange.

TISGRADE addresses these challenges by improving the way traffic data is collected, digitised, validated, shared, and maintained throughout its lifecycle. The project also establishes a continuous public-private feedback loop to enhance data quality and long-term reliability.

By strengthening collaboration across the entire traffic data value chain – from road authorities and National Access Points to service providers and road users – TISGRADE contributes to more reliable, consistent, and effective Traffic Information Services across Europe.

TISGRADE is a European initiative aimed at upgrading and harmonising Traffic Information Services across Europe. The project brings together public and private stakeholders to improve the way traffic information is collected, shared, and used.

Its main objective is to enhance the availability, quality, and accessibility of real-time traffic information (RTTI), enabling more reliable traffic information services and better-informed travel decisions. By providing road users with accurate and timely information, TISGRADE supports safer, smoother, and more sustainable mobility.

In addition, the project promotes route guidance that takes broader societal impacts into account, such as traffic safety, congestion, and environmental considerations. In doing so, TISGRADE contributes to the ambitions of the European Green Deal and the transition towards a more sustainable transport system.

TISGRADE improves Traffic Information Services by strengthening every step of the traffic data value chain. The project works to increase the availability of real-time traffic information (RTTI) through road authorities, making them easier to find and access via the National Access Points (NAPs), while also improving data quality through advanced validation methods and tools.

A key focus is making traffic data more accessible, interoperable, and easier for service providers to use across Europe. By promoting common approaches and standards, TISGRADE helps ensure that traffic information can be exchanged and applied consistently across borders.

The project also fosters closer public-private cooperation and establishes a continuous feedback loop between road authorities and service providers. This enables data quality issues to be identified and resolved more effectively, supporting a long-term cycle of improvement.

By enhancing collaboration and improving the availability, quality, and usability of traffic data, TISGRADE helps deliver more reliable and harmonised Traffic Information Services for road users throughout Europe.

TISGRADE is fully aligned with the EU framework for Real-Time Traffic Information (RTTI), the RTTI Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/670, which defines how traffic-related data should be made available, exchanged, and used across Europe. TISGRADE is also aligned with the RTTI-related aspects of the ITS Directive (2010/40/EU, revised by 2023/2661/EU).

The project supports the implementation of these regulations by improving the availability, quality, accessibility, and interoperability of RTTI data. This includes making traffic information – such as roadworks, road closures, and speed limits – more consistent and easier to find and access through National Access Points (NAPs).

For new elements in the revised RTTI DR, such as the crucial data categories Traffic Circulation Plans (TCPs) and Temporary Traffic Management Measures (TMMs), TISGRADE will develop, in public-private collaboration, a possible standard that will be validated in pre-deployment activities across Europe. These pre-deployment validations will be evaluated and, after approval in NAPCORE, the actual deployment will also take place in TISGRADE. The same applies to a public-private feedback loop on data quality where there is no standard yet.

Through its public-private collaboration and feedback mechanisms, the project also helps identify gaps in current implementation and supports further alignment with RTTI requirements across Member States.

TISGRADE is organised as a structured, step-by-step data value chain that connects data collection with real-world use in traffic services, supported by continuous feedback between stakeholders.
The project starts with data collection, including static and dynamic traffic regulations. In the next step, this data is digitalised and made machine-readable, covering elements such as traffic circulation plans, temporary traffic management measures, roadworks, and traffic regulations.

The data is then validated and enriched through quality assessment of both static and dynamic information, including the use of private data sources to improve accuracy.
Once validated, the information is published via National Access Points (NAPs), ensuring harmonised access across Europe and compliance with agreed standards.

Finally, the data is used in traffic information services for road users, enabling real-time route guidance and traffic applications. Importantly, this stage also generates a continuous feedback loop, where service providers and road authorities exchange insights on data quality, helping to further improve the system over time.
This organisation ensures that TISGRADE strengthens the entire traffic data value chain—from data creation to end-user services—through close public-private cooperation.

TISGRADE is a large-scale European initiative focused on improving and harmonising Traffic Information Services across the continent.
The project is funded through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme, with a total budget of €27.5 million, including €13.7 million in EU co-funding. Running from November 2025 until December 2028, TISGRADE is fully aligned with the objectives of the revised ITS Directive and the RTTI Delegated Regulation, supporting the wider European ambition for seamless and interoperable traffic information services.

The consortium brings together 54 public and private organisations from more than 20 European countries, including road authorities, National Access Points, service providers, cities, regions, and network organisations. The project is coordinated by the Dutch National Road Traffic Data Portal, NDW, and aims to strengthen cooperation and data exchange across the entire European traffic data ecosystem.

The TISGRADE consortium brings together a wide range of European stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to support the development of harmonised Traffic Information Services across Europe.

Partners include national, regional, and local road authorities (and their representative organisations), National Access Points, and leading European service providers. In total, road authorities from more than 20 countries are involved, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

The project also includes major service providers such as Be-Mobile, HERE Technologies, TomTom, Google Maps, and TripService, alongside network organisations including CEDR, POLIS, ERTICO, TISA, and CROW. In addition, TISGRADE is supported by key European initiatives and ambassadors such as NAPCORE, DFRS, the C-Roads Platform, and VERKKO.

Before large-scale implementation, TISGRADE is tested through pre-deployment validation activities in 17 European cities and regions.
The consortium is structured into beneficiaries (full partners responsible for implementation and reporting), associated partners (supporting without direct EU funding), and affiliated entities (organisations legally linked to partners contributing to specific activities).

Within TISGRADE, several key elements are first tested through pre-deployment validations (PDVs) before being rolled out at a larger scale across Europe.

These validations focus on the digitisation of traffic circulation plans and temporary traffic management measures, as well as on improving and testing data quality for key traffic information such as maximum speeds, roadworks, and road and lane closures.

In addition, a central element of the PDVs is the development and testing of a public-private feedback loop on data quality. This helps improve the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of traffic data before wider implementation.

TISGRADE supports stakeholders across the entire mobility ecosystem, including national, regional, and local road authorities, service providers, and indirectly road users.
For road authorities, the project enables smarter traffic management through policy-aligned and more consistent route guidance. It supports better control of through traffic and rat-running, improving safety and accessibility. Authorities also benefit from improved alignment between route guidance, traffic circulation plans, and local regulations, as well as higher-quality data provision and maintenance, reducing reliance on roadside infrastructure and lowering costs. In addition, strengthened data processes help support local and regional policy objectives.

Service providers benefit from improved access to harmonised EU-wide traffic data via National Access Points. This allows them to deliver more reliable navigation services with less data processing effort, while also gaining better insight into roadworks, closures, and traffic regulations.
For road users, TISGRADE contributes to more reliable, real-time, and personalised travel information. This results in safer and smoother journeys with fewer delays, as well as more sustainable route choices that help reduce congestion and rat-running.

Yes, TISGRADE delivers several wider societal benefits beyond improving traffic information services.
One key benefit is improved road safety. By providing service providers with reliable and up-to-date traffic data—such as incidents, roadworks, and temporary measures—drivers can receive timely warnings and safer route guidance on both motorways and urban roads.

The project also contributes to better traffic flow. By enabling more effective use of traffic management data, service providers can better anticipate congestion and incidents, distribute traffic more evenly across the network, and help prevent bottlenecks at local, regional, and European levels.

In addition, TISGRADE enhances real-time information and smarter route advice. This supports personalised and policy-aware navigation, helping road users make better-informed travel decisions while giving authorities improved tools for traffic management.

Finally, the project helps reduce through-traffic and rat-running by making local traffic measures visible in navigation services. This contributes to improved liveability, particularly in residential areas affected by unwanted traffic.

There are several ways to join the discussions in TISGRADE. First, the Public Private Tactical Group (PPTG in WG6) is open to TISGRADE and non-TISGRADE partners. Second, there is a possibility to join as an Active Observer. To join as an Active Observer, approval of the Project Board is required. Reach out to us to learn more about how to join.