Reliable traffic information is the foundation of smart mobility services. However, high-quality data does not happen by itself. It requires close cooperation across the entire data value chain: from road authorities and National Access Points (NAPs) to service providers that use this data to provide route guidance to millions of road users. Within TISGRADE, these stakeholders work together towards a common goal: improving traffic data quality to make digital information services more reliable and effective.
Service providers play a vital role in the data value chain, delivering traffic information directly to road users through navigation and mobility services,” say André Ingelse and Thomas Coolen from NDW. “Understanding their data needs, how they use and process information, and where improvements are possible, is therefore essential. Close collaboration across the data value chain is key to further improving the quality of traffic information and not making it a one-time effort.”
"Understanding their data needs, how they use and process information, and where improvements are possible, is therefore essential"
Working together to improve data quality
A key focus of TISGRADE is improving the quality, completeness and usability of traffic data. This is not only about making data available, but also ensuring that it is accurate, up to date and suitable for integration into navigation systems.
Through feedback loops, road authorities, NAPs and service providers jointly identify where improvements can be made. Service providers provide insights into how they use the data and where they encounter challenges. This helps road authorities better understand the requirements for traffic data and further improve the quality of their source data.
“Together, we need to define what good data quality means. Which traffic information is needed to provide reliable services? And how can we ensure that this quality is maintained over time?” says André Ingelse. “By continuously exchanging feedback, we strengthen trust in the data and improve the entire data chain. The TISA RTTI 5-star rating specification is a good starting point for this. In TISGRADE, we will bring this specification into practice: does it work and where is adjustment needed?”
A strong network of service providers
TISGRADE brings together several leading service providers: Be-Mobile, HERE, Google Maps, TomTom and TripService. Be-Mobile, HERE and TripService are actively involved in validation activities within the project. Google Maps and TomTom participate as associated partners and provide feedback from the perspective of navigation and mobility services.
Each organisation brings its own expertise and experience to the project. According to Thomas Coolen, this collaboration helps ensure that the solutions developed within TISGRADE are not only technically feasible, but also aligned with the needs of real-world traffic information services.
“For many service providers, the European RTTI Delegated Regulation is an important driver for participation in TISGRADE. They need to process traffic data provided by road authorities and integrate it into their navigation and mobility services. At the same time, they recognise the added value of a joint approach: better traffic data leads to more reliable route advice and improved user experiences.”
For international service providers, it is particularly important that traffic data quality improves consistently across Europe. A harmonised approach enables digital traffic services to scale more efficiently across borders.
From data exchange to smarter traffic management
The collaboration within TISGRADE currently focuses on testing feedback loops between road authorities and service providers. Together, partners assess whether traffic data is in line with agreed standards and formats, complete, accurate and consistent, and whether navigation systems can effectively process this information in route advice.
An important challenge is ensuring that route recommendations support the policy objectives of road authorities. While navigation systems can usually take a road closure into account, a preferred and facilitated diversion route identified by a road authority is not always automatically reflected in the route calculation.
TISGRADE is therefore exploring ways to digitise traffic circulation plans and temporary traffic management measures, for example through Functional Road Classes (FRC). This can help steer traffic towards roads that are better suited to carrying traffic, even when a shorter alternative is available. These concepts are currently being tested in several Pre-Deployment Validations (PDVs) across Europe.
This creates a better balance between personalised route advice for road users and wider societal objectives, such as reducing rat-running and improving road safety and liveability.
This creates a better balance between personalised route advice for road users and wider societal objectives
Addressing challenges together
One of the key challenges is gaining insight into how traffic data is used once it has been shared. Service providers often combine multiple data sources, making it difficult to determine exactly which information is used and how it influences the final route advice.
The reliability of data also remains an important topic. What is the most trustworthy source, and how do we determine the ‘ground truth’? This is particularly challenging for the secondary road network, where fewer measurement sources are available.
That is why common European agreements on data quality are essential. Road authorities, NAPs and service providers need to jointly define when data is reliable, complete and suitable for use in digital information services.
At the same time, closer collaboration creates new opportunities. Better data exchange, combined data sources and continuous feedback can help improve traffic information and route advice. Partners can also work together to ensure that information supports drivers in making safer decisions, without adding unnecessary distraction.
Delivering better information for road users
Ultimately, this collaboration is about one goal: providing better services for road users. By making reliable and up-to-date traffic information available faster, travellers receive earlier warnings about disruptions and can make better decisions about their journeys.
Strong cooperation between public and private stakeholders creates a more complete picture of the traffic situation and increases trust in digital traffic information. National Access Points play an important role by supporting the availability, accessibility and reliability of mobility data.
Through TISGRADE, road authorities, NAPs and service providers are joining forces to build a future where high-quality traffic data enables smarter, safer and more sustainable mobility across Europe.