StreetLight: Pioneering Big Data analytics to enable smarter transportation

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been in existence for some time, but their popularity has surged in recent years due to significant advancements in EV analytics and battery technologies. These developments have played a crucial role in increasing their market share in the automotive industry. However, the success of EVs isn't solely dependent on hardware improvements. The modern mechatronic vehicle seamlessly integrates electrical storage and propulsion systems with electronic sensors, controls, and actuators. These components are closely interlinked with sophisticated software, secure data transfer mechanisms, and data analysis capabilities, creating a comprehensive transportation solution.

In essence, the rise of EVs can be attributed to the synergy of various technological aspects, where data analytics serves as the common thread tying them all together. With the help of data analytics, automakers can gather valuable insights, optimize vehicle performance, and enhance user experience. This data-driven approach enables continuous improvements in EV technology, making them more efficient, reliable, and appealing to consumers.

Furthermore, data analytics plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of transportation. It enables the development of smart charging infrastructure, optimized route planning, and vehicle-to-grid communication, making EVs an integral part of the evolving smart mobility ecosystem. As technology continues to advance, the reliance on data analytics will only increase, leading to further innovations and improvements in electric vehicles, ultimately driving their widespread adoption and acceptance in the automotive market.

StreetLight, a proud subsidiary of Jacobs, stands at the forefront of revolutionizing transportation with Big Data analytics. Their pioneering work focuses on illuminating the intricate movements of people, goods, and services, empowering communities to make informed, data-driven decisions.

Through a seamless integration of data science and engineering expertise, StreetLight has simplified access to real-world mobility data for planners, modelers, and engineers. By leveraging proprietary machine-learning algorithms and advanced data processing resources, they measure travel patterns of vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. This invaluable information enables complex problem-solving in transportation, all made available through their cutting-edge mobility SaaS platform, StreetLight InSight^®.

In February 2022, StreetLight found a home under the umbrella of Jacobs, a testament to their innovation and impact. Today, they continue to offer innovative digital solutions, aiding communities in reducing congestion, enhancing safe and equitable transportation, and optimizing the positive impact of infrastructure investment. Through their dedication, StreetLight shapes the future of transportation, fostering smarter and more efficient mobility solutions for all.

Q. Why StreetLight?

Since its establishment in 2011, this company has been at the forefront of harnessing Big Data for innovative mobility solutions. With access to a diverse range of data sources, they have meticulously developed their Route Science^® engine, enabling them to process transportation data with unparalleled expertise. This engine has cultivated a deep empirical understanding of North America's roads, sidewalks, and transit networks.

They offer a comprehensive and trusted data solution, continually expanding their market-leading repository to adapt to new data sources, evolving transportation modes, and changing travel behaviors. Their dedication extends beyond data collection; they are committed to leveraging this data effectively. Through their proprietary data processing engine, Route Science^®, they transform billions of inputs into contextualized, aggregated, and normalized travel patterns every month. These resulting metrics are essential for transportation analysis and have undergone rigorous validation against various external sources, ensuring accuracy and reliability.

StreetLight bridges the gap between data collection and analysis by providing standard transportation metrics such as AADT, O-D, and turning movements. Acknowledging the limitations of sensors and manual surveys, StreetLight offers a comprehensive solution. Their user-friendly web platform, StreetLight InSight^®, empowers individuals and teams to effortlessly access, analyze, and visualize travel patterns. This accessibility enables informed decision-making at the local, regional, or national level.

StreetLight InSight^®: Revolutionizing Transportation Analysis

StreetLight InSight^®, the cutting-edge cloud platform, opens the doors to indispensable transportation analytics round the clock. The platform eliminates the need for surveys or sensors, providing access to a comprehensive Metrics menu covering Volume, Counts, O-D, and more.

AADT Insights: StreetLight AADT delivers a fundamental transportation metric, previously expensive and time-consuming to acquire. Access 365 days of data for 4,500,000 miles of U.S. and Canadian roadways, from localized studies to regional analysis, all on demand.

Comprehensive Origin-Destination Analysis: StreetLight InSight^® surpasses typical Origin-Destination analysis, identifying prevalent travel routes with unmatched customization. Analyze routes between cities, specific intersections, or even customize O-D locations like office campuses or shopping centers, accommodating various studies.

Turning Movement Counts (TMC): StreetLight’s TMC Metrics streamline day-to-day projects for planners and traffic engineers. Analyze TMC counts at 15-minute granularity for nearly every intersection in the U.S. and Canada, facilitating precise traffic impact assessments without the challenges of sample-size limitations.

Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and Vehicle Hours of Delay (VHD) Metrics: StreetLight InSight^® provides VMT data essential for travel demand forecasts and congestion planning, while VHD Metrics support policy decisions, corridor performance evaluations, and congestion planning. Access historical and monthly VHD data to inform crucial transportation initiatives.

Demographic Enrichment: StreetLight InSight^® Metrics include inferred income, race, education, and family status, enhancing insights into travel patterns. Utilize demographics to address social equity goals and highlight impacts on underserved communities.

Top Routes Analysis: StreetLight’s Top Routes feature offers a deep dive into route choices. Visualize alternative routes, optimal detours, and analyze personal vehicles vs medium- or heavy-duty truck traffic. Address neighborhood concerns with empirical data, all accessible without the need for Bluetooth or license plate studies.

Inferred Trip Purpose Insights: StreetLight’s Route Science^® algorithm transforms trillions of location data points, providing contextualized travel patterns. Inferred work and home location metrics shed light on commute patterns, informing policy planning, transit initiatives, and tourism strategies.

Empirical Insights for Multimodal Travel

In the ever-evolving landscape of multimodal travel, empirical data is paramount. StreetLight InSight^® revolutionizes transportation analytics by measuring all major modes, offering insights traditionally reserved for vehicular traffic. Origin-destination analytics, routes taken, and trip attributes like speed, distance, and duration are available on demand, tailored for specific dates and times of day across various modes, including:

Bicycle and Pedestrian Modes: Identify active transportation hotspots, optimize investments, and assess the impact of decisions. Utilize demographics and trip purpose data for in-depth analyses. Evaluate route alternatives and infrastructure effectiveness to enhance urban mobility.

Bus and Rail Modes: Access Bus and Rail Metrics instantly to complement surveys and prioritize projects. Analyze boarding and alighting patterns, pinpoint popular origin-destination pairs, and incorporate demographic insights for equitable transit planning.

Electric Vehicles (EV) Mode: Gain insights into regional EV activity. Evaluate EV trip patterns, charging infrastructure site prioritization, and compare EV travel patterns with plug-in hybrids and gas-powered vehicles.

Personal Vehicle Mode: Accelerate analysis with AADT, turning movements, and weave analysis. StreetLight InSight^® leverages Big Data analytics to deliver rapid insights, enabling focused efforts on travel demand management, congestion studies, and corridor analysis.

Ride Hailing and Delivery Modes: Explore gig driving impacts on congestion, demographics, and transit ridership. Assess ride hailing and delivery vehicle traffic penetration, guiding discussions on social justice, safety, climate, and VMT.

Truck Trips: Identify key truck routes, measure truck traffic percentages, and gain visibility into rest stop locations. Address freight-related challenges, from demand modeling to vehicle routing and environmental regulation planning.

StreetLight InSight^® invites cities, transportation authorities, and planners to unlock the power of data-driven decision-making. Empower your initiatives, enhance mobility, and foster sustainable urban landscapes with actionable insights tailored to your specific needs.

Laura Schewel | Founder & CEO

Before founding StreetLight, Laura worked on transportation sustainability issues at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Rocky Mountain Institute. Laura holds degrees in Engineering and Literature from Yale, with a PhD from UC Berkeley.

“StreetLight InSight^® lets you bypass the time and expense of data collection and calibration, delivering multimode traffic counts, O-D, turning movements and other metrics you’re used to — right on your desktop, in a matter of minutes.”

“Working with hundreds of DOTs and engineering firms across North America, StreetLight InSight powers more than 2,000 projects every month. StreetLight expands core metrics like volume, trip, and traveler attributes to include bicycle and pedestrian traffic.”