Lessons from Developing an Archived Data User Service in Portland, Oregon: Who Is Using It?

The value of creating an ITS data archive is somewhat undisputed, and a number exist in states and major metropolitan regions in North America. In addition to providing a secure data storage environment many archives include tools for analyzing the quality of the data and for creating performance measures describing the transportation system both in real time and on a historical basis. This provides a unique opportunity to actually measure how a transportation system operates over time. As part of a research project, an ITS data archive has been developed in Portland, Oregon at relatively low cost, taking advantage of sensors and communications used to operate the system in real time. The value of the data archive is dictated by the quality of the analysis tools provided for users. The objective of this paper is to describe the results of a survey conducted to gauge ADUS user needs and experiences from both the planning and operations perspectives. Recommendations for improvements and next steps are provided.