Data Repository & Analytics
Informed Decision Making
Introduction
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is responsible for managing transportation and traffic-related issues in Contra Costa County, California. The (CCTA) recognized the importance of data-driven decision-making in transportation planning and management. As part of their efforts to improve data-driven decision-making and enhance transportation planning, CCTA embarked on an initiative to implement a data repository and dashboard with data analytics and machine learning capabilities. DAVTEQ, a technical and project management solution provider, was selected to lead the initiative and support the customer with its digital journey.
Problem Statement
CCTA faced challenges in efficiently storing, analyzing, and utilizing data from their transportation systems. The data was dispersed across different systems and lacked a centralized repository for copmrehensive analysis. The absence of an analytics platform limied their ability to make data-driven decisions and respond effectively to transportation issues.
Objectives
- Analyze transportation data from key corridors to identify traffic and safety hotspots and perform Origin-Destination analysis.
- Develop a roadmap for a data repository and analytics application to centralize and enhance data utilization.
- Enable CCTA teams to improve analytics and decision-making through a gradual rollout of the data repository and predictive analytics application.
- Make digital artifacts from strategic projects available to the public and transportation practitioners for transparency and collaboration.
The 4-Phased Roadmap for Data Repository Rollout
The DAVTEQ's team leveraged AWS QuickSight and other analytics tool to analyze the CCTA transportation data. The data included traffic flow, vehicle speeds, and incident reports. The analysis provided real-time visualizations and dashboards to monitor traffic patterns, identify congestion hotspots, and assess the impact of incidents on roadways.
Phase 1
Basic Repository with Analytics Tools
Basic Repository with Analytics Tools
In the initial phase, CCTA established a basic data repository using cloud-based storage. The repository allowed them to centralize transportation data from various sources, including CA-4 and I-680 PeMS and TIMS data. Basic analytics tools were integrated to enable preliminary data exploration and visualization. This phase laid the foundation for data consolidation and facilitated early insights into traffic patterns.
Phase 2
Scaling the Capacity and Advanced Analytics
Scaling the Capacity and Advanced Analytics
With the success of the initial phase, CCTA expanded the data repository's capacity to accommodate larger datasets. They integrated advanced analytics capabilities into the platform, allowing for more in-depth data analysis, predictive modeling, and trend forecasting. The analytics tools helped CCTA identify historical traffic patterns, assess seasonality, and predict future traffic demands.
Phase 3
Full-Featured Data Lake
Full-Featured Data Lake
In the third phase, CCTA developed a fully functional data lake that incorporated data from various transportation projects, historical datasets, and real-time traffic updates. The data lake allowed for easy access to diverse datasets, enabling cross-domain analysis and fostering collaboration among different teams within CCTA. The enhanced data lake facilitated data-driven decision-making across the organization.
Phase 4
Large-Scale Data Lake and Public Accessibility
Large-Scale Data Lake and Public Accessibility
In the final phase, CCTA scaled up the data lake's capacity to meet the projected needs for the next three years. They extended access to the data repository and analytics platform to externalstakeholders, including the public and transportation practitioners. By making digital artifacts from strategic projects available, CCTA promoted transparency, encouraged public engagement, and facilitated research on transportation-related issues.
Analytics Dashboard Web Application
DAVTEQ utilized various cloud and visualization technologies to create a dashboard that provided real-time visualizations of the transportation performance data in the Contra Costa County. The dashboard allowed the transportation practitioners to monitor traffic and trip patterns, identify congestion points, analyze the impact of incidents on the roadway, and inspectthe progress of transportation projects. The interactive and intuitive interface facilitated data exploration and empowered the team to make data-driven decisions for traffic management andfuture planning.
Challenges and Requirements Assessment
During the demonstration of the small-scale data repository and analytics dashboard, DAVTEQ actively engaged with CCTA's team to understand their specific requirements and challenges. Key areas of focus included data integration from various sources, data quality and reliability, scalability for future growth, and user accessibility for different stakeholders.
Results and Outcomes
- The phased rollout of the data repository enabled CCTA to gradually improve their data analytics capabilities, aligned with the county's real needs, ensuring a smooth transition and enhanced usability. The data repository demonstrated the potential for centralizing transportation data, improving data accessibility, and reducing data silos.
- The full-featured data lake will streamline data access, encouraging interdepartmental collaboration and informed decision-making.
- Making digital artifacts available to the public increased transparency, engendering public trust and engagement with CCTA's transportation projects.
- The analytics dashboard provided valuable insights into transportation issues, funding needs, and traffic patterns, enabling timely responses to incidents and congestion management.
- Through the demonstration, CCTA's team gained a deeper understanding of their requirements and challenges for the implementation of a larger transportation data repository and analytics platform.
Conclusion
The successful demonstration of the small-scale data repository and analytics dashboard proved to be a crucial milestone in CCTA's journey towards data-driven decision-making in transportation planning. DAVTEQ's technical expertise and project management services enabled CCTA to visualize the benefits of a centralized data repository and analytics platform. By addressing key challenges and understanding specific requirements, CCTA is now better equipped to scale up the repository and analytics capabilities to meet the demands of larger datasets and diverse stakeholders. The small-scale project laid the foundation for a comprehensive transportation data repository that will empower CCTA to make informed decisions, enhance traffic management, and support future planning initiatives.