Page 46 - Big Data Analytics for Connected Vehicles and Smart Cities

26 Big Data Analytics for Connected Vehicles and Smart Cities Questions to Be Addressed 27

do a good job at defining service level targets and measuring actual service lev-
els achieved. Setting service level targets and measuring service levels achieved
across the combined transportation system involving multiple modes offers
scope for improvement.

What Is Current Demand and What Will Future Demand Be for Transportation?
This is really a question in two parts. In the first part the current demand for
transportation in the city is addressed. This begs the question do we have suf-
ficient data to characterize current demand? The obvious follow-up question
is do we have sufficient capacity to meet current demand? It could be argued
that congestion in any transportation mode is nothing more than an excess of
demand over capacity. This argument assumes routine operating conditions,
since congestion may also because by unexpected situations such as crashes,
incidents, and vehicle breakdowns. The second part of the question relates to
the future: Based on what we know of the past, is it possible for us to accurately
predict demand into the future? The future can be defined as the next five
minutes, the next hour, or the next 50 years. This leads to further questions
concerning the tools that we have available to make predictions and how the
accuracy of those tools is verified.

How Do We Maximize Access to Jobs?
In many smart city plans, a core objective is to maximize access to jobs. This
leads to questions such as, Where do workers live? Where are suitable employ-
ment opportunities? An additional question would be, What current transpor-
tation options are there between jobs and work locations? This may also lead to
questions such as, How can we use transportation to stimulate growth and job
opportunities?

2.8 User Experience-Related Questions

User experience-related questions focus on customer service and how users per-
ceive the quality of service in addition to actual measurements of performance.

How Do We Enhance the User Experience for Travelers in the Transportation System?
User experience has become an important parameter for business and com-
merce to drive business activities and guide investment decisions. It is highly
likely that transportation will follow a similar path. In order to enhance the user
experience, it is necessary to understand user behavior, identify what the user
needs, and identify opportunities for providing new services that don’t currently
exist. As they say in the world of data science, the user is going to have an expe-