Since its launch in December 2022, the Data-Exchange Platform (DEP) has served as the foundation of RM3P, providing a centralized hub for transportation data. As RM3P’s data backbone, DEP ingests, consolidates, stores, and distributes data from dozens of transportation systems and sources, supporting agency operations, planning, analysis, and innovation. Today, DEP integrates a growing range of transportation data, including traffic incidents, work zones, public transit information, parking availability, traffic detector data, weather information, travel times, and more.
Growing Capabilities Through Continuous Improvement
DEP has continued to evolve through ongoing enhancements driven by user feedback, operational needs, and emerging transportation technologies.
Recent improvements include expanded data dictionaries, improved data field mappings, additional documentation resources, and enhanced communication tools that help users better understand and access available data. New capabilities have also been added to support evolving use cases across transportation operations, planning, and mobility management. The DEP team has worked closely with partner agencies and data providers to improve key data sources, including Road Weather Information Station (RWIS) data, expanded detector data, improvements to toll rate information, transit alerts, etc.
These enhancements are helping make DEP more accessible, transparent, and valuable for both technical and non-technical users while supporting new operational and analytical use cases across the transportation community.
Supporting Real-World Transportation Decisions
For many users, the value of DEP lies in its ability to bring multiple data sources together in a single location, reducing the time and effort required to collect, process, and analyze information.
“Having access to the DEP enabled us to be more efficient by having access to multiple data sources in one place and providing pre-aggregation and filtering of source data,” said Simona Babiceanu, Data Science Program Manager for VDOT’s Traffic Operations Division. “If we didn’t have DEP, we would have to do this work ourselves.”
Sanhita Lahiri, Assistant Division Administrator for Operations Planning and Performance within VDOT’s Traffic Operations Division, noted that DEP’s value extends beyond RM3P. “DEP not only supports the RM3P overall program, but also meets many statewide Traffic Operations decision-support needs. It provides VDOT with fast and reliable access to critical data and has enabled the development of key tools that support real-time decision-making during emergencies.”
DEP data supports several operational and analytical tools used throughout VDOT. One example is TrafficPulse, an internal traffic monitoring tool that provides real-time traffic information during emergencies and major events. DEP also supported the analysis following the opening of the I-95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension (Fred Ex), helping transportation professionals better understand traffic impacts and changes in congestion patterns. Additional DEP-supported dashboards are being used to improve incident management, evaluate detour routes, and support transportation safety initiatives.
Addressing Data Quality Challenges Through Partnership
While DEP has become a valuable resource for transportation professionals, maintaining high-quality transportation data remains an ongoing challenge. Transportation data is constantly changing as systems evolve, new technologies are deployed, and data providers update their processes. User feedback collected through RM3P’s independent evaluation process highlights opportunities to improve documentation, metadata, data quality transparency, and accessibility for both technical and non-technical users. Evaluation participants consistently support DEP’s mission as a centralized data platform, while also identifying areas where additional improvements could further enhance the user experiences.
In response, the DEP management team has prioritized improvements focused on data cleanup, enhanced documentation, expanded data dictionaries, improved field mappings, and more proactive communication regarding system changes and outages. The platform has also strengthened internal support processes and introduced additional monitoring capabilities to identify potential data gaps more quickly.
According to Nikola Ivanov, Director of Operations at the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab), collaboration is essential to maintaining data quality and ensuring DEP continues to meet user needs. “The nature of data is that they aren’t static. They change, they grow, and they improve,” Ivanov said. “The mission of DEP is to work with data sources and data users to provide the latest and best available data while minimizing disruptions to data users.”
Looking Ahead
As RM3P’s other program elements continue to mature, DEP’s role as a centralized transportation data resource will only become more important. DEP’s ability to connect data across agencies, systems, and modes of transportation helps support more informed decision-making and creates opportunities for future innovation.
Transportation agencies, researchers, planners, and data scientists who are not yet leveraging DEP are encouraged to explore the platform and learn how its growing collection of transportation data can support their operational, planning, and analytical needs.
“By continuing to expand data resources, strengthen partnerships, and improve the user experience, DEP is helping build a more connected, data-driven transportation future for Virginia,” mentioned Amy McElwain, VDOT, DEP PM.