Developing Urban Goods Movement Data in the GTHA: Framework and Preliminary Implementation

The objective of this project is to address the need for coordinated Urban Goods Movement (UGM) data collection and data management that is suitable to support modelling, analysis and benchmarking with the ultimate purpose of informing UGM-related public policy and measuring UGM performance in the GTHA.

A comprehensive framework is being developed for ongoing UGM data assembly, consolidation, collection and management in the GTHA that meets the information needs for UGM planning and policy development. The framework will establish clear links between the data and the modelling, planning and policy development applications for the data. The framework will include a plan for consolidating data from existing data programs where possible, and an implementable plan for new data collection where necessary. The framework will identify an organizational structure for data consolidation, collection and management so that the value of all individual data investments (made by Metrolinx and other stakeholders) are maximized and synergies between data sources are exploited.

The organizational structure is being formed, data from existing UGM data programs is being consolidated / documented and a preliminary data collection effort will be implemented, consistent with the framework above. The result will be a tangible, coordinated and accessible information base for UGM planning and policy development in the GTHA, and a demonstrated program for ongoing extensions to the UGM information base.

Principal Investigator:  M. J. Roorda
Co-investigator: Pavlos Kanaroglou (McMaster University)