SAE International®, a global mobility standards developer, today announced its plans to form a consortium to develop a framework of best practices to support effective and secure mobility data sharing.
As shared scooters and bikes, often referred to as “micromobility” services, have grown in popularity, many public agencies have developed policies that require access to data on trip patterns of shared micromobility vehicles. This new consortium will fill a critical need by providing a collaborative model that can evolve and augment existing data-sharing frameworks. It will develop standardized data definitions and metrics as well as best practices to ensure appropriate safeguards of highly sensitive geolocation and personal data of users shared between shared mobility operators and cities. At present, this consortium will focus on micromobility. Initial partners of this forum include Miami-Dade County, JUMP, Spin and Populus and other stakeholders.
“We have seen many forms of new mobility appear right at our doorstep over the last few years, and more will be introduced,” said Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) Director Alice N. Bravo, P.E. “As custodians of the public right-of-way, we must understand the benefits and impacts of all mobility options in order to take action. Working with SAE and private mobility providers will help bridge some gaps in this topic.”
SAE International will leverage the expertise and experience of its affiliate organization, SAE Industry Technologies Consortia (SAE ITC®), to convene the members of this consortium. SAE ITC has vast experience in the formation of cross-sector consortia, bringing together public agencies and industry to establish frameworks that address opportunities and challenges across the transportation landscape, including for aviation, automated vehicles, and now shared mobility.
“Together, SAE International and SAE ITC, are uniquely positioned to provide a neutral, democratic, and objective forum to develop data-sharing frameworks to support safe, equitable, and livable streets for all,” said Jack Pokrzywa, SAE Director of Global Ground Vehicle Standards. This effort is exemplary of SAE’s mission to advance mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. SAE is already playing a key role in developing definitions and taxonomies for micromobility vehicles (SAE J3194 WIP) and shared mobility (SAE J3163).
“Cities need data and transparency about how new mobility services are being utilized because only they have the power to manage our public right-of-way: the streets, curbs, and sidewalks that these mobility services depend on,” said Regina Clewlow, CEO of Populus. “We are excited to help form this consortium that brings together stakeholders from cities and micromobility operators to support data-sharing efforts that will ensure cities get the information they need for transportation planning.”
The consortium plans to collaborate with other leading bodies developing standards and best practices for shared mobility to harmonize with their related activities. SAE and its initial partners anticipate that other public agencies, shared mobility operators, and data platforms will join to help to define and refine the framework of principles, recommended practices and other organized activities.
SAE Industry Technologies Consortia (SAE ITC®) is a 501(c)(6) affiliate of SAE International®, and its membership is comprised of public and private organizations collaborating in a neutral forum to drive innovative solutions to key industry challenges.
SAE International is a global association committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™.
