The 2022 International Mobility Data Summit – Day 1 Recap
Today marked day one of the convergence of private and public sector mobility professionals, software developers, and self–proclaimed transit nerds in Montréal for the first-ever 2022 International Mobility Data Summit. The two-day event is focused on gathering mobility industry stakeholders in a dedicated space to discuss mobility and data.
The day was filled with networking, collaboration, and major learnings, all centered around viewing mobility through the lens of data.
The MobilityData team could not be more excited to finally meet all of our partners and stakeholders in-person and foster engagement within the mobility community.
Like a family reunion
The day began with breakfast, filled with lots of mingling from people that pretty much only saw their faces on video conference for the last few years – the enthusiasm was tangible! Words from our Chair of the Board of Directors, Elsa Bruyère, along with our Executive Director, Leo Frachet, highlighted the importance of innovation within the mobility industry, as well as the crucial need for a space like the Summit. Their words were followed by speeches by Brian Ferris (Google), as well as Tomer Asheroff (Moovit) – two of our event sponsors. We also officially introduced the entire MobilityData team!
The sessions kicked off with excitement, from workshops to typical talks, attendees were engaged and ready to get into some productive discussions. Engaging with our four themes gave a diversity of perspectives and possibilities to consider. The four themes guiding our sessions were:
- Data and Business Model
- Data and Policy
- Public Transit Data
- Shared Mobility Data
Ranging from building MobilityData’s Public Transit Roadmap to leveraging data standards for modal shift and climate change, the Summit sessions produced some interesting insights. We heard a lot about the issues people are facing, such as consistency with the data, as well as general conversations about equity and compliance. Attendees were passionate about these discussions and we made sure that everyone was heard.
After lunch (which was a make your own Montreal bagel), attendees headed to more workshops and panels. There were interactive walkthroughs, for example, a session on the GTFS schedule validators, where attendees were able to give their input through a brainstorming feedback exercise. We also had the chance to assist a session where the attendees were discussing their emotions about the specification governance; the therapeutic outcome was that we definitely need to continue the discussion beyond the Summit!
The last sessions of the day continued the interactive and collaborative spirit of the morning before attendees headed out to networking night. Merja Kajava (Aavista) pointed out that, “mobility does not stop at borders” which is an important reminder of the global reach of the work we all do.
We closed the day with a buzzing Networking Night, a space for all our attendees to solidify their connections and hopefully forge new partnerships.!
Takeaways
- Equity must be at the forefront of our work to ensure access for all travelers.
- “When it comes to open transit data, we need to go deeper.” – Logan Nash, MBTA.
- Collaboration is key to making progress in the mobility ecosystem.
- “How to operationalized open data and standards is also part of the process of making better traveler information” – Some do not like it hot session
Day 1 was filled with excitement and insightful discussions, which we hope continue into the second day of the conference. It is an absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to gather with the sole purpose of finding solutions, fostering connections, and engaging in crucial conversations around mobility.
See you for day 2!
