Driving the development of the digital road network - National Highways - AC22

Summary

John Drea, Head of Data Science at National Highways, discusses the importance of geospatial data and its role in the development of the digital road network. The presentation covers how National Highways evaluates and treats geospatial data as a valuable asset, emphasizing its importance in improving safety, efficiency, and connectivity. He shares insights into their journey of building a unified network model, creating a spatial portal, and opening up data for public use. The goal is to elevate the role of geography and data in the organization, driving better decision-making and service delivery.

Takeaways

• 😀 National Highways plays a vital role in the UK's road network, maintaining critical infrastructure including roads, street lights, and bridges.
• 😀 The organization has valued its physical assets at 128 billion pounds, prompting a re-evaluation of the value of its data, especially geospatial data.
• 😀 National Highways discovered that their geospatial data, particularly the strategic road network, is a crucial asset, valued at 60 billion pounds.
• 😀 A significant challenge for National Highways was to better recognize and utilize their data assets, just as they had done with physical assets over the years.
• 😀 The geospatial data, especially the network model, was identified as a key driver for National Highways' business and public services, highlighting the importance of geography to their operations.
• 😀 National Highways underwent a process to better understand the value of its data through interviews with stakeholders and analysis of over 80 data sets.
• 😀 Key use cases for National Highways’ data include traffic management, roadworks, and diversion routes, with certain data sets ranked as vital to operational success.
• 😀 A major issue identified was the lack of a unified and accurate digital representation of the road network, which posed safety and operational risks.
• 😀 National Highways is working to develop a consistent 'Single View of the Network' through a consolidated network model, ensuring accuracy and reducing risks.
• 😀 A new spatial portal was introduced to help National Highways improve the use of geospatial data across the organization, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency.
• 😀 National Highways launched an open data site to share key data, such as emergency area location data, with external stakeholders to support future data sharing initiatives.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the presentation by John Drea?

The main focus of the presentation is about the role of GIS and geospatial data in driving the development of the digital road network, specifically within the context of National Highways.

Why is geography considered core to National Highways' business?

Geography is considered core because National Highways relies heavily on geospatial data to manage its road networks, understand their economic value, and ensure the safety and efficiency of road usage. The network model and location data are central to the business operations.

How did National Highways determine the economic value of its data assets?

National Highways worked with economists to establish the economic value of its intangible assets. They found that their data assets were worth approximately £196 billion, with £60 billion attributed specifically to data, highlighting its critical role in their operations.

What role do stakeholders play in understanding the value of data at National Highways?

Stakeholders, including leisure, local authorities, commuters, logistics, retail, and major transport hubs, helped National Highways understand the specific use cases driving the value of their data. Over 80 interviews were conducted to assess the impact and reliance on various datasets.

What was the outcome of National Highways' data evaluation regarding geospatial data?

The evaluation showed that location data for the strategic road network (SRN) was the most important, constituting 10% of the total value of their data, and about 3% of the intangible value of National Highways.

What problems did National Highways face with its geospatial data before the improvement project?

National Highways faced issues with inconsistent network models, leading to a lack of a unified and accurate view of the strategic road network. This inconsistency was exacerbated by the use of multiple, differing systems and the potential safety risk of routing drivers incorrectly.

What steps were taken to solve the issues with geospatial data at National Highways?

National Highways launched a project focused on consolidating their network models into a single, consistent digital representation of the road network. They also introduced a spatial portal to better exploit geospatial data and made strides toward opening up their spatial data for external use.

What is the 'Single View of the Network' tool, and how does it help National Highways?

The 'Single View of the Network' tool provides a consolidated view of the road network, allowing National Highways' operations team to manage incidents and make decisions more effectively. It integrates data from various sources, such as traffic officer locations, weather events, and CCTV footage, into one interface.

How does National Highways share its geospatial data with the public?

National Highways has launched an open data site where users can easily search for, view, and download spatial data, including emergency area location data. The site supports the company's digital customer agenda and is part of their broader digital roads program.

How did National Highways elevate the importance of geospatial data within the organization?

National Highways elevated the importance of geospatial data by securing senior sponsorship, clearly defining their vision for data, and highlighting the value of geospatial data through their data valuation work. They used strategic communications and demonstrated the data's value through practical use cases.