Populus will help Seattle improve the use of city kerbs for parking

Populus will help Seattle improve the use of city kerbs for parking

Populus, a platform that aims to help cities access and utilise data from shared bikes and scooters for policy and planning, has entered a new agreement with Lime to provide data to the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Lime will share GPS data of car-sharing vehicles through Populus to improve use of city kerbs. Through this partnership, Populus will receive real-time data from Lime’s shared car fleet (LimePod) through a standardised format to report on parking utilisation and deliver other key insights to Seattle.

Data transparency for cities

This new agreement between Populus and Lime marks the first agreement by a major operator of shared cars to proactively deliver GPS-based fleet data through a third-party platform for data transparency to a city.

“Lime is committed to partnering with local governments as we launch new services,” said Emily Warren, senior director of policy and public affairs at Lime. “We’re excited to work with Populus to deliver data that will help the city of Seattle evaluate the use of kerb space and develop new parking strategies that will help reduce vehicle ownership.”

Although cities across the country have been successful in requiring that dockless bike and scooter data be shared with third-party platforms such as Populus since they first began to arrive on city streets, this expansion with Lime for car-sharing reporting and parking validation is significant because it paves a much-needed path forward for cities and private mobility operators to coordinate for efficient kerbside utilisation of shared vehicles.

“Access to data on how these services are being used, cities and the private sector can work more collaboratively to design a better transportation future”

Populus said its platform is being used by cities from coast to coast to evaluate and plan for shared mobility services, including dockless electric scooters and bikes. Its secure, third-party solution, mobility manager, helps cities access real-time data from private operators.

“Populus works hand-in-hand with cities and mobility operators to help deliver safer, more efficient streets for all people – through better data. We’re excited to partner with Lime in Seattle to deliver a solution that can help the city assess kerb use with shared vehicle data,” said Regina Clewlow, CEO and co-founder of Populus.

“Mobility services such as free-floating car-sharing, dockless bikes and scooters are providing new alternatives for people to get around without owning a car. With access to data on how these services are being used, cities and the private sector can work more collaboratively to design a better transportation future.”

You might also like: