🛴 Driving Shared Mobility Efficiency in Bordeaux with API Integration on the Open Data Portal

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"By automating our data flows between systems, we're not just saving time - we're building a more responsive and efficient mobility management system for Bordeaux Métropole. Vianova provided a high-quality solution in a really short time" Sabrina Lajugie, IT Project Manager.

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The Context

Bordeaux Métropole, a dynamic urban area serving 800,000 residents across 28 municipalities with a dynamic urban life, faced challenges in managing its growing shared mobility ecosystem. 

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The city sees shared mobility as a key component of its sustainability strategy. With more than 2.6 million trips taken in 2023 over a range of shared bikes, e-scooters, and mopeds, the city is trying to balance the benefits of shared mobility against the challenges of integrating a new mode. With increasing demand for efficient transportation solutions, the city needed a more effective way to update parking regulations and ensure compliance across various mobility modes.

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The Problem

While Bordeaux Métropole had successfully deployed various shared mobility services, the city faced significant challenges in keeping its mobility regulations up to date. The manual process of updating parking regulations and monitoring compliance was becoming increasingly complex and time-consuming. With over 7,000 bike racks and multiple mobility operators, the city's team spent countless hours on data entry and updates, leading to potential errors and delayed response times to changing mobility needs.

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Instead of relying on a manual process, Bordeaux was interested in automating and harmonizing information across several different sources, including the city’s open data portal and Vianova’s mobility management technology. Vianova identified a potential solution- a custom API integration. An API (an acronym for “Application Protocol Interface”) is a digital means of communication between two systems, eliminating the need for human involvement. APIs are already used within Vianova’s Mobility Manager to collect information from shared mobility operators about the position of vehicles and the characteristics of trips. But by adding an API between Bordeaux’s open data portal and Vianova’s mobility manager, the city could avoid duplicating the work of adding new features each time changes were made on the road.

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By automating these processes, Bordeaux Métropole aimed to:

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• Streamline the management of shared mobility services
• Improve the accuracy of parking zone definitions
• Enable real-time updates and monitoring
• Free up valuable staff time for strategic planning
• Enhance the user experience for shared mobility users
• Support data-driven decision-making in mobility planning

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Technical Approach

Vianova implemented a comprehensive API integration connecting Bordeaux's OpenData portal with the Mobility Manager platform in October 2024. The solution includes:

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1. Automated Data Retrieval

• Daily synchronization of approximately 4,500 geographical shapes  every morning
• Integration of free-floating locations, bike racks, and motorized two-wheel parking data
• Real-time data validation and processing

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2. Smart Parking Management

• ​​Each parking location is assigned specific vehicle type permissions through the regulations system
• Customizable radius settings for different vehicle type
• Special handling for specific urban zones (airports, campuses)

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3. System Maintenance

• Automated health checks
• Regular system updates
• Dedicated support team for rapid issue resolution

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Results

The implementation has delivered significant improvements:

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• 99% reduction in manual data entry and regulation updates: What previously required a full day of work every quarter for updating parking regulations and manual data entry now takes less than 2 hour per year, thanks to automated API integration with the OpenData portal.
• Enhanced precision in parking zone definitions, as zones did not need to be redrawn and the same geography could be shared in multiple systems.
• Significant reduction in false infringement alerts: Real-time data synchronization ensures parking regulations reflect the actual situation on the ground, leading to more accurate enforcement and fewer infringements.
• Better service for our citizens and shared-mobility users, who are directed to existing, up-to-date parking facilities.‍
• Improved resource allocation through data-driven decision-making.

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Outcomes

The API integration has transformed Bordeaux's mobility management capabilities. Automated daily updates ensure accurate, current data across the mobility ecosystem- on both the regulatory and operational sides. Accurate information is quickly disseminated to shared mobility operators (who then communicate the information to their uses via app).

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Looking ahead, Bordeaux Métropole is leveraging this foundation to implement advanced analytics for deeper insights into mobility patterns, further enhancing service delivery for residents.

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About Vianova

Vianova is the data analytics solution to operate the mobility world. Our platform harnesses the power of connected vehicles and IoT data, to provide actionable insights to plan for safer, greener, and more efficient transportation infrastructures.

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From enabling regulation of shared mobility to transforming last-mile deliveries, and mapping road risk hotspots, Vianova serves 150+ cities, fleet operators, and enterprises across the globe to change the way people and goods move.

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Ready to learn more?  Visit our page to get in touch.