The DATA4PT project supports local authorities in the deployment of the Transmodel series of data exchange formats. The participants in the project benefit from on-demand and tailor-made support to strengthen their skills and to assess real data sets.
The Grand Est Region in France has agreed to actively participate in DATA4PT to benefit from the services provided by the project’s experts. The French Ministry of Transport fully supports this initiative and has organised a first exchange workshop on the theme of data production.
The feedback from local authorities investing in the subject is particularly interesting because it allows to evaluate the “performance” of data exchange formats and to agree on the options taken when declining them into real databases. Jean-Pascal Klipfel, Multimodal Information Project Manager at Grand Est Region, shared his take on the training.
“We are very pleased to have had the support of the NeTEx European experts. When we arrived, we had many questions: what is the benefit of NeTEx compared to GTFS? Is the NeTEx dataset too big? How does NeTEx handle geographic data? We wanted to compare the potential of NeTEx with what the PTA in charge of the mobility are able to provide and update as information. The training has given us a better vision of where to focus our efforts.
Beyond the IT development to host the information in the aggregated data repository, we need partners to bring up and update the informations. The work on the conformity of our Netex export with the French profile will enable us at Système d’Information Multimodale Grand Est to gain interoperability with our local, national and international partners.“
During the workshop on 30 September 2021, DATA4PT Expert Christophe Duquesne presented the modelling possibilities offered by the NeTEx standard, particularly in terms of multimodality and accessibility, while acknowledging that the richness of the standard results in particularly large files and database quality issues.
Estelle Sturtzer, Project Manager at the French Ministry of Transport: “The interest of such a training for local authorities is obvious. Christophe Duquesne evaluated the work presented to him and made recommendations directly to the service provider of the Grand Est Region to guide the company in the continuation of its mission. The project allowed for the establishment of a dialogue with confidence on a difficult topic. This dialogue has continued since then and will enable the Grand Est Region to open up transport data and offer quality mobility services.”
The Grand Est Region and the Greater Nancy agglomeration, also invited to the meeting, indicated their willingness to move forward with data production. The Ministry of Transport welcomes this dynamic and is positioning itself as a “facilitator” to enable local authorities to meet the ambitious timetable of the Mobility Orientation Law.