Metrics

It’s difficult to accurately predict the impacts new technologies and services will have on a city. And, although the tools are new, to maximize their positive potential, cities will need to clearly define what challenges they are facing, what long-term outcomes they’re striving for, and how exactly these technologies and mobility services should contribute to their success.

A robust set of metrics will enable cities to straightforwardly evaluate the impacts of new services. This data-driven approach will help prevent cities from getting lost in the web of information, anchor these services toward advancing the city’s long-term outcomes, and help maximize the benefits for their communities. And, while measures of positive impacts are critical for demonstrating success, understanding and tracking potential adverse impacts is equally as important. By collecting data focused on potential negative outcomes, cities can learn how to mitigate any adverse impacts when these services are deployed on a larger scale.

Successfully evaluating the impacts of new technologies and services on our communities will require a wholly new approach to performance metrics. Cities cannot afford to take the easy route and use outdated metrics that were designed with other mobility options or other community goals in mind. T4America and the Smart Cities Collaborative participants developed a set of suggested metrics that cities may use. But, cities will need to consider which metrics are most appropriate for them as well as how they will collect and analyze data necessary to inform those metrics.