This data tool is changing how New Jersey plans public transit. Here’s how other regions could use it, too.

How can we empower New Jerseyans to more easily understand and take action on pressing transportation needs in their communities? 

That’s the question that my team at the state’s Office of Innovation and our colleagues at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) asked over the past year. As DEP began calling for applications for transportation planning grants, there was a growing public desire for a tool that provided a baseline analysis by combining disparate data sources to help identify transportation gaps.

Our collaboration recently resulted in rolling out the Transportation Needs Index. The user-friendly portal featuring data visualizations highlights existing transit infrastructure (like bus stops and rail stations) and combines it with community demographic data (such as household income and vehicle ownership).

This pilot platform is now helping communities and decision-makers in New Jersey see more clearly where investments and partnerships might make the biggest impact — a model that could be replicated in other states and regions.

Start by finding collaborators

In summer 2024, DEP was working to create a toolkit for communities around the state to guide investments of zero-emission, shared-use mobility (eMobility) solutions, including car shares, shuttle services, scooters and more traditional modes.

The first step in the toolkit was identifying communities and conducting needs assessments, but there were no statewide resource combining existing transportation infrastructure with relevant community demographics. While people could try to stitch together helpful data on an ad hoc basis, this would be a heavy lift for local decision-makers and community organizations trying to guide upcoming engagements and discussions.

A new analysis and index could have the potential to, for example, highlight an area that has high rates of poverty and low rates of car ownership while also lacking transit options. Such a community could be a promising candidate for a car share, shuttle service or other “last mile” eMobility solution.

Luckily, when it came to developing a model for a new index, our team didn’t have to start from scratch. Jersey City had conducted a year-long transportation study to identify areas of the city that were underserved by transit. Its approach combined analyzing proximity to transit infrastructure with household demographic data to create a combined score. 

Informed by their approach, we ultimately created a pilot that rolled out in March, incorporating a variety of New Jersey data, including:

• Disability status data;
• Vehicle access;
• Poverty levels;
• Age demographics;
• Population density; and
• Existing proximity to bus stops and rail stations.

With this data, we were able to create a composite score that pinpoints areas with high transportation needs but low transit access, making them prime candidates for investments in areas like eMobility.

For example, while this area in the city of Passaic has a high transportation access score, it could still be a strong candidate for mobility investments because it also has higher-than-average poverty levels, senior and youth population and population density. Its composite needs score is 37 (numbers above 25 are considered high needs).  

How data sparks change

With this depth of information, we worked with DEP’s geographic information system experts to create a data visualization tool that illuminates communities where transportation investments could yield a significant impact. 

In other words, the new Transportation Needs Index allows users to see how transportation infrastructure and community demographics intersect in ways that were never before available at a glance.

The index has become a key part of DEP’s Mobility Planning Toolkit. Already, it has been accessed over 500 times. Even more local leaders, organizations and residents will be using it due to planning grants from DEP, including nearly $1 million in grants announced on June 19 for several communities.

For example, officials can use the index to start data-driven conversations with their communities, serving as a quantitative complement to the many comments, suggestions and other qualitative input they receive from individuals and local community groups. 

It’s important to note that the Index only serves as one piece of input. It is no substitute for the nuanced local conversations around affordability, reliability and the everyday on-the-ground experience of people. 

Additionally, some transportation systems like privately operated public bus networks, paratransit, ferries, bike share and biking infrastructure were not included in the pilot version of the index.  

What to know before taking on a transit index

The best civic tech almost always requires an ongoing, iterative approach to maintain effectiveness and relevance. This was no exception. Other key takeaways from this project include:

• Routinely check in with subject matter experts;
• Stay focused on meeting end-user needs;
• Start small (which is always better than not starting at all!); and
• Never underestimate the power of combining and presenting data in a new way.

This is the first time this type of data has been combined at the state level, creating a robust resource for planners, city officials and community members, many of whom simply don’t have the time or resources to undertake this alone. With a small, focused, specialized team, we were able to bring all this data together at scale statewide for all New Jersey communities relatively quickly. 

In other words, through a team approach, we are able to compile and present a large trove of data that empowers more people to come to the table, informed with the basic facts about transit and transportation in their part of the state.

We welcome feedback from around the state from people who are using it to make data-informed decisions, as well as from local groups and individuals who want to engage more deeply in planning processes. 

My hope is that other states and jurisdictions will replicate this approach and even improve upon it, so that we can all understand our transit landscapes better and make the best possible decisions about where to invest and what kinds of mobility partnerships to create. 

With richer conversations in every community, we can create a clearer path toward a more connected and sustainable future for all residents.