A New Treasure Trove of Data on Mobility Services Is Now Available for Researchers

A shared post by Regina Clewlow, CEO and founder of Populus.

3 minute read

August 17, 2018, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Colorado Multi-Modlaism

Arina P Habich / Shutterstock

As services such as Uber and Lyft have rapidly grown, cities have grappled with developing policies and transportation plans that can harness their potential to also meet public goals.

A significant problem is the absence of good data to measure the impacts that these services have on cities. Today, we launch a new program to put data in the hands of researchers who can answer important questions about the future of mobility.

Introducing Populus Data Grants

At Populus, we are excited to announce a new data grant program through which we will give researchers access to our proprietary data on the adoption and utilization of emerging mobility services, such as ridehailing (i.e. Uber, Lyft), carsharing, and electric scooters.

Our goal: to help leading scientists build a better understanding of how these services change our cities. Ultimately, research can enable data-driven policies that can help cities better harness the potential of private sector innovation to deliver safe, equitable, and efficient streets.

The Old Way No Longer Works

Delivering representative, high-quality data on how people move in cities has traditionally been the responsibility of the public sector. However, as significant private investments in transportation services have exploded over the past decade, the public sector has been unable to keep pace. Many cities make important policy and planning decisions based on data that is often 5 to 10 years old, or worse, based on biased data that isn’t actually representative of how people move. Populus fills this void with current, relevant data so that cities aren’t left in the dark.

Through our own large-scale, ongoing data collection efforts, Populus has an expansive set of data from which researchers can conduct studies on a variety of topics, such as the vehicle ownership decisions of Uber/Lyft riders, people’s willingness to share rides with strangers, and the frequency that people use goods-delivery services.

Since the launch of our platform in April, our data has been harnessed for research by leading experts on shared mobility from numerous organizations ranging from the University of Washington to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a lab of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Better Data Cultivated by Experts, Delivered to Experts

Given the lack of publicly-available data that academics often rely on, researchers have been limited in their ability to help answer big questions about the future of transportation and cities. The Populus Data Grant program aims to solve this problem by connecting research institutions and academics with the data they need to conduct relevant research.

Led by MIT and UC Berkeley PhDs with over a decade of experience simulating the future of transportation for cities, federal agencies, and automakers, the Populus team is building a first of its kind enterprise data and analytics platform that helps cities and private mobility operators more effectively partner to deliver safe, equitable, and efficient streets.

We look forward to putting better data in the hands of leading scientists. With independent analysis on how new technologies shape the way people move, I believe the public and private sectors can more effectively chart a path to a better transportation future.


For further information about the Populus Data Grant Program and to apply please visit Populus Data Grants.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018 in Populus on Medium

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight