The Best Data Visualization and GIS Tools for Traffic Data Analysis

Connected vehicle data is powerful, and it is big. Really big. So big, in fact, that many app developers and data analysts find that data visualization is the best way to make sense of connected car and traffic data

Otonomo’s connected vehicle data is particularly rich due to its diverse data attributes that provide many parameters: location, speed, engine status, road sign data, hazard data, and more. The unique richness of Otonomo data is suited for insights to help improve smart cities, traffic management, road safety, and countless other use cases that begin with solid traffic data analysis.  In order to extract the most valuable insights from such nuanced data, traffic data analysts need to choose the right data visualization and GIS tools for their traffic analysis

Otonomo data integrates easily with any mapping or BI tool you can think of, due to its easy API and CSV exports. 

We asked our data analysts to share some of their favorite traffic mapping software. They offered some key capabilities to keep in mind when choosing data analysis tools and presented some of their favorite tools – both free and paid. 

4 Capabilities to Look for in a Data Visualization Tool

Traffic analysts can get the most out of connected vehicle data and their GIS tools by following a few pro tips for assessing data. These tips will help you know what to look for when choosing data visualization tools

4 Capabilities to Look for in a Data Visualization Tool
1 Geofencing Polygon – zoom in on what’s important
2 Histograms – showcase different dynamics over time
3 Bar Charts – easily highlight comparisons
4 Heatmaps – essential for quick analysis

Geofencing Polygons Zoom in on What’s Important

One of the cool features Otonomo has is allowing its users to extract data using a geofencing polygon, which requires no code. While selecting areas to analyze, like a city, sometimes issues result, such as excluding highways or relevant suburbs. Drawing a custom polygon on a map can provide data within specific coordinates. This is really useful if you want to focus on a specific area. Otonomo’s platform has a user-friendly UI to draw a polygon on maps to easily generate reports. You can also use tools with a similar feature that allows you to zoom in when looking at datasets comprising a larger area. 

Image from the Otonomo Vehicle Data Platform

Histograms are Key for Showcasing Different Dynamics Over Time

Histograms are an important tool. They represent the dynamics of one variable over a specific period of time, and are used to understand how the data is going to change with different filters. There are many different ways to analyze vehicle data on a histogram, most commonly, specific attributes are examined over multiple time frames. Examples of this include examining speed values per hour of the day or vehicle volumes over time in specific locations. 

Image generated by Python Pandas using Otonomo data

Bar Charts Easily Highlight Comparisons

Bar charts are quite effective for comparing the quantities of different categories/attributes along a specific time frame. For example, the number of trips during a specified time frame among several cities. 

Image generated by Tableau using Otonomo data 

Heatmaps are Essential for Quick Analysis 

Heatmaps are pretty straightforward and the intensity of the color (from cool to warm) represents the value progression. Once the data is laid out, it’s easy to see overall and specific trends, spot weak points, and identify hidden opportunities.

Image courtesy of xyzt.ai using Otonomo data

Otonomo Data Analysts’ Picks for the Best Data Visualization and GIS Tools for Traffic Data Analysis 

 
Data Visualization Tools for Traffic Data Analysis
Otonomo’s Visualization Partner xyzt.ai
Free  Geojson
Kepler.GI
Google Data Studio
Fee-Based Mapbox
Tableau
Esri ArcGIS
MapInfo Pro

Otonomo’s Visualization Partner

xyzt.ai

xyzt.ai, Otonomo’s visualization partner, is a cloud based SaaS platform specializing in innovative visual analytics of big location and traffic data. xyzti.ai allows users to define areas and time slots to monitor and analyze location data. They offer traffic analysts options to choose from a diverse set of analytics tools and alerts to focus on wait time analysis, state of change, direction, density analysis, and more. The location data analysis platform highlights the power of Otonomo’s rich datasets. xyzt.ai allows analysts to view several attributes and combinations of attributes for a truly holistic and layered traffic analysis. Traffic analyst teams can also easily share insights with other users and create multiple projects for easy collaboration. 

Here are examples of Otonomo vehicle data visualized by xyzt.ai:

            Images courtesy of xyzt.ai using Otonomo data

FreeGIS and Data Visualization Tools 

Many of Otonomo’s innovative data consumers use free tools to expertly map and analyze our connected vehicle data. Otonomo data can easily be integrated into several data visualization and GIS tools with our no-code car data API

Geojson 

As discussed above, Otonomo data can be extracted by using geofencing polygons to help analysts get exactly the data they need. While there are many tools that enable one to draw polygons, GeoJson is the tool of choice for Otonomo’s data analysts. It’s completely free, has a built-in search engine for cities and regions, and is easy to use.

Kepler.Gl

Another terrific tool for visualizing traffic data is Kepler.gl. A free, open source tool developed by Uber engineers. It has a web-based platform where you can upload CSV files, and when using Python, a library for Jupyter Notebook can be uploaded. Kepler.gl has beautiful visualizations for geospatial data, supports multiple layers, and is a great tool to explore and present traffic data. 

Kepler.gl is a powerful tool to visualize the vehicle data provided by Otonomo. Once a user obtains an Otonomo report in a CSV file, it can be simply uploaded into kepler.gl and be analyzed. 

Below are examples of Otonomo vehicle data visualized using Kepler.

Images generated by Kepler.Gl using Otonomo data

Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio is a free, easy-to-use, visualization and dashboard tool by Google. It is a very powerful tool to visualize, explore, and share data with your team. Google Data Studio enables teams to collaborate over the same data set. 

Fee-Based GIS and Data Visualization Tools

Mapbox

Data analysts use the data visualization tool Mapbox to make Otonomo data come alive. Mapbox is a powerful cloud-based AI platform built for developers and designers to build real-time location awareness into apps. Mapbox powers location-based visualizations and analysis for many leading apps and services. The platform features a user-friendly API and data visualization tools that allow for interactive maps, nuanced geospatial data boundaries, and multi-attribute analysis. In-app analytics create data visualizations such as heatmaps, isochrones, clusters, choropleths, 3D maps, and more. 

Image generated by Mapbox using Otonomo data

Tableau

Tableau is a suite of tools that allows for a complete visual analysis, including heatmaps, graphs, histograms, and more. Capabilities include statistical modeling and scalable sharing for easy collaboration. Otonomo data can be seamlessly integrated with Tableau by a simple CSV file upload or an API. 

To see Tableau in action visualizing Otonomo data, scroll up to the Bar Chart section above. 

Esri ArcGIS

ArcGIS is a comprehensive suite of tools for mapping and locational analysis that can be used either on premises or as a SaaS application. APIs and SDKs provide customizable solutions for developers to create apps. ArcGIS supports many data formats and allows developers to connect their data collection with external data, such as Otonomo vehicle data, to visualize and model complex datasets. The technology also has dashboards to easily share insights amongst teams. 

MapInfo Pro

MapInfo Pro is a mapping and modeling tool that is a favorite of telecommunications engineers, but is applicable to many industries and roles using large geospatial datasets. The tool is easy to use and offers solutions for data analysis, visual insights, and map publishing. Developers can download and share plugins for software on the MapInfo Marketplace, and have full access to Bing Maps. 

Do you want to visualize our vehicle data for yourself? 

Test drive free data for 30 days from our self-serve platform. See how aggregate traffic data can fuel your traffic data analysis

To learn more about data attributes available from Otonomo, speak with one of our data experts! Contact us.

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