# README for Philadelphia Digital Right-of-Way and Mobility Improvement Project
## Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Program, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)

**Date:** April 15, 2026

**Links to Dataset**

Repository for Dataset DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19558539

Data Management Plan DOI: https://doi.org/10.48321/D12C772F1E

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## Summary of Dataset

The Philadelphia Digital Right-of-Way and Mobility Improvement Project advanced work to digitize street, sidewalk, and curbside space within a pilot area in Center City Philadelphia and develop tools and data standards for digital Right-of-Way (ROW) management.
The project addressed two major challenges: scarcity of ROW space; and scarcity of information about the ROW and its users.

The project generated a new data specification, the Right of Way Data Specification (ROWDS), developed in collaboration with the Open Mobility Foundation (OMF) and extending the OMF's existing Curb Data Specification (CDS) to cover the full ROW beyond the curb.
A prototype ROWDS-compliant dataset was generated for the project's Center City study area, covering intersections, roadways, lanes, curb zones, curb policies, ROW policies, and ROW objects including traffic signals, fire hydrants, pedestrian ramps, crosswalks, and signage.
The project included the deployment of 38 digital e-ink signages to communicate real-time ROW policy information to users at the curb.
The project demonstrated the viability of using a Software-as-a-Service platform (INRIX Road Rules) to visualize, edit, and publish ROW policies at a spatial granularity of per-lane, per-foot across the full ROW, not just the curb.
The project also deployed updated Transit Signal Priority (TSP) technology via a cloud-based system.

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## Table of Contents

A. General Information
B. Sharing/Access & Policies Information
C. Data and Related Files Overview
D. Methodological Information
E. Data-Specific Information
F. Update Log

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## A. General Information

**Title of Dataset:** Philadelphia Digital Right-of-Way and Mobility Improvement Project

**Description of the Dataset:** https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19558539

The Philadelphia Digital Right-of-Way and Mobility Improvement Project advanced work to digitize street, sidewalk, and curbside space within a 112-block pilot area in Center City Philadelphia.
The project developed a new open data specification for Right-of-Way data (ROWDS), generated a prototype ROWDS-compliant dataset for the study area, deployed cloud-based Transit Signal Priority technology and tested digital e-ink signages for communicating curb and ROW policies to users in real time.
The project was conducted in partnership with the Open Mobility Foundation (OMF) and a cohort of nine other U.S. cities participating in the SMART Curb Collaborative.

**Dataset Archive Link:** https://zenodo.org/records/19558539

**Authorship Information:**

Principal Investigator
Name: Christopher Shelley – ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2814-0755
Institution: City of Philadelphia, Managing Director's Office
Address: 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Email: christopher.shelley@phila.gov
Phone: 609-947-1448

Project Lead
Name: Akshay Malik – ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5826-4901
Institution: City of Philadelphia, Managing Director's Office
Address: 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Email: akshay.malik@phila.gov

**Date of data collection and update interval**

September 2023 – December 2025

**Geographic location of data collection**

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Study area: Center City, bounded by Spring Garden Street (north), South Street (south), Broad Street (west), and 6th Street (east).

**Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data**

This dataset package was funded through the USDOT Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Program.

The grant number for this project is: 69A3552341043 / SMARTFY22N1P1G49

Grant project title: Philadelphia Digital Right-of-Way and Mobility Improvement Project

Grant program URL: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/smart/2022

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## B. Sharing/Access and Policies Information

**Recommended citation for the data**

Shelley, C., & Malik, A. (2026). Philadelphia Digital Right-of-Way and Mobility Improvement Project [Data set]. Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19558539

**Licenses/restrictions placed on the data**

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for the contents thereof. As this project does not collect individual-level parking event data or other data from identifiable individuals, no personally identifiable information (PII) is present in the dataset. All data is intended for public dissemination without restriction.

**Was data derived from another source?**

Yes. The ROWDS prototype dataset was derived from a combination of sources including: OpenStreetMap (roadway and lane geometry); Cyclomedia StreetSmart imagery and automated feature extraction (ROW objects including fire hydrants, traffic signals, pedestrian ramps, crosswalks, and signage); OpenDataPhilly (curb zone and permit data); and INRIX Road Rules schema (policy data). Source attributions are included within the dataset.

This document was created to meet the requirements enumerated in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Plan to Increase Public Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research Version 1.1 (https://doi.org/10.21949/1520559) and guidelines suggested by the DOT Public Access website (https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647), in effect and current as of December 03, 2020.

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## C. Data and Related Files Overview

**File List for the Full Dataset:**

1. **Filename:** README.md
   **Short Description:** Overview document that explains the contents, structure, and use of the project's data package.

2. **Filename:** DCAT-US METADATA.json
   **Short Description:** Machine-readable metadata file that describes the project's datasets for compliance, discoverability, and publication on open data portals.

3. **Filename:** Philadelphia SMART Grant Implementation Report.pdf
   **Short Description:** Comprehensive document of Stage One pilot outcomes along with strategic objectives for at-scale implementation.

4. **Filename:** Philadelphia_SMART Grant_Finalized DMP.pdf
   **Short Description:** A complete document detailing the data structure, content, and the City's approach to data management.

5. **Filename:** Philadelphia SMART Grant Evaluation Plan.pdf
   **Short Description:** A complete document detailing the evaluation criteria for the project.

6. **Filename:** ROWDS_data_prototype.json
   **Short Description:** One JSON file containing all of the ROW data generated during the Project and transformed to be compliant with the prototype Right of Way Data Specification (ROWDS). Covers intersections, roadways, lanes, curb zones, curb policies, ROW policies, and ROW objects for the Center City study area.

7. **Filename:** ROWDS Examples.zip
   **Short Description:** A collection of markdown and PDF files walking the reader through how the Right of Way Data Specification (ROWDS) was applied during this Project for a variety of source object types, asset classes, data transformations, and ROWDS endpoints. Includes examples for: Intersection, Roadway, Lane, Fire Hydrant (ROW Object), and Permit (ROW Policy / Event).

8. **Filename:** Raw Project Data.zip
   **Short Description:** Data as generated by Arcadis and Cyclomedia, primarily to comply with INRIX Road Rules' schema, prior to conversion to ROWDS. A collection of .json files.

9. **Filename:** ROW-data-specification.zip
   **Short Description:** The README files for the Right of Way Data Specification (ROWDS), as exported from the OMF GitHub repository, packaged with their associated image assets. Contains two markdown documents: the Right of Way API README, which describes the ROWDS data schema, endpoints, field definitions, and data types for the ROW API; and the Events API README, which describes the schema, endpoints, field definitions, and data types for the Events API.

10. **Filename:** Arcadis Right-of-Way Data Typology and Process Mapping – Final Report.pdf
    **Short Description:** Final report and deliverable summary produced by Arcadis documenting the data typology, source data assessment, gap analysis, and process mapping work conducted as part of the Data Topology and Process Mapping component of the Project.

11. **Filename:** Philadelphia Digital ROW – INRIX Tech Report.pdf
    **Short Description:** Technical report produced by INRIX documenting the configuration, customization, and demonstration of the Road Rules software platform for full ROW management as part of the Smart Right-of-Way Software component of the Project.

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## D. Methodological Information

**Description of methods used for collection/generation of data:**

The Philadelphia SMART Grant Digital ROW project generated a diverse collection of data including: an open data specification for Right-of-Way data (ROWDS); a prototype ROWDS-compliant dataset for the Center City study area; vendor technical reports on data typology, process mapping, and software configuration; and supporting documentation for all of the above.

The ROWDS prototype dataset was generated through a multi-step process involving: automated extraction of ROW features from Cyclomedia StreetSmart imagery and LiDAR point cloud data (fire hydrants, traffic signals, pedestrian ramps, crosswalks, signage); OpenStreetMap-based extraction and segmentation of roadway and lane geometry; OpenDataPhilly-based extraction of curb zone and permit data; and manual linkage and quality control by City of Philadelphia Smart Cities staff. The dataset was converted from INRIX Road Rules schema to ROWDS format by City staff using a series of Python scripts and Jupyter notebooks, with linkages between asset classes established through spatial join operations.

**Instrument or software-specific information needed to interpret the data:**

**.json:** File extension .json is associated with JavaScript Object Notation file format, a lightweight, text-based, language-independent data interchange format. JSON defines a small set of formatting rules for the portable representation of structured data. The data in a .json file is stored in simple text format and the content is viewable in any simple text editor. The ROWDS Data Prototype JSON file conforms to the schema defined in the ROWDS README files included in this package. (For more information on .json files and software, please visit https://www.file-extensions.org/json-file-extension.)

**.md:** Markdown files are plain-text files using lightweight markup syntax. They are readable as plain text and can also be rendered with formatting by any Markdown-compatible viewer, including GitHub, VS Code, Obsidian, and many others. (For more information on .md files, please visit https://www.markdownguide.org.)

**.pdf:** The Portable Document Format (PDF) file format was developed by Adobe Systems and represents two-dimensional documents in a device-independent and resolution-independent format. There are PDF readers available on many platforms, such as Xpdf, Foxit, and Adobe's own Adobe Acrobat Reader. PDF readers/viewers or online services for basic functions are generally free. (For more information on .pdf files and software, please visit https://www.file-extensions.org/pdf-file-extension.)

**.zip:** The .zip file is a compressed archive created with various programs supporting ZIP compression. Microsoft Windows supports creating compressed zip files by default. (For more information on .zip files and software, please visit https://www.file-extensions.org/zip-file-extension.)

**.csv:** File extension .csv is associated with Comma-Separated Values file format, a plain-text format used to store tabular data where each line represents a row and values are separated by commas. CSV files are readable in any text editor and are natively supported by Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and most data analysis tools. (For more information on .csv files and software, please visit https://www.file-extensions.org/csv-file-extension.)
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## E. Data-Specific Information

**1. File Name:** ROWDS Data Prototype.json

The ROWDS Data Prototype is a single JSON file containing all ROW data generated during the Project and transformed to be compliant with the prototype Right of Way Data Specification (ROWDS). The file is structured as follows:

- **metadata:** Project and dataset metadata
- **data.intersections:** Point features representing intersections within the study area. Each intersection is linked to its connected roadways, linked ROW objects, and applicable ROW policies.
- **data.roadways:** LineString features representing individual roadway segments (one block in length). Each roadway is linked to its lanes, curb zones, intersections, and applicable ROW policies.
- **data.lanes:** LineString features representing individual lanes within each roadway, including travel lanes, bike lanes, and sidewalk lanes. Each lane is linked to its parent roadway and applicable ROW policies.
- **data.curb_zones:** LineString features representing curb zones along roadways, derived from CDS-compliant curb data. Each curb zone is linked to its parent roadway and applicable curb policies.
- **data.curb_policies:** Policy objects defining the rules applicable to curb zones, structured per the CDS Curb Policies schema.
- **data.row_policies:** Policy objects defining the rules applicable to roadways, lanes, and intersections, structured per the ROWDS ROW Policies schema. Includes movement policies (speed limits), turning policies, and event policies (road closure permits).
- **data.objects:** Point features representing physical ROW objects including traffic signals, fire hydrants, pedestrian ramps, crosswalks, and signage. Each object is linked to its associated roadway, lane, and/or intersection.

All geometries are in WGS84 (EPSG:4326). All identifiers are UUIDs. Timestamps are Unix milliseconds unless otherwise noted.

A data dictionary for all fields is available in the ROW-data-specification.zip files included in this package, and on the OMF GitHub repository at https://github.com/openmobilityfoundation/ROW-data-specification. At the time of this writing, that GitHub repository has not been published. Publication of that repository will happen at the discretion of the Open Mobility Foundation, following its established processes.

**2. File Name:** ROWDS Examples.zip

A collection of five markdown documents (also provided as PDFs) illustrating the application of ROWDS to specific example instances from the prototype dataset. Each document covers one asset class or endpoint and includes: a definition of the asset class per the ROWDS spec; an example instance with annotated JSON; field reference tables; source data in INRIX/Arcadis schema; and transformation logic. The five documents cover:

- **Intersection** — example: Arch Street and North 8th Street (intersection_id: 79653cb5)
- **Roadway** — example: Arch Street between North 7th and North 8th Streets (roadway_id: 235d34df)
- **Lane** — example: Travel Lane 1 on Arch Street between North 7th and North 8th Streets (lane_id: 75b548dc)
- **Fire Hydrant (ROW Object)** — example: Fire Hydrant 20379 on Arch Street (row_object_id: 9b2cff3c)
- **Permit (ROW Policy / Event)** — example: Permit 2025-14218, partial closure of Race Street between Vine Street Ramp and North 11th Street

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## F. Update Log

| Date | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2026 | 1.0 | Initial publication |

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*This README was prepared by Christopher Shelley, City of Philadelphia Managing Director's Office, in accordance with USDOT SMART Grant data management requirements.*
