Mobility data in 2026: using journeys and traffic flows to plan Road Media
A busy junction, station forecourt and arterial road can initially look similarly attractive. Mobility data helps establish which journeys people make, when movement concentrates and whether an advertising site fits the campaign. The data base is expanding in 2026, while site visits and sound audience measurement remain essential.
More data does not automatically mean more contacts
Mobility data describes traffic, journeys, networks and patterns of time spent in places. It can show busy periods, bus routes and differences in transport choices or trip purposes between urban and rural areas. That helps location planning because outdoor advertising meets people on particular journeys and in particular situations.
Traffic volume differs from visual contact. A counting station records vehicles rather than people able to see a particular panel. A timetable describes a service rather than actual occupancy. Even a modelled contact opportunity does not establish understanding, recall or action.
Why 2026 matters for urban mobility data
On 9 July 2026, the European Commission adopted an implementing regulation for harmonised urban-mobility indicators covering sustainability, safety and accessibility. Member states should provide their first data by the end of 2027 and update it every four years, improving comparability for transport policy and infrastructure planning over time.
The European Mobility Data Space also seeks to make ecosystems easier to discover and connect. The Commission emphasises that it is not one central dataset: existing sources will be connected through common rules, technical components and standards. The landscape should become more accessible while remaining diverse.
Four data layers answer different questions
| Layer | Examples | Planning use | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Networks and operations | Timetables, roadworks, closures, traffic | When and how routes are usable | No direct measure of display visibility |
| Mobility behaviour | Trip purposes, modes, regional patterns | Plausible audience situations | A survey or model, not a live media-site count |
| Media delivery | Passages, visibility, gross and net contacts | Planning a site or network | A contact opportunity is not impact |
| Campaign outcomes | Recall, searches, visits, enquiries | Assessing the defined objective | Causality needs a suitable research design |
These layers complement one another. Begin by asking which decision a number should support, then select an appropriate source.
Mobilithek, MiD and ma OOH serve different purposes
Mobilithek is Germany's national access point for mobility data. More than 13,000 data offerings were discoverable on 25 September 2026. Its operator factsheet distinguishes static networks, timetables and fares from dynamic delays, traffic, shared mobility, parking, roadworks and signals. Check each dataset's licence, currency, coverage and access conditions; availability does not automatically mean unrestricted use.
Mobilität in Deutschland 2023 describes mobility behaviour structurally. Alongside results and methods, small-area estimates are available for districts and municipalities. Regionalisation helps avoid identical assumptions for urban and rural areas, but remains statistical estimation rather than real-time information or precise counts at one display.
Agma's ma 2025 Out of Home is more specific to advertising planning. Its mobility base includes 77,703 people aged 14 or over: 60,202 reported previous-day journeys with map support and 17,501 had journeys recorded by GPS over two weeks. It reports performance values for around 265,000 OOH sites. This is a methodologically modelled planning basis rather than permanent counting of every passer-by.
A practical approach to data-informed location choices
- Define the campaign task: local awareness, an opening, directions or repeat brand presence?
- Draw the catchment area: distinguish a municipality, commuter corridor, station surroundings or specific route.
- Assess mobility patterns: use suitable sources for modes, purposes, times and seasonality.
- Visit the site: check direction, speed, obstructions, lighting and competing information.
- Request media metrics separately: document data dates, definitions, modelling, delivery share and network coverage.
- Define success beforehand: reach, recall, search interest, visits and enquiries need different measures.
For example, opening a bicycle shop does not automatically favour the busiest road. Fast-moving traffic may be unsuitable for a complex offer. A less busy site on a cycle route or at an interchange may provide more time and context. Combine the objective, movement patterns, visibility and costs rather than selecting the largest single number.
Include data protection and quality in the brief
Many decisions can use aggregated, anonymised or statistically modelled data. Personal movement profiles are neither automatically necessary nor automatically lawful. Before using private mobility or device data, check provenance, legal basis, consent, aggregation, retention and possible identification of individuals. The EU's federated, trusted and secure data-space vision is an objective, rather than blanket permission for any use.
Technical freshness also differs from suitability. Roadworks data explains short-term diversions, not long-term audience structure. Household surveys describe behaviour, not second-by-second events. GPS samples provide detailed routes, but require projection to the population and media inventory.
The best number has a clear purpose
Richer, more comparable mobility information can improve site shortlisting, understanding of movement areas and campaign rationales. Good planning recognises each source's limits: mobility data explains journeys, media data models contact opportunities and outcome data tests a campaign objective. Combining them carefully creates a stronger decision.
Further reading: evaluating advertising sites, measuring DOOH campaigns and planning outdoor advertising.
Sources and limits: the July 2026 EU regulation concerns policy and planning indicators, with first submissions due in 2027; it is not an advertising currency. Mobilithek's count is a dated portal snapshot rather than a quality measure. MiD describes and models behaviour, not footfall at a particular panel. Ma 2025 Out of Home is an industry-specific sample and model-based planning framework; contact opportunities are distinct from advertising impact.