INRIX is excited to announce its finalists for the INRIX + MetroLab 2025 challenge.
This year’s challenge takes on added significance following the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) acquisition of MetroLab, a move that strengthens the civic innovation ecosystem by uniting local government-university collaboration with federal science and technology policy expertise. These universities have the opportunity to help researchers and innovative local governments discover solutions for modern transportation and traffic challenges, using free access to INRIX products for up to one year.
The datasets that the universities can utilize are:
- Trip Origins and Destinations
- Trip Paths
- Historic Speeds
- Real Time Traffic
- Incidents
- Dangerous Slow-Downs
- Volumes
- Speed Distribution Profiles
- Drivetime Polygons
- Off-Street Parking
MetroLab was a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering innovation in communities by bridging the gap between local governments and academic institutions. Established in 2015 as part of the White House Smart Cities Initiative, MetroLab grew into a collaborative network comprising over 95 organizations, including cities, counties, and universities, all committed to leveraging research and technology to address local challenges. With MetroLab now operating under the FAS umbrella, the network is positioned to scale its efforts nationally, giving university researchers even greater influence in shaping data-informed civic solutions.
“The INRIX x MetroLab Challenge exemplifies the power of catalytic partnership, bringing together university institutions, local governments, and private sector collaboration. We know that data is central in addressing big challenges. We are delighted to be a part of this effort that brings new types of data to researchers and doers, to develop scalable solutions for urban mobility issues.” — Kate Burns, Director of MetroLab at the Federation of American Scientists.
INRIX, MetroLab, and an external third-party transportation and mobility expert have accepted the following universities for the INRIX + MetroLab 2025 challenge:
- Columbia University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida State University
- New York University
- University of Alabama
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Michigan
- University of New Mexico
- Utah State University
The universities will work on a wide range of transportation-focused research projects and initiatives aimed at enhancing safety, accessibility, and/or resilience across various contexts. One area of study will involve comparing the characteristics of crash hotspots involving freight vehicles versus vulnerable road users. Researchers will explore how to develop data-driven evacuation demand models for major disasters. Another project is in regards to efforts being made to address transportation barriers that limit access to healthcare in rural areas. Additional projects include:
- Investigating how travel patterns shift across different tornado warning stages and severe weather events.
- Researching how traffic camera-based counts can be integrated with broader network flow analyses to yield more accurate transportation data.
- Improving the understanding of how traffic accidents and incidents influence overall traffic flows.
- The effects of congestion pricing policies, evaluate the impact of speed cameras on driver behavior in San Francisco, and analyze how abandoned vehicles affected evacuations during the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Los Angeles.
Collectively, these research efforts aim to advance knowledge in transportation systems, safety, and emergency management.
“Partnering with MetroLab allows us to put INRIX data into the hands of those shaping the future of mobility—bridging research and real-world impact in communities across the country.” — Ahmed Darrat, Chief Product Officer, INRIX.
The INRIX + MetroLab Challenge 2024 winners showcased the transformative potential of data-driven collaborations between academic institutions and local governments to address pressing urban challenges. The two winning projects, the University of Washington and the University of Notre Dame, exemplified how innovative applications of mobility data can lead to impactful solutions in transportation planning and public safety. The University of Washington, in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, utilized INRIX’s Trips and Speeds data to calibrate the Argonne Polaris Model for the Puget Sound region. This enabled a detailed simulation of decarbonization strategies, such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, demand management, and land use changes. The model’s reproducibility offers a valuable tool for other metropolitan areas aiming to develop effective climate action plans.
Meanwhile, the University of Notre Dame collaborated with the City of South Bend to assess the impact of physical traffic calming measures and speed limit reductions on local streets. By analyzing INRIX’s speed distribution and volume data, they found that combining physical interventions with lower speed limits significantly reduced vehicle speeds, enhancing safety for vulnerable road users. The development of a microsimulation model from this study provides a scalable approach for other cities to implement similar safety improvements.
Each research team will publish and present their findings in conferences like the 2026 Transportation Research Board (TRB) in early January 2026 and academic journals like the Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA). By fostering partnerships between academia and local governments, the INRIX x MetroLab Challenge demonstrates a scalable model for applying research to real-world urban challenges, paving the way for more resilient and sustainable communities.