Practitioners have access to an expanding range of traditional and third-party data sources for walking, bicycling, and other non-motorized travel. Understanding the reliability and appropriate uses of these data is essential for effectively monitoring active transportation traffic. TRB hosted a webinar on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Eastern that explored approaches for validating and using traditional count data and third-party datasets to better understand these traffic patterns. Presenters shared validation methodologies, findings, and case studies examining how traditional count programs can provide observed ground-truth data while third-party datasets can help estimate activity across broader geographic areas and capture temporal and seasonal patterns. Attendees learned how to assess the reliability of different data sources and determine which are most appropriate for specific applications.
This webinar was sponsored by TRB’s Standing Technical Committee on Traffic Monitoring.
The slides are available. 
 
Webinar agenda and presenters

• Third-party bike data validation in the greater Washington area – Zachary Vander Laan, University of Maryland
• Is crowdsourced data the future of non-motorized traffic counting? Lessons learned from the multi-use trail counts in Milwaukee – Xiao Qin, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Evaluation of bicycle and pedestrian monitoring – Jared Nettles, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
• Question and answer session moderated by Doreen Gui, Kittelson & Associates, Inc.

The first 60 minutes of the webinar were for presentations and the final 30 minutes were reserved for audience questions.
 
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants can:

• Explain the strengths and limitations of traditional and third-party non-motorized data sources
• Validate the datasets and identify appropriate applications

 
Professional Development Hours
This webinar was delivered as a scheduled – e-learning live event and is categorized within RCEP as Technical, Health and Safety.
Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned on completion of this program were reported to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Certificates of Completion are issued to all participants via the RCEP.net online system. Complaints about registered providers may be addressed to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Fl., Washington, DC, 20005.
American Institute of Certified Planners Certification Maintenance Credits
This webinar was approved by the American Planning Association (APA) for 1.5 Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits. CM credits provide continuing education opportunities for AICP Certified Planners to continue their professional skills and knowledge. To receive CM credits, Certified Planners should visit the TRB event webpage on American Planning Association and register their participation. If you have problems reporting your CM credits or have general questions about the CM program, please contact the APA.