Vägdata

Vägdata is a term used to describe data about roads and related infrastructure that is used for planning, navigation, traffic management, and infrastructure asset administration. It typically covers the road network geometry (centerlines and intersections), attributes of road sections (road type, number of lanes, speed limits, weight and height restrictions, access restrictions), as well as related features such as signage, traffic signals, road furniture, and maintenance status. Many datasets also include dynamic elements such as traffic volumes, incidents, closures, and road works, which are updated on a near real-time or scheduled basis.

In Sweden, vägdata is produced by public authorities including the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), municipalities, and other transportation agencies. Data originate from field surveys, traffic sensors, maintenance records, permit registries, and incident reports. Much of vägdata is published as open data through national portals or made available via GIS services and APIs. Metadata describe data quality, update frequency, geographic scope, licensing, and data provenance. Interoperability is supported by geospatial standards and directives such as INSPIRE, and by common formats like GeoJSON, shapefiles, and GML.

Uses of vägdata include route planning, traffic management and incident response, urban and regional planning, asset management, and mobility analytics. Vägdata enables efficient navigation, safer road networks, and better infrastructure investment decisions. The distinction between static network data (the geometry and attributes of the road network) and dynamic data (current traffic, incidents) is common, with separate update cycles and access methods.

Challenges associated with vägdata include maintaining data consistency across jurisdictions, ensuring up-to-date information, handling different licensing terms, and validating accuracy and completeness. Ethical and legal considerations primarily concern licensing and data quality accountability.