Turning Numbers into Dialogue with Mobility reports from Budapest

Challenge addressed: Turning complex data into clear visuals 

Turning complex data into clear, compelling visuals is a challenge many organizations face, while external experts often struggle to access it. Yet, for effective monitoring and evidence-based decision-making, well-structured, visually engaging charts are essential—they transform raw numbers into insights everyone can understand and act upon.

Solution implemented: Mobility report every month

The Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK) publishes a mobility report every month. In these reports, BKK highlights key data using clear and visually appealing infographics covering public transport, cycling, the bike-sharing system, pedestrian traffic, and road traffic in major transport hubs. Lay audiences often have biased or incomplete perceptions of different transport modes, traffic conditions, and the impacts of traffic management policies. By presenting reliable data in an accessible format, the reports help to balance perceptions and support more informed public dialogue.
 

Results achieved: Informing the public about transport trends

This practice provides an effective solution to the challenge of informing the public about mobility trends and understandably presenting complex transport data. The reports often reflect topics that are at the center of public debate, such as the effects of traffic calming measures or changes in boarding numbers following bus route modifications. These changes can be controversial, and providing transparent data that can be used as a basis for public discussion is critical for informed debate. The data is presented in a clear and accessible way, making them easy for the public to understand. BKK also shares the reports through its social media channels, occasionally incorporating short videos to increase reach and visibility. BKK has been publishing these reports since September 2021, showing that the approach is valued and sustainable over time.

Lessons learned: Facilitating fact-based discussion

Informing the public about transportation trends in a city or region is key to facilitating fact-based discussion and raising awareness of important developments. Transport authorities also need to communicate their decision-making processes transparently, especially when policy decisions are controversial.
A key limitation of publishing these reports lies in data processing. BKK relies on passenger-counting data from onboard sensors, loop detectors, camera images, Waze user reports and other innovative technologies. However, the validation and processing of these heterogeneous data sources are time-consuming and resource intensive.
 

Cross Links

Contact: BKK Centre for Budapest Transport 

Publications: https://bkk.hu/en/about-bkk/traffic-data-charts/mobility-reports/