RENEWAL OF STREETLIGHT TRAFFIC DATA SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
The City of Ames currently has a subscription contract with StreetLight Data, Inc., which expires on October 31, 2026. This service provides the City of Ames and the Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) with transportation data and analytical capabilities throughout the Ames metropolitan planning area.
The subscription data and analyses include vehicle origin-destination data, trip attributes (including aggregated socioeconomic data), segment travel times and speeds, segment traffic volumes, intersection traffic volumes, and truck volume data. Data is sourced primarily from connected vehicles, mobile devices, fleet/navigational devices, and is aggregated and anonymized before analysis. StreetLight does not identify, track, or report information about individual travelers.
Staff frequently uses this data for the development of transportation plans such as Ames Connect 2050, the Regional Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP), and Walk Bike Roll Ames as well as for corridor studies and speed studies.
StreetLight Data, Inc. has indicated that a one-year renewal of the subscription would be at a cost of $72,000. The contract term would begin November 1, 2026 (the day after the current contract expires) and end October 31, 2027. This cost represents an approximate 10.8% increase from the previous amount of $65,000. The increase reflects StreetLight's general price escalation across its subscription base as data acquisition and processing costs rise.
Funding in the amount of $57,600 (80%) is programmed for this subscription renewal in the AAMPO FY 2027 Transportation Planning Work Program (TPWP). A local match of $14,400 (20%) is available in the City of Ames 2026-2031 Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) through the Transportation Planning Program.
The table below summarizes the expenses and revenues for this contract renewal:
| Expenses | Amount | Revenues | Amount |
| StreetLight Data Subscription (11/1/26 – 10/31/27) |
$72,000 | AAMPO Federal Planning (PL) Funds (FY27 Transportation Planning Work Program) |
$57,600 |
| City of Ames Local Road Use Tax Funds (2026/27 Transportation Planning Program) |
$14,400 | ||
| Total | $72,000 | Total | $72,000 |
The proposed contract from StreetLight Data and a flyer with more information about StreetLight Data are attached.
- Approve a one-year (November 1, 2026, through October 31, 2027) renewal agreement for a Transportation Data & Analytics Subscription Service with StreetLight Data, Inc., of San Francisco, California, in an amount not to exceed $72,000.
- Do not approve the agreement with StreetLight Data, Inc.
The existing subscription to StreetLight has been a valuable resource for the City's and AAMPO's transportation studies and planning efforts, providing data that would otherwise require substantially more time and expense to collect and process. Renewing this subscription would allow the City to remain responsive to requests regarding studies and traffic impacts across the community. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as described above.