Since its creation, the Mobility Data Specification (MDS) has been a key digital tool for cities to manage their streets and public spaces. Now used in over 1,200 cities worldwide, by over 200 operators, MDS has expanded beyond its initial applications in micromobility to include passenger, fleet, and delivery vehicles. Over the last year, the OMF’s MDS community of public agencies, private operators, and commercial vendors have developed new features for MDS to expand its capabilities and scope even more. We’re excited to preview these changes today, and meet MDS where the industry is going.

New Top-Level Features of MDS 2.1:

1. Modes Overhaul: Clear support for many existing and new services, modes, vehicles, and programs
2. Incidents and Crashes: New endpoint to capture crashes and incidents like unplanned stops, remote takeovers, ADS dis/engagement, tip overs, harsh braking/acceleration, near misses, vandalism, and theft
3. Delivery:  Full support for delivery of goods, food, packages, and freight, including sidewalk robots and app/gig deliveries
4. Transit fixed route: Support for bus/shuttle/fixed route/fleets and connecting to GTFS trips, stops, and schedules
5. For-hire Autonomous Vehicles: Clearer that MDS fully supports autonomous for-hire services (robotaxis), both sending and receiving data, and special understanding stopping and operational events
6. Real-time Digital Policy: Better real-time solutions and geofencing down to the second, and a new push option
7. Enforcement and Violations: Understand, record, and connect to reports and resolutions

The release has been officially approved by the OMF Board, per our by-laws. Over the next few weeks, OMF staff will finalize and officially implement the latest version of MDS, targeting a release by the end of June.

To learn more about the release, see the draft Release Notes. Watch the recording of our release review with slides. Get involved in the creation of MDS, join our public MDS Working Group meetings.

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