Billboards America – Data Sources and Campaign Attribute Framework

Billy, our AI campaign-planning engine, is powered by a multi-layered data stack that blends traffic intelligence, demographic context, geospatial insight and real inventory attributes. This ensures advertisers receive precise, relevant and transparent recommendations based on real-world behaviour, not guesswork.

We believe in ethical and open sharing of data, and we credit every dataset we use. Our platform combines openly licensed geospatial information, government traffic datasets, U.S. Census statistics and our own proprietary modelling layers. This ensures transparency, fairness and compliance while giving advertisers accurate, evidence-based insights.

Points of Interest (POI) and Area Context

Billy uses geospatial information to understand what surrounds each billboard. This includes retail precincts, gyms, schools, medical hubs, commercial districts, restaurants, industrial corridors, tourism pockets and neighbourhood amenities.

POI / Area Data Attribution

Our POI and area-type datasets are derived in part from OpenStreetMap.
© OpenStreetMap contributors. Available under the Open Database Licence.
https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright)

These datasets are enriched with our zoning classifications, machine-learning clustering and Census boundaries to create nationally consistent context.

Traffic Data

Traffic volumes help predict visibility, impressions and campaign exposure.

Primary Traffic Sources

• State Departments of Transportation (AADT datasets)
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) – Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS)

Corridor Patterns

Billy identifies commuter-heavy roads, retail corridors, weekend tourism routes, industrial traffic zones and neighbourhood local travel.

GIS Feature Servers

Many states provide ArcGIS Feature Servers offering AADT, lanes, speed, geometry and functional class. Full list included at the end of the article.

Demographic Data

Billy uses demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) to understand catchment characteristics including age, gender balance, income, ethnicity, language, education and household structure.

Key tables include:
• ACS DP05 (Age, Sex, Gender)
• ACS B19001 (Income)
• ACS B03002 (Race)
• ACS B15003 (Education)
• ACS B11001 (Household Type)
• ACS B08301/B08303 (Commute mode and travel time)

These layers allow Billy to match industries to relevant audiences.

Data Ethics & Compliance

OpenStreetMap

• Licensed under the Open Database Licence
• Attribution required: © OpenStreetMap contributors
• Derivative works must remain open if based on OSM data

U.S. Census Bureau

• Public domain, free for commercial use
• We follow recommended citation practices

FHWA / HPMS

• Publicly available federal data
• Attribution recommended

State DOT Feature Servers

• Governed by varying open-data policies
• Used for analysis only
• Ownership retained by respective DOTs

General Practices

• Maintain transparency
• Never resell raw open data
• Publish attribution wherever required
• Normalise state schemas into national models
• Refresh annually or when new releases occur

Traffic Feature Server Index (Full)

Below is the full list of ArcGIS Feature Servers integrated into Billy for AADT, geometry and functional class.

California – Caltrans
https://services3.arcgis.com/5T5nSi527N4F7luB/ArcGIS/rest/services/Traffic_Census/FeatureServer (https://services3.arcgis.com/5T5nSi527N4F7luB/ArcGIS/rest/services/Traffic_Census/FeatureServer)

Texas – TxDOT
https://services.arcgis.com/KT1t1B9QglB0sOQF/ArcGIS/rest/services/TxDOT_Traffic_Counts/FeatureServer (https://services.arcgis.com/KT1t1B9QglB0sOQF/ArcGIS/rest/services/TxDOT_Traffic_Counts/FeatureServer)

Florida – FDOT
https://geodata.fdot.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Transportation/ADT/FeatureServer (https://geodata.fdot.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Transportation/ADT/FeatureServer)

New York – NYSDOT
https://services1.arcgis.com/fBc8EJBxQRMcHlei/ArcGIS/rest/services/NYSDOT_Traffic_Data/FeatureServer (https://services1.arcgis.com/fBc8EJBxQRMcHlei/ArcGIS/rest/services/NYSDOT_Traffic_Data/FeatureServer)

Colorado – CDOT
https://gisap.cdotei.com/server/rest/services/Features/Traffic/FeatureServer (https://gisap.cdotei.com/server/rest/services/Features/Traffic/FeatureServer)

Arizona – ADOT
https://gis.azdot.gov/server/rest/services/Traffic/Traffic_Counts/FeatureServer (https://gis.azdot.gov/server/rest/services/Traffic/Traffic_Counts/FeatureServer)

Georgia – GDOT
https://gis-gdot.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/GDOT::aadt/about (https://gis-gdot.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/GDOT::aadt/about)

North Carolina – NCDOT
https://services.nconemap.gov/secure/rest/services/NC1Map/Traffic_Volume_Map/FeatureServer (https://services.nconemap.gov/secure/rest/services/NC1Map/Traffic_Volume_Map/FeatureServer)

South Carolina – SCDOT
https://gis.scdot.org/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer (https://gis.scdot.org/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer)

Virginia – VDOT
https://vdot.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=9dd9af88e3be48bcb1fec5fa600f3f0a (https://vdot.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=9dd9af88e3be48bcb1fec5fa600f3f0a)

Maryland – MDOT
https://maps.mdot.maryland.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MDOT_SHA/ADT/FeatureServer (https://maps.mdot.maryland.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MDOT_SHA/ADT/FeatureServer)

Pennsylvania – PennDOT
https://gis.penndot.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer (https://gis.penndot.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer)

Ohio – ODOT
https://gis.dot.state.oh.us/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer (https://gis.dot.state.oh.us/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer)

Illinois – IDOT
https://gisidot.illinois.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer (https://gisidot.illinois.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer)

Michigan – MDOT
https://gis-michigan.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/MDOT::traffic-volume/about (https://gis-michigan.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/MDOT::traffic-volume/about)

Washington – WSDOT
https://gis.wsdot.wa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/Annual_Average_Daily_Traffic/FeatureServer (https://gis.wsdot.wa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/Annual_Average_Daily_Traffic/FeatureServer)

Oregon – ODOT
https://gis.odot.state.or.us/arcgis/rest/services/TPS/TrafficVolumes/FeatureServer (https://gis.odot.state.or.us/arcgis/rest/services/TPS/TrafficVolumes/FeatureServer)

Utah – UDOT
https://udottraffic.utah.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer (https://udottraffic.utah.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer)

Nevada – NDOT
https://gis.dot.nv.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer (https://gis.dot.nv.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Traffic/TrafficCounts/FeatureServer)

New Mexico – NMDOT
https://nmdot.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=bbfca7cb76714b28b777d90e34718d09 (https://nmdot.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=bbfca7cb76714b28b777d90e34718d09)

National – FHWA HPMS
https://geo.dot.gov/server/rest/services/Hosted/HPMS_National/FeatureServer (https://geo.dot.gov/server/rest/services/Hosted/HPMS_National/FeatureServer)

Coordinate System:
WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) normalised internally.