Spatial Data Systems for Transportation Planning

With recent advances in geographic information systems (GIS), spatial referencing of transportation system attributes, performance characteristics, and usage patterns has become increasingly feasible. The objective of this research has been to develop a methodology for transforming and dynamically segmenting data. Dynamic segmentation enables transportation system attributes and associated data to be stored in separate tables and merged when a specific query requires a particular set of data. A major benefit of dynamic segmentation is that individual tables can be more easily updated when attributes, performance characteristics, or usage patterns change over time. Research for this project was carried out in the University of Iowa Department of Geography with assistance from the University’s Public Policy Center. Funding was provided by the University Transportation Centers Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation, with supplemental funding contributed by the Iowa Department of Transportation.