4.5 Summary of Lesson 4

In this lesson, we learned about transportation networks. Specifically, we examined the elements which comprise a network and the activities that go into creating one. You then had the opportunity to solidify this knowledge by modeling a transportation network in ArcGIS through the construction of a network dataset from roadway centerlines and other associated data.

Our transportation organization of the week was the FHWA. You learned a little about the history and key roles of the FHWA. We also took a look at NHS, a network of roadways deemed critical to the nation, and FHWA’s geospatial data initiative known as the GDC.

We also had the opportunity to hear from two speakers this week.  Glenn McNichol, a Senior GIS Specialist with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and Michael Ratcliffe, the Assistant Division Chief for Geographic Standards, Criteria, Research, and Quality in the Census Bureau’s Geography Division.

In preparation for next week’s webinars, we learned how transportation planning and the NEPA review processes which seek to assess and mitigate environmental impacts related to transportation projects have become more tightly integrated and about the role GIS has played in helping to bring the two together. We also took a look at some GIS applications used to visualize planned and active transportation projects.