USING GIS F O R REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA John Sutton, Ph.D. Director, Transportation Planning GIS/Trans, Ltd.

1. I.I

INTRODUCTION Regional Planning in Southern California

Southem California is one of the largest urbanized regions of the world and extends over 39171 square miles with a total population of over 15 million. The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the regional transportation planning agency for 188 cities ranging in size from the City of Los Angeles (3.5 million population) to small communities with fewer than 50,000 people. These are grouped into 11 subregions, 6 counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bemardino and Ventura), and 5 Transportation Commissions, such as Orange County Transportation Authority. The region is illustrated in Figure 1. The SCAG region faces some of the worlds most difficult transportation problems, including poor air quality linked to vehicle emissions, increasing traffic congestion on the freeways, low transit utilization and low density urban sprawl. Transportation performance is measured by Level Of Service (LOS) and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The former provides a measure of highway congestion ranging from LOS A, no congestion, to LOS F which indicates severe congestion with the highway operating at >90% capacity. The 1993 Regional Comprehensive Plan (RCP) estimated that in 1990 more than 50% of the freeways were operating at LOS E & F during the peak hours and that the region was failing to meet federally mandated air quality goals. The VMT statistics measure the increasing distances that auto users are commuting to work - a large part of the increase in vehicle emissions is attributed not to increasing auto use but to longer distance commuting. The regional plan aims to reduce both VMT and LOS to more acceptable levels by the year 2010. The strategy adopted to accomplishes this has several elements but two priority policies. To encourage travel choice an expansion of regional transit services, bus, regional rail and metro has been given top priority; followed by the development of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) or carpool lanes. The plan calls for the designation of 365 miles of HOV lanes on freeways by 2010 (there are 170 miles of carpool lanes at present with another 50 miles under construction). HOV or carpool lanes are reserved for autos with two or more occupants. The HOV policy aims to encourage ear pooling and thereby reduce VMT. Both policies, if successful, would increase average vehicle occupancy, reduce vehicle emissions and ease traffic congestion. Other policies, such as developing low energy vehicles (LEV) and experimenting with road pricing, play a supporting role. The region expects to spend over $50 billion on

transportation between 1990 and 2010, with the majority of expenditures going on transit operating subsidies ($23 billion) followed by transit infrastructure ($13 billion) and HOV lanes ($12 billion). New highway infrastructure and improvements to existing freeways are allocated $20 billion but the percentage increase in freeway capacity is relatively small. Southern California has accepted that there is no way to build a way out of the highway capacity problem (too expensive and too environmentally damaging) and instead has adopted alternate policies of traffic constraint and travel choice. It should be noted that while the RCP recommends these policies, there is very little development control to ensure that these plans will be successful. SCAG has no enforcement powers as such and is primarily a planning and monitoring agency that advises the subregions, counties and cities. The only stick that SCAG is able to wield is that unless federal air quality mandates and other regulations are met, the region will not receive federal aid under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, 1991 (ISTEA). This Act mandates Metropolitan Planning Organizations like SCAG to produce an annual Regional Transportation Improvement Program. Failure to produce this or meet targets threatens funding. 1.2 The Role of GIS in Regional Planning

As the regional planning agency, SCAG collects a large amount of data which historically has been stored in a variety of databases. These data include the agency's digital base map and street network, the transportation model networks, US Census demographic data including work trip origins and destinations by purpose by census tract, employment datasets, and 25 land use categories. The agency utilizes a number of planning and transportation models to forecast land-use transportation demands and predict regional shifts in the jobs-housing balance. The use of these models and the data compilation efforts required has led to a number of "data islands" developing in the agency, with the different teams and sections failing to share data and information technology. In 1990, the agency purchased a Geographic Information System to provide digital mapping and to centralize the spatial datasets. In 1994 it was realized that this had only been partially successful. Consultant GIS/Trans Ltd. was hired to review the agency's needs and develop an enterprise approach toward the integration of the land use and transportation data and the GIS. The "Long-Range Strategic Workplan for Transportation-Related GIS" was delivered in the fourth quarter o f 1994 and has guided subsequent GIS developments. Key aspects of the implementation plan include: 1 Referencing the transportation and planning data in the same base map 2 Centralizing the data in one database management system 3 Designing the database to meet user application needs 4 Developing Graphic User Interfaces to allow easier access to the data and applications by non-technical users 5 Implementing a client-server computing architecture - UNIX workstation file server with workstation and PC clients 6 Training of staff in the interfaces, applications and GIS data management

An early task in the workplan was to develop the SCAG Geographic Data Interface (SGDI) - item 4 on the list above. The SGDI provides a user-friendly interface to allow the planners to access, query, display, analyze and plot the transportation and planning data at different levels of representation, including census block and tract, traffic analysis zones (TAZs), cities, subregional statistical area, county and the whole region. An example of the SGDI is shown in Figure 2. The following sections focus on the interface and integrating the transportation data in the base map used for registering the other datasets (item 1 above).

2. U S I N G GIS IN T R A N S P O R T A T I O N N E T W O R K ANALYSIS 2.1 GIS Network Data Representation and GIS-T Extensions While there is a growing level of utilization of GIS in transportation (GIS-T), a comprehensive GIS-T requires that all network representations of transportation data can be cross-referenced to a single base map. This requirement is rarely met in transportation agencies where different applications adopt different scales and methods for transportation data representation. An example is illustrated in Figure 3. In this case, taken from Orange County, the SCAG transportation model network is coded as an abstract representation of anode, bnode pairs joined by pairs o f links (anode-bnode, bnode-anode) that overlay each other. The model network is coded to perform network assignments and can represent network connectivity in any way unconstrained by geographical considerations. For example, in Figure 3 the HOV lanes are represented by lines that are separate from the main freeway and connected to the freeway intersections by dummy links. In reality, the HOV lanes are reserved lanes on the freeway next to the median. The actual streets are also depicted in the map which show the extent of the differences. In this case the differences are not all that great but in more mountainous terrain such as in north Los Angeles or Ventura counties the model network cuts through mountains and are difficult to trace or associate with actual arterials. The transportation model network is an extreme example of the spatial differences with underlying geography. However, for transportation planning purposes the depiction o f the model network on real-streets has a number of merits, discussed below, and is being requested by more agencies who have begun to use GIS for transportation planning (Sutton, 1995). GIS were not designed for transportation network analyses but there are a number of ways to adapt the GIS capabilities for transportation purposes (Vonderohe et al, 1993). A number of extensions to GIS are now being provided by vendors to enhance the GIS-T capabilities. Specifically: ability to locate features along a highway or other network with reference to a known start point and/or end point. D y n a m i c S e g m e n t a t i o n - the ability to attribute networks independently o f the nnderlying topology, for example where a feature begins mid-arc and ends midarc C o n f l a t i o n - the merging or fusion of a source network attributes with a target network geometry
L i n e a r R e f e r e n c i n g - the

Linear referencing allows features to be cross-referenced to mileposts/kilometerposts or other geographic control points. So when the police accident report records the accident... "On Highway 10, I00 meters after kilometerpost 291".. it can be automatically geocoded without knowing the actual geographic coordinates or other linear attributes (such as street name or intersection). Dynamic segmentation has proven to be especially useful in many network representation situations, including transportation model network integration. Dynamic segmentation allows an artificial "route" to be defined as an overlay on the network (this route can be a real-world route, such as 1-10 or a transit route, but is coded as a separate feature). The GIS route is a "virtual network" that has no topology and can therefore be coded much more flexibly than a link-node network. Attributes can be linearly referenced to start or end anywhere along the route independently of the underlying network. In this schema, linear referencing is mandated, otherwise the location of attributes along the route would not be cross-referenced with the underlying network and therefore could not be mapped. Thus, dynamic segmentation and linear referencing go together. Network conflation also benefits from linear referencing. For example, where two networks with different geometries have the same street names, the spatially imprecise geometry can be corrected by attribute matching of linear features. Where linear attributes are absent, spatial matching of nodes is assisted by calibration of linear measurements along the network. All three techniques are utilized by SCAG as part of the data integration in GIS for transportation planning process. 2.2
Network Conflation of the Transportation Model Network and Street Centerline File

This section focuses on the integration (conflation) of the transportation model networks (highway and transit networks) and the street centerline file in the GIS. The network integration involves a number of the data conversion steps. These are described below. Once the networks are integration in the GIS they can be used in many transportation planning exercises, including evaluating local traffic impacts of planned developments, air quality and other environmental effects. The display of model results on the actual streets is a powerful medium for conveying traffic forecasts, and makes the results more meaningful for policy makers and nontechnical audiences. The workfiow of the project is summarized in Figure 4. The SCAG transportation model is based on TRANPLAN, the most widely used transportation demand forecasting model in the USA. The agency wished to integrate the model network with its base map (Thomas Brothers Maps Inc.) for a number of reasons. Firstly, as mentioned above, for mapping and public presentation purposes having the traffic forecasts displayed on actual streets makes more sense for non-technical audiences, whether politicians or lay people. Second, integrating the transportation model data with other network data and planning data would enhance considerably the types of spatial data analyses that could be performed in the GIS. Thirdly, once confiated, the model networks can be edited and managed in the GIS environment by the modelers. Modifying the model networks is also made easier because the planners can visualize

the streets to be used in the model network. Fourthly, sharing data with other agencies in the region would benefit from the one uniform data environment. Other agencies in the region also standardize on Thomas Brothers Maps street centerline files and associated data, and the majority also utilize ARC/INFO GIS and ArcView software, so once the data is spatially referenced in the standard GIS on the standard base map, data sharing is made significantly easier. Figure 4 shows that the network integration process proceeded through a number of steps. Firstly, the TRANPLAN model network and attribute data had to be converted into ARC/INFO format. This was accomplished using special conversion programs. The model networks were then eonflated using the GIS/Trans GIS/T-Conflate toolbox, which contains programs to perform the attribute and spatial conflation automatically (Brown et al, 1995). Traditionally, data conflation has been a labor intensive and time consuming process, requiring a lot of quality control. The GIS/T-Conflate tools automate between 70% and 90% of the matching process with special matching algorithms. The conflation of the base year model network (33,776 links, 12,122 nodes) to the GIS streets (118,000 ares, 87,000 nodes) was performed in less than two months. The four networks that were conflated (see Table 1) were completed in approximately six months. Subsequently, the modelers have confiated five additional networks in the GIS (these were modifications of the original networks) in less than one month. Following the conflation o f the highways and the transit networks, the work program proceeded to program special network editing tools in the GIS. These are used to edit the dynamic segmentation routes that are created by the model eonflation process. It was decided to proceed in this way as routes provide a robust method to represent the model links. Thus, one model link equals one route in the GIS. The many-to-one relationship between the GIS streets and the model link is managed by the GIS dynamically. There are several additional advantages to this method. Firstly, the editing o f the routes is preferable to editing the underlying base map (which is static between map updates). Adding, deleting, modifying routes/model links is accomplished using the cursor and the map display: for example when adding a new link to the model, the user simply points to the map street(s) required and the tools automatically convert the street(s) to a route and add it to the route-system. Secondly, the routes are formatted as a straight forward table that can be easily read by the TRANPLAN model (recall that the GIS routes are non-topological so there are no issues o f spatial integrity to handle). Thirdly, the route allows attribute data to be linearly referenced which is a great help for representing transit lines. Transit lines are an additional network feature that lie on top of transit routes in the transportation model. Depicting these as linear features (or linear "events") in the GIS means that the route tables and associated transit line tables can be managed automatically by the dynamic segmentation programs. Transit lines can be edited just as easily as highway features and cross-referenced to the underlying streets. Having accomplished the network integration in the GIS, the final task was to make the results accessible to a wide range of users in the agency. This was accomplished using ArcView as the GUI for creating the SGDI. The SGDI allows users to access the data through pull-down menus and other Windows like functions. The SGDI

provides a user-friendly environment for performing data query, analysis and plotting functions. The SGDI is being installed on users desk-tops and linked to a high performing IBM RISC workstation fileserver. The GIS database totals nearly 20 gigabytes of spatial and attribute data, so replicating this on the PC is not only duplicative but impracticable given current PC technology. As Figure 4 illustrates, the GIS-TRANPLAN integration is not a one-way but a twoway process. The GIS manages the database and performs editing and mapping functions while TRANPLAN does what it does best, which is to perform the network assignment and other modeling functions. The process means that the networks can be built either in the GIS or in TRANPLAN and tools are available to manage whichever process is preferred. However, it is preferable once the networks have been conflated to edit these in the GIS otherwise the networks have to be reconflated. Figure 5 shows the ease by which data layers or themes can be displayed in the interface. It shows the conflated model networks correctly following the streets and crossing the correct land uses. Previous attempts to analyses spatial data have failed due to the mis-specification of the data in geographic space. The completion of the network integration with the other transportation and planning data has been widely welcomed by SCAG and other agencies in the region. These intend to use the conflation tools and integrated model networks in their own planning projects.

CONCLUSION: BENEFITS AND ISSUES

The use of GIS in SCAG is generally regarded as being very successful, both in terms of organizing the database for mapping and linking the transportation models dynamically to the GIS. The GIS is playing a constructive role in regional transportation planning, helping the planners to analyze the impact of different policies, and plotting the results of traffic forecasts on real street maps. Issues that arose in the project which require further research and development, and which point to the need for advances in GIS technology and GIS-T techniques, include the following:
1._Data conversion between GIS and transportation models - although the conversion

between the two environments was successfully achieved, the conversion relies upon the model being able to read the GIS data. A special API (Application Program Interface) had to be written by the model developers - Urban Analysis Group - to enable the model to correctly read the route tables. The route tables do not contain any spatial data, such as shape points. Even so, a lesson to be learnt is that in designing the API the ability to read data from a GIS database such as INFO or Oracle should be considered early on in the design process. One question that has been asked of the project approach is why it was not considered developing the model network in a GIS such as TransCAD, which provides modeling capabilities. This option was considered at the outset of the project. While transportation network modeling algorithms have been developed in GIS, including in TransCAD and ARC/INFO ( Lewis et al, 1992) these have not always been

successful, especially on large networks. A second consideration was the size of the datasets and the client-server architecture configuration which requires a more powerful database engine and fileserver performance than is currently available on a PC GIS platform. Further, SCAG wished to remain with the transportation model that they had developed and did not wish to recode it in another package. Even if TransCAD and its modeling tools had been used, the networks would still have needed conflating and TransCAD has no tools for performing this at this time. While coding transportation model networks remains a viable option for some applications, there is a larger need to link GIS to other transportation software.
2. Route-systems data m o d e l - The route-systems proved to be a robust method for

specifying the highway and transit data. However, dynamic segmentation involves a considerable amount of overhead in managing the relationship between the route tables and the underlying arc attribute tables. This is not a problem when editing individual routes, but re-indexing over 33,000 routes following a mini-confiation of a modified version of the model network takes several hours to compute even on a powerful workstation. The computer processing is intensive because of the need for the GIS to maintain data integrity and topology. The dynamic segmentation data model was not designed to handle these many routes. It is possible to speed-up the data processing by programming or perform batch runs but these extensions are not ideal and not fully supported by the core data model, so the user has to intervene in the process.
3. N e t w o r k directionality a n d shape - GIS networks are coded as two-way links in

contrast to model networks that are duplicative one-way links. The routes have directionality built in through linear referencing, but if GIS arcs had directionality like model networks (and the tools to manage the topology) the model network integration and display of results could be accomplished by other methods other than having to generate routes utilizing dynamic segmentation. Likewise, if transportation models could incorporate shape points, then a many-to-one correspondence could be achieved by direct conflation o f the corresponding networks. Transportation model developers have shown reluctance to incorporate geographic coordinates or other spatial features into their modeling paradigm. The Urban Analysis Group are one of the first model developers to recognize the potential of GIS in transportation modeling. Despite some problems in optimizing the data conversion, the project is judged to have brought substantial benefits to the agency. The total cost to the agency of the GIS development effort (including contractors as well as hardware and software purchases) is estimated at over $500,000. This estimate does not include the GIS staff employed by the agency to manage the data and the GIS program. GIS requires comprehensive design and implementation planning. Most successful GIS are multiyear efforts that evolve with experience and increased knowledge. The technology is also advancing and becoming more user-friendly. GIS is an excellent toolbox for adding value to the planning process. The benefits are difficult to quantify but include reduced costs for mapping, better database design and efficiencies in data processing, better productivity among staff who also benefit from being able to perform data analyses that were all but impossible before the GIS arrived. GIS is a substantial

investment that requires commitment and vision. The benefits can accrue quickly but a long term view is needed to see the investment fully pay-off. One final note. The success of the GIS development program in SCAG has led to the extension of GIS data sharing on the Internet. The SCAG Access project is installing ArcView and the SGDI datasets in all the cities in the region, with special interfaces to allow users to dial into the cities and get access to planning and transportation data. The aim is to take the data sharing concept between cities one-stage further - planners no longer have to request data, they just dial up and extract what they need. All one needs is a copy of ArcView and the Access password. At this time the project is limited to cities but potentially in the future anyone with the fight software could access the libraries of data and download them.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The examples cited in the paper come from the GIS network - model integration project sponsored by the Southern California Association o f Governments, Los Angeles.

REFERENCES

Brown, J., Rao, A., and J Baran. (1995) Automated GIS Conflation: Coverage Update Problems and Solutions, Proceedings of the 1995 Geographic Information Systems for Transportation Symposium (GIS-T), AASHTO, Washington, D.C. Lewis, S. and Bailey, M. (1992) Creating a Municipal GIS for Transportation, Transportation Research Record, No. 1364, Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C. Sutton, J.C. (1995) The Role of GIS in Regional Transportation Planning,

Proceedings of the Fifth Transportation Planning Methods Applications Conference,

Vol. II, Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C. Vonderohe, A.P., Travis, L., Smith, R.L., and Tsai, V. (1993) Adaptation of Geographic Information Systemsfor Transportation, Report 359, NCHRP, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1993.

Table 1. Transportation Model and GIS Networks Conflation Statistics

1990 Highway 1990 Transit 2010 Highway 2010 Transit

TRANPLANModelNetwork l ,inks Nodes 33,776 12,122 31,000 10,609 36,067 13,191 32,359 10,928

GIS Street CenterlineFile Arcs Nodes 118,000 87,000 108,000 80,000 126,000 94,000 113,000 84,000

C 0 0 n"

C
C c-

ioc~
LLO'~

O'J
o--

m m

0 00
T-I

0~
0
nmm

C~
m

a.

C~ C~

cQ_ CU ~

c~8~
c C.9 m LL CS~ f ~

Figure 4. GIS and Transportation Model Networks Integration Workflow

ArcView GUI

ARC/INFO GIS Clean and Build Street Files

Transportation Model

Query Display Analyze Plot

~ I

.
~

TRANPLAN

Highway Conflation

Gelerate~ighway Routes Transit I Conflation Generate~ransit Routes Develop Network Editing Tools

Rm ~Iodel Net' york

Build GIS Transportation Model Interface I

Route. IN Route.OUT

API

TM

Create Single Integrated Network File

I GIS Route / Model Network conversion

1 GIS Route = 1 Model Link

, m

r-0

o_ c c

cN

Cu")

._.~g
LL I--- ...J