GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS: AN IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND OPERATIONS

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computerized data base management system for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis, and display of spatial (i.e., locationally defined) data. The purpose of this paper is to explain why GIS technology is important to transportation professionals, describe how a number of transportation agencies are using GIS, and provide insight on how to participate in this technology. Transportation agencies are still in their infancy with respect to exploiting the power and possibilities offered by GIS technology. The usefulness of spatially integrated data to transportation is examined and the distinction is made between GIS and other data base systems that use spatial data. The benefits of GIS are summarized, and examples of GIS activities at the FHWA and state highway agencies are described. Sources for digital geocoded data, including U.S. Geological Survey digital line graphs and Bureau of the Census topologically integrated geographic encoding and referencing files, are discussed.