Mapping planning data

Transport mapping is a critical aspect of urban planning, logistics, and environmental management, offering insights into the efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability of transportation systems.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are indispensable in this domain, enabling spatial analysis, visualization, and data management of transportation networks. By integrating spatial and non-spatial data, GIS tools provide a holistic understanding of transportation systems. Among the various GIS platforms, QGIS (Quantum GIS) stands out as a robust, open-source solution for transport mapping and analysis.

Key Applications of Transport Mapping in QGIS

QGIS’s flexibility, extensive functionality, and cost-effectiveness make it a go-to platform for transport mapping. It supports a broad array of data formats, including shapefiles, GeoJSON, and raster datasets, which are essential for transportation analysis. Here are some of the critical applications of transport mapping using QGIS:

Network Analysis

• Analyzing road networks to identify critical bottlenecks, congestion points, or areas with high accident rates.
• Calculating shortest paths or optimal routes for transportation modes such as cars, buses, or bicycles.
• Evaluating accessibility to key destinations (e.g., schools, hospitals, employment centers) by measuring travel time or distance from origin points

Traffic Flow Analysis

• Visualizing and analyzing traffic flow patterns using data from traffic counts, GPS tracking devices, or traffic simulation models.
• Estimating traffic volumes and speeds on different road segments to identify areas of heavy congestion or potential safety hazards.
• Assessing the impact of proposed infrastructure projects or changes in land use on traffic flow and congestion levels.

Public Transit Analysis

• Mapping public transit routes, stops, and service areas to assess coverage and accessibility for different communities.
• Analyzing ridership patterns and demand for public transit services to identify opportunities for service improvements or route adjustments.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of fare policies, service frequency, and transit connectivity in encouraging modal shift away from private vehicles.

Spatial Interpolation

• Interpolating traffic or travel demand data to estimate traffic volumes, travel times, or mode choice preferences at locations where data is not directly available.
• Creating density maps or heat maps to visualize spatial patterns of transportation demand, population distribution, or land use intensity.

Environmental Impact Assessment

• Analyzing the environmental impact of transportation projects, such as air and noise pollution, habitat fragmentation, or carbon emissions.
• Mapping sensitive ecological areas, cultural heritage sites, or areas with high biodiversity to inform route planning and minimize negative impacts.

Land Use-Transportation Interaction

• Integrating land use data with transportation data to analyze the relationship between urban form, travel behavior, and transportation demand.
• Assessing the potential for transit-oriented development (TOD) or mixed-use zoning to promote sustainable transportation modes and reduce reliance on private cars.

Equity Analysis

• Identifying areas with limited access to transportation options or services, such as low-income neighborhoods or rural communities.
• Evaluating the equity impacts of transportation policies and investments on different demographic groups, considering factors such as income, age, race, or disability status.

These diverse applications highlight the versatility of QGIS in transport planning and decision-making. Its powerful spatial analysis tools, combined with an extensive plugin ecosystem, make it invaluable for conducting in-depth studies and informing evidence-based policies.

Looking Ahead

In most transport mapping projects, your journey starts by importing transport or road network data, often sourced from platforms like OpenStreetMap (OSM). With a firm grasp of QGIS’s foundational capabilities, you are well-prepared to explore more advanced techniques.

In the next unit, we will build on the theoretical knowledge you have gained about QGIS and put it into practice with an exciting hands-on tutorial on GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) mapping. This session will demonstrate how to apply the concepts of transport mapping, spatial analysis, and data visualization to real-world public transit datasets. Using QGIS tools and techniques, you will learn to analyse transit data that will deepen your understanding and prepare you to tackle real-world transportation challenges.

Suggested readings

• Open source tools for geographic analysis in transport planning. Journal of Geographical Systems, (2021)
• Integrating GIS Technology in Urban Transportation Planning and Modeling