4. Introducing the ArcGIS?Transportation Data Model
Geographic information systems (GIS) have proven to be an integral tool in addressing the needs of transportation managers. Through the well-established vector data structure, GIS has provided an efficient means for organizing basic transportation related data in order to facilitate the input, analysis, and display of transport networks. While these basic objects are necessary for virtually all transportation applications, they are not sufficient for any comprehensive management or planning process. It has become increasingly obvious that a much wider range of transportation related objects are essential for advanced transportation planning and management tasks. The ArcGIS? Transportation Data Model endeavors to identify and organize these objects.
The ArcGIS?Transportation Data Model is designed to help in the development of transportation applications. It does so by providing a context within which a transportation system can be described, and assisting in the development of a geodatabase. The ArcGIS?Transportation Data Model has a primary focus on the needs of organizations that manage road transportation networks. We have worked to understand and reflect transportation GIS standards and existing projects to provide a practical, essential ArcGIS?Data Model. A data model for transportation is necessarily complex due to the many and varied uses of transportation data. In most industries, people typically manage their infrastructure with the purpose of reducing costs and improving customer service within their organization. Transportation systems are unique in the sense that every person and organization that interacts with the transportation netwo
