The Development and Deployment of GIS Tools to Facilitate Transit Network Design and Operational Evaluation

With the growth of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in transportation analysis, opportunities exist to utilize GIS functionality specifically in transit planning. In this paper, we present two GIS tools which are now in use in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario. The first tool addresses the transit network design problem. The approach utilizes GIS to identify desire lines or major travel demand corridors from which trunk transit routes are proposed and evaluated. The second tool is also designed to analyze travel patterns between activity centers concentrating on the need for and user costs of transfers. For any origin destination pair, the tool utilizes GIS functions to determine where transfers are required as well as the physical distance and expected travel delay (based on scheduled times) to complete the transfer. The tools offer proven methodologies for use within transit network design and evaluation at a level of resource requirement that is consistent with most transit agencies. The tools have been customized to minimize the need for GIS training and to maximize their adaptability for application in multiple cities. The analyst applying the tools must have substantial knowledge of local conditions.