Latest Contributions by RickAyers

On September 1, 2016, the US Department of Transportation released National Transit Map Data through the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). The geospatial database containing information from almost 200 transit agencies is the first of its kind to be made available on a national level to local jurisdictions. The USDOT has been using smart mapping technology to place national transportation data into a spatial context for nearly a decade. And with the adoption of geographic information system (GIS) software from Esri, they have made it possible for their stakeholders, academia, policy makers and the public to benefit from transportation related open data. This new release continues to expand upon the vision of the Secretary of Transportation for creating jobs, connecting people between their home and work and revitalizing our communities through innovation. Now that this data is available to local jurisdictions, it can be used for analysis on a targeted municipal level, as well as for the development of innovative applications which can improve transit services to citizens who live and work across transit system boundaries. This national, openly available map of fixed-guideway and fixed-route transit service in the United States will allow the USDOT to support research, analysis, and planning needed to improve the nation’s public transportation system through a variety of channels. The USDOT also uses Esri’s ArcGIS platform to power its own open data site and transit data itself. Data is being added to the USDOT open data site weekly, so stay tuned for more content as it becomes available.  https://community.esri.com/groups/departments-of-transportation‌ https://community.esri.com/community/transportation?sr=search&searchId=0c09d815-d041-49e3-a17c-429c85089901&searchIndex=1‌ ... View more

Despite billions of dollars in annual federal, state and local funds directed toward the maintenance of existing bridges, 68,842 bridges – representing more than 11 percent of total highway bridges in the U.S. – are classified as “structurally deficient,” according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Structurally deficient bridges require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement. A number of bridges also exceed their expected lifespan of 50 years. The average age of an American bridge is 42 years. This story map, entitled Answering Critical Questions about Critical Infrastructure: Bridges​ delivers compelling insight to the condition for one our nation's most important pieces of infrastructure, our bridges. For more information on the subject from national advocacy and associations, please visit Transportation for America​ and National Association of Counties.​ ... View more

An Esri team of subject matter experts and software engineers continue to expand and build upon the ArcGIS Platform to support Smart Communities around the world. Building smart communities reflects national, state, regional, and local governments' desire to improve quality of life. When we consider public transit (like buses and subways), these system serve the people of a city by providing access to jobs, education, shopping, healthcare, recreation, and more. Traffic congestion, climate change, and the evolving economy and population of cities has created a greater need than ever to understand how well transit is serving these needs. Explore some of the ArcGIS resources which are available out of the box for public transit agencies to build smart communities. Resources for ArcGIS and Public Transit​ ... View more

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released the 2016 edition of the National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) this week. The NTAD is a compilation of datasets representing the nation’s transportation infrastructure, including more than 500,000 miles of roadway, over 600,000 bridges, and in excess of 19,000 airports. This year’s NTAD consists of over 60 individual data layers, most of which have been updated within the last year. The NTAD also includes several new features: the U.S. portion of the North American Rail Network, truck parking, and road and airport noise layers. The 2016 NTAD marks the end of the traditional annual update. BTS will now begin using a dynamic publication cycle, making updated data available throughout the year, allowing for more timely delivery to users. Also new this year, NTAD will be available exclusively online. To offer larger and more complex data sets and enhanced functionality, DVDs have been eliminated. The enhanced online NTAD datasets,​ which uses the ArcGIS Online open data extension, allow for customizable downloads and APIs. They are available as GeoJSON and GeoServices (REST) services and are also available for download as shapefiles, kml and csv files. CONTACTS Press: Dave Smallen: (202) 366-5568. For technical information: Dominic Menegus: (202) 366-8717. ... View more