GIS Models for Analyzing Intercity Commute Patterns: A Case Study of the Austin-San Antonio Corridor in Texas

The Texas Department of Transportation funded Project 0-5345 to reach a better understanding of intercity commute patterns in Texas and to find regional public transportation solutions for intercity commuting problems. The project’s interdisciplinary research team came from Texas Southern University, Texas State University-San Marcos, Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), and Prairie View A&M University. This report summarizes the research activities and accomplishments of the project regarding travel corridors and geographic information system (GIS) commute models, including: development of a set of GIS-based analysis models for the identification of intercity commuting patterns and travel corridors in central Texas; examination of commuting patterns between rural communities and urban areas as well as commuting flows between different counties (cities) in a five-county study area in central Texas based on U.S. 2000 Census Journey-to-Work data; identification of traffic corridors that carry a significant amount of intercity and rural-to-urban traffic in the study area based on U.S. 2000 Census Journey-to-Work data and 2005 TTI external travel survey data; and identification of rural communities that generated the largest numbers of commuting traffic and road segments that carried a high volume of traffic. The research team found that the GIS-based analysis models are effective for analyzing commuting patterns and travel corridors. Commute flows between urban and rural areas account for about 20 percent of the total commute traffic in the study area, and inter-county commute accounts for 13 percent of the total commute traffic.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Project Title: Regional Public Transportation Solutions for Intercity Commute Problems.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas State University, San Marcos

  Center for Geographic Information Science
  San Marcos, TX  United States  78666

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Implementation Office, P.O. Box 5080
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5080

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Zhan, F Benjamin
  • Chen, Xuwei
• Publication Date: 2008-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Edition: Technical Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 88p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Census; Commuting; Geographic information systems; Intercity travel; Mathematical models; Network analysis (Planning); Rural areas; Transportation corridors; Travel demand; Travel patterns; Travel surveys; Urban areas; Work trips
• Uncontrolled Terms: Intercounty travel
• Geographic Terms: Austin (Texas); San Antonio (Texas)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01118289
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-09/0-5345-2, Report 0-5345-2
• Contract Numbers: Project 0-5345
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 12 2009 4:13PM