Learn about roads, railroads, trails, airports, and other features within your project area.
Need to understand the transportation infrastructure in your project area? Transect sources data from the USGS National Transportation Dataset (NTD) to provide access to detailed information on roads, railways, trails, airports, and other transportation features.
In this article, we'll review:
- How do roads, railroads, and other transportation affect a project area?
- How to View Transportation in the Map
- How to View Transportation in a Report
How do roads, railroads, and other transportation affect a project area?
Knowing the location of roads, railroads, and airports is crucial for several reasons when developing a renewable energy project:
- Construction Phase: When constructing a renewable energy project, efficient transportation networks are essential for the timely delivery of heavy equipment and materials.
- Operational Phase: Well-developed transportation networks enable easy access for maintenance and can also facilitate the construction of transmission lines and substations, if necessary.
- Environmental Considerations: Careful route planning avoids sensitive ecosystems.
- Economic Considerations: Proximity to existing infrastructure reduces transportation costs.
Viewing Transportation in the Map
In Transect, there are two layers that can help you identify nearby transportation infrastructure:
- U.S. Roads (Census TIGER 2023)
- USA Airport Areas
You can also use the Parcel Filter to locate parcels with suitable buildable areas that exclude airports and roads and include an additional 25-foot setback.
Viewing Transportation in a Report
A Transect Report provides you with transportation data that includes the name or route designator, classification, and location. We also provide important calculations like length within the AOI, count totals, and the ability to sort, filter, and export the data. These transportation locations can be found by navigating to Supporting Docs & Resources > Setting > Transportation.
After running a report, you can opt to create a buildable area and exclude roads, railways, and airports, similar to the functionality in the Map. You'll also have the option to add an additional buffer around these features.
