A 33-year GIS professional lets loose his geospatial and population analysis skills on the occasion of a lifetime: today's "Great American Eclipse."
Michael Zeiler forecasted traffic impacts from eclipse-viewing visitors around the country in an impressive bit of GIS analysis.
Zeiler's analysis of the human response to this celestial event considers the "accessibility of the August 21 total solar eclipse is simultaneously a great benefit and a problem." The benefit is the chance to view a total eclipse, but the problem is the congestion resulting from something like "20 Woodstock festivals occurring simultaneously across the nation."
Zeiler's breathless appreciation of the eclipse is supplemented with a series of infographics, including a particularly fetching image of the "population access and estimated visitation" for the eclipse, which shows all the roadways people will travel and the likely viewing points for today's solar eclipse.
After presenting the infographic and detailing his methodology, Zeiler predicts the following for today's spectacle behind the spectacle: "Clearly, the state with the greatest impact on eclipse day will be South Carolina. It is the closest destination for the entire Eastern Seaboard. Other states with major impacts will be Tennessee, Missouri, and Oregon."
Other infographics in the post include "drive times to the path of totality," "population proximity to the path of totality" (i.e., 12.2 million Americans live in the path of totality), and "drivesheds of the great eclipse."
FULL STORY: Predicting eclipse visitation with population statistics
Google Maps Traffic Alerts Follow Eclipse Totality Path, Carhenge Gets the Last Laugh
Parting shots from the Great American Eclipse.
Is Trump’s Reversal of Congestion Pricing Legal?
Gov. Hochul says New York City will “keep its cameras on.” Can the administration legally end the nation's first cordon pricing program?
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service