Project information

Project title: Connecting UBC to the GVRD –light rail analysis.
Group members: Dave Harlander (37751054) Mark Kascha (42170035)
Class: Geog 376: Advanced issues in GIS. UBC. (Fall semester)
Professor: Brian Klinkenberg
TA: Alejandero Cervantes
Date: December 15, 2006

This website presents the findings of a ‘light rail analysis’ project undertaken by Dave Harlander and Mark Kascha in the fall of 2006 for the Geog 376 course. The project used various GIS analyisis to produce a suitability map of the GVRD which was later used in an MCE analysis to determine the most suitable location for a LRT/subway line to UBC.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to use GIS analysis to determine the most feasible east-west corridor for a light rail transit line to UBC.

Objectives

The objectives of the project included…

-Analyzing various data sets, categorizing them, and normalizing the values. (100 beingt he highest value)

-assigning weights to each data set based on importance/value of the data.

-Combining data sets to create a suitability map (link to image) which would represent areas most suitable for development and areas.

-Creating a cost distance model which would produce a least cost distance path.

-Undergo analysis of created path, including analysis which would help identify potential stops on the line as well as help identify basic information pertaining to the line.

-Create arc-scene video, which visually displays the findings of the project.

-present finding in website format.

Background to the project

[see front page]
With the tremendous success of the u-pass program, the vast majority of the 20000+ students that commute to campus daily are now using public transit to get to school. This has left all major buss routes (particularly the 25, 99bline and 4) to UBC tremendously congested during morning and evening rush hours. This issue combined with the fact that UBC has been, and still is, steadily growing with an increasing population, lead us to believe it is important to provide a new option to get to UBC. Light rail, would provide reliable and environmentally sound transportation to and from campus. Where this line is to be located is the question we hope to answer.