Integrating and Standardizing Integrating and Standardizing Trails Data for West VirginiaTrails Data for West Virginia
Evan FedorkoEvan Fedorko13 April 201013 April 2010
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Project Goals
• Combine trail data (spatial and tabular) for West Virginia into one dataset– Dataset must be easily updateable – features
must be easily traceable to source dataset• Conduct a gap analysis• Utilize Federal Interagency Trails Data
Standard for development
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Benefits
• Consolidates WVDOT Trail Coordinator’s knowledge into one DB and allows for spatial queries along side existing tabular reports
• Framework layer for future trail outreach, management, tourism applications, etc.
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Study Area
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Data
• Spatial data: available for ~2,300 miles of trails;
• Tabular data: available for ~3,100 miles of trails encompassing ~10,000 individual trails
• Challenge: merging spatial datasets with one another, with tabular data and then conducting a gap analysis – all within funding constraints!
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Target Attributes
• Based on the FITS - why use this standard?– Well vetted– Designed for use across agencies– Well documented
• Will the standard work as a tool for compilation rather than data development and maintenance?
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Source Attributes
• Spatial data sources from ~10 agencies• Actual trail managers/stakeholders number
closer to 200 given lack of top down standards within some organizations and varying degrees of local activity
• Existing attributes vary. Mostly skeletal.
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Process
• Compile existing data• Add/remove datasets based on currentness,
extent, etc.
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Process (2)
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Process (3)
• Database design for new dataset• Mostly straightforward – utilize FITS for fields and
field definitions• Some fields are being dropped due to their
program specificity• Challenge: we must be able to trace each feature
back to an originating agency/dataset for the purpose of future updates– Likely solution: Custom attribute
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Process (4)
• Edit source data to eliminate repetition• Combine into single dataset– QA/QC attribute field map
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Tracking Sources
• Development of a “tracking” attribute is a top priority
• Plan is to track three things:– Data source agency– Date of current source data– Date of last compilation
• We hope this will make “delete and replace” style updates very simple and based entirely on attributes
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Harmonization
• WVDOT Trail Coordinator maintains a tabular database of WV trails.
• That data is unique and needs to be preserved – somehow we need to harmonize that information with spatial data
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New Attributes and Datasets
• Develop new attribute values where possible– Attributes from WVDOT database– Geographic attributes; eg. County, Congressional
district, etc• Create new versions of source datasets and
provide to stakeholders
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Comments on FITD
• Devoid of attributes such as:– Source scale– Accuracy metric– Feature date
• Model seems to struggle between trail management information and trail entity information.
• That being said, FITD does mandate the creation of FGDC metadata which will fill holes.
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Comments on FITD (2)
• Data model does a great job of:– Tracking/querying trail type– Allows us to store ATV trail info alongside rail
trails, wilderness trails, etc.
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Timeline
• Data processing has begun – principal compilation efforts expected to be complete within ~1 month.
• Gap analysis sometime within another month. • True test: receipt of updated data from a trail
stakeholder!
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Questions?
• Thank you for your time!
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