HEPGIS: Web-based Interactive Geographic Map Server Enhancement

completed

This project will create an extension to FHWA’s HEPGIS web application that will permit rapid screening of potential project locations anywhere in the United States to support Title VI, environment justice (EJ) & other socioeconomic data analyses. The application will provide estimates of the socioeconomic characteristics of the resident population surrounding a project location defined flexibly by users. The core data used to calculate the demographics will be the latest census data available and the application will be easily updated to make use of the forthcoming census 2020 data when it becomes available. The tool will permit identification of the number of potentially impacted minorities and low-income populations within a user-defined distance of the project. A simple and straightforward user interface will be created to make it easy for FHWA staff to invoke the Title VI tool calculations. Background reference layers will be part of the application to facilitate proper identification of project locations through visual means. Specifically, users will identify project locations by drawing lines or select highway segments on the map. Buffer analysis will be performed, and demographics will then be calculated for the surrounding areas by the specified distance to the project. The map will display the calculated buffer boundary and a summary of the demographics specified by FHWA. In addition, user friendly formatted reports will be available for viewing and download.