Where are all the Gas Where are all the Gas Stations?Stations?

2008 Hurricane Season Lessons Learned 2008 Hurricane Season Lessons Learned WorkshopWorkshop

Louisiana’s Geospatial Response to Louisiana’s Geospatial Response to Hurricanes Gustav and IkeHurricanes Gustav and Ike

January 29, 2009January 29, 2009State Library of LouisianaState Library of Louisiana

Hurricane GustavHurricane Gustav

Nearly Nearly 2 million2 million people evacuated people evacuated from south Louisiana in the days from south Louisiana in the days before Gustavbefore Gustav

3434 parishes were declared disaster parishes were declared disaster areas on September 2areas on September 2

4848 deaths in the state of Louisiana deaths in the state of Louisiana 1.5 million1.5 million people were without people were without

power in Louisiana on September 1power in Louisiana on September 1

Louisiana EOC needs Information on Louisiana EOC needs Information on the Availability of Fuel for the Publicthe Availability of Fuel for the Public

Citizens enter open gas stations addresses into La.gov Citizens enter open gas stations addresses into La.gov websitewebsite

La DNR is using internet to cold call gas stationsLa DNR is using internet to cold call gas stations Hampton Peele believes there is an official source for gas Hampton Peele believes there is an official source for gas

stationsstations LA DNR states LA Agriculture and Forestry’s Weights and LA DNR states LA Agriculture and Forestry’s Weights and

Measures have official list Measures have official list Weights and Measures have such list in their main building, Weights and Measures have such list in their main building,

but have no powerbut have no power Eventually list is obtainedEventually list is obtained Hampton Peele calls Josh Kent and asks who is the best Hampton Peele calls Josh Kent and asks who is the best

source to geocode gas stationssource to geocode gas stations LA DOTD is tasked to geocode ~ 3400 gas stations on LA DOTD is tasked to geocode ~ 3400 gas stations on

September 4 for a meeting on the 5September 4 for a meeting on the 5thth

La Ag and Forestry DatabaseLa Ag and Forestry Database

What is Geocoding?What is Geocoding? Finding a geographic location for a given addressFinding a geographic location for a given address

Requires addresses in a standard format with two Requires addresses in a standard format with two fields:fields:

1. Number, Name, Type (123 | Main | St.)1. Number, Name, Type (123 | Main | St.)2. A 5–digit Zip Code2. A 5–digit Zip Code

Requires a street center line GIS database with Requires a street center line GIS database with specific geocoding fieldsspecific geocoding fields

Requires software that reads the addresses and Requires software that reads the addresses and associates them with the GIS dataassociates them with the GIS data

How does a How does a Address Locator Work?Address Locator Work?

1.1. Identify the street and zip code in the GIS Identify the street and zip code in the GIS databasedatabase

2.2. Identify the segment that contains the address Identify the segment that contains the address numbernumber

3.3. Determine on what side of the street the Determine on what side of the street the address number belongs (odd or even)address number belongs (odd or even)

4.4. Interpolate the numeric address along the lineInterpolate the numeric address along the line

5.5. Create a new point feature in a GIS databaseCreate a new point feature in a GIS database

Factors AffectingFactors AffectingGeocoding Accuracy Geocoding Accuracy

1.1. AddressesAddressesSpelling variance and errorsSpelling variance and errorsMultiple names (Florida Bl/ US 190)Multiple names (Florida Bl/ US 190)Zip code errorsZip code errorsNew Streets/ addressesNew Streets/ addresses

2.2. GIS DataGIS DataCurrency of databaseCurrency of databaseLocation of street center linesLocation of street center linesDoes database support multiple namesDoes database support multiple names

A Geocoding “Hit” A Geocoding “Hit” Does Does NotNot Mean a Correct Location! Mean a Correct Location!

Finding Unmatched AddressesFinding Unmatched Addresses

There were ~3400 gas stations and There were ~3400 gas stations and ~500 were unmatched (15%).~500 were unmatched (15%).

Reasons for Unmatched PointsReasons for Unmatched Points Wrong zip code Wrong zip code

Street name and zip code do not matchStreet name and zip code do not match Wrong Prefix/SuffixWrong Prefix/Suffix

Street instead of RoadStreet instead of Roadmissing N,S, W, E prefixmissing N,S, W, E prefixAbbreviation – boulevard: boul\blvdAbbreviation – boulevard: boul\blvd

Wrong town givenWrong town given Address is newAddress is new

911 readdressing911 readdressing Custom AddressesCustom Addresses HighwaysHighways

123 Highway 10 instead of 123 State Hwy 10123 Highway 10 instead of 123 State Hwy 10 Geocoding standards - use 123 Hwy 10Geocoding standards - use 123 Hwy 10

Other Geocoding SourcesOther Geocoding Sources

Louisiana Department of Social Louisiana Department of Social Services (DSS)Services (DSS)

ESRI * 2ESRI * 2 Statistical Analysis Software (SAS)Statistical Analysis Software (SAS)

All of these sources had the same All of these sources had the same approximate error rateapproximate error rate

Online Sources for Online Sources for Unmatched AddressesUnmatched Addresses

Google Google Search EngineSearch Engine

Google MapsGoogle Maps

Google Street ViewGoogle Street View

Other SourcesOther Sources

Virtual EarthVirtual Earth

YahooYahoo

These provide other options for finding targets These provide other options for finding targets

Search by name of businessSearch by name of business

Visual inspectionVisual inspection

Verify phone numbers Verify phone numbers

These These have the most up to date GIS datahave the most up to date GIS data

Phone Verifying Phone Verifying Unmatched AddressesUnmatched Addresses

Sometimes it works, but…Sometimes it works, but… ““I just work here.”I just work here.” ““Which way is North?”Which way is North?” ““It is next to Bubba’s Bar B Que.”It is next to Bubba’s Bar B Que.” Wrong phone number was entered. Wrong phone number was entered.

~ 50 % of calls were ~ 50 % of calls were successful in verifying a locationsuccessful in verifying a location

Other GIS data SourcesOther GIS data Sources

Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP)Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP)Freedom – general releaseFreedom – general release

Gold – reserved for declared Gold – reserved for declared emergencies for limited recipients emergencies for limited recipients

Parish DataParish Data

These sources were difficult to work with These sources were difficult to work with without prior knowledge of the data without prior knowledge of the data

organization and format.organization and format.

How do we make this work?How do we make this work? OwnershipOwnership

La Department of Ag and Forest needs to keep gas La Department of Ag and Forest needs to keep gas stations up to date and have a mechanism to stations up to date and have a mechanism to

distribute distribute themthem QA, QCQA, QC

A commitment to insure addresses and other A commitment to insure addresses and other data are data are complete, accurate, and up to date needs complete, accurate, and up to date needs to be to be sustainedsustained

GPSGPSGPS locations are accurate regardless of addresseesGPS locations are accurate regardless of addresseesProcedures need to be implemented to collect GPS Procedures need to be implemented to collect GPS locations for all gas stations in the databaselocations for all gas stations in the database

Web ServiceWeb ServiceWeb access, whether public or secure, can Web access, whether public or secure, can

provide provide direct access to data for intended partiesdirect access to data for intended parties

Maintaining Currency of Maintaining Currency of Dynamic DataDynamic Data

Many operation databases are dynamic Many operation databases are dynamic by nature (space and time)by nature (space and time)

Dynamic databases often have missing Dynamic databases often have missing records for new datarecords for new data

Dynamic Databases often include old Dynamic Databases often include old records that should be deletedrecords that should be deleted

Multiple copies of dynamic data result in Multiple copies of dynamic data result in different users having access to different different users having access to different informationinformation

During emergency operation During emergency operation everyone needs everyone needs

to be on the same page!to be on the same page!

Lessons Learned from 2008Lessons Learned from 2008 Data OwnershipData Ownership

Agencies with data useful in emergencies need to Agencies with data useful in emergencies need to identify those sources, maintain them, and make identify those sources, maintain them, and make

them them available .available . Location AccuracyLocation Accuracy

GPS locations should be gathered for as many GPS locations should be gathered for as many critical critical databases as possible.databases as possible.

These locations need to be maintained by the These locations need to be maintained by the agencies agencies that “own” the data. that “own” the data.

Data QualityData QualityQA, QC should be a constant commitment. Prior to QA, QC should be a constant commitment. Prior to hurricane season each agency should ensure the hurricane season each agency should ensure the

quality of their data.quality of their data. Data AccessData Access

Web Services make an excellent means for sharing Web Services make an excellent means for sharing and and distributing data. These assets should be distributing data. These assets should be prepositioned prepositioned before hurricane season. before hurricane season.

LA DOTD GIS ContactsLA DOTD GIS Contacts

Jim Mitchell - IT GIS Manager Jim.Mitchell@la.gov 225-379-1881 CJ Marchand - IT GIS Database

Manager/ Web Developer C.Marchand@la.gov 225-379-1913 Doug Albert – IT GIS Technical

Specialist Doug.Albert@la.gov 225-379-1811

Website: http://gis.dotd.la.gov/

The EndThe End