Metropolitan Planning Organization Use of Google Earth as a Visualization Tool to Aid Public Involvement and Integration of NEPA with Transportation Planning

The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) is responsible for preparing a long-range regional transportation plan, carrying out short-range transportation planning activities, and prioritizing and approving, through the transportation improvement program, expenditure of federal funds for transportation-related projects in the region. The 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) mandates that metropolitan planning organizations both utilize the Internet to publish their plans along with utilizing visualization techniques to distribute data and information more effectively. Public involvement is a vital component of the transportation planning process. To make information more easily available to the general public, PPACG, with CH2M HILL, is planning on providing long-range regional transportation plan and transportation improvement program data in Google Earth® format on the PPACG web site. A free, easy-to-use interface and access to high-resolution aerial imagery have made Google Earth® the most successful of the “virtual globe” viewing applications. Its popularity and ease of use make Google Earth® a natural medium for communicating transportation information to the public. The data and information are divided into four general categories: projects, roadway and traffic information, environmental constraints, and demographics. Topics discussed include the methodologies employed, technical obstacles and how they were overcome, the final delivery model, agency and public receptivity, and lessons learned. The overall conclusion is that Google Earth® is a powerful data visualization and data access application and can serve as an unparalleled information dissemination tool.