GIS APPLICATIONS TO ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PLANNING AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF THE VANCOUVER ISLAND HIGHWAY. IN: 1991 TAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE, PROCEEDINGS. VOLUME 5. SEPTEMBER 15-16, 1991, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

This investigation included impact assessments by 11 environmental specialists, as well as conventional engineering disciplines such as highway, structural, geotechnical and traffic engineering. One of the tools used to properly correlate the impacts of engineering and environmental disciplines on corridor selection was GIS. Reid, Collins and Associates prepared the database and operated a GIS program to map and analyze the information obtained from the following disciplines: agriculture, fisheries, forestry, hydrology, land use, noise, recreation, socio-community, soils, vegetation, and water quality. This paper discusses the merits of utilizing GIS for assessing environmental impacts on a large, linear project, and outline some of the lessons learned that should be applied to future projects.