Washington Statewide Trails Database Project

Transcription

1 Washington Statewide Trails Database Project Project Overview Washington still is missing a statewide trails database. To date, some of the state and federal hiking, biking, horse and rail trails data have been compiled into a simple GIS dataset but it s still missing valuable county, city and state spatial and attributes about those trails. This project is the first iteration on building a suitable spatial data design and structure that can be built on and improved over time. With use of on-line collaboration tools and grant funding from the Recreation and Conservation Office in Olympia, staff and interest parties from across the state, will be able to contribute digital information into a single sources of best compiled data from all levels of government. Background A legislative report was commissioned back in 2006 to report on the feasibility of creating a statewide trails database for Washington and the resulting report was published in January 2007 Cost Estimates for Creating a Database of Motorized and Nonmotorized Off-road Trails and Facilities in Washington State. In that report it detailed the cost to: - develop a geographic information system (GIS) data base of trails in Washington State; - develop an application that would allow public access and downloading of the resulting data; and to - develop a web-based portal to allow public links to the existing trails data. Since then, separate entities continue to collect trails information but not in any particular manner or data structure that would easily allow it to be rolled up, mapped or shared consistently across the state or jurisdictions. 10/8/14 OCIO 1

2 But what has changed since 2008, is the establishment of a national trails data standard, the use of GPS devices embedded into cameras and phones and the use of social media that has led to vast crowd sourcing activities like Open Street Map, Code for America, and Open Trails to name just a few. Project Goals 1. Aggregate as much existing trails data into a single database that follows the national data standard. 2. Connect as much of that existing line work as possible. 3. Fill in as many trails attribute in the database as we can readily find. 4. End up with a database that others can populate and maintain over time Biggest Project Challenges Controlling expectations - there is only so much you can do with $177,000. Ability to find the right person with the data across all the Washington entities who maintain and administer trails in some sort of map form. Creating ways that allow private groups like WA Trails Association, ORV Associations and other interested groups to be able to harness their constituents knowledge to improve the information over time and via an internet browser. Technical Approach A data environment was stood up in late September and leverages all the benefits of the cloud. The project is using Esri's Software as a Service (SaaS) called ARCGIS Server which provides the team a place to store, edit and publish the statewide trails data assembled to date. This approach was used because it will make it easier to work with entities outside state government and supports crowd sourcing. An experienced GIS analyst is working on standardizing the data compiled to date and combining the information, resolving conflicting spatial information in problematic areas. Doing spatial analysis up front in order to population certain attributes like ownership and county. Two GIS data editors over the next 8-9 months will be editing existing spatial trails data, adding in existing trail heads from willing partners and adding and editing valuable trails attributes. A Trails Data Contact will help manage the partnerships with the various data providers which we hope will include state & federal agencies, local government, and trails associations. While also providing editors with some extra support in attributing trails data. 10/8/14 OCIO 2

3 Software engineers from the Office of the CIO are donating their time to stand up a web based crowd sourcing application that is geared to the various WA trails associations, the ORV, the horse and biking community and others interested in trails data. The hope is that these various organizations will leverage their communities, inject and display the resulting data into their websites and support the projects efforts to improve the data directly. It s in this way that we hope to expand the potential collection and improvement of the data! Project Team: Funding Sponsor & Point of Contact: Darrell Jennings, Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) Executive Sponsor & Project Manager: Joy Paulus, Geospatial Program Manager, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) joy.paulus@ocio.wa.gov Team Lead/GIS Analyst: Jenny Konwinski GIS Editors: Reid Ammann & Michael Hammond Trails Data Contact: Katz Kiendl katz.kiendl@ocio.wa.gov General FAQ s: What is the long term objective? Provide a single view into the recreational trail system in Washington State. Data standards? The project developed a data dictionary and metadata that follows the states existing GIS standards and the FGDC trails data standard as much as possible. What will be the list of attributes collected for this data set? A simple set of trails attributes is being compiled from various existing data courses and will initially represent a minimum viable set of information. How will the project be managed, tracked and allow participants in different parts of the state to stay current with the project and its development? Technology will make this easy. An online tool called Kerika is used to outline tasks and track our progress. Short weekly phone meeting help keep us linked and up-to-date on our progress and WebEx is leveraged when needed. Has crowd sourcing be considered as a way to help compile needed attributes? Yes, once an initial set of information is compiled from known sources then a web based application will be build and hosted at the Office of the CIO that will allow public input. 10/8/14 OCIO 3

4 Will you accept new GPS collected trails from private hikers and trail users? Yes, we will accept and collect GPS breadcrumbs provided there is adequate metadata included but the new spatial line work will not be included in this initial phase. What is hoped is that the managing entities will take that improved data and include it in their formal updating process. Otherwise, it's hoped that a subsequent grant will allow that data to be folding into this statewide effort. Data Design: Function Attribute Name Attribute Definition List of Values Name Trail Name/Number The official name and/or number of the trail text of trail name and/or number Trail System the trail network to which the segment belongs (if applicable) Length Trail Length The length of the trail segment in miles enter length of trail in miles (calculated from geometry) Use Hiking Allowed Backpacking Allowed Bicycles Allowed Horses Allowed XC Ski Allowed Interpretive Trail Fitness Trail Water Trail ATVs Allowed OHVs Allowed Motorcycles Allowed Snowmobiles Allowed Motorized Travel Allowed Surface Trail Surface Asphalt Location County The name of the county the trail passes through. The name of the city/town the trail passes Municipality through. Special Management The name of the management area the trail Area passes through. Manager Managing Organization The name of the agency which manages the trail. Cinder Concrete Gravel Ground Snow Water Woodchips Unknown Other Use standard list of Washington counties Use standard list of Washington cities/towns U.S. Forest Service 10/8/14 OCIO 4

5 Status Maintenance Status The level at which the trail is maintained. Designation American Disability Act Compliant National Trail Rail-Trail Accessibility guideline compliance status for trail segments that are designed for hiker/pedestrian use. Trail designated as a National Scenic, Historic, or Recreation Trail. Trail constructed along an abandoned railroad route. U.S. National Park Service U.S. Bureau of Land Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service WA Dept. of Natural Resources WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife WA State Parks Commission Local government agency Open, actively maintained Open, not maintained Proposed Temporarily closed Abandoned Source Data Source Agency Agency or entity that created the dataset where enter name of agency/entity the original geometry was sourced from. Source data publication date Publication date of the source data enter year, month, and day Source data update date The date the geometry was last updated in the geodatabase enter year, month, and day Editor name for last update The name of the editor who applied the last update. enter editor ID (links to editor database) 10/8/14 OCIO 5