Traditionally, displaying different route options and proposals has been done in the form of 2D maps, assisted by section drawings, maybe together with an aerial photo, where the road network was overlaid in the form of lines. It is simple and straightforward, but it is not conveying much information on the actual impact. This can be presented to a planning board or the public using ordinary PCs, or it can even be published on the Internet for open access to everybody. By collecting significant data for the whole network, repairs and works budgeting have become more reliable and calculated in advance. Hence, in GIS route planning is often referred to as network analysis.
Route planning is one of the most popular applications within transportation, for obvious reasons.
Roads are part of the infrastructure that makes up the spinal cord of modern society, but roads can just as easily turn into bottlenecks. This can be used to distribute goods, deliver newspapers or pizza, respond to emergency calls, or to plan your personal travel. There are also many online routing applications available on the Internet, allowing travellers to log in, plan their journey and consider different options. Click to enlarge Typical map output from route planner. Click to enlarge Typical route description output from route planner.