Abstract

Snow Plow Routing Using GIS
Track: Logistics
Author(s): Brett Bingham

Given competitive pressures, finding the most efficient path to a given destination is crucial. Whether navigating a personal vehicle or a fleet of trucks, GIS can help identify the shortest and fastest routes. Some circumstances, however, may require traversing all routes within a street network, such as when performing snow plowing within a city. This paper outlines a process for implementing street service routing within an ArcGIS environment, using detailed street data from the city of Washington, D.C. as a case study for snow plowing. There were many complex variables to consider when conducting this type of routing on an intricate street pattern, such as multiple passes, directionality, and end points (e.g., cul-de-sacs). The routing application also needed to consider the complexities of winter applications, including diverse weather conditions together with the varied characteristics of different snow plow equipment.

Brett Bingham
University of Redlands
1111 E Central Ave Apt 23
Redlands , California 92374
United States
Phone: 909-335-2031
E-mail: Brett_Bingham@redlands.edu