Seeking National Highway Systems (NHS) data sources.

DC Kelley
DC Kelley Global Mapper UserTrusted User
edited August 2011 in GIS Data Sources
I got a quick request in the office from someone looking over what I was doing with GM, and the request is just to overlay the NHS (or the interstate freeway system) on a base map of the 50 CONUS states as a raster image they can use for some animation in another tool. I smugly thought to myself, sure that should be easy and show the utility value of the tool. And as all the USGS/DMA/FHWA/etc. data is public just like a tiger map, no usage rights issues...

But when I went to the wonderful start up page in GM and poked around a bit, I do not see this type of data among the choices. When I look at the FHWA site for it ( http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhs/ ) I see a nice consumer web map but not anything obvious to download raw GIS data. Surely this exists and surely other here routinely know where to find it. Anyone got a pointer to tell me where to seek?

Comments

  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited August 2011
    It looks like the NHS data is available as PDF from that site. If you just need road maps, I would use the File->Download Online Imagery/Data menu command and pull in the OpenStreetMaps layer. It should be better anyway.

    Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Support
    support@globalmapper.com
  • DC Kelley
    DC Kelley Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited August 2011
    I have pinged the site support person listed at NHS, and will ask a few FHWA people, lets see what I can learn. I know some other state level DOT types grab this stuff when it get updated each time, but have never had a need to track it other then a few crude thematic maps. Once I find where to get it, will post back here for others. Agree that open street would likely be better, and quicker. But this source has specific value to some users in the State and Federal food chain so I would like to use it once I find it.
  • DC Kelley
    DC Kelley Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited August 2011
    Problem solved. We got the following helpful reply from Kevin D. Adderly with the link I was looking for, and presume other may someday also want, I have suppressed the phone num not knowing if he wished that shared

    The National Highway System attributes is included in the National High Planning Network (NHPN) GIS file. The NHPN and other GIS layers can be downloaded on the following webpage, http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_atlas_database/2011/. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

    Kevin D. Adderly
    kevin.adderly@dot.gov
    National Systems and Economic Development Team
    Federal Highway Administration

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