Abstract

This research aims to investigate new geo-visual analytics methods and techniques for visually analyzing the large amount of historical and near real time geospatial and temporal traffic data at the border crossings between Canada and the U.S. Historical traffic-related time-series data are available from different agencies in both countries for at least the last four decades for different modes of transportation and different purposes. Supplementary historical and near real-time data about delays, weather conditions, and different types of alerts and conditions at the ports of entry can be used to analyze the decision processes behind changes in traffic patterns. The data are gathered, processed, and linked to a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) that can be accessed by authorized users over the Internet using an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) to support different types of queries. The resulting database and information system can be beneficial for understanding the impact of the different factors affecting delays at the ports of entry and the impacts of these delays on the decision-making of travelers, planners, and supply chain operators.