Developing an Interactive Baseline Data Platform for Visualizing and Analyzing Rural Crash Characteristics in RITI Communities

Abstract

This project focused on developing an interactive baseline crash data platform, termed as Rural Crash Visualization Tool System (RCVTS), to visualize and analyze rural crash characteristics in RITI communities. More than 975 thousand crash records were collected in the state of Alaska, Idaho, and Washington, from 2010 to 2016. Data fusion is applied to unify the collected data. In the proposed RCVTS platform, three main functions are defined: crash data visualization, data analysis, and data retrieval. Crash data visualization includes an on-street map based crash location tool and a graphic query tool. Data analysis involves a number of visualization approaches, including static charts— i.e., the scatter chart—the line chart, the area chart, the bar chart, and interactive graph— i.e., the sunburst chart. Users are allowed to generate customized analytical graphs by specifying the parameters and scale. The three types of authorized users are defined to download crash information in the data retrieval section following corresponding limitations. The proposed RCVTS was illustrated using a sample case with crash records of the State of Alaska. It showed that the proposed RCVTS functions well. Recommendations on future research are provided as well.