Pedestrian Evacuation Analyst Data Summary

Described below are the required and optional geospatial datasets necessary for running the
Pedestrian Evacuation Analyst. For further information about installing and running the tool, as well
as information about the science behind the tool, please refer the Pedestrian Evacuation Analyst
user manual (http://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/11/c09/). Examples for potential data sources mentioned
below are typically US based and may not apply to study regions outside the US. However, these US
data sources may provide appropriate examples for how to build non-US data.

Study Area – files that define the hazard and safety boundaries and topography

• Elevation data, preferably LiDAR processed to a DEM. Lower-resolution DEM data, not
generated from LiDAR has shown in our testing to underestimate evacuation time. The
LiDAR should be projected, not in geographic coordinates. A ll ot her lay ers need t o be
project ed t o t he DEM's coordinat e sy st em before running t he t ool. Check the file
size of the DEM by adding it to ArcMap, right clicking and selecting Properties, go to Source
tab, and check the Uncompressed Size of the raster. Modeling may need to be separated
into pieces if the file size is much greater than 1 Gigabyte. However, the DEM is clipped by
the study area, so if your study area is small it will reduce the size of the DEM.

• Hazard zone shapefile, which should be a polygon file.

• Study area shapefile, which you can create by buffering the hazard zone by about 50 meters
or a few hundred feet. It does not need to be much bigger than the hazard zone, just
enough so the model can find some ground outside the Hazard zone. All layers are clipped
by the study area during processing to confine the modeling.

Pathway files – offer fastest potential routes for pedestrian evacuation

• Roads shapefile obtained from a creditable source such as a local government or

transportation department. Make sure to include any alleyways, trails, piers, or stairs that
are pathways for pedestrians and may not be included in the roads shapefile. Pedestrian
pathway shapefiles can be found separately. Open Streets Maps is a potential data source
but use with discretion and verify accuracy using local knowledge and imagery. Pathways
can also be digitized manually using imagery. Since road and pathway files are usually lines,
we buffer them to represent true width and maximize area for pedestrian travel. Roads and
paths can be input to the tool as either lines or polygons (buffered lines). Pathway and road
files can be input into the tool separately and do not need to be combined into one file.

Barriers to pedestrian travel

• Water shapefile, representing water bodies and streams, obtained from a creditable source
(we use the National Hydrography Data, nhd.usgs.gov). The NHD provides large amounts of
data, so narrow your selection before downloading. The Evacuation Analyst treats any water
as barriers to pedestrian travel, so use stream attributes (i.e. permanent, seasonal, and
ephemeral) to limit which are included in the evacuation analysis. Often the ephemeral
streams are too small and some streams are actually underground in urban areas and do not
affect evacuation. Use of seasonal streams may be warranted depending on the time of
year for your modeling.
 • Building footprint shapefile, which may need to be digitized manually. The tool treats any
buildings as barriers to pedestrian travel, so it is not necessary to include buildings outside
the study area. Perfect digitization is also not necessary; a rough outline of buildings will
suffice. Remember, buildings are barriers to travel, not safe havens. To best represent
travel limitations, consider digitizing other barriers that block pedestrian travel such as
separate garages or large sheds.

• Fences shapefile digitized manually using local knowledge and imagery. A walk around your
hazard zone (if possible) will help recognize any barriers not visible from imagery. Creative
use of Google Maps street view can also help. Large areas enclosed by fences, such as
sports parks, water or sewage treatment plants, and industrial facilities, create major
barriers to pedestrian travel.

Land cover file – surface classes determine pedestrian travel speed potential

• Wetlands shapefile, if in your study area, obtained from a creditable source (we use the
National Wetlands Inventory by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service).

• Beach polygon shapefile, since areas of sand are difficult to travel over and cause people to
move more slowly. Consider digitizing manually from imagery.

• Land cover layer, raster or vector, classified into general classes of Developed (impervious
areas, urban, parking lots, etc.), Light Brush (grassy areas, parks, etc.), Heavy Brush (fairly
dense woodland), Unconsolidated (sand or loose dirt/gravel if not in a separate layer),
Wetlands (if not in a separate layer). This may be derived from a parcels layer or the
National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD, www.mrlc.gov). NLCD is often not accurate at large
scales, but may give you a starting point. Pedestrian locations over water, such as piers,
docks and jetties, may need to be digitized manually and clipped from water shapefiles to
ensure inclusion in the analysis.

Land cover data can be organized into one or multiple files. For example: we may have the land
cover classes light brush, heavy brush, developed, unconsolidated, and wetlands in one layer and
separate layers for roads, water, buildings, pathways and fences (six layers total).

Population Data – needed only if population counts are desired

• Population data can come from a variety of sources. We use census data for residential
population and a commercial database for employees. The tool includes preset population
categories that are widely accepted in community exposure research, but custom categories
can be created. Preset categories include: Residents (census); Employees; Dependent care
facilities (schools, day care, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.); Public venues (hotels, casinos,
resorts, etc.); and Community services (grocery stores, post offices, police stations, etc.).
Tourist count estimates, including visitors of large local gatherings such as festivals, fairs or
concerts can help account for non-local populations. Only population data of interest and
within the hazard zone is needed.

If a map of travel times meets your research needs, population data is not necessary.