Transportation

The transportation module enables the user to identify the historic footprint associated with such features as roads (major, minor, wellsite roads, and "in-block" roads), motorized and non-motorized trails, air strips, the rail system, and power lines. Future rates of development for roads, transmission lines, motorized and non-motorized trails, air traffic and water traffic may also be defined, along with the lifespan of each footprint type.   Since the transportation network crosses watercourses, the average density (number of crossings per kilometre of road) of culverts and bridges can also be specified.  Vehicle travel rates on the road network can be calculated by identifying the proportion of currents roads accessible to vehicles, and by identifying average traffic rates (vehicles crossings / year).

Road crossings on streams, and the associated culverts that may be constructed, are a key driver of the ALCES® culvert module that determines watershed discontinuity.

Output variables relating to the transportation sector generated by ALCES® for each time step and in each landscape type, include:

• new, existing and reclaimed area (ha) and edge (km) for each transportation type;
• annual and cumulative inputs (gravel, pavement);
• annual and cumulative vehicular travel;
• annual and cumulative vehicular fuel consumed;
• existing (area, edge) of seismic lines, wellsites, pipelines, surface mines, and processing facilities); and
• annual emissions (tonnes/year) of atmospheric compounds including CO2, NOX, SOX, VOC, particulates, associated with the transportation sector.

Table inputs

1.  User-defined sensitivity levels on footprint trajectory
For each type of linear development (major road, minor road, rail, inblock road), enter a value that modifies its growth rate.  The growth rate specified in Panel 8.4.2 User-defined transportation and utilities trends" is multiplied by this modifier value.  For example, a value of 0.5 would reduce the growth rate by 50%; a value of 2 would double the growth rate.

2.  Wellsite road reduction through harmonization
Enter the proportion of roads needed to access wellsites are provided by other existing roads in the land base (thereby reducing the length of wellsite roads that need to be built).

3.  Average length of road per acreage or farm home
Enter the average length (km) of roads built to access acreages and agricultural residences.

4.  Air travel metrics
- Enter the average length (km) of commercial and charter flights.
- Enter the average buffer distance (m) from flight paths within which aircraft engine noise can be heard.

5.  Water travel metrics
Enter the average length (km) of commercial barge and small-scale boat trips.

6.  Minor and major road vehicle use metrics
- Enter the proportion (0 - 1) of major and minor roads that are accessible to vehicle traffic.
- Enter the vehicle traffic rate (vehicles per year) for major and minor roads.

7.  Stream crossings by roads
- Enter the average number of bridges per kilometre of road
- Enter the average number of culverts per kilometre of road
- Enter the proportion of culverts (0 - 1) in each 20-year age class.  Age classes are named after their mid-points; e.g., 0 - 20 year age class is named "10".
- Enter the proportion (0 - 1) of hanging culverts replaced each year.
- Enter a binary key (0 or 1) indicating whether culverts are installed on major roads, minor roads, and in-block roads.  A key value of 0 indicates no culverts are used; 1 indicates culverts are used.
- Enter the proportion (0 - 1) of culverts that are hanging at the start of the simulation period.

8.  Stream crossings by non-road developments
For each non-road development, enter the number of stream crossings per kilometre of the development.

User-defined transportation and utilities trends

In this module it is possible to specify the future growth of the road network, the trail network, transmission lines and the rail line, and to set the average lifespan of minor roads.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.

Graphic inputs

Annual growth based on km
For each type of transportation development (major road, minor road, rail), enter the length (km) of transportation development added to the land base each year.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.  Additions to the road network entered here will be added to those added to those entered in the graphic input "Annual growth based on percent".

Annual growth based on percent
For each type of transportation development (major road, minor road, rail), enter the percent increase in the length of transportation developments each year.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.  Additions to the road network entered here will be added to those added to those entered in the graphic input "Annual growth based on km".

Footprint width
For each type of transportation development (major road, minor road, rail), enter the width (m) of transportation developments added to the land base.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.

Footprint lifespan
For each type of transportation development (major road, minor road, rail), enter the life span (years) of transportation developments added to the land base.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.

Footprint spatial overlap
For each type of transportation development (major road, minor road, rail), enter the amount of overlap between the development and existing roads already present on the land base.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.

Average daily commercial flights
Enter the average number of commercial flights per day that pass over the landscape during each year of the simulation period.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.

Average daily charter flights
Enter the average number of charter flights per day that pass over the landscape during each year of the simulation period.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.

Average annual commercial barge trips
Enter the average number of commercial barge trips per year on rivers or lakes in the land base during each year of the simulation period.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.

Average annual small-scale boat trips
Enter the average number of small-scale boat trips per year on rivers or lakes in the land base during each year of the simulation period.  Values may be constant or may vary over time.