Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning, Inc. (Foursquare ITP) is facilitating a new workshop from the National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT). The upcoming two-part microtransit workshop is being held on June 6 and 8 from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. ET. Attendees will learn about the fundamentals of fixed-route and microtransit services, their complementary nature, the principles of conducting a microtransit suitability analysis, and how to interpret the results. Each of these topics will be illustrated using sample scenarios and engaging hands-on activities that will allow participants to explore the concepts and tools they can apply to their home systems. The two-part workshop was approved by the American Planning Association (APA) to count towards 4.5 CMs for AICP-certified-attendees. Register for these sessions before June 6th. Spaces are limited!
Foursquare ITP also facilitated a free virtual workshop series on using geographic information systems (GIS) for transit planning for N-CATT earlier this year. This series in mid-April picked up where the previous virtual on-demand course, N-CATT Free GIS Tools for Transit Analysis and Map-Making, left off. The first course introduced participants to basic GIS skills for transit planning, and in the second course, we focused on advanced GIS skills for transit planning.
The April session included interactive hands-on exercises complete with sample transit datasets, lectures, demonstrations, and suggested external readings and resources. Instruction took place in QGIS, a freely available and open-source GIS software, allowing anyone to participate in the course.
While many opportunities exist for learning GIS online, the April course was distinguished by a focus on the needs of transit agency staff. Workshops covered analyses intended to help attendees:
- Understand and make use of U.S. Census products (e.g., American Community Survey, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Survey, and Decennial Census),
- Use transit planning to promote equity, and
- Develop advanced thematic maps to communicate findings.
The virtual on-demand course is still available for anyone to take. Check it out at N-CATT Free GIS Tools for Transit Analysis and Map-Making.