ANALYSIS OF REMOTELY SENSED DATA FOR PLANNING TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS

Analysis of remotely-sensed and hyperspectral data has significant potential application in the areas of planning of, and better decision support for, transportation networks. With increased demand for better transportation facilities and rapid urbanization, there has been large-scale modification of land cover systems. This rapid and often haphazard growth couples with increasing pressure by expanding population needs, resulting in deterioration of infrastructure facilities, loss of productive agricultural lands and green open spaces, loss of surface water bodies and depletion of ground water aquifers zones. Rapid growth and land development also contributes to air pollution, contamination of water, human health hazards and micro-climatic changes. For these reasons, a holistic assessment for change detection in land use and land cover of growing cities has become particularly important in understanding change and its impact on natural resources and human residents of the surrounding areas. With this knowledge, suggesting measures to alleviate the problems can be facilitated. An environmental assessment will be conducted to study the impacts of relocating segments of the CSX railroad out of significant population growth areas along the environmentally sensitive Mississippi Gulf Coast. The environmental assessment project will be jointly managed by the Mississippi DOT and FHWA and is intended to make broad use of remote sensing and geospatial technologies. The project has been awarded to a consulting tea