A geospatial data portal for transportation stakeholders in Freight Alley

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The Thrive Regional Infrastructure Portal (TRIP) is a geospatial data portal that is the first of its kind to integrate information from across three states (Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee) that are critical corridors of the southeastern supply chain network. The resulting research will be a resource to several sectors in the 16-county region (and beyond), including the logistics and manufacturing industries, public leaders, and educational institutions that have supply chain and transportation professional programs.

This initial research is only a baseline. TRIP is intended to be a “living resource,” that can continue to adapt to the needs of area planners, industries, and curriculum builders.

Potential applications include locating key corridors for projects that could optimize state and federal funding; research support for long range transportation plans by area Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in Chattanooga and Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as Dalton, Georgia; and curriculum development for colleges and universities in the tri-state to meet the talent demands of the booming manufacturing and logistics industries in greater Chattanooga.

Additionally, this research will parallel environmental priorities determined in Thrive’s Cradle of Southern Appalachia regional conservation blueprint. By layering transportation needs and projections alongside environmental priority areas, planners and leaders can make decisions that support an array of stakeholders.

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In collaboration with the Center for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization of the Georgia Institute of Technology.