Challenge #70: Trade Area Drivetime Radii

[MattD]

The solution to last week's challenge is HERE!

Today we’re challenged to find the total area (square miles) that we can move our company headquarters to such that it is an equidistant commute from 3 satellite offices. In order to do so, find the area that is shared by a 30 minute drive time radius starting from each of the satellite offices!

Be warned! You may arrive on different areas depending on the spatial data release that is used, in addition to the drivetime methodology selected. For the sake of comparison, use the above map as an estimation of the area if you are not using the Q2: 2016 TomTom US Peak Most Recent Vintage dataset. If you think you need a hint, expand the spoiler below!

Spoiler

This week's challenge is inspired by the methodologies covered in our Trade Area Tool Mastery article from the Knowledgebase. If you're having trouble, try mastering the Trade Area Tool first!

[MarqueeCrew]

I used Tom Tom Q4 Peak.  Hopefully, I didn't miss anything here.

Spoiler

If I did, someone will point it out to me (I'm sure).

Cheers,
Mark

[NicoleJohnson]

My (pseudo) solution. I don't have access to drivetime data, so I wasn't able to answer the question exactly as asked... but I can see comparing to @MarqueeCrew 's solution that I have the same process, so barring changing from "miles" to "minutes" if I'd had the drivetime dataset, I believe it's the same. So count this as my "I drew this with a stick in the sand because I didn't have the right tools" solution? :)

Spoiler

For my pseudo-solution, I made some assumptions about average speed limit based on a couple random GoogleMaps directions queries to places in the area of the three original points. Determined an average speed limit of about 32mph, which gave be about a 16 mile radius. The area in my answer is larger than that shown in the results, but since it's calculating the radii "as the crow flies... at precisely 32mph...", that's more or less explainable.

[alex]

I don't have the spatial package either so I winged it to come up with 2 different areas to consider for the HQ.  I used a both spatial tools and spatial formulas to come up with the answers.

Spoiler

1) I created a center point by averaging all the longitudes and latitudes for the 3 offices.
2) Using the answer of an area of 30.967 square miles, I backed into a radius (3.14 - just happens to be approx. PI) to create a trade area around the center point.
3) Using midpoints between each point and also midpoints between each point and the center, I created a polygon, but the area was approx 50 square miles.
4) I then created new midpoints between the previous midpoints and the center to make the area smaller and closer to the center.  This polygon had an area of 12.64 square miles.

[Natasha]

It is a bit frustrating that the correct solution is available only to the owners of a spatial package. But challenge is a challenge, and I made some driving time assumptions based on the speed limit. My assumptions are a bit bolder than those of NicoleJohnson, but the solution itself is similar. 

[SeanAdams]

Hey @MattD - are we as a community misunderstanding something (a few people have mentioned the dependence on spatial package), or is this indeed a solution that can only be fully completed if you have the additional license for this data?

For example - I'm wondering if you had something in mind related to punching out to a different API that can do this. IF this is the case - can you give a hint?

:) have a good day Matt
Sean

[SeanAdams]

Used a similar "stick in the sand" approach as @NicoleJohnson and @Natasha.   As Nicole says, it's the same solution as Mark @MarqueeCrew, but using a mile-radius rather than a drive-time radius.    Still holding out that @MattD has some sneaky idea up his sleeve for those of us without spatial data packages...

Image below is the final resulting intersection and the original locations of the satellite offices.

Spoiler

[estherb47]

I have an outdated spatial release (getting the update soon), so my numbers are slightly off. This is with 2015 Q3 data.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Map of the overlapping trade area:

My workflow:

[MattD]

Hey Everyone!

For those of you who do not have the spatial data package, I went ahead and created a macro that uses Google Maps to calculate distance and drivetime between two points or addresses! While you'll still end up with a different total area as compared to the Q2: 2016 TomTom US Peak Most Recent Vintage dataset, this will make it so that you can answer these types of questions in the future without full access to the spatial data package!

[NicoleJohnson]

Thank you @MattD!!! You're the best! :)