One of the key changes to the New Analyst has been the addition of Google Maps to Economic Modelling Specialist Intl.’s (Emsi) mapping tools. This addition helped pave the way for the inclusion of Drive Time to Analyst. Drive Time is an easy way to select a region based on the time it takes to drive from one point to another (city/town, address, business, or landmark).
Drive Time offers an approach to regional analysis that allows the creation of custom regions that use travel time to study demographics, industries, occupations, and programs in Analyst. As a result, Drive Time can assist with answering a wide range of questions. For example, businesses may want to know what the average wages are for a certain occupation within a one-hour commuting distance. Education and training institutions may be interested in the profile of the workforce within 45 minutes of their location to assess potential interest in new professional development courses.
Consider the following: A small business owner contemplating opening a new machine shop location in ABC County, wants to know how many key customers are located within a two-hour drive. This information is now easy to get as Analyst allows you to specify a drive time of 120 minutes from one reference point to another. The business owner can now make decisions based on knowing how many potential customers are within a two hour drive from the new shop location.
For more detailed information on accessing Analyst and exploring the new Drive Time feature, visit the Economic Development Analysis Resources program website, or contact the Economic Development Analysis Resources Team or the network of advisors at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.
Leave a Reply