Step two in our Trade Area Basics is the Drive Time. The Drive Time takes a center point or site and runs through a road network to find acceptable routes a driver can traverse within set times.
The Drive Time
Basically this is done by accessing road type and an associated speed for each road segment. The software estimates out the area one could travel at assumed posted speeds. Also the model typically does not include for any time stopped at a stop sign or signalized intersection. Better said, just straight driving time no stopping.
This can also be adjusted for time of day. By default it does not account for any traffic. You can add your selected time of day and directionality to the search to get a rush hour value as well if needed.
While this does a better job showing a trade area that is more probable based on physical boundaries, it missed mental boundaries. Is someone really going to travel 10 min by freeway to get here? Well that depends on what the draw is. That’s where the final leg of our trade area journey comes in.
We will look at the final approach in part 3 of our series, the trade area.
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