The Choose Best Facilities tool finds the set of facilities that will best serve demand from surrounding areas.
The output is a hosted feature layer.
Learn more about how Choose Best Facilities works
Examples
Example uses for this tool include the following:
- A county library system is undertaking a community outreach program. They use the Allocate to existing facilities goal to assign neighborhoods to their closest library branch and determine how many potential patrons each branch is serving.
- A national grocery store chain has just taken over 18 stores in a county from another chain that went bankrupt last year, leaving the stores sitting empty. They want to set up two new distribution centers to service the stores and have identified seven warehouses that, with some modification, will meet their needs. They want to determine the two warehouses that will minimize the total time the delivery trucks spend on the road each day, which will help reduce costs. They use the Minimize travel goal to find the best location for the distribution center to minimize the overall travel time to deliver to the chain of grocery stores.
- A city is planning to create a park that will serve as a green space for several neighborhoods. They use the Maximize coverage goal to choose the proposed park site with the greatest number of the city's residents within a 5-minute walk.
- It is tornado season and the county emergency management agency has identified school auditoriums that have been used in the past as disaster relief centers. However, in recent years, the capacity of the centers has nearly been exceeded, so this year they think they will need three additional centers. They identified a number of community centers that might be available. Based on square footage, they estimated the number of beds each center could provide. They want to assign residents to their nearest center, find out how much of the population is covered by the centers, and determine if there are parts of the mainly rural county where the number of beds is not adequate so they can add more centers. They use the Maximize coverage with capacity goal to find the best locations for the disaster relief centers to ensure the greatest number of people are within a half-mile of a center.
- A national pet store chain is moving into a new market—a large suburban county—and has identified a number of empty properties that could be used for the stores. Their goal is to locate the stores so that 40 percent of the county's pet owners are no more than a 10-minute drive from a store. They want to determine how many stores they'll need to open to meet their goal and where the stores should be located. They use the Cover a percentage of demand goal to find the best locations for the pet stores.
Usage notes
The Choose Best Facilities tool includes configurations based on the selected goal: Allocate to existing facilities, Minimize travel, Maximize coverage, Maximize coverage with capacity, or Cover a percentage of demand.
Allocate to existing facilities
The Allocate to existing facilities goal includes configurations for analysis settings, demand locations, facilities, and result layers.
Analysis settings
The Analysis settings group includes the following parameters:
- Travel mode is the travel mode used to determine the distance between facilities and demand locations. Travel modes are configured by your ArcGIS administrator and can be based on travel time or travel distance.
- Departure time specifies the date and time that the traveler departs from the facilities or demand locations. This parameter is available for time-based travel modes such as driving time and trucking time and has an impact on the travel speed. The parameter options are as follows:
- Now—Traffic conditions will be based on the current date and time. Live traffic conditions will be used when available.
- Custom date and time—Traffic conditions will be based on the specified date and time. If the custom date and time is within four hours of the current time, live traffic conditions will be used. If the custom date and time is not within four hours of the current date and time, average historical traffic conditions for the day of week and time of day will be used. Use this option to perform analysis with typical traffic conditions. For example, choose 9:00 a.m. on the previous Monday to perform analysis with typical conditions for Mondays at 9:00 a.m.
- Time unspecified—Travel speeds will be based on average historical speeds or the posted speed limit.
Travel direction specifies the direction of travel that will be used to choose the best facilities. The network may have different one-way restrictions, turn restrictions, and travel times depending on the direction of travel that influence which facilities are chosen. The direction you specify depends on the type of analysis.
The parameter options are as follows:- Facilities to demand locations—Travel begins at facilities and moves outward toward demand locations. For example, from fire stations to houses.
- Demand locations to facilities—Travel begins at demand locations and moves inward toward facilities. For example, from houses to library branches.
- Optional barrier layers is used to add features that act as temporary restrictions when traveling on the underlying streets. The Optional barrier layers parameter includes the following subparameters:
- Point barrier layer—Point features that block traffic at a specific position along the street. Travel is permitted on the street but not through the barrier. Examples of point barriers include a fallen tree, a traffic accident, or a downed electrical line.
- Line barrier layer—Line features that block traffic across several street segments. The line barriers prohibit travel anywhere the barriers intersect the streets. Examples of line barriers include a parade or protest.
- Polygon barrier layer—Polygon features that block traffic across entire areas of the street network. The polygon barriers prohibit travel anywhere the polygon intersects the street. Examples of polygon barriers include a flood or forest fire.
You can choose a layer using the Layer button or use the Draw input features button to create a sketch layer to use as the input.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count. For line and polygon barriers, support is determined by the number of intersecting streets rather than the count of features.
Demand locations
The Demand locations group includes the following parameters:
Demand locations layer identifies the point features representing locations that have demand for services offered by the facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Demand at each location specifies how demand will be applied to each demand location. The following parameter options are available:
- Value—The demand will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same demand.
- Field—The demand for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the demand varies by demand location.
- Demand amount is the constant value that represents the amount of demand at all demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Demand field is the field in the demand layer that contains demand values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Max travel range is the travel distance or time limit for each demand location. Any demand locations beyond the maximum travel range will not be allocated. The following parameter options are available:
- Unlimited—No maximum travel range will be applied. Demand will be allocated to facilities until all demand has been allocated, regardless of how far demand locations are from facilities.
- Value—The maximum travel range will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same maximum travel range.
- Field—The maximum travel range for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the maximum travel range varies by demand location.
- Max travel range value is the constant value that represents the maximum travel range for the demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Max travel range.
- Max travel range field is the field in the demand layer that contains the maximum travel range values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Max travel range.
- Travel range units specifies the distance units (miles, feet, yards, kilometers, or meters) or time units (minutes, seconds, or hours) that will be used when applying the maximum travel range. The Max travel range value and Max travel range field values are interpreted in these units.
Facilities
The Facilities group includes the following parameters:
Facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Capacity at each facility is the amount of demand that can be assigned to a facility. The following parameter options are available:
- Unlimited—No maximum capacity will be applied. All facilities are capable of meeting any amount of demand assigned to them.
- Value—The capacity will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all facilities have the same capacity.
- Field—The capacity for each facility will be determined using a field in the facility layer. Use this option if the capacity varies by facility.
- Capacity amount is the constant value that represents the capacity for the facilities. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Capacity at each facility.
- Capacity field is the field in the facility layer that contains the capacity values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Capacity at each facility.
Result layers
The Result layers group includes the following parameters:
- Output name determines the name of the layer that is created and added to the map. The name must be unique. If a layer with the same name already exists in your organization, the tool will fail and you will be prompted to use a different name.
- Save in folder specifies the name of a folder in My content where the result will be saved.
Minimize travel
The Minimize travel goal includes configurations for analysis settings, demand locations, facilities, and result layers.
Analysis settings
The Analysis settings group includes the following parameters:
- Travel mode is the travel mode used to determine the distance between facilities and demand locations. Travel modes are configured by your ArcGIS administrator and can be based on travel time or travel distance.
- Departure time specifies the date and time that the traveler departs from the facilities or demand locations. This parameter is available for time-based travel modes such as driving time and trucking time and has an impact on the travel speed. The parameter options are as follows:
- Now—Traffic conditions will be based on the current date and time. Live traffic conditions will be used when available.
- Custom date and time—Traffic conditions will be based on the specified date and time. If the custom date and time is within four hours of the current time, live traffic conditions will be used. If the custom date and time is not within four hours of the current date and time, average historical traffic conditions for the day of week and time of day will be used. Use this option to perform analysis with typical traffic conditions. For example, choose 9:00 a.m. on the previous Monday to perform analysis with typical conditions for Mondays at 9:00 a.m.
- Time unspecified—Travel speeds will be based on average historical speeds or the posted speed limit.
Travel direction specifies the direction of travel that will be used to choose the best facilities. The network may have different one-way restrictions, turn restrictions, and travel times depending on the direction of travel that influence which facilities are chosen. The direction you specify depends on the type of analysis.
The parameter options are as follows:- Facilities to demand locations—Travel begins at facilities and moves outward toward demand locations. For example, from fire stations to houses.
- Demand locations to facilities—Travel begins at demand locations and moves inward toward facilities. For example, from houses to library branches.
- Optional barrier layers is used to add features that act as temporary restrictions when traveling on the underlying streets. The Optional barrier layers parameter includes the following subparameters:
- Point barrier layer—Point features that block traffic at a specific position along the street. Travel is permitted on the street but not through the barrier. Examples of point barriers include a fallen tree, a traffic accident, or a downed electrical line.
- Line barrier layer—Line features that block traffic across several street segments. The line barriers prohibit travel anywhere the barriers intersect the streets. Examples of line barriers include a parade or protest.
- Polygon barrier layer—Polygon features that block traffic across entire areas of the street network. The polygon barriers prohibit travel anywhere the polygon intersects the street. Examples of polygon barriers include a flood or forest fire.
You can choose a layer using the Layer button or use the Draw input features button to create a sketch layer to use as the input.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count. For line and polygon barriers, support is determined by the number of intersecting streets rather than the count of features.
Demand locations
The Demand locations group includes the following parameters:
Demand locations layer identifies the point features representing locations that have demand for services offered by the facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Demand at each location specifies how demand will be applied to each demand location. The following parameter options are available:
- Value—The demand will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same demand.
- Field—The demand for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the demand varies by demand location.
- Demand amount is the constant value that represents the amount of demand at all demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Demand field is the field in the demand layer that contains demand values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Max travel range is the travel distance or time limit for each demand location. Any demand locations beyond the maximum travel range will not be allocated. The following parameter options are available:
- Unlimited—No maximum travel range will be applied. Demand will be allocated to facilities until all demand has been allocated, regardless of how far demand locations are from facilities.
- Value—The maximum travel range will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same maximum travel range.
- Field—The maximum travel range for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the maximum travel range varies by demand location.
- Max travel range value is the constant value that represents the maximum travel range for the demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Max travel range.
- Max travel range field is the field in the demand layer that contains the maximum travel range values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Max travel range.
- Travel range units specifies the distance units (miles, feet, yards, kilometers, or meters) or time units (minutes, seconds, or hours) that will be used when applying the maximum travel range. The Max travel range value and Max travel range field values are interpreted in these units.
Facilities
The Facilities group includes the following parameters:
Candidate facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service. Candidate facilities usually represent locations at which new facilities will be built or placed, rather than existing facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Number of candidates to choose is the number of candidate locations that will have demand.
- Some facilities are required specifies whether only candidate facilities are used as inputs (not enabled) or one or more required facilities must be selected (enabled).
Required facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service. Required facilities usually represent existing locations, rather than locations at which new facilities will be built or placed. Required facilities are allocated demand locations before candidate facilities. This parameter is available when Some facilities are required is enabled.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.
Result layers
The Result layers group includes the following parameters:
- Output name determines the name of the layer that is created and added to the map. The name must be unique. If a layer with the same name already exists in your organization, the tool will fail and you will be prompted to use a different name.
- Save in folder specifies the name of a folder in My content where the result will be saved.
Maximize coverage
The Maximize coverage goal includes configurations for analysis settings, demand locations, facilities, and result layers.
Analysis settings
The Analysis settings group includes the following parameters:
- Travel mode is the travel mode used to determine the distance between facilities and demand locations. Travel modes are configured by your ArcGIS administrator and can be based on travel time or travel distance.
- Departure time specifies the date and time that the traveler departs from the facilities or demand locations. This parameter is available for time-based travel modes such as driving time and trucking time and has an impact on the travel speed. The parameter options are as follows:
- Now—Traffic conditions will be based on the current date and time. Live traffic conditions will be used when available.
- Custom date and time—Traffic conditions will be based on the specified date and time. If the custom date and time is within four hours of the current time, live traffic conditions will be used. If the custom date and time is not within four hours of the current date and time, average historical traffic conditions for the day of week and time of day will be used. Use this option to perform analysis with typical traffic conditions. For example, choose 9:00 a.m. on the previous Monday to perform analysis with typical conditions for Mondays at 9:00 a.m.
- Time unspecified—Travel speeds will be based on average historical speeds or the posted speed limit.
Travel direction specifies the direction of travel that will be used to choose the best facilities. The network may have different one-way restrictions, turn restrictions, and travel times depending on the direction of travel that influence which facilities are chosen. The direction you specify depends on the type of analysis.
The parameter options are as follows:- Facilities to demand locations—Travel begins at facilities and moves outward toward demand locations. For example, from fire stations to houses.
- Demand locations to facilities—Travel begins at demand locations and moves inward toward facilities. For example, from houses to library branches.
- Optional barrier layers is used to add features that act as temporary restrictions when traveling on the underlying streets. The Optional barrier layers parameter includes the following subparameters:
- Point barrier layer—Point features that block traffic at a specific position along the street. Travel is permitted on the street but not through the barrier. Examples of point barriers include a fallen tree, a traffic accident, or a downed electrical line.
- Line barrier layer—Line features that block traffic across several street segments. The line barriers prohibit travel anywhere the barriers intersect the streets. Examples of line barriers include a parade or protest.
- Polygon barrier layer—Polygon features that block traffic across entire areas of the street network. The polygon barriers prohibit travel anywhere the polygon intersects the street. Examples of polygon barriers include a flood or forest fire.
You can choose a layer using the Layer button or use the Draw input features button to create a sketch layer to use as the input.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count. For line and polygon barriers, support is determined by the number of intersecting streets rather than the count of features.
Demand locations
The Demand locations group includes the following parameters:
Demand locations layer identifies the point features representing locations that have demand for services offered by the facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Demand at each location specifies how demand will be applied to each demand location. The following parameter options are available:
- Value—The demand will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same demand.
- Field—The demand for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the demand varies by demand location.
- Demand amount is the constant value that represents the amount of demand at all demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Demand field is the field in the demand layer that contains demand values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Max travel range is the travel distance or time limit for each demand location. Any demand locations beyond the maximum travel range will not be allocated. The following parameter options are available:
- Value—The maximum travel range will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same maximum travel range.
- Field—The maximum travel range for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the maximum travel range varies by demand location.
- Max travel range value is the constant value that represents the maximum travel range for the demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Max travel range.
- Max travel range field is the field in the demand layer that contains the maximum travel range values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Max travel range.
- Travel range units specifies the distance units (miles, feet, yards, kilometers, or meters) or time units (minutes, seconds, or hours) that will be used when applying the maximum travel range. The Max travel range value and Max travel range field values are interpreted in these units.
Facilities
The Facilities group includes the following parameters:
Candidate facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service. Candidate facilities usually represent locations at which new facilities will be built or placed, rather than existing facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Number of candidates to choose is the number of candidate locations that will have demand.
- Some facilities are required specifies whether only candidate facilities are used as inputs (not enabled) or one or more required facilities must be selected (enabled).
Required facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service. Required facilities usually represent existing locations, rather than locations at which new facilities will be built or placed. Required facilities are allocated demand locations before candidate facilities. This parameter is available when Some facilities are required is enabled.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.
Result layers
The Result layers group includes the following parameters:
- Output name determines the name of the layer that is created and added to the map. The name must be unique. If a layer with the same name already exists in your organization, the tool will fail and you will be prompted to use a different name.
- Save in folder specifies the name of a folder in My content where the result will be saved.
Maximize coverage with capacity
The Maximize coverage with capacity goal includes configurations for analysis settings, demand locations, facilities, and result layers.
Analysis settings
The Analysis settings group includes the following parameters:
- Travel mode is the travel mode used to determine the distance between facilities and demand locations. Travel modes are configured by your ArcGIS administrator and can be based on travel time or travel distance.
- Departure time specifies the date and time that the traveler departs from the facilities or demand locations. This parameter is available for time-based travel modes such as driving time and trucking time and has an impact on the travel speed. The parameter options are as follows:
- Now—Traffic conditions will be based on the current date and time. Live traffic conditions will be used when available.
- Custom date and time—Traffic conditions will be based on the specified date and time. If the custom date and time is within four hours of the current time, live traffic conditions will be used. If the custom date and time is not within four hours of the current date and time, average historical traffic conditions for the day of week and time of day will be used. Use this option to perform analysis with typical traffic conditions. For example, choose 9:00 a.m. on the previous Monday to perform analysis with typical conditions for Mondays at 9:00 a.m.
- Time unspecified—Travel speeds will be based on average historical speeds or the posted speed limit.
Travel direction specifies the direction of travel that will be used to choose the best facilities. The network may have different one-way restrictions, turn restrictions, and travel times depending on the direction of travel that influence which facilities are chosen. The direction you specify depends on the type of analysis.
The parameter options are as follows:- Facilities to demand locations—Travel begins at facilities and moves outward toward demand locations. For example, from fire stations to houses.
- Demand locations to facilities—Travel begins at demand locations and moves inward toward facilities. For example, from houses to library branches.
- Optional barrier layers is used to add features that act as temporary restrictions when traveling on the underlying streets. The Optional barrier layers parameter includes the following subparameters:
- Point barrier layer—Point features that block traffic at a specific position along the street. Travel is permitted on the street but not through the barrier. Examples of point barriers include a fallen tree, a traffic accident, or a downed electrical line.
- Line barrier layer—Line features that block traffic across several street segments. The line barriers prohibit travel anywhere the barriers intersect the streets. Examples of line barriers include a parade or protest.
- Polygon barrier layer—Polygon features that block traffic across entire areas of the street network. The polygon barriers prohibit travel anywhere the polygon intersects the street. Examples of polygon barriers include a flood or forest fire.
You can choose a layer using the Layer button or use the Draw input features button to create a sketch layer to use as the input.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count. For line and polygon barriers, support is determined by the number of intersecting streets rather than the count of features.
Demand locations
The Demand locations group includes the following parameters:
Demand locations layer identifies the point features representing locations that have demand for services offered by the facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Demand at each location specifies how demand will be applied to each demand location. The following parameter options are available:
- Value—The demand will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same demand.
- Field—The demand for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the demand varies by demand location.
- Demand amount is the constant value that represents the amount of demand at all demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Demand field is the field in the demand layer that contains demand values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Max travel range is the travel distance or time limit for each demand location. Any demand locations beyond the maximum travel range will not be allocated. The following parameter options are available:
- Unlimited—No maximum travel range will be applied. Demand will be allocated to facilities until all demand has been allocated, regardless of how far demand locations are from facilities.
- Value—The maximum travel range will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same maximum travel range.
- Field—The maximum travel range for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the maximum travel range varies by demand location.
- Max travel range value is the constant value that represents the maximum travel range for the demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Max travel range.
- Max travel range field is the field in the demand layer that contains the maximum travel range values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Max travel range.
- Travel range units specifies the distance units (miles, feet, yards, kilometers, or meters) or time units (minutes, seconds, or hours) that will be used when applying the maximum travel range. The Max travel range value and Max travel range field values are interpreted in these units.
Facilities
The Facilities group includes the following parameters:
Candidate facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service. Candidate facilities usually represent locations at which new facilities will be built or placed, rather than existing facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Capacity at each facility is the amount of demand that can be assigned to a facility. The following parameter options are available:
- Unlimited—No maximum capacity will be applied. All facilities are capable of meeting any amount of demand assigned to them.
- Value—The capacity will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all facilities have the same capacity.
- Field—The capacity for each facility will be determined using a field in the facility layer. Use this option if the capacity varies by facility.
- Capacity amount is the constant value that represents the capacity for the facilities. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Capacity at each facility.
- Capacity field is the field in the facility layer that contains the capacity values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Capacity at each facility.
- Number of candidates to choose is the number of candidate locations that will have demand.
- Some facilities are required specifies whether only candidate facilities are used as inputs (not enabled) or one or more required facilities must be selected (enabled).
Required facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service. Required facilities usually represent existing locations, rather than locations at which new facilities will be built or placed. Required facilities are allocated demand locations before candidate facilities. This parameter is available when Some facilities are required is enabled.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.
Result layers
The Result layers group includes the following parameters:
- Output name determines the name of the layer that is created and added to the map. The name must be unique. If a layer with the same name already exists in your organization, the tool will fail and you will be prompted to use a different name.
- Save in folder specifies the name of a folder in My content where the result will be saved.
Cover a percentage of demand
The Cover a percentage of demand goal includes configurations for analysis settings, demand locations, facilities, and result layers.
Analysis settings
The Analysis settings group includes the following parameters:
- Travel mode is the travel mode used to determine the distance between facilities and demand locations. Travel modes are configured by your ArcGIS administrator and can be based on travel time or travel distance.
- Departure time specifies the date and time that the traveler departs from the facilities or demand locations. This parameter is available for time-based travel modes such as driving time and trucking time and has an impact on the travel speed. The parameter options are as follows:
- Now—Traffic conditions will be based on the current date and time. Live traffic conditions will be used when available.
- Custom date and time—Traffic conditions will be based on the specified date and time. If the custom date and time is within four hours of the current time, live traffic conditions will be used. If the custom date and time is not within four hours of the current date and time, average historical traffic conditions for the day of week and time of day will be used. Use this option to perform analysis with typical traffic conditions. For example, choose 9:00 a.m. on the previous Monday to perform analysis with typical conditions for Mondays at 9:00 a.m.
- Time unspecified—Travel speeds will be based on average historical speeds or the posted speed limit.
Travel direction specifies the direction of travel that will be used to choose the best facilities. The network may have different one-way restrictions, turn restrictions, and travel times depending on the direction of travel that influence which facilities are chosen. The direction you specify depends on the type of analysis.
The parameter options are as follows:- Facilities to demand locations—Travel begins at facilities and moves outward toward demand locations. For example, from fire stations to houses.
- Demand locations to facilities—Travel begins at demand locations and moves inward toward facilities. For example, from houses to library branches.
- Optional barrier layers is used to add features that act as temporary restrictions when traveling on the underlying streets. The Optional barrier layers parameter includes the following subparameters:
- Point barrier layer—Point features that block traffic at a specific position along the street. Travel is permitted on the street but not through the barrier. Examples of point barriers include a fallen tree, a traffic accident, or a downed electrical line.
- Line barrier layer—Line features that block traffic across several street segments. The line barriers prohibit travel anywhere the barriers intersect the streets. Examples of line barriers include a parade or protest.
- Polygon barrier layer—Polygon features that block traffic across entire areas of the street network. The polygon barriers prohibit travel anywhere the polygon intersects the street. Examples of polygon barriers include a flood or forest fire.
You can choose a layer using the Layer button or use the Draw input features button to create a sketch layer to use as the input.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count. For line and polygon barriers, support is determined by the number of intersecting streets rather than the count of features.
Demand locations
The Demand locations group includes the following parameters:
Demand locations layer identifies the point features representing locations that have demand for services offered by the facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Demand at each location specifies how demand will be applied to each demand location. The following parameter options are available:
- Value—The demand will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same demand.
- Field—The demand for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the demand varies by demand location.
- Demand amount is the constant value that represents the amount of demand at all demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Demand field is the field in the demand layer that contains demand values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Demand at each location.
- Max travel range is the travel distance or time limit for each demand location. Any demand locations beyond the maximum travel range will not be allocated. The following parameter options are available:
- Unlimited—No maximum travel range will be applied. Demand will be allocated to facilities until all demand has been allocated, regardless of how far demand locations are from facilities.
- Value—The maximum travel range will be determined using a constant. Use this option if all demand locations have the same maximum travel range.
- Field—The maximum travel range for each location will be determined using a field in the demand layer. Use this option if the maximum travel range varies by demand location.
- Max travel range value is the constant value that represents the maximum travel range for the demand locations. This parameter is available when Value is chosen for Max travel range.
- Max travel range field is the field in the demand layer that contains the maximum travel range values. This parameter is available when Field is chosen for Max travel range.
- Percent of demand to cover (%) specifies the minimum percentage of demand that you want the facilities to capture. The value must be between 0 and 100.
Facilities
The Facilities group includes the following parameters:
Candidate facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service. Candidate facilities usually represent locations at which new facilities will be built or placed, rather than existing facilities.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.- Some facilities are required specifies whether only candidate facilities are used as inputs (not enabled) or one or more required facilities must be selected (enabled).
Required facilities layer identifies the point features representing locations that act as facilities by providing a service. Required facilities usually represent existing locations, rather than locations at which new facilities will be built or placed. Required facilities are allocated demand locations before candidate facilities. This parameter is available when Some facilities are required is enabled.
A count of features is displayed below the layer name. The count includes all features in the layer, except features that have been removed using a filter. Environment settings, such as Processing extent, are not reflected in the feature count.
Result layers
The Result layers group includes the following parameters:
- Output name determines the name of the layer that is created and added to the map. The name must be unique. If a layer with the same name already exists in your organization, the tool will fail and you will be prompted to use a different name.
- Save in folder specifies the name of a folder in My content where the result will be saved.
Limitations
An error will occur if the tool takes more than 240 minutes to run. If this error occurs, try rerunning the analysis with fewer input features, or increase the routing geoprocessing service's usage timeout.
Environments
Analysis environment settings are additional parameters that affect a tool's results. You can access the tool's analysis environment settings from the Environment settings parameter group.
This tool honors the following analysis environments:
- Output coordinate system
- Processing extent
Note:
The default processing extent in Map Viewer is Full extent. This default is different from Map Viewer Classic in which Use current map extent is enabled by default.
Credits
Credits will be consumed if your ArcGIS Enterprise portal is configured to use the ArcGIS Online routing services.
For more information, see Understand credits for spatial analysis.
Outputs
This tool includes the following outputs:
- One point layer showing the assigned facilities
- One point layer showing the allocated demand locations
- One line layer showing the allocation of demand locations to facilities
Licensing requirements
This tool requires the following licensing and configurations:
- Creator or GIS Professional user type
- Publisher or Administrator role, or an equivalent custom role
- Network Analysis privilege
- Location Allocation (Asynchronous)
- Routing utility service
Resources
Use the following resources to learn more:
- How Choose Best Facilities works
- Travel modes
- Choose Best Facilities in ArcGIS REST API
- choose_best_facilities in ArcGIS API for Python
- Location-allocation solver in ArcGIS Pro with the ArcGIS Network Analyst extension