Output true route lines from a Location-allocation analysis

Summary

The Location-allocation analysis only has two output options, Straight Line, or None. This workflow takes the straight line output and creates the true route.

Procedure

1. Run the location-allocation analysis of choice ensuring that there is a name field for the demand and facility points.
   
   
2. In the Table of Contents, right-click the lines generated from the location allocation, export them to a feature class, and add the data to the map.
3. Open the attribute table of the exported lines.
4. Add a new field called Demand and use the following Python syntax in the field calculator:
   a. If you used Facility to Demand: !Name!.partition(" - ")[2]
   b. If you used Demand to Facility: !Name!.partition(" - ")[0]
   
5. 5. Add a new field called Facility and use the following Python syntax in the field calculator:
   a. If you used Facility to Demand: !Name!.partition(" - ")[0]
   b. If you used Demand to Facility: !Name!.partition(" - ")[2]
   
   
6. Run the Spatial Join tool using the following inputs:
   
   a. Target Facilities = the point feature class called Facilities
   b. Join Features = The exported lines
   c. Join Operation = JOIN_ONE_TO_MANY
   d. Match Option = INTERSECT
   
   
7. Click the Network Analyst drop-down and select New Route.
8. In the Network Analyst window, right-click Stops > ‘Load Locations�’.
9. Select the Demand Points to ‘Load From:’ and populate ‘RouteName’ with the Name field used to load the demand points into the location allocation analysis > OK.
   
   
10. Right-click Stops and ‘Load Locations�’ again.
11. Select the output of the Spatial Join tool to ‘Load From:’ and for ‘Name’ select the field called Facility and for ‘RouteName’, select the field added called Demand > OK.
    
    
12. Solve the analysis, the routes are now exact.