how to use select by location

Question

I'm new to using GIS.

What I'm trying to do is to create a table that shows how far are the schools I have currently highlighted (using the select by location feature) away from the Major arterial Roads and National/state highways in 3 criteria (close 0-300, medium 301-600m and >600m). I've been trying to create a new layer based on select by location- the same way I usually do for select by feature but it doesn't work. Any advice? I've included a screenshot for reference.

Answer 1

First use a definition query to limit your roads to only Major Arterial/Highway. Then use the Near tool to get a distance from your point file (schools) to the line file (roads) The resulting shapefile will return an attribute field called Distance which will be your distance from school to the road. Then join the new fc to your point (schools) fc and then you can use select by attributes (using distance as your attribute)

http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1%20/index.html#//018p00000007000000

http://resources.arcgis.com/EN/HELP/MAIN/10.1/index.html#//000800000048000000

Answer 2

I would do this by creating buffers, and then using select by location:

Step 1: Find the Buffer Tool

Go to ArcToolBox-->Analysis Tools-->Proximity and then you will see 'Buffer'

Step 2: Create Your Buffer -Since you have multiple 'Inputs' (Arterial Roads AND Highways), right click on 'Buffer' and choose 'Batch'. Now you are able to add multiple inputs instead of one.

-Fill in the first 3 columns and leave the rest as default:

Step 3: Run Your Select by Location

I think your buffer should be 'input' and schools should be 'target'. Make sure your condition is 'contained within'. Apologies, this step isn't very specific as I don't have any example data to play around with at the moment.

-Once the schools within this buffer are selected, export them, or add a new field that expresses each school's proximity from a road/highway.

**Repeat this process for your other distances. Hope this helps.