Editing Linear referencing (section)

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[[File:Station number on a silt fence, Floyd County, GA.jpg|thumb|A station number written on a [[silt fence]] at a construction site]]

'''Linear referencing''', also called '''linear reference system''' or '''linear referencing system''' ('''LRS'''), is a method of [[spatial referencing]] over linear or curvilinear elements, such as roads or rivers. In LRS, the locations of physical features are described [[Parametric curve|parametrically]] in terms of a single [[curvilinear coordinate]], typically the distance traveled from a fixed point, such as a [[milestone]]. It is an alternative to referencing by [[geographic coordinates]], which would involve two coordinates, latitude and longitude.

Point features (e.g. a signpost) are located by a single distance value while linear features (e.g. a no-passing zone) are delimited by two distance values, corresponding to beginning and end. If the subjacent linear referencing element or route is changed, only the linear coordinates of those locations on the changed segment need to be updated.
Linear referencing is suitable for management of data related to linear features like [[road]]s, [[railway]]s, oil and gas transmission [[Pipeline transport|pipeline]]s, power and [[data transmission]] lines, and [[river]]s.
It is used in [[engineering]], [[construction]], and utilities management.