Editing Linear referencing (section)

==Limitations==
Consequently, a major limitation of linear referencing is that specifying points that are not on a linear feature is troublesome and error-prone, though not entirely impossible.  Consider for example a ski lodge located 100 meters to the right of the road, traveling north.  The linear referencing system can be extended by specifying a lateral offset, but the absolute location (i.e. coordinates) of the lodge cannot be determined unless coordinates are specified for the road; that process is prone to error particularly on curved roads.

Another major drawback of linear referencing is that a modification in the alignment of a road (e.g. constructing a bypass around a town) changes the measurements that reference all downstream points.  The system requires an extensive network of reference stations, and constant maintenance.  In an era of mobile maps and GPS, this maintenance overhead for linear referencing systems challenges its long-term viability. (But see below for US Federal Highway Administration requirement that all State DOTs use LRS.)

Nonetheless, travel along a road is a linear experience, and at the very least, linear referencing will continue to have a conversational role. Linear referencing systems are recognized by the US Federal government as a valuable tool for specifying right of way data, and are now actually required for the States. Therefore, it is not likely to see LRS usage decline any time soon.