Bill Davie, Jr., Bureau of the Census, “Error Profile of CFS”

Abstract: Davie provided a presentation on the major features of the Commodity Flow Survey, which is administered by the Census Bureau. This included the survey history, its objectives, industry coverage, sample design (three stages: establishments, weeks, and shipments), data items collected, editing and imputation methodologies, weighting, variance estimation, sample weights, response rates, and changes over time.

Antonio E. Esteve, Consultant, “FHWA Use of Data for Allocation Purposes”

Abstract: Federal-aid highway funds have been distributed to the states based on apportionment factors contained in highway legislation for some time. Esteve discussed the data systems used by the Federal Highway Administration to develop annual mileage and traffic apportionment factors as required by federal legislation in TEA-21, enacted in 1998. The programs described included the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS), the Traffic Monitoring Guide (TMG), the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guidelines for Traffic Data Programs, and the Traffic Monitoring System (TMW) regulation. The factors include interstate lane-miles, interstate vehicle-miles, annual contribution to the highway account, lane-miles, vehicle-miles, diesel fuel used on highways, total lane-miles on principal arteries divided by a state’s population, share of total cost to repair or replace deficient highway bridges, weighted nonattainment and maintenance area population, equal shares to each eligible state, nonhighway recreational fuel use during the preceding year, and urbanized area population. Esteve indicated how the various data systems might be used to estimate international trade carried by highways.

M.J. Fiocco, Department of Transportation, “ITDS: Future Directions”

Abstract: Fiocco presented an overview of the International Trade Data System (ITDS) and Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), which is intended to provide an Internet-based, integrated government-wide trade and transportation data capability. The hope is for this to become the government’s front-end information technology system for all federal trade and border agencies and to provide a single interface with a harmonized federal data set for import, export, and in-transit information on cargoes, conveyances, and crews. The presentation included details on the vision for ITDS/ACE, details on both ACE and ITDS, how the system is being developed, primary uses and users, and the proposed operational environ-