How We Travel A Sustainable National Program for Travel Data (2011) / Chapter Skim
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5 Strategy for Improved Travel Data
5 Strategy for Improved Travel Data
Pages 109-118
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From page 109... ...
This proposed funding level represents an annual increase of about $9–14 million over current federal spending of about $6 million on core travel data collection activities. The next reauthorization of surface transportation legislation provides an opportu nity to secure the necessary funding.
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From page 110... ...
Nor are results always timely, leaving decision makers with no choice but to make decisions with inadequate and outdated data support. Recommendation 1: A National Travel Data Program should be organized and sustained, built on a core of essential national passenger and freight travel data sponsored at the federal level and well integrated with travel data collected by the states, MPOs, transit and other local agencies, and the private sector.
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From page 111... ...
DOT should work cooperatively with public agencies at all governmental levels, private-sector data providers, and professional and nonprofit associations to organize and implement a National Travel Data Program. The proposed program would advance the current travel data collection system by employing more consistent data definitions, stronger quality controls, better integration of data sets, and more strategic use of privately collected data.
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From page 112... ...
BTS was created in 1991 as the federal statistical agency for transportation, although it has not had the sustained leadership, resources, and staffing necessary to carry out its mission. Nevertheless, with their focus across all modes and their coordinating statistical role, RITA and BTS, respectively, have the capability, with sustained funding and appropriate staffing, to develop the next generation of passenger and freight travel surveys and data collection activities.
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From page 113... ...
Some of the key barriers to data collection include declining response rates on surveys, privacy and disclosure issues that make it difficult to collect travel data at the level of detail required by some users, the proprietary nature of data collected by the private sector, the challenge of capturing the complexity of travel behavior itself, and the lack of standardization that hampers greater pooling of data from multiple sources. New approaches for overcoming these barriers include media campaigns and incentives to improve survey response rates, as well as greater use of technology to reduce respondent burden (e.g., online surveys and electronic reporting)
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From page 114... ...
. This research should also include determining the optimal frequency of surveys and updates, pilot testing new techniques, determining the requirements for a national data architecture and clearinghouse function to facilitate the integration of data sets, examining prospects for contracting with private vendors for data collection, and uncovering opportunities for gathering travel data from other federal data collection programs and the private sector.
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From page 115... ...
Finding 8: The next reauthorization of surface transportation legislation offers the opportunity to secure the new funding, building on the need for better data to support performance-based decision making. The proposed funding represents an increase of about $9–14 million over current annual federal spending of about $6 million on core travel data collection activities.
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From page 116... ...
The Advisory Council should have a broad membership, including representatives of all governmental levels, the private sector, universities, and professional associations and advocacy groups. In addition to its advisory role, it should provide feedback on data issues as they arise, assist in identifying emerging transportation problems and opportunities and related data needs, and help communicate the value of good data.
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From page 117... ...
A Strategy for Improved Travel Data 117 Now is an opportune time to move forward with the National Travel Data Program proposed in this report. With leadership commitment at the Secretarial level, a new Advisory Council, and a legislative mandate already in place, U.S.
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