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Key Transportation Indicators Summary of a Workshop (2002) / Chapter Skim
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5 General Discussion
Pages 28-33

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From page 28...
... Tennessee studied four cities for 2 years, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; the data collection and processing were essentially automated. There were many problems and statistical issues to be resolved, but these data can be used to develop national measures of congestion performance, first for major cities and for the highest-order highways, but eventually extending out to smaller areas over the years.
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From page 29...
... He observed that since a consensus cannot be reached on what the existing data actually mean, BTS should not start working on economic indicators right away. Nathaniel Schenker stated that the Consumer Price Index and the unemployment rate are good models to follow in developing transportation indicators.
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From page 30...
... This method uses a primitive injury scale, one that is highly unreliable; it is important that more reliable scales are put in place. Kenneth Campbell stated that an indicator would be successful if a good conceptual or theoretical model backs it.
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From page 31...
... Rolf Schmitt observed that the fundamental statistics BTS can provide are annual, and eventually quarterly, estimates of total transportation activity. That means tons, value, and distance of goods moved in the United States; trips, travelers, distances traveled; and frequency and distance of vehicle movements.
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From page 32...
... It is important to consider quality before data are released. Alan Pisarski suggested that BTS provide a national summarization of the fundamental services provided by transportation.
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From page 33...
... lanes Norwood closed the workshop by noting that when developing indicators, it is important to know their audience and their purpose. Even if data are gathered and packaged on a national level, it is important to have disaggregated data available, because such data affect the ways in which people use and think about transportation.
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Key Terms

  • transportation industries
  • developing indicators
  • economic indicators
  • growth indicators
  • national measures

  • transportation services
  • pisarski suggested
  • statistical issues
  • douglas robertson
  • bts packages

  • transportation activity
  • kenneth campbell
  • imperfect indicator
  • cars pass
  • schematic representation

  • lindsay griffin
  • safety trends
  • miles traveled
  • injury data
  • affects transportation

  • major cities
  • traffic data
  • stimulating economic
  • incorporate changes
  • loop detectors

  • eberts commented
  • miller suggested
  • industry sectors
  • barbara fraumeni
  • thomas palmerlee


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