Modernizing the U.S. Census (1995) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
G Use of Decennial Census Data in Transportation Planning
G Use of Decennial Census Data in Transportation Planning
Pages 301-321
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 301... ...
Decennial census data for small areas such as census tracts and traffic analysis zones are used by state and metropolitan transportation planning agencies to meet the provisions of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) , which require a comprehensive transportation planning process at both the state and metropolitan levels.
|
From page 302... ...
Further, travelto-work and vehicle availability data from the census for small areas are used by state and metropolitan planning organizations to prepare vehicular travel and pollutant emissions profiles, compute regional average rates of vehicle occupancy in the commute to work and evaluate the impact of long range transportation plans on air quality in compliance with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Finally, census data on the geographic distribution of persons with work disabilities and mobility limitations are used by local transit operators to provide service levels that are fully accessible to all segments of the population under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
|
From page 303... ...
The DOT contracted with the Bureau of the Census to create a series of special tabulations in a transportation planning package. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
|
From page 304... ...
To increase the utility of the census data for local transportation planning, the Census Bureau developed an innovative procedure to assign incomplete place-of-work responses to census blocks so that they too could be tabulated at the traffic analysis zone level. THE 1990 CENSUS The 1990 census transportation statistics program marked the continued refinement of transportation data available from the census, technical improvement in the geographic coding of place-of-work responses to small areas within metropolitan regions, and the creation and dissemination of innovative transportation data products.
|
From page 305... ...
Two transportation planning packages were produced: statewide packages for each state and the District of Columbia and urban packages for the transportation study area defined by each MPO. Production of the transportation planning packages by the Census Bureau was sponsored by the state departments of transportation under a pooled funding arrangement with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
|
From page 306... ...
, the metropolitan planning organization for the Philadelphia region, has relied on census data for transportation planning and travel forecasting because of rising costs of large-scale data collection such as regional home interviews, employment, and land-use surveys. DVRPC used the 1970 census data to check and validate traffic simulation models for producing traffic analyses based on up-to-date information.
|
From page 307... ...
The DVRPC travel simulation models follow the traditional steps of trip generation, trip distribution, modal split, and travel assignment and utilize the computer programs included in the federally sponsored Urban Transportation Planning System (UTPS)
|
From page 308... ...
Planning agencies and private companies in the Delaware Valley region were interested in obtaining the UTPP information for their various studies. Summary Generally, the 1980 UTPP for the Delaware Valley region contained data of good quality for transportation planning, economic base and employment location studies, urban development analysis, and planning and evaluation of public services.
|
From page 309... ...
workday information is received rather than average workday information. The difference between an average day and a typical day is significant in transportation planning because on an average day some 10-20 percent of all workers may not commute from home to work for one reason or another.
|
From page 310... ...
The census data did not count second jobs and, except in areas where commutershed information was available, the failure to count work trips into the region from counties outside the SMSA resulted in underreporting the volume of travel demands. Problems Inherent in Census Data The 1980 census UTPP journey-to-work data were reviewed extensively and utilized in the transportation planning process in the Washington, DC area.
|
From page 311... ...
USE OF DECENNIAL CENSUS DATA BY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AGENCIES To gain insight into the extent to which 1980 decennial census data were used by transportation planning agencies, we mailed a questionnaire to 28 such agencies throughout the United States. Both state departments of transportation and MPOs were contacted.
|
From page 312... ...
Fifteen of the agencies also responded positively to the three categories that reflect new federal requirements through the Clean Air Act Amendments and the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act-congestion management, transportation control measures, and conformity determination. In regard to agency responses as to the usefulness of the census data in addressing federal requirements, 20 of the 22 responding agencies reported that the data were either essential or very useful in meeting the requirements for the development of statewide or metropolitan area plans.
|
From page 313... ...
Two transportation planning packages were produced: statewide packages for each state and the District of Columbia and urban packages for the transportation study area defined by each metropolitan planning organization. Production of the transportation planning packages by the Census Bureau was sponsored by the state departments of transportation under a pooled funding arrangement with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
|
From page 314... ...
In supporting the ISTEA and the Clean Air Act, as well as other federal legislation such as the National Environmental Protection Act, Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Uniform Relocation Assistance Act, and the Highway Safety Act, decennial census data facilitate a consistent level of responsible federal oversight and review of state and local plans and programs. For example, census data are an important tool in the environment review process required under the National Environmental Protection Act to assess the potential impacts of yet-to-be implemented projects.
|
From page 315... ...
Traffic Congestion Management The ISTEA requires states, in cooperation with metropolitan planning organizations, to develop traffic congestion management systems. Transportation control measures and travel demand management programs often use census data on the journey to work as baseline values from which to establish goals for increasing average vehicle occupancy and for decreasing single occupant vehicles.
|
From page 316... ...
The census provides these data in a consistent manner nationwide. Under the CAAA, preparation of the state implementation plan and the comprehensive urban transportation planning process must be coordinated.
|
From page 317... ...
Heaviest use of the census data was for corridor studies, alternatives analysis, and transit planning application (all 8 of 10~. Nine of the 10 states responding reported that the data were most useful for statewide and regional transportation planning.
|
From page 318... ...
The high levels of current use by both state transportation and metropolitan planning agencies, along with the low cost of obtaining and disseminating the data, lead to the conclusion that abandoning the tradition of nationwide survey uniformity and geographic consistency of data provided by the decennial census would result in high costs and disruption to program development and evaluation at all levels of government.
|
From page 319... ...
Washington, D.C.: Transportation Research Board. 1994 The Use of Decennial Census Data in Transportation Planning.
|
From page 320... ...
16 18 73 82 Uses for the Data As inputs to models 16 18 73 82 As a base year 12 18 S5 82 To develop model parameters 13 18 59 82 As a check of model results 14 19 64 86 Purpose of Use Long-range planning/TIP 15 16 68 73 Corridor studies 16 0 73 91 Alternatives analysis 15 18 68 82 Transit planning 15 0 68 91 Congestion managementa 16 - 73 TCM analysisa - 15 68 Air quality evaluation 13 16 S9 73 Conformity determinationa 15 - 68 Monitoring 12 15 55 68 Other 1 2 5 7 aThese purposes are new federal requirements that were added to census data requirements by legislation enacted since the 1980 census. Source: Wickstrom (1994:Table 4)
|
From page 321... ...
: Statewide and regional transportation plan 20 91 Program development 14 64 Conformity requirements 14 64 Congestion management 15 68 Transit planning 15 68 Traffic control measures 11 50 Alternatives analysis 17 77 Monitoring and evaluation 11 50 Other 4 18 Difficulty to Replace Data (very difficult) : Socioeconomic data (by zone)
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.