To add to Bob's e-mail Chuck asked:
4. Are there any other GIS and Census related listservs (internet
mailing lists) that are relevant to this discussion?
THE CENSUS BUREAU'S STAFF TAKE QUESTIONS ON TIGER BY E-MAIL AT
tiger(a)census.gov. They are very responsive, and I have found their answers
informative.
Several listserves contain some questions on TIGER from time to time, but I
don't know if anyone solely deals with TIGER/Line.
Thank you Bob!
Nanda Srinivasan
>>> rlamacchia(a)geo.census.gov 01/02/01 01:04PM >>>
See the answers that I have for Chuck's message below.
Bob L.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net [ mailto:owner-ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net]On
Behalf Of Chuck Purvis (MTC)
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001 12:23 PM
To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
Subject: [CTPP] TIGER 2000 redistricting release
To: CTPP-News
>From the Census Bureau's 12/29/00 "Tipsheet":
"Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line Files -- The Redistricting
Census 2000 TIGER/Line files, intended to support the needs of state
redistricting efforts, are being released by state. Files for all 50
states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will be available
over the next several weeks. These files do not contain Census 2000
population data."
The Census Bureau is releasing the new Census 2000 TIGER/line files,
for redistricting purposes. As of this morning (1/2/01), data for
seven states has been released (IN, LA, NJ, NY, OH, TX, VA).
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/index.html
I've reviewed the metadata and caveats regarding these "Redistricting
TIGER Files" and have some questions. Apparently these are the
"semi-final" TIGER 2000 files, and don't include the final address
ranges or the ZCTAs (zip code areas.), but:
THIS IS MISLEADING. THESE ARE FINAL FILES. THE ONLY ITEM MISSING IS THE
ZCTAS (YET TO BE DELINEATED). IN ADDITION, THERE WILL BE SOME MORE TWEAKING
OF THE ADDRESS RANGES WHICH SHOULD IMPROVE GEOCODING IN A FEW AREAS WHERE
THERE IS NO COVERAGE IN THE REDISTRICTING CENSUS 2000 TIGER/LINE FILES.
THIS ADDITIONAL TWEAKING IS BASED UPON THE FINAL MASTER ADDRESS FILE (THE
LAST TWEAKING WAS DONE IN THE SUMMER OF 2000 BASED UPON THE MASTER ADDRESS
FILE AT THAT TIME). SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS OF TIGER/LINE, AS ALWAYS, WILL HAVE
ADDITIONAL ADDRESS RANGE TWEAKING.
1. Do these TIGER files include the "final" Census Tracts, Block
Groups, Blocks that will be used in PL 94-171, SF-1, etc, ?
YES.
2. Do these TIGER files include the "final" validated travel analysis
zones that we've been working on?
YES
3. We're working in ArcView 3.x at my agency. There is a shareware
Arcview extension "TIGER Reader" (dated 12/7/98) by
www.mapclick.com , that I downloaded from ESRI's site. I was able to
import the TIGER 2000 data using MapClick's extension for some
county in Louisiana, but I'm not sure that this extension is working
perfectly with TIGER 2000 (and I haven't been able to access
mapclick's web site....) So, are there any users out there who know
about other more recent ArcView extensions to read in raw TIGER 2000
files, or can provide any other advice?
I WOULD NOT EXPECT THE EXTENSION TO WORK CORRECTLY. WE USE GIS TOOLS TO
MAKE SHAPE FILES, AND THE LATEST VERSION WORKS.
4. Are there any other GIS and Census related listservs (internet
mailing lists) that are relevant to this discussion?
5. *When* do we know when the TIGER files (and PL 94-171 files) for
our state are ready? Do I have to visit the Census Bureau's web site
once in a while to check out what's new? What about the Census Bureau
instituting some sort of "user notification system" that notifies
users when their relevant data files are now available (i.e., data
files released by state.) Or does this system exist already?
THEY ALL SHOULD BE OUT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS (MID JANUARY)
Thanks in advance & Happy New Years to All!
Chuck Purvis, MTC (SF Bay Area)
*******************************************************
e-mail: cpurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov
Chuck Purvis, AICP
Senior Transportation Planner/Analyst, Planning Section
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
101 Eighth Street, Oakland, CA 94607-4700
(510) 464-7731 (voice) (510) 464-7848 (fax)
WWW: http://www.mtc.ca.gov/
MTC DataMart: http://www.mtc.ca.gov/datamart/
MTC FTP Site: ftp://ftp.abag.ca.gov/pub/mtc/planning/
*******************************************************
Two important documents are now posted. First, is the end-of-the-year
newsletter-- "status report". Rather than tell you what is in it, just
take a look. Here is the direct link.
http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census/newsltr/sr1200.html It is also
posted as a PDF file which is accessible through the main web page.
(http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census/)
The second and more important document is the long awaited "draft"
content for the CTPP standard tabulations. There is an article about
the draft content in the "status report". The direct link to the
content material can be found at
http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census/content.html
Enjoy--as always the CTPP working group welcomes comments.
January 7th marks the beginning of the 80th Annual Meeting of the
Transportation Research Board. The Subcommittee on Census Data for
Transportation Planning will hold its meeting on Monday, January 8th
2001, between 8:00 AM and noon in the Bancroft Room of the Washington
Hilton. The agenda is attached.
Issues on the agenda include; the coding process going on in
Jefferersonville Indiana, the upcoming changes to Urban Area Definitions
and a presentation of the Census Bureau's online data dissemination
system known as the American FactFinder. In addition, we will bring
people up to date on the Census Transportation Planning Package and will
have some spirited discussion of the American Community Survey (and its
future) as well as the subcommittee's research initiatives.
Just as in past year's we will share the information that comes out of
our meeting on this list serve as well as in the "status report"
newsletter which can be found online at
http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census/
If you will be in Washington for the TRB meeting feel free to drop in on
our meeting.
---------
Ed Christopher (Subcommittee Chair)
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
202-366-0412
The TRB Committee on Travel Survey Methods (A1D10) requests your participation in an Internet-based survey of transportation surveys. This survey is directed toward MPOs and State DOTs.
This voluntary effort supports the sharing of information among transportation agencies on surveys conducted by local, state, and regional organizations and follows from the work conducted by Chuck Purvis in 1989 (TRR 1271). This study also builds on research done by Peter Stopher for NCHRP Synthesis 236 and the TMIP sponsored Cambridge Systematics report, *Scan of Recent Travel Surveys* (DOT-T-97-08) in 1996.
The survey will only take a few minutes to complete and we encourage all of you to participate. We would like to get as large a response as possible. You can access the survey at:
http://production2.voxco.com/online/nustats.mpo
The internet survey was developed by A1D10 committee members Johanna Zmud, David Pearson, and Elaine Murakami. Heather Contrino of NuStats worked on the implementation. David Pearson at TTI has volunteered to compile the results.
Although it is a time when many people are on holiday, PLEASE TRY TO RESPOND BY JANUARY 5. Thank you for your time and help with this effort!!!!
A lot of e-mail discussing DVD-reader has come my way. Someone suggests the
DVD reader costs $7,000 now,having come down from the initial price of about
$15,000.
This makes me wonder whether the computer I purchased last year with DVD
reader (4.8X DVD ROM Drive) is different from what you guys are talking
about. It is a Gateway GP7-500 with DVD Drive, CD Read/Write, Zip Drive, and
31/2 Floppy Drive). This was purchased for a little over $3,00.00. Will this
DVD Drive not be able to read CTPP data on DVD?
-----Original Message-----
From: Elaine Murakami [mailto:Elaine.Murakami(a)igate.fhwa.dot.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2000 1:57 PM
To: CTpp-news(a)chrispy.net
Subject: [CTPP] data on DVD
1. Yes, I agree that everyone should be putting a computer with a
DVD-reader into their computer budgets for 2002/2003. By then, the costs
will be much lower than today's prices.
2. While some CTPP may be released on DVD, the greatest likelihood is that
initial data release will be on CDs. The general concept is that initial
data release will be on CD, but when there is complete data for the nation,
it may fit on 1 or 2 DVDs and would be "re-released."
DVD-ROM drives currently are priced between $75 to $200. Price differences
often relate to the speed (how fast it accesses the data) of the drive.
DVD can have different capacities ranging from 4.7 to 17 Gigabytes vs 650
Megabytes (or 0.650 Gigabytes) for CD-ROMs
learn more here:
http://peripherals.about.com/compute/peripherals/library/weekly/aa062099.htm
a good site to learn about DVD:
http://peripherals.about.com/compute/peripherals/cs/dvdinfo/index.htm
A faq sheet on DVD:
http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
specific to DVD-ROM
http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#2
oranikae(a)dot.state.al.us asks, "Will this DVD Drive not be able to read CTPP
data on DVD?"
Your DVD-ROM drive should be able to read CTPP data on DVD
***************************************************************
Mark J. Sarmiento (202.366.4828)
Office of Intermodal & Statewide Programs
Federal Highway Administration
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep10mark.sarmiento(a)fhwa.dot.gov
****************************************************************
>>> oranikae(a)dot.state.al.us 12/14 10:58 AM >>>
A lot of e-mail discussing DVD-reader has come my way. Someone suggests the
DVD reader costs $7,000 now,having come down from the initial price of about
$15,000.
This makes me wonder whether the computer I purchased last year with DVD
reader (4.8X DVD ROM Drive) is different from what you guys are talking
about. It is a Gateway GP7-500 with DVD Drive, CD Read/Write, Zip Drive, and
31/2 Floppy Drive). This was purchased for a little over $3,00.00. Will this
DVD Drive not be able to read CTPP data on DVD?
-----Original Message-----
From: Elaine Murakami [mailto:Elaine.Murakami(a)igate.fhwa.dot.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2000 1:57 PM
To: CTpp-news(a)chrispy.net
Subject: [CTPP] data on DVD
1. Yes, I agree that everyone should be putting a computer with a
DVD-reader into their computer budgets for 2002/2003. By then, the costs
will be much lower than today's prices.
2. While some CTPP may be released on DVD, the greatest likelihood is that
initial data release will be on CDs. The general concept is that initial
data release will be on CD, but when there is complete data for the nation,
it may fit on 1 or 2 DVDs and would be "re-released."
My understanding is that a DVD holds about 11 CDs. That's what John
Kavaliunas said last week. Yeah, we all need to order those DVD drives...
Patty Becker
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patricia C. (Patty) Becker 248/354-6520
APB Associates/SEMCC FAX 248/354-6645
28300 Franklin Road Home 248/355-2428
Southfield, MI 48034 pbecker(a)umich.edu
1. Yes, I agree that everyone should be putting a computer with a DVD-reader into their computer budgets for 2002/2003. By then, the costs will be much lower than today's prices.
2. While some CTPP may be released on DVD, the greatest likelihood is that initial data release will be on CDs. The general concept is that initial data release will be on CD, but when there is complete data for the nation, it may fit on 1 or 2 DVDs and would be "re-released."
To: CTPP listserv
This message about Census 2000 data on DVD is from the Bureau's
"Monthly Product Announcement" e-mail newsletter. Subscribe at:
http://www.census.gov/mp/www/subscribe.html#SUB
It may be useful to request a DVD drive when it's time to upgrade
your computer....
This may be an idea for distributing the CTPP 2000, since in the last
go-around (in 1990) the CTPP/urban element comprised about 33 CDs;
and the CTPP/statewide element was another 12 CDs!! (How many DVDs
are the equivalent of 45 CDs?)
Chuck Purvis, MTC
>From the Monthly Product Announcement (October 2000, released
12/12/00).
"DVD
The Census Bureau will release some of its TIGER/LINE and Census 2000
geographic and data products on DVD. This will save customers money
in the purchase of Census Bureau products; however, it will require
computers equipped with a DVD reader."
************
Chuck, Here is some information regarding DVD's that I received from our computer folks.
1) Will a DVD drive read an "old-fashioned" CD-ROM? If not, will we need a DVD/CD drive?
Yes, a DVD can read a CD-ROM. You can get a CD-RW+DVD Player for $249.
2) What are we looking at in terms of cost for DVD writers?
You can get a DVD Copier for around $7,000 (they used to cost $15,000 last year). Or you can get a DVD-Writer for around $6,000.
3) What options do we have for DVD writers? I have heard mention of high compression and low compression writers but haven't been able to get a handle on what that means.
Compression is any method of reducing the amount of space needed to record or transmit information. In DVDs, video is compressed using a process called variable bit rate encoding, which allots a changing number of bits to enhance resolution in a given scene. Scenes with lots of light or little action require less hits than dark scenes or those with lots of action.
For DVD Writers, there are five recordable versions of DVD-ROM: DVD-R for General, DVD-R for Authoring, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. All can read DVD-ROM discs, but each uses a different type of disc for recording. DVD-R can record data once (sequentially only), while DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW can be rewritten thousands of times.
4) What is the cost of blank DVD's?
It depends on the brand and capacity. A Panasonic 5.2GB is about $30. A Panasonic 2.6GB is about $19.
If you want further information, here's a pretty good site: http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
Javier Minjares
Information Services
