CTPP

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3075 discussions

by Chuck Purvis

To: CTPP-News This announcement is being distributed to a number of listservs. Please forgive duplication through cross-postings. ===================================== APDU'99 Annual Meeting APDU'99: 24th Annual Conference of the Association of Public Data Users, will be held October 24-27, 1999. The location is the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Historic District Alexandria, 625 First Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. This year's theme is "Responsible Data Use: Protecting the Future of Public Data?" A preliminary program, accommodations, and registration information is available via the APDU homepage (http://www.apdu.org) in the section "What We Do." Note that the cutoff for hotel reservations at the conference rate is Friday October 8 and the cutoff for receiving a reduced conference registration fee is Tuesday October 5. Individuals who normally receive a printed conference brochure should have already received those materials. For information on joining APDU or further information about the conference, contact: Teresa Hall Allen / TeresaH(a)smdi.com, phone: (703)-807-2327 APDU was founded in 1976 to serve the users, producers and disseminators of government statistical data by assisting users in the identification and application of public data; establishing communication linkages between data producers and users; and bringing the perspectives and concerns of public data users to bear on issues of government information and statistical policy. APDU consists of representatives from many academic, governmental, commercial and private sectors. Some APDU'99 conference highlights include keynote speaker Ken Prewitt, Director, Bureau of the Census; and sessions on statistical literacy, public policy perspectives on the year 2000 Census, public access to scientific data (revisions to OMB Circular A-110), the impact of welfare reform legislation on states, electronic products from the 2000 Census, and intensive hands-on roundtable sessions on the American Community Survey, UNICON's CPS applications, promoting statistical policy, and PDQ- Explore. This year's conference co-chairs are Lisa Neidert of the University of Michigan (lisan(a)umich.edu) and Steve Dienstfrey of Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas, Inc.(s.dienstfrey(a)srbi.com). We look forward to seeing you at APDU'99!

26 years

[CTPP] Census 2000 News Alert

by Ed Christopher

From: Census2000 <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> Government Auditors Examine Census 2000 Funding Request Senate Weighs in on 'Marital Status' Question; Race Tabulations Set for Redistricting Data The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) last week issued a report on the increased cost of Census 2000 following a Supreme Court decision that forced the Census Bureau to revise its plan. The analysis, requested by House Census Subcommittee Chairman Dan Miller (R-FL), examines the extra $1.7 billion the Bureau says it needs in fiscal year 2000 (FY00) to conduct a traditional census, without sampling methods, for purposes of congressional apportionment. The Bureau's original FY00 budget request was for $2.8 billion; it revised the Census 2000 plan after the Supreme Court ruled in January that federal law barred the use of sampling to produce the population totals used for congressional apportionment. GAO auditors found that the $1.7 billion requested cost increase "resulted primarily from changes in assumptions relating to a substantial increase in workload, reduced employee productivity, and increased advertising." They noted that the Bureau expected to visit 46 million instead of 30 million unresponsive households under the revised plan, including 12 million whose characteristics would have been estimated under the original census plan, and another 4 million addresses identified as vacant or nonexistent by the Postal Service. New quality control programs, such as re-interviewing a sample of households, also added to the cost, although the GAO said it is not clear if the new activities would increase census accuracy. Overall, the expected workload increase resulted in higher cost estimates for salaries and benefits, travel, data processing, supplies, and infrastructure requirements (such as office space and telephone capacity). The Bureau's revised budget request for FY00 also includes an extra $72 million for more advertising, which it hopes will increase public awareness and voluntary response. However, the Bureau did not assume any potential cost savings from a better-than-expected response rate, the GAO said. The GAO reported that a 20 percent reduction in assumed productivity for enumerators - from 1.28 to 1.03 households per hour - contributed substantially to the added cost. According to the GAO, the Bureau did not provide documentation to support the productivity rates, relying instead on "senior management judgments" that the Bureau described as "very conservative." In a letter to the GAO commenting on a draft of the report, Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt said the productivity assumptions "represent prudent management," citing "an unyielding calendar" and a "mail response rate [that] is largely out of our control." Overall, the Bureau concurred with the information set forth in the GAO study. In a statement issued after the study was released, Dr. Prewitt said, "I can report to the American public that we have the budget right, our plan is launched, and we are on schedule and on track for Census 2000." He called on Americans to "take ownership of this census" to produce the most accurate and cost-effective count possible. According to the Bureau's written statement, GAO found that only $104 million, or six percent, of the $1.7 billion cost increase was not related to the prohibition on sampling for congressional apportionment purposes. The GAO also reported that the projected cost per housing unit for Census 2000 is four times greater than in 1970 and twice as much as in 1990. The GAO calculated (in constant fiscal year 1998 dollars) a cost of $13 per housing unit for the 1970 census, $31 for 1990, and a projected $56 for 2000. (Census costs are based on the full cycle of census planning, implementation, and data dissemination, which for Census 2000 will run from 1991 - 2003.) Congressional reaction to the GAO study was sharply divided. In a written statement, Rep. Miller said "the Bureau appears to be on shaky fiscal ground." As evidence, he said the Census Bureau "ignor[ed]" the 1997 requirement that the Bureau prepare for a census with and without sampling methods, "lower[ed] productivity rates without justification," and failed to include any cost savings that might result if more advertising increases response rates. "Contrary to claims from the Commerce Department, faulty Bureau assumptions and questionable cost estimates by Bureau managers are not the result of the Supreme Court's decision," Rep. Miller said. The chairman said the Bureau should receive its full funding request for the coming year, but that a thorough audit of the agency might be necessary in the future. "[I]f not for the Republican Congress," he concluded, "the entire census would have been completed illegally and cost billions to repeat." The census subcommittee's senior Democrat, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), also released a written statement, saying the GAO "verified the accuracy of the Census Bureau's financial plan" for Census 2000. "[T]he GAO determined that the Census Bureau's internal cost model calculations were both accurately drafted and reasonable projections," the congresswoman stated. Referring to the likelihood that Congress will have to pass a short-term spending bill to keep most federal agencies running beyond the end of the fiscal year on September 30, Rep. Maloney said the Bureau "needs and deserves funding which is adequate, consistent, and predictable." To obtain copies of "Census 2000: Analysis of Fiscal Year 2000 Budget Amendment" (GAO/AIMD/GGD-99-291), write to U.S. General Accounting Office, P.O. Box 37050, Washington, D.C. 20013; call 202/512-6000; or visit the GAO website at <http://www.gao.gov>. The first copy of each report is free. Census questions still target of congressional concern: The U.S. Senate approved an amendment to the Transportation Department spending bill, expressing its collective opinion that the Census Bureau should continue to ask all Americans about their marital status by collecting the information on the census short form that goes to all households. The Census 2000 long form that will be sent to one in six households includes a question on marital status. Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC), sponsor of the resolution, said, "It is irresponsible for the U.S. government to suggest or imply that marriage is no longer significant or important, but that is precisely the message that will go out if marital status is eliminated from the short form. ..Americans should be disturbed that the U.S. Census Bureau obviously no longer regards marriage as having any importance." The non-binding 'Sense of the Senate' resolution was adopted on September 15th by a 94 - 0 vote. In a statement on the Senate floor the next day, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) said that moving the marital status question from the short form (in 1990) to the long form (in 2000) was "hardly a frivolous decision," but rather was an effort by the Bureau "to comply with Congressional mandates." The long form produces data for areas as small as 'block groups,' while short form data is produced for areas as small as blocks, a level of detail that is needed primarily for redistricting. Following the 1990 count, Congress criticized the length of the census forms and directed the Census Bureau to reduce the amount of data gathered. In response, the Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget (which oversees federal data activities) decided to collect only data mandated or required by Federal law or Federal court decisions in the 2000 census. The marital status question was moved from the short to the long form because the data is not needed at the block level. As required by law, the Census Bureau submitted to Congress on March 31, 1997 (three years before Census Day) the subject matters it intended to include on the short and long forms. It submitted on March 30, 1998 (two years before Census Day) the actual questions it would include on each form, also as required by law. The Bureau did not receive any comments from Congress on the proposed shift of the marital status question. When the Senate adopted the Helms resolution on September 15, 1999, the Census Bureau had already printed almost 250 million questionnaires for Census 2000. 'Sense of Congress' resolutions do not have the force of law. The Helms amendment does not actually require the Bureau to change the forms. 'Sense of Congress' provisions in spending bills often are dropped by House-Senate conference committees that must produce a final measure; however, USA Today reported on September 23rd that members of the House Family Caucus might champion a similar resolution in that chamber. Race/ethnic tabulations set for redistricting data: After consultations with the U.S. Department of Justice and other stakeholders, the Census Bureau has decided to provide data for 63 race categories, combined with the separate Hispanic origin responses, in the block-level data transmitted to the States for redistricting by April 1, 2001. The 63 categories represent all of the possible single and multiple responses to the race question (there are five distinct races, plus "Some other race"); each category is then identified as "of Hispanic origin" or "not of Hispanic origin." (Hispanic is considered an ethnicity, not a race, in the federal standards on the collection of race and ethnic data.) The redistricting files (often called P.L. 94-171 data, after the public law requiring the information) also include voting age tabulations (18 years of age and over). Census Bureau staff are continuing their discussions about how to tabulate responses to the race question for all other Census 2000 data products. Other tabulation methods being considered include the "all inclusive" distribution (multiple-race responses would be assigned to each of the selected single race categories, resulting in totals that exceed 100 percent of respondents), and the "single race" distribution (single race responses would be reported independently, and all multiple-race responses would be included in a category called, "Two or more races.") State legislative activity update: The State of Alaska has asked the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) to approve a new law prohibiting the use of census numbers derived with sampling methods for post-census redistricting. Alaska enacted Senate Bill 99 last spring after Governor Tony Knowles (D) returned the measure without his signature to the state legislature, allowing the broader redistricting bill to become law despite his opposition to the anti-sampling provision. Alaska is one of 16 states covered in whole or in part by section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which requires approval from USDOJ for any changes to election law. The 'pre-clearance' process is intended to prevent changes that have the purpose or effect of denying or abridging the right to vote of racial, ethnic, or language minorities. Because Alaska has only one representative in Congress, the new law would affect the redrawing of state Senate and House of Representatives district lines if it passes USDOJ muster. USDOJ has 60 days after a state submits the law to approve or disapprove the measure, or to ask for additional information. Congressional hearing scheduled on address list program: The House Subcommittee on the Census will hold a hearing on September 29 to review the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) program. The LUCA program was designed to involve local governments in developing the nationwide address list (called the 'Master Address File,' or MAF) for Census 2000, essentially replacing the pre-census and post-census Local Review operations used in 1990. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in room 2247 Rayburn House Office Building. Questions about the information contained in this News Alert may be directed to TerriAnn Lowenthal at 202/484-2270 or, by e-mail at terriann2k(a)aol.com . For copies of previous News Alerts and other information, use our web site www.census2000.org <http://www.census2000.org>. Please direct all requests to receive News Alerts, and all changes in address/phone/fax/e-mail, to the Census 2000 Initiative at Census2000(a)ccmc.org or 202/326-8700. Please feel free to circulate this information to colleagues and other interested individuals.

26 years

[CTPP] Reg: TAZ Submissions.

by Srinivasan

Attention: All agencies participating in theTAZ-UP Program Attached is a list of all agencies that have asked for an extension for submission of TAZ equivalency files to October 29, 1999. If your agency is not on this list, and you have not submitted your TAZ equivalency file, and would like to avail the extension, please send an e-mail to ctpp(a)fhwa.dot.gov by Friday, October 1, 1999. All agencies not on this list are expected to submit their plans by October 1. If you have already submitted your equivalency file to the Census Bureau and have received their confirmation on the transfer, please ignore this e-mail. Please direct all your questions (or notify any errors) on this issue to Nanda Srinivasan at 202 - 366-5021. Androscoggin Valley COG,Jesse Jacobs Association of Monterey Bay Area Government,Todd Muck Atlanta Regional Commission,Stefanie Allen Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission,Jeffrey C. Agee-Aguayo Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study,John Sterbentz Central Midlands COG,Ben Mauldin Central Virginia Planning District Commission,Lee Hood Capps Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Comm,Mark Wilkes Chattanooga-Hamilton County MPO,Greg Weathersby Chicago Area Transportation Study,Dean Englund Columbus MPO,Michael Felschow Department of Planning and Community Development,Don Chapman Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO,Felix C. Nwoko Flagstaff MPO, David Wessel Genesse County MPC,E. Raymond Lenze Grand Junction-Mesa County MPO,Cliff Davidson Greenville County Planning Commission,Jim D'Amato Hampton Roads Planning District Commission,Mike Kimbrel Huntsville MPO,James E. Moore Johnson County COG,Kevin L. Doyle Kentuckiana Reg. Planning and Development Agency,Lori A. Kelsey KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission,James Roueche/Salahmeh S Lincoln-Lancaster MPO,Mike Brienzo McAllen/Pharr/Edinburg MPO,Edward L. Molitor Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities Area,Robert J. Paddock Mid-Ohio RPC,Nancy Reger Montana Department of Transportation,Lynn Zanto Mountainland Association of Governments,Shawn Eliot Naples-Collier County MPO,John Bussiere North Carolina Department of Transportation,Mike Bruff Northwest AL -Council of Local Government,Melissa Bailey Northwestern IN Regional Planning Commission,Lauren Rhein Ocala-Marion County MPO,Ann Mcgassic Palm Beach MPO, Paul Larsen Polk Transportation Planning Organization,Tom Deardorff Pueblo Area Council of Governments,Don Vest Regional Planning Commission,James Harvey Santa Barbara County Association of Governments,Bill Yim Santa Fe MPO,Reed Liming South AL Regional Planning Commission/Mobile MPO,Kevin Harrison Southeast Michigan COG,Edward Limoges Springfield-Sangamon County RPC,Veralee Williams Stanislaus council of Governments,Chip Sellers Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council,Danielle Zebley Transportation Advisory Committee -Burlington,Bob Harkrader Transportation Advisory Committee -Gastonia,Elizabeth Grad/RobertCook Transportation Advisory Committee -Greensboro,Kenneth King/Tyler Meyer Transportation Advisory Committee -Rocky Mount,Bob League Waccamaw RPC,Mark Hoewleler Wasatch Front Regional Council,Wayne Bennion Washoe County RTC,Judy Althoff West Piedmont Planning District Commission,Robert W. Dowd Yakima Valley Conference of Governments,Wallace F. Webster Yuma MPO,John Gross Thank You, Nanda Srinivasan

26 years

[CTPP] IMPORTANT! Employer Files for Workplace Geocoding

by Phillip A.Salopek

To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net cc: Subject: IMPORTANT! Employer Files for Workplace Geocoding The Census Bureau Population Division and ESRI are in the process of developing a custom extension to the ArcView GIS called Workplace-Update (Work-UP). MPOs and State DOTs (if interested) will be asked to use Work-UP to review and update the commercial employer database Census has leased from InfoUSA (formerly ABI). This file includes all sizes of employers, even those with 1-5 employees. The purpose of Work-Up is to take advantage of local knowledge to improve the database before it is used in workplace geocoding in Census 2000. This in turn will improve the quality of workplace data contained in the Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP). We expect that most agencies will find it less labor intensive to review the Census-provided employer file, rather than build a file from scratch as they were asked to do for the 1980 and 1990 censuses. However, some agencies may already have a locally-maintained employer file, which may be better (more complete and up-to-date) than the file Census has obtained. The question of how to deal with these local files has significant implications for the development work to be done in creating the Work-UP extension. We cannot guarantee that the Work-Up software will include a feature to use local employer files, but we would like a good estimate of how many MPOs and State DOTs will be affected if it is not included in the software. Therefore, if you have a local file we ask you to respond to the following questions. 1. Do you have a locally maintained employer file for your region that you would prefer to use? What counties does it cover? 2. To use the file instead of the Census employer file, you will need to re-format the file to meet the standard file structure (field names, field length, and position) Census is using in Work-UP. Your file will also have to be geocoded using TIGER/Line 98. Would you be willing to perform these tasks on your file before using Work-Up? 3. Do you think your agency would also be interested in reviewing the Census file, or would you only want your file used in Census 2000? If you have a local employer file which you would prefer to use, please send your replies to these questions to Clara Reschovsky at clara.a.reschovsky(a)ccmail.census.gov by close of business, Tuesday, September 28, 1999. We apologize for requesting such a quick response, but the development schedule for Work-UP is very tight and we need to address this issue now. Thank You.

26 years

Re: [CTPP] UTPP documentation

by gloria_a_swieczkowski/pop/hq/boc_at_boc＠ccmail.census.gov

Dear Mr. Reim, Unfortunately, we only have the documentation for the 1980 UTPP in printed format. We would be happy to make a copy and send it to you. If you have scanning capability, it could be scanned and converted into a machine readable format. If you do not have scanning capability, please let us know and we could do this for you. Please let us know what you would like us to do. Gloria Swieczkowski Journey-to-Work and Migration Statistics Branch Population Division Bureau of the Census

26 years

[CTPP] Attention: All agencies using TAZ-UP for TAZ definition for CTPP 2000

by Srinivasan

To: All agencies using TAZ-UP for TAZ definition for CTPP 2000 By now most of you are completing the TAZ definition for the Census Bureau using TAZ-UP. As you proceed to complete your plans, please remember to store and archive your TAZ-UP directories. In early 2000, phase II of the TAZ definition program will be the opportunity for you to verify that TIGER/Line 99 has correctly added your TAZs, and for you to submit changes, if needed. Because the new version of TAZ-UP for the verification phase will use the files you submit in October *99, it is important to keep a copy of these files and have them available in January 2000. Also, please make sure you will have adequate room on your hard drive when TIGER/Line 99 files arrive January-March, 1999 because you will need to have both- Files processed from TIGER/Line 98 and the new files processed from TIGER/Line 99 for verification. Thank You, Nanda Srinivasan

26 years

[CTPP] TransCAD TAZ Procedures

by Sweson Yang

I have completed TAZ updates for all 8 Counties in the Indianapolis Metro Area using TransCAD 3.5 District Manager Phase 2 Utilities developed by the Caliper Corp. Significant time saving was achieved through tagging atomized polygons. Attached is a copy of procedures used in Indianapolis. It has been expanded to cover joint operations of coding statewide zones in addition to MPO zones. It also touches on how to code statewide zones in non-MPO Counties. Sweson Yang, AICP Chief Transportation Planner Indianapolis Metro Planning Organization Phone: (317)327-5137 FAX: (317)327-5103 e-Mail: syang(a)IndyGov.org

26 years

[CTPP] UTPP documentation

by Paul Reim

We are starting a Y2K-induced retirement of our IBM mainframe. In preparation, I have begun to offload all of our Census data from 9 track tape to CD, and would like to include document files for all of the datasets on the CDs. The only digital document that I have for the 1980 UTPP is the data dictionary definition file included on the original tapes. However, I do not have the CENSPAC software required to decode the format statements. I am hoping someone out there has the UTPP data dictionaries in one of the following formats: ascii text, Microsoft Word, PDF or HTML. Any help would be much appreciated.

26 years

Re: [CTPP] Status Report - Corrections

by Kbrace＠aol.com

To all -- Nanda's message correctly notes an error in the listing of our phone number in the most recent CTPP Status Report concerning updated municipal and town boundaries. However, instead of calling, it is still best to sent me an e-mail noting which counties you are working on (with their state and county codes). We will process the newer boundaries and e-mail you files and instructions. Thanks Kim Brace Election Data Services, Inc. In a message dated 9/13/99 8:37:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Nanda.Srinivasan(a)fhwa.dot.gov writes: << Subj: [CTPP] Status Report - Corrections Date: 9/13/99 8:37:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: Nanda.Srinivasan(a)fhwa.dot.gov (Srinivasan, Nanda <FHWA>) Sender: owner-ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net The voice mail for EDS was wrongly listed as 1-800-877-6067 on page 1. The correct number is 1-800-337-2004. The error is regretted. We would also appreciate any information on upcoming statewide MPO meetings or conferences. Please e-mail such information to ctpp(a)fhwa.dot.gov. Thank You, Nanda Srinivasan >>

26 years

[CTPP] Status Report - Corrections

by Srinivasan

The voice mail for EDS was wrongly listed as 1-800-877-6067 on page 1. The correct number is 1-800-337-2004. The error is regretted. We would also appreciate any information on upcoming statewide MPO meetings or conferences. Please e-mail such information to ctpp(a)fhwa.dot.gov. Thank You, Nanda Srinivasan

26 years

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