SURFACE PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION DATA NEEDS, RESOURCES, AND ISSUES

The current and anticipated status of data related to surface passenger transportation is evaluated and improvements are recommended for the purpose of national policy development and decision making. The paper is based on a review of literature, discussions with those involved in current and past national transportation planning efforts and national decision making, and the findings of a TRB conference held in October 1989. The purpose of this meeting of the TRB Transportation Data and Information Systems Committee was to evaluate current data sources, data systems, and applications and to investigate the needs for data in the 1990s. The conference was organized into three areas of concern: urban area data needs, statewide data needs, and national data needs. This paper covers past and current national planning efforts, strategic planning and policy issues, major sources of data, gaps in the data, and recommendations for data improvement. The major data gaps recognized by comparing data needs and available data are data for measurement of congestion; data for system performance monitoring; data on longer trips (over 100 mi) for all modes; data on rural public transportation; data on intercity rail and bus operations, facilities, and infrastructure; data on new roads on new alignments; data on highways by subgeographies such as suburbs and core area; data on local road needs; and data on traveler attitudes and perceptions.