DATA SERVICES FOR STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION

THE STARTING POINT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS IS THE DEFINITION AND MEASUREMENT OF RELATED ACTIVITIES. STATEWIDE INVENTORIES ARE BEING DESIGNED IN NEW YORK FOR STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. DATA MUST BE CONSISTENT FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT TRAVEL MODES IN STATEWIDE PLANNING. INVENTORIES ARE NOW BEING TAKEN OF THE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE NETWORKS, SERVICE, AND EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CODING AND COMPUTER FORMATS. THE DESIGN OF QUESTIONNAIRES AND SAMPLE SELECTION PROCEDURES TO SURVEY THE ACTUAL USE OF THESE MODES IS ALSO UNDERWAY. CLOSE COOPERATION IS MAINTAINED BETWEEN THE DATA SERVICES SECTION, WHICH GATHERS THE DATA, AND THE STATEWIDE PLANNING SECTION, WHICH USES THE DATA. A,PROGRAM TO PROVIDE DATA SERVICES TO STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING MUST FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS: (1) CONSISTENCY MUST BE MAINTAINED IN THE DATA-GATHERING PHASE AND THE SCALE OF THE DATA MUST BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE PLANNING INTENT, (2) THE VARIOUS DATA NEEDS FOR STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING NECESSITATE THE GATHERING OF A TREMENDOUS VOLUME OF INFORMATION, AND (3) THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DATA ALSO REQUIRES QUICKLY PREPARED, SIMPLE GRAPHICS.