Summer 2011, Volume 4, Issue 2

1. ABJ00 Summer 2011, Volume 4, Issue 2 • In This Issue … • 6 committees hold joint meeting - AM 2012 • Bike/Ped Data joint initiative and workshop - TSP plan examples • ABJ Activities (policy study, activity level, health sub) - Who We Are • - Upcoming Events • Six Committees Hold Joint Meeting • Six Data and Information Systems Section committees met at the Keck Center immediately following the successful NHTS conference and workshop (Using National Household Travel Survey Data for Transportation Decision-making ) ably chaired by Steve Polzin (ABJ10, National Data Requirements). Committees holding individual and joint meetings in person and using GoTo Meeting were: ABJ10 (National Data Requirements), ABJ20 (Statewide Data), ABJ30 (Urban Data), ABJ35 (Traffic Monitoring), ABJ40 (Survey Methods), and ABJ70 (Artificial Intelligence). • Highlights of the meeting included a welcome from TAC Chair Katie Turnbull and first meetings of two new section joint initiatives (Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Issues and Travel Time, Speed, and Reliability). Excellent kickoff presentations were made by Joe Schofer(Transportation Data Policy Study recap), Tianjia Tang and David Jones (Office of Highway Policy Information, FHWA). An informative Federal panel was convened, and included updates from David Winter (Director, Office of Highway Policy Information, FHWA), Ross Crichton (Office of Transportation Policy Studies) and Li Leung (BTS).  Tom Palmerlee hosted an excellent pre-meeting dinner and Matt Miller had the meeting logistics running smoothly as always. Thanks to all of you for your time and commitment to the section. • Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Workshop Planned for Sunday at AM 12 Join the new Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Sub-committee in partnership with the Committee on Bicycle Transportation (ANF20) for an exciting full-day workshop focused on how to manage, use, and increase coverage of bicycle and pedestrian data.  During this workshop non-motorized data required for planning, operations, and research efforts such as health, safety, and prioritizing infrastructure improvements will be discussed as well as ways to cooperatively integrate data sources through data standardization to ensure consistency.  Current best practices will also be addressed with a focus on the known fundamentals of collecting non-motorized data and topics related to the lack of resources for creating this type of data program.  A tiered approach to managing the plethora of data sources will provide an intensive overview and introduction to current and future data methods, standards,  and warehouses from which all interested parties can benefit.  Annual meeting papers are due August 1 – don’t forget to ask for co-review of papers as appropriate (e.g., statistics)!

2. ABJ Activities Policy Study Dissemination • Joe Schofer (ABJ At Large, Northwestern University) is giving overview presentations on the Data Policy Study, (How We Travel, TRB SR 304) for these groups: • Data section • TRB Executive Committee • AASHTO SCOP • Charlie Howard (Puget Sound MPO) is giving a similar overview talk at the Boston Mid Year meetings. • Joe also wrote an opinion piece about the uses and value of data in infrastructure management for the UTCD newsletter, URL shown here: http://www.iti.northwestern.edu/publications/utc/safetea-lu/NL-2011-5-26.pdf (Article is on p. 3). Are these correct? How can you use these numbers to plan? Can you read small print? Committee Activity for 2010-11

3. ABJ Activities New TRB Health and Transportation Subcommittee • By Ed Christopher, FHWA, Section at Large This update has been put together in an attempt to bring “all” our TRB leadership up-to-date on the organization activities of what I believe will be a new and exciting area for TRB. This past spring a new TRB Subcommittee was formed around Health and Transportation. While subcommittees are not new to TRB this one faces some unique challenges. Organizationally, it is co-sponsored by 4 Committees crossing 3 Sections and 2 Groups. Administratively, the Subcommittee is coded as ADD50-01 and is linked to TRB through the Environmental Justice in Transportation Committee. It connects to 3 TRB Program Officers with Martine being the primary link through the ADD50 connection. Below is a breakdown of the TRB structural linkages. Policy and Organization Group-POG (AB000), Johanna Zmud, Chair Section - Data and Information Systems (ABJ00), Reg Souleyrette, Chair Urban Data and Information Systems (ABJ30), Catherine Lawson, Chair Planning and Environment Group-PEG (AD000), Mark Kross, Chair Section - Travel Analysis Methods (ADB00), Ram Pendyala, Chair Travel Behavior and Values (ADB10), Eric Miller, Chair Section - Social, Economic, and Cultural Issues-SECI (ADD00), Leigh Lane, Chair Transportation and Sustainability (ADD40), June Carlson, Chair Environmental Justice in Trans, (ADD50), David Kuehn/ Anne Morris, Co-Chairs TRB Program Officers Martine Micozzi (SECI) Kim Fisher (PEG) Tom Palmerlee (POG) Over the past few months the Subcommittee has been very active “pulling itself together”. It has developed a website, an ever growing Listserve of friends, finalized a strategic plan and has issued a call for papers for the TRB August 1st deadline. Attached is one-page flyer with the link to the Subcommittee website, information on how to join the Listserve and the mission and scope statement. Incidentally, the Subcommittee just acquired the domain name, ”trbhealth.org” and will be changing its internet address in August. The Listserve currently contains 50 members and consider the webpage under development as we are continuing to “get our act together”. In terms of leadership, the Subcommittee is co-chaired by Ed Christopher, FHWA Resource Center Planning Team Eloisa Raynault, American Public Health Association. Megan Weir, San Francisco Department of Public Health is the Secretary. We will be holding our inaugural meeting in Boston and plan to use email as a way of keeping our various co-sponsoring committee chairs informed.

4. AM 2012 Click here for TRB cheat sheets! 2011 Annual Meeting Workshops Planned TAC considered the 15 proposals received, and selected the following as cross-cutting sessions(Note: the POG got 2!)

5. TSP Elements – back to basics ABJ40 Survey Methods prepares for triennial Strategic Plan (TSP) – Identifies Research Needs • By Guy Rousseau, Atlanta Regional Commission (Chair) • In general, the list covers incorporating new technologies, identifying appropriate sampling frames, and improving participation. • Household Surveys or new technologies:  Methods to improve respondent participation in travel surveys (using technology, social media, etc.) • Household Surveys:  Methods to obtain more representative travel survey samples (mitigating non-response) • Household Surveys:  Revisiting sampling approaches to mitigate coverage bias – how to effectively include cell samples, e-mail lists, and field address-based (US Post Office database), revisit Random-Digit Dialing sample too (i.e., if we are moving to cell-based households, how many take their landlines as their cell numbers?) • External Surveys:  Evaluating alternative approaches to document trip movements into and through metropolitan areas (blue tooth, secondary data from sources like INRIX, AirSage and TomTom, etc.) • Freight surveys:  defining freight and identifying the best methods to measure its movements • Freight surveys:  identifying differences in freight movements within urban areas vs. the larger interstate movements and how these might inform appropriate survey design depending on modeling needs • Freight surveys:  evaluating alternative sampling frames and identifying which is most appropriate based on the type of freight being surveyed • Stated-Preference surveys: understanding attributes beyond time and costs • Stated-Preference Surveys:  research into the area of prospect theory • Stated-Preference surveys:  research into the relationship between Stated-Preference and behavioral economics • Workplace surveys:  identification of best practices for workplace surveys, including special generators (synthesis report?) • Airport surveys:  identification of best practices (synthesis report?) • Long distance travel surveys:  understanding state-of-the-practice and identifying research needs

6. TSP Elements – back to basics ABJ50 Information Systems prepares for TSP with Brainstorming • By Frances Harrison, Spy Pond Partners, Chair • Focus Areas • Sensor Technologies • Construction Management Technologies • State DOT IT Management – opportunities for innovation and efficiency improvements, relationship with ITS, response to emerging technology trends (in partnership with AASHTO IS) • Mobile Computing Technologies • Data Collection, Fusion, Management and Discovery Technologies in support of transportation safety, operations, maintenance/asset management and construction • Potential Initiatives for 2011/2012 • Annual Meeting Workshops • Sensor Technologies (Colin Brooks) • Information Technology to Support Better Construction Management Workshop (IoannisBrilakis) • Annual Meeting Sessions • TBD – Potential Topics are: • Putting Innovative Technologies to Work: Survey of rapidly developing technologies impacting transportation planning and operations (in line with conference theme) – might include new sensor technologies for tolling, customer service; serving data to decision makers • Use of new mobile device applications for smartphones and tablets in the field (traffic operations, surveys, maintenance, incident management) – implications for data management and security • Interactive web applications and 3D visualization – integrated with mapping and modeling to enhance public involvement • Integrating and visualizing network wide traffic information • Moving Public IT Resources into the Cloud – opportunities and issues • Shared service models for IT and GIS (e.g. city of Houston, western states cloud contracting initiative) • Impact of universal broadband service on access to communication • Benefit and challenges of using social media within transportation organizations

7. TSP Elements – back to basics ABJ50 Information Systems prepares for TSP with Brainstorming (cont.) • Peer Exchange/Workshop • Cloud Computing (Doug Couto) • Webinars: • cloud computing – addressing security concerns (Doug Couto) • sensor technologies (Colin Brooks) • Research Needs Statements • sensor technology (Colin Brooks) • cloud computing (Doug Couto – update to existing) • Call For Papers • sensor technology (Colin Brooks) – for 2013 Annual Meeting • Partnerships • AASHTO Subcommittee on Information Systems • USDOT CIO • ASCE TCCIT Data Sensing and Analysis Committee • Construction Management (AFH10) - AFH10(1) joint subcommittee on Information Systems in Construction Management. • Geospatial Data Acquisition Technologies in Design and Construction (AFB 80) • Geographic Information Science and Applications (ABJ60) • Intelligent Transportation Systems (ABH15) – Information Technology in ITS • Library and Information Sciences (ABG40) – web 2.0, data grids, findability • Critical Transportation Infrastructure Protection (ABE40) – data and information system security • Strategic Management (ABC10)– state DOT efficiency improvements • Visualization in Transportation (ABJ95) • Application of Emerging Technology for Design and Construction (AFH 30) • Public Involvement in Transportation (ADA 60) • Research Watch List • SHRP2 L13A – Reliability Data Archive • ITS America Connected Vehicle Technology Scan • DUAP – Data Use Analysis and Processing (merging data from connected vehicles) • iRODS – Data Grid - Policy-Based Data Management, Sharing and Preservation • FHWA RFI for Virtual Access of Transportation Data From Multiple Data Sources For Improved Decision Making

8. ABJ00 Who we are … ABJ00Section - Data and Information Systems Reg Souleyrette, Chair Iowa State UniversityThomas M. PalmerleeAssociate Director, Technical Activities DivisionTransportation Research BoardMatt Miller Senior Program Associate Transportation Research Board Committees ABJ10National Transportation Data Requirements and Programs Steve Polzin, Chair Center for Urban Transportation Research, Univ. of S. Florida ABJ20Statewide Transportation Data and Information Systems Jack R. Stickel , Chair Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities ABJ25TTask Force on the Traffic Monitoring Conferences Cathy McGhee, Chair Yinhai Wang, Vice Chair ABJ30Urban Transportation Data and Information Systems Catherine T. Lawson , Chair University at Albany ABJ35Highway Traffic Monitoring Peter L. Keen , Chair Digital Traffic Systems, Inc. (DTS) ABJ40Travel Survey Methods Guy Rousseau , Chair Atlanta Regional Commission ABJ50Information Systems and Technology Frances D. Harrison , Chair Spy Pond Partners, LLC ABJ60Geographic Information Science and Applications Cesar A. Quiroga, Chair Texas Transportation Institute (TTI)ABJ70Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing Applications Shinya Kikuchi, Chair Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)ABJ80Committee on Statistical Methods Simon P. Washington, Chair U.C. Berkeley ABJ90Freight Transportation Data Scott R. Drumm, Chair Port of Portland, Oregon ABJ95Visualization in Transportation Michael Anthony Manore, Chair Vispective Management Consulting, LLC Subcommittees Research Subcommittee James P. Hall, Co-Chair University of Illinois, Springfield Harvey J. Miller, Co-Chair University of Utah Metadata SubcommitteeTamer Al-Diraby, ChairUniversity of Toronto At Large Members Thomas Bolle USDOT/RITA Edward J. ChristopherFederal Highway Administration (FHWA) Jonette R. KreideweisMinnesota Department of Transportation Joseph L. SchoferNorthwestern University Johanna Zmud, POG Chair and ABJ00 Past Chair Rand Corp. For more information about ABJ00, please contact Reg Souleyrette, chair (reg@iastate.edu) or Tom Palmerlee, TRB (tpalmerlee@nas.edu)

9. ABJ Upcoming Events Midyear meeting Boston July 10-12, 2011; Committees meeting there: ABJ00 (Data Section); ABJ30 (Urban); ABJ35 (Traffic Monitoring); ABJ50 (Information Systems); ABJ90 (Freight ) 2011 International Visualization in Transportation Symposium August 20-23 2011; Chicago http://www.trbvis.org/SYMPOSIUM-2011/Overview.html Performance Measures & Livable Communities September 7-8, 2011; Austin Using Census Data for Transportation Applications October 25-27, 2011; Irvine Improving Safety Programs through University-Agency Partnerships Conference November 2-3, 2011 Washington, D.C. 9th International Conference on Transport Survey Methods November 14-18, 2011; Chile Data Needs for State and MPO Decision Making Dec 5-7, 2011; Irvine NATMEC 2012 June 4-7, 2012; Dallas Data Section priority issues 1)  privacy and confidentiality developments and their implication on the transportation community 2) impact of transportation on the economy, which includes, but not limited to a. Congestion, as is the focus of the recent 1201 proposed rule b. Domestic transportation of international trade • Useful links • Section Google Group • Section Newsletter archive • Temporary Section Website/data archive • Data Section Spring Conference Call • Date/Time TBA • (877)339-0018, Access *360-7711* • Consider plans for Annual Meetings • Discuss Data Section priority issues • Share updates from section members