lewis tftn ngac_09232010

Strategic Planning for Transportation for the Nation (TFTN)

Steve Lewis

Geospatial Information Officer, USDOT

Director, Office of Geospatial Information Systems, USDOT/RITA/BTS

September 23, 2010

2U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration

Background

Influenced by several different efforts: In 2008, an “issues brief” by NSGIC called for the creation of TFTN OMB Circular A-16 identifies the USDOT as the “lead agency” for

the “transportation theme” of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).

Emerging USDOT data requirements for geospatial data for all roads, such as accident reporting for enhanced safety and bridge inventory.

Aligned with several initiatives such the emerging federal Geospatial Platform concept. - one element of the “geospatial portfolio”


TFTN Concept

“Creation and maintenance of high-quality, nationwide transportation data that is in the public domain”□ An initial focus on street centerlines, but eventually multi-modal□ Nationwide data spanning all states and territories□ All roads, not just Federally funded roads□ Provides a common geometric baseline

▪ Road naming▪ Persistent segment ID numbering▪ Advanced functionality is built on top of baseline

□ Data is in the public domain and readily shareable


Strategic Planning Effort - History

RITA/BTS agreed to fund and manage the effortFunds obligated and contractor selected in October 2009□ Koniag Technology Solutions□ Applied Geographics

Suffered through many contracting glitches associated with “end-of-year” money

Contract finally awarded in March 2010


Strategic Planning Effort – The Process

Identify and engage the entire stakeholder community□ All levels of government□ Private Sector□ Citizens (e.g. OpenStreetMap community)

Define requirements, challenges and opportunitiesDocument progress already made□ Existing Datasets□ Best Practices□ New Ideas

Explore implementation issuesEvaluate funding requirements and sources


What Has Been Done? - Pre-Award Outreach

Meeting of Federal Stakeholders, October 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference, October 2009 National Geospatial Advisory Council, December 2009 Transportation Research Board Annual Meetings,

January 2010 ESRI Federal User Conference, February 2010


What Has Been Done? – TFTN Workshops

AASHTO GIS-T Symposium, April 2010 ESRI International User Conference, July 2010 NSGIC Annual Conference, September 2010 National Association of Regional Councils, September

2010 (webinar) URISA GIS-Pro Conference, September 2010 (next

week)


What Has Been Done? – Stakeholder Interviews, Summer 2010

U.S. Department of Transportation□ Safety□ Asset Management□ Intelligent Transportation Systems□ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS)

Other Federal Agencies□ U.S. Department of Agriculture□ Federal Communications Commission□ U.S. Geological Survey□ Bureau of the Census


What Has Been Done? – Stakeholder Interviews, Summer 2010 - Continued

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Transportation Research Board I-95 Corridor Coalition


Trends from the Workshops and Interviews

Near Unanimous Support□ All of those interviewed and most of those who attended the

workshops have indicated their support for this effort

Learned of a number of similar efforts underway that benefit from TFTN

Safety could be a key to the success of TFTN□ A geospatial representation of ALL ROADS is needed to meet

many of the USDOTs Safety Initiatives□ A geospatial representation of ALL ROADS is needed for

emergency response□ Lots of federal money for safety initiatives


Trends from the Workshops and Interviews

“Think Regionally Act Locally”□ States and counties are beginning to look beyond their borders□ States and counties are the authoritative data source for their

transportation data

“Can you live with that?”□ The Stakeholders have different needs□ Need to find a baseline that works with everyone□ Once the baseline is established, the consumers can add their

own “special sauce”


Baseline Geometry with “Special Sauce”

The specifics of what’s included in “baseline geometry” requires further definition

Initial, minimal components might be:□ Road naming□ Basic attributes (e.g. functional classification)□ Persistent segment ID numbering

Seeking additional ideas and input from stakeholders on what’s feasible

“Special sauce” can be content and/or capabilities


Possibilities for “Special Sauce”

Address ranges/geocoding (could be a minimal component?)

Advanced attributes (e.g. width, lanes) Full routability (e.g. speeds, turn restrictions, etc.) Enhanced cartographic display (e.g. annotation,

symbolization, etc.) Linear referencing systems (LRS) Integration with photo/imagery catalogs


A Potential Model for TFTN - HPMS

FHWA reporting requirements for the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) include the submission of a geospatial network of all Federal-aid roads by each State DOT

Current reporting requirements for the HPMS could be expanded to require all roads□ Detailed HPMS attributes would continue to be provided for only

Federal-aid roads□ Annual nature of HPMS reporting provides a data update

mechanism□ USDOT works with states to develop basic standards□ Reporting requirement would enable states to utilize FHWA

funding for creation and maintenance of inventory


Obstacles Associated With This Model

FHWA has to change the HPMS Reporting Requirements to include all roads in the geospatial submission

States are not required to work with neighbors for connectivity

No USDOT resources currently available for aggregation, assembly and publication of a nationwide data set

The level of quality/accuracy varies from State to State


How Can These Obstacles Be Overcome?

Through State-level Best Practices□ Some States work with their local government partners

▪ Provide funding and technical support▪ State collects and aggregates the data into a Statewide dataset▪ Involve the e-911 community▪ Examples include Arkansas and Ohio

□ Some states are using public-private partnerships▪ Contracting for creation and maintenance of Statewide inventory▪ Includes a mechanism for posting update requests▪ In some case, the State is allowed to distribute a version of the data▪ Examples include Massachusetts and New York

Through possible additional USDOT funding sources


Potential Benefits of TFTN

Core business benefits to the USDOT□ To the HPMS program: see HPMS in the context of complete

transportation□ To Highway Safety for nationwide accident mapping□ To bridge inventory effort

Benefits to “sister” federal agencies□ Reduces costs from redundant nationwide data sets□ Provides public domain data for sharing with partners□ Potential collaboration and synergy with other significant mapping

programs at USGS and US Census


Potential Benefits of TFTN

Benefits to State and Local Governments □ Potentially opens up FHWA resources for statewide road

inventories□ Provides public domain data

▪ Facilitates sharing with partners▪ Better data – particularly for rural areas – for GPS-based navigation

□ Easier cross border /multi-jurisdiction coordination and collaboration

Benefits to the General Public□ Consistent data across agencies and programs to support citizen

services□ Publically accessible data for citizen and commercial innovation


Examples of what have we heard so far…


At the ESRI User Conference

Short-term and long-term considerations□ Short term: don’t forget several nationwide datasets currently exist

▪ TIGER▪ Commercial▪ OpenStreetMap

□ Longer term: design and build something new

HPMS is not resourced to make a seamless nationwide data set□ Look at other “process models” too!□ Public/private partnership□ Build on TIGER□ Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)□ Something “outside-the-box” that we have yet to imagine


Census Bureau Interview Takeaways

TIGER is a mature product□ Many users depend on it for a variety of applications

▪ National broadband mapping (for Census geometry)

Significant improvements in latest TIGER files□ Positional accuracy improved (7.6 meter)□ Substantial input from local sources incorporated□ Research into potential for OpenStreetMap

Planning for more frequent updates (depending on funding)


USGS Interview Takeaways

Requirement for nationwide roads in The National Map (TNM)

TIGER did not meet TNM requirements□ Positional accuracy□ Depictions of interchanges and dual-carriageways□ Attributes□ Costs to retrofit TIGER were prohibitive

Have currently replaced TIGER with TeleAtlas data□ Competitive price, but restricted use□ Looking at OpenStreetMap and other alternatives, long-term

The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) provides a positive example of Federal-State collaboration


At the NSGIC Annual Conference

Develop a matrix of common requirements and approaches – “what are the shared needs and commonalities?”

Develop an inventory of what each state has for statewide street centerlines

Develop several success stories as 1-2 page fact sheets, perhaps as “tiered” levels of success

The Census Bureau considers itself to be a “Data Integrator,” not a Data Producer per se; boundaries are the “real issue” for Census Bureau, not roads; DOTs might need greater detail

Next Generation 911 is and will be a big driver for GIS-based initiatives to build statewide street centerline data sets to support automated routing


The Road Ahead

More interviews, meetings, surveys, case studies, etc. Through these, we will:

□ Identify what’s working, what’s needed – current practices, requirements, strategies, standards, documentation

□ Identify institutional constraints, capacity, operational authority, motivation, benefits, etc.

□ Formulate strategies for implementation□ Identify potential sources of funding


Questions?

Steve Lewis

(202) 366-9223

[email protected]

http://www.transportationresearch.gov/TFTN/default.aspx

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.transportationresearch.gov/TFTN/default.aspx

lewis tftn ngac_09232010

Education

geospatial data

nationwide transportation

transportation theme

transportation datacan

geospatial portfolio

nsgic annual conference

esri federal user conference

baseline geometry