SourceHess, D.B Reconciling Incompatible Zone Systems in Metropolitan Planning. Ann Arbor, Mich.: ProQuest Dissertation Publishing. ContactDaniel B. Hess Department of Urban and Regional Planning University at Buffalo, State University of New York © 2005 Hess

The Survey Description13-page mail-back questionnaire sent to all 346 MPOs in the U.S. in Fall 2001 ContactMailing list generated from Profiles of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO 2000) ObjectiveTo learn how MPOs transform spatial data from one set of zones to a different, incompatible set of zones (for example, census block groups to TAZs) © 2005 Hess

Survey Response Large MPOs and MPOs in the West were more likely to respond. Survey results were weighted to reflect all MPOs (both responding and non-responding agencies). Number of surveys sent346 Number of completed surveys received154 Response rate45 % Response Characteristics © 2005 Hess

Responding MPOs NumberPercent Prepare TAZ data (socioeconomic) for travel demand modeling11374 % Prepare route-level analyses for transit corridors5637 % Combine data from different zone systems5335 % Prepare route-level analyses for motor vehicle corridors5234 % Compare data from different zone systems4530 % Perform welfare-to-work analysis3825 % Other3322 % Do not perform spatial analysis1711 % Land use evaluations64 % Environmental justice analysis64 % Transportation planning and traffic impact analysis32 % Sewer and storm water service area planning21 % Transit accessibility/transit ridership projections21 % Transportation improvement plan (TIP)21 % Purposes for Performing Spatial Data Transformation © 2005 Hess Note: Responses are not mutually exclusive.

Data Sources Used for Transportation Planning Data SourceResponding MPOs NumberShare Census Data Sources Decennial Census Data13891 % Census Transportation Planning Package11274 % Current Population Survey4630 % American Community Survey Data1812 % American Housing Survey Data149 % Government Data Sources (non-Census) State employment/labor data1711 % City - county building permit data149 % Local property data64 % Tax assessor/property appraisers database53 % State population data43 % Local school district enrollment data43 % University public policy research center data32 % © 2005 Hess Note: Responses are not mutually exclusive.

Data Sources Used for Transportation Planning (cont’d) Data SourceResponding MPOs NumberShare Data Collected or Collated by MPOs Travel Surveys2114 % MPO employment data139 % MPO population forecasts117 % MPO land use data85 % MPO employment forecasts85 % Transportation Data Traffic counts and ADT counts64 % MPO household forecasts43 % Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey43 % On board transit surveys32 % Commercial data sources Dun and Bradstreet employment data43 % © 2005 Hess Note: Responses are not mutually exclusive.

Share of Small, Medium, and Large MPOs Using Data Products for Transportation Planning © 2005 Hess 75 %65 %56 %Census Transportation Planning Package [111] 14 %12 %10 %American Community Survey [17] 88 %76 %66 %Decennial Census [137] Large [44] (> 700,000) Medium [51] (200,000– 700,000) Small [59] (< 200,000) MPO Size Category [No. of MPOs] (metropolitan area population) Data Source [No. of MPOs]

Responding MPOs NumberShare Collect original data at TAZ level6643 % Don’t collect original data at TAZ level 8053 % Don’t know64 % Total % Original Data Collection © 2005 Hess

TAZ System Boundaries Responding MPOs NumberShare TAZ system uses original boundaries1912 % TAZ system shares boundaries with existing zone systems % Don’t know96 % Total % © 2005 Hess

Responding MPOs NumberPercent More than once per year9060 % (average is 17 times per year per MPO; maximum is 360 times per year) Less than once per year3724 % Never117 % Don’t know149 % Total % Frequency of Spatial Data Transformation © 2005 Hess

Geography and Data Collection © 2005 Hess

Data Sources Used for Transportation Planning

© 2005 Hess Transportation Planning

Responding MPOs NumberPercent Transportation model is compatible with GIS9160 % Transportation model is not compatible with GIS4026 % Don’t know/no answer2114 % Total % Compatibility of Transportation Planning Packages with GIS © 2005 Hess

Use of GIS at MPOs Responding MPOs NumberShare ESRI Products (ArcINFO, ArcView, etc.)13689 % 100 MPOs or 74 % (n=136) report that they use ESRI products only 36 MPOs or 26 % (n=136) report that they use ESRI products in various combinations with the following: Maptitude, Atlas GIS, MapInfo, CMAP, Viper, Smallworld, AutoCad, and Map3 Caliper Products (Maptitude)85 % AutoCAD11 % MapINFO11 % Don’t know/no answer64 % Total % © 2005 Hess

Responding MPOs NumberPercent TransCad3120 % TranPlan2718 % Combination2718 % TModel/TModel2138 % State DOT Model106 % EMME285 % QRS II64 % TP+64 % MinUTP53 % Other43 % Viper21 % None64 % No answer76 % Total % Distribution of Transportation Planning Packages © 2005 Hess

Spatial Data Transformation

ChallengeThe need for spatial data transformation arises when data is available for one set of zones (source zones) but is desired for a different, incompatible set of zones (target zones). MethodPlanners at MPOs report that they use a variety of automatic and manual methods in GIS to transform data to a new zone system. Some MPOs transform spatial data using splitting factors in spreadsheet programs. © 2005 Hess

Spatial Data Transformation © 2005 Hess