[CTPP] ACS Commuting Data

[Ed Christopher]

I received this in my email but thought answering it would be relevant 
to the larger CTPP group.
-----------
Garth wrote:
Elaine/Ed:
Has there been any county-to-county commuting data yet from the American 
Community Survey?  Unless I've missed it somewhere, I don't think there 
has been since not all counties are available yet.  Will 
county-to-county commuting flow data be available in the next ACS/CTPP 
multi-year product?  If so, are we still looking at 2011 for the release 
  of such data?  I'd appreciate any clarifications/references you could 
provide.
Thanks,
Garth
-----------

The short answer is that there has not been any county-to-county 
commuting data yet and the Census Bureau has been mute on the question 
of ever producing any as part of their standard tabulation program. 
Using "Magic 8 ball" speak one could speculate that "it is doubtful" if 
they ever would.

However, all is not lost!  The transportation community has been very 
vocal that "We NEED Flows."  As such the AASHTO CTPP Oversight Board is 
positioning itself to request a set of tables which will include flows. 
  The request is set to get to the Census Bureau by April 1, 2009. 
Currently, a task force is working on the tables and ironing out a few 
bumps in terms of what tables to ask for and the modal collapsing schema 
that might pass disclosure rules.  The task forces is very close to 
done.  (The December newsletter talks about the disclosure hurdles 
http://www.trbcensus.com/newsltr/sr1208.pdf).  Once we get the tables 
pinned down in the next few weeks we will certainly be circulating them 
to our large community.

In terms of tables, the request will go to the Census Bureau by April 
1st and then the Disclosure Review Board will have to rule and then cost 
estimates will need to firmed up and contracts written.  If all goes 
well, the tables would use the 2006, 2007 and 2008 ACS data with 
possible receipt of some data by 2010/2011.  We have been told that the 
actual production of the tables can go quite quickly once we get over 
all the stuff at the front end.  Right now, a lot has to fall in place 
but the message has been heard that, FLOW DATA is MUST.

Right now the only reference is the letter that was sent from the 
Oversight Board on February 9th stating that we are working on a 3-year 
ACS data table request.  I have attached it.  Stay tuned.....

Ed Christopher
708-283-3534 (V)
708-574-8131 (cell)

FHWA RC-TST-PLN
19900 Governors Dr
Olympia Fields, IL 60461
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: CTPP_ACS060708.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 32546 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://www.chrispy.net/pipermail/ctpp-news/attachments/20090225/9e00c34f/CTPP_ACS060708-0001.pdf