II. SURVEILLANCE

TASK 2.16 Microcomputer Model Refinement

The NYSDOT-administered, statewide effort jointly funded by all the state's MPOs to review the state of modeling practices across NY was completed in 2000-01. Products will contribute to CDTC's STEP model overhaul.

Despite its age, CDTC's STEP model continues to be quite effective in meeting current challenges. Work in 2000-01 on such projects as the Exit 3 / Exit 4 interchange project have reaffirmed its credibility in typical modeling applications.

Given this positive circumstance, and the slow rollout of both 2000 Census data and the 2001 National Personal Transportation Study (NPTS) data (for which CDTC has spent $175,000 to enhance the Capital District's sample size), CDTC has revised its approach to model refinement.

The staff's current thought is to acquire a leading, micro-simulation based model platform (perhaps the European VISSIM/VISSUM model) and test its use on a limited (sub-regional, corridor or subject-specific basis) starting in 2001-02. Data from the 2000 Census and NPTS will not be available for detailed regional calibration for a year or two.

The current and serviceable TMODEL2-based STEP model will continue to serve most modeling needs for the foreseeable future. As a result of this shift in thought, funds will be required for purchase of software in 2001-02, but not for major consultant assistance. Migration from the current model to the new model will take several years.

TASK 2.30 Routine Highway Condition Inventory

An every-fourth-year survey of non-federal-aid facility conditions was completed in 2000. The every-other-year survey of non-state federal aid roads will be conducted in 2001.

TASK 2.25 Collection of Transportation Planning Support Data

CDTC continues to use interns for extensive data collection. During 2000-2001, this included further work to develop a sidewalk and pedestrian features inventory, red light running, yield to pedestrian compliance, a survey of pedestrians at 50 Wolf Road and numerous site-based trip generation studies and manual intersection traffic counts.

These general tasks will continue in 2001-02, increasing the Capital District's base of locally-generated travel data and travel relationships. A small consultant budget is included to allow for specialized traffic studies (in addition to routine and special counts by NYSDOT and its consultants.) The consultant effort will include speed monitoring and speed-delay data collection.

CDTC's add-on to the State University of New York at Albany's resident attitudinal survey was first conducted in 1996 and repeated in 1998, 1999 and 2000. This provides a nice time series of data, all set in the context of residents attitudes toward other issues (job security, quality of life, etc.). Pedestrian issues were added in 2000. CDTC will repeat this effort again in 2001. The annual cost of this add-on is approximately $10,000.

CDTC will also gear up to collect before and after travel speed and delay data for the NY5 ITS signal project; depending upon project implementation schedules, this may occur in 2002.

TASK 2.28 Census / Household Travel Survey

CDTC's new Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) set was used by the Census Bureau in conjunction with the 2000 Census. The new TAZ set numbers approximately 900 rather than the traditional 471. This was completed in conjunction with the Census Bureau's "TAZ-UP" process. CDTC also participated in the Census Bureau's "WORK-UP" effort to better define addresses for places of work for the 2001 Journey to Work files.

CDTC has transferred $175,000 of its funds to NYSDOT for use in the 2001 National Personal Transportation Study (NPTS). (The NPTS has been delayed from 2000.) In combination with NYSDOT's add-ons, CDTC's $175,000 commitment will allow for approximately 1800 data samples in the Capital District. This will save CDTC approximately $50,000 from estimates made last year for the cost of a household travel survey. It will also allow for consistency in data with the national data base and allow for maintenance of Capital District travel parameters in 2005 through tracking of national trends. Along with this approach, CDTC will tentatively plan to repeat the large scale sample again in 2010.

During 2001-02, CDRPC will review its population projections and estimates against initial rollout of 2000 Census counts. Estimates will be refined for TAZ's and projections updated for minor civil divisions. Additionally, CDRPC plans to pursue an effort to define regional economic and demographic indicators for ongoing monitoring of conditions.

During 2001-02, CDTC staff will work with the Census Bureau to review the accuracy of journey-to-work destination coding from the 2000 Census long form. Long form information will be released in 2002.

TASK 2.29 Regional Geographic Information System

This task is designed to permit the continued creation, modification, conversion, and maintenance of map features and data in conjunction with CDRPC’s NYSDOT-based regional GIS effort. CDRPC will continue to process and manipulate data and clip the information specific to the Capital Region and the communities within its jurisdiction.

For 2001-02, CDRPC will acquire parcel-level data for the entire region and add this information to data coverages on the GIS. Additionally, the State of New York will be using the Capital Region counties as pilot areas for high resolution orthophotography. When available, this data will be added to the regional GIS as well.

The CDTC staff continues to make its own contributions to the regional GIS. During 2000-01, GIS data coverage development included refinement of both the state and local accident surveillance data conversions to ESRI GIS structures. Numerous GIS applications included drafts of the regional trails map, scenic byways maps, bike and pedestrian crash data maps and support mapping for various studies.

CDTC's Civil Rights and Environmental Justice work will be a major GIS product of 2001-02, along with Safety Management System work. GIS will also play a larger role in the New Visions 2030 / New Visions for a Quality Region effort than was possible in the previous New Visions processes.

TASK 2.31 Traffic Volume Report

In 2000-01, a web-available report with maps was published with the most current traffic count information for all functionally-classified state and local streets and highways. CDTC has also automated a process of extracting information from NYSDOT count files for use in updating the on-line traffic volume map.