ctpp-news September 1999

ctpp-news@mailman.chrispy.net

10 participants
17 discussions

by Sweson Yang

I have completed TAZ updates for all 8 Counties in the Indianapolis Metro Area using TransCAD 3.5 District Manager Phase 2 Utilities developed by the Caliper Corp. Significant time saving was achieved through tagging atomized polygons. Attached is a copy of procedures used in Indianapolis. It has been expanded to cover joint operations of coding statewide zones in addition to MPO zones. It also touches on how to code statewide zones in non-MPO Counties. Sweson Yang, AICP Chief Transportation Planner Indianapolis Metro Planning Organization Phone: (317)327-5137 FAX: (317)327-5103 e-Mail: syang(a)IndyGov.org

25 years, 3 months

UTPP documentation

by Paul Reim

We are starting a Y2K-induced retirement of our IBM mainframe. In preparation, I have begun to offload all of our Census data from 9 track tape to CD, and would like to include document files for all of the datasets on the CDs. The only digital document that I have for the 1980 UTPP is the data dictionary definition file included on the original tapes. However, I do not have the CENSPAC software required to decode the format statements. I am hoping someone out there has the UTPP data dictionaries in one of the following formats: ascii text, Microsoft Word, PDF or HTML. Any help would be much appreciated.

25 years, 3 months

Re: [CTPP] Status Report - Corrections

by Kbrace＠aol.com

To all -- Nanda's message correctly notes an error in the listing of our phone number in the most recent CTPP Status Report concerning updated municipal and town boundaries. However, instead of calling, it is still best to sent me an e-mail noting which counties you are working on (with their state and county codes). We will process the newer boundaries and e-mail you files and instructions. Thanks Kim Brace Election Data Services, Inc. In a message dated 9/13/99 8:37:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Nanda.Srinivasan(a)fhwa.dot.gov writes: << Subj: [CTPP] Status Report - Corrections Date: 9/13/99 8:37:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: Nanda.Srinivasan(a)fhwa.dot.gov (Srinivasan, Nanda <FHWA>) Sender: owner-ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net The voice mail for EDS was wrongly listed as 1-800-877-6067 on page 1. The correct number is 1-800-337-2004. The error is regretted. We would also appreciate any information on upcoming statewide MPO meetings or conferences. Please e-mail such information to ctpp(a)fhwa.dot.gov. Thank You, Nanda Srinivasan >>

25 years, 3 months

Status Report - Corrections

by Srinivasan, Nanda <FHWA>

The voice mail for EDS was wrongly listed as 1-800-877-6067 on page 1. The correct number is 1-800-337-2004. The error is regretted. We would also appreciate any information on upcoming statewide MPO meetings or conferences. Please e-mail such information to ctpp(a)fhwa.dot.gov. Thank You, Nanda Srinivasan

25 years, 3 months

Census 2000 News Alert

by Ed Christopher

Date: 10 Sep 1999 10:35:27 From: Census2000 <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> Early Fall Update: Budget Round-up; Census Advertising Campaign; Spotlight on Counting Kids Lawmakers returned to Washington, D.C. this week with little time left to enact spending bills for the fiscal year that begins October 1. The Commerce appropriations bill, which includes funding for Census 2000, cleared both the House of Representatives and Senate before the August recess, but the two chambers must now iron out significant differences between their respective versions. Here's a wrap-up of key provisions affecting Census 2000 in the Fiscal Year 2000 (FY00) Commerce, Justice, State, and The Judiciary Appropriations bills: House of Representatives: H.R. 2670, approved by the House on August 5, includes about $4.5 billion for Census 2000, the amount the Census Bureau says it needs for census operations in FY00 (which ends September 30, 2000). All of those funds are designated as "emergency spending," meaning the amount doesn't count toward the strict budget caps imposed on each of the 13 annual spending bills. The appropriations committee report (H. Rept. 106-283), which explains or expands on the bill's provisions, directs the Census Bureau to prepare for a count of private American citizens living overseas "at the earliest possible time." The Bureau must also evaluate a proposal to include census information about residents of Puerto Rico in its regular census reports for the 50 states. Senate: The Senate approved its version of the Commerce spending bill on July 22. S. 1217 allocates $2.8 billion for Census 2000, the amount the Clinton Administration requested before a Supreme Court decision last January forced it to revise the census plan to include a direct count of the population without sampling methods, for the purpose of apportioning seats in Congress among the states. The Administration subsequently asked for an additional $1.7 billion to pay for the new plan. The appropriations panel held a hearing on July 29 to consider the supplemental funding request but took no further action. The committee, in its report (S. Rept. 106-76), also instructed the Census Bureau to include private American citizens living overseas in the 2000 census. Reconciling the two bills: A conference committee must agree on a funding level for Census 2000 activities and reconcile policy differences in the committee reports. The House and Senate have yet to appoint conferees but traditionally, members of the two Commerce appropriations subcommittees, as well as senior members of the full spending panel, serve on the conference committee. Once conferees agree on a final package, the House and Senate must approve the "conference bill" before sending it on to the President for his signature or veto. Focus on counting children in the census: The Census 2000 Initiative hosted a press briefing on August 26 to focus attention on the undercount of children in the census and the consequences for communities and the educational system. Dr. William P. O'Hare, Coordinator of The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count project, summarized his new report, "The Overlooked Undercount: Children Missed in the Decennial Census." Dr. O'Hare examined the correlation between socio-economic characteristics of the child population, such as poverty and living arrangements, and the undercount of children in the 1990 census. Ms. Jacqueline Byers, Director of Research at the National Association of Counties (NACo), and Dr. Ron Henderson, Director of Research at the National Education Association, discussed the importance of accurate data on the child population for sound educational planning and resource allocation at the state and local levels. Ms. Byers, who represents NACo on the Commerce Department's 2000 Census Advisory Committee, emphasized how local governments and businesses rely on census data to plan public transit systems, day care, and school construction, as well as where to locate services and retail centers. Dr. Henderson, a former public school teacher, warned that failure to count children in the census leads to unreliable estimates of the school age population, resulting in overcrowded classrooms. He said teachers, administrators, and parents must make a special effort to ensure that children are counted accurately. Dr. O'Hare's report is available electronically on The Annie E. Casey Foundation's web site. Go to http://www.kidscount.org; click on "KIDS COUNT" near the top of the home page; on the KIDS COUNT home page, click on "New Publications;" then scroll down to the report on the undercount of children in the census. The briefing, held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., attracted nearly three dozen journalists and was carried live on C-SPAN. House panel reviews census advertising plans: The House Subcommittee on the Census held a hearing on July 27 to review the advertising campaign for Census 2000. Next year's census will include a first-ever paid advertising program. The firm of Young & Rubicam (Y & R) was selected (through a competitive process) to develop the campaign; Y & R has subcontracted with several smaller firms that specialize in outreach to minority communities. Subcommittee Chairman Dan Miller (R-FL), describing himself as a "strong proponent" of the advertising and outreach efforts, said a successful campaign must be "localized." He expressed concern about a "loss of civic responsibility" that has contributed to the need for promotional activities to encourage census participation. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), the subcommittee's senior Democrat, agreed with Rep. Miller that Congress should oversee expenditures for advertising and other census operations. She encouraged the chairman to schedule hearings on last year's census dress rehearsal and the status of final preparations for the count. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) emphasized the importance of involving local firms in the advertising campaign that have experience marketing to hard-to-count communities. Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt said advertising would begin in November, requiring Y & R to buy slots starting October 1. If Congress fails to enact a FY00 funding bill on time, Y & R might not be able to purchase prime advertising slots, leading to "a 1990-type problem" of ads running when few people are watching or listening, the director warned. The Census Bureau relied on public service announcements developed by the Advertising Council of America to promote the census from 1950 - 1990. The Census Bureau will spend $166.6 million on the Census 2000 paid advertising campaign, most of which ($111 million) is needed in the upcoming fiscal year. Dr. Prewitt said 64 percent ($106 million) of the total advertising budget is earmarked for buying television, radio, and print ads. Dr. Prewitt also announced that the Bureau would launch a civic campaign aimed at increasing mail response rates. The Bureau estimates that 61 percent of American households will mail back their census forms, a number the director said could rise to 70 percent if the mail-back rate for every local jurisdiction exceeded the 1990 rate by five percent. The director noted, however, that Y & R designed its advertising campaign to convey the benefits of census participation, rather than a civic engagement message. Advertising can help encourage people to mail back their census forms, Dr. Prewitt said, but "we can't advertise our way out of the differential undercount." The subcommittee also heard testimony from Terry Dukes, Y & R's manager of the census campaign, and Samuel Chisolm, chairman of The Chisolm-Mingo Group, an African American-owned firm that is developing ads tailored to Black communities. Ms. Dukes described how Y & R developed target audiences for the ad campaign, dividing the public into those "most likely to participate," "undecided or passive respondents," and "least likely to respond." She said advertising is most effective in convincing the middle group to send in their census forms; a media campaign alone won't convince the least likely respondents to participate but can help pave the way for partnership and outreach efforts at the local level. Y & R's research showed that perceived "irrelevance" is the primary reason for non-participation in the census. The tagline for the Census 2000 ad campaign is, "This is your future. Don't leave it blank." Mr. Chisolm discussed the challenge of convincing African Americans to answer the census, since CMG's research revealed that 46 percent of African Americans fall into the "least likely to respond" category. CMG modified the central tagline to read, "This is our future. Don't leave it blank," to convey a sense of "responsibility to community, family and self" in reaching out to African Americans. Mr. Chisolm said his firm also has developed messages aimed at "Black emerging markets," such as Sub Saharan African and Caribbean communities. The final witness at the hearing was Mr. Curtis Zunigha, a leader of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and a member of the Census Bureau's Advisory Committee on the American Indian and Alaska Native Populations. Mr. Zunigha said that advertising was not likely to prompt significant response among Indians living on reservations, making partnerships and educational materials key components of a successful outreach campaign. The American Indian advisory panel, he said, was initially "underwhelmed" by the media campaign developed by G & G, the subcontractor specializing in promotion to Indians and Alaska Natives. In response to recommendations from his committee, Mr. Zunigha said, G & G's advertising effort now "reflect[s] the diversity of native cultures and geography," but he stressed the need for more resources to help Tribal governments establish useful partnerships with the Census Bureau. Questions about the information contained in this News Alert may be directed to TerriAnn Lowenthal at 202/484-2270 or, by e-mail at terriann2k(a)aol.com. For copies of previous News Alerts and other information, use our web site www.census2000.org <http://www.census2000.org>. Please direct all requests to receive News Alerts, and all changes in address/phone/fax/e-mail, to the Census 2000 Initiative at Census2000(a)ccmc.org or 202/326-8700. Please feel free to circulate this information to colleagues and other interested individuals.

25 years, 3 months

Transmission of Polygon Equivalency Files

by Srinivasan, Nanda <FHWA>

On page 9 of the census 2000 TAZ program instructions, there is a detailed description of how to send the files to the census. V, B states: B. Directory to Receive File Box Enter "/geo/TAZef" after "/pub/incoming," so that it will read "/pub/incoming/geo/TAZef." There should be no period in the entry. It should read "/pub/incoming/geo/TAZef" Thanks Nandu

25 years, 3 months

latest newsletter

by Ed Christopher

the latest issue of the CTPP 2000 Status Report (newsletter) is now online. The direct link for it is http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census/newsltr/sr0999.html Starting with this issue we are posting the newsletter in both in html and pdf formats. The pdf format can be reached through our web page at http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census ed christopher chair, subcommittee on census data for transportation planning 202-366-0412

25 years, 3 months

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ctpp-news September 1999