Despite the uncertainty of 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) budgeting and implementation, I am raising this query on future CTPP-like products using ACS.
For the CTPP2000, there were 2 FLOW (part 3) tables using income:
Table 3-5 Income (8 classes + total)
Table 3-7 Income (4 classes +total ) by Means of Transportation (4 classes + total)
Both of these tables were subject to the Census Bureau's Disclosure Review Board (DRB) requirement of 3 unweighted records, resulting in very high suppression of Origin/Destination pairs at the tract-to-tract (about 70 percent), and TAZ-to-TAZ (often over 80 percent) level. Because the sample size in ACS (even after 5 years of data accumulation) are expected to be perhaps 40-60 percent that of the 2000 decennial census long form sample, it will be even more difficult to reach the threshold of 3 unweighted records for flow tabulation. The CB's DRB has told us that for special tabulations (like the CTPP) "rounding and thresholds are here to stay." Right now, the next level of geography is Place (city or town), which is often too large to be meaningful. We understand that the CB plans to use PUMA as a standard tabulation unit, which could result in a very useful PUMA-to-PUMA flow table for large metropolitan areas, but since PUMAs require 100,000 population, this would be not very useful for smaller metropolitan areas.
Here are some alternatives to consider:
1. Using MEDIAN INCOME instead of a distribution. At least one person at the CB thinks that the DRB would be less concerned about this. While this might work for Table 3-5, I don't think it would work for Table 3-7, because there would be a significant probability for one record for a particular mode, e.g. transit, so that the median would be the same as the individual record.
2. Having a SuperTAZ or SuperTract new geographic unit for flow tabulations that include an income variable. How big would a SuperTAZ or SuperTract need to be? I don't know, but my guess is that it would need to be on the order of 4-5 census tracts combined. We know that if we combine only 2 tracts, it will result in approximately 70 percent of suppression, because the unweighted records would be similar in number to the CTPP 2000 tract-to-tract numbers.
3. Omit the income tables from an ACS Flow tabulation, and find another data source.
Please let me know what you think, and especially if you have ideas for alternatives.
AASHTO SCOP has convened a Census Data Working Group. It is chaired by Jonette Kreideweis of MN DOT. Information about this group was included in the August 2005 CTPP Status Report http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ctpp/sr0805.htm. AMPO and APTA have now been included as members.
Elaine Murakami
FHWA Office of Planning
206-220-4460 (Seattle)
Ed,
MY guess is that you are "on the mark" in this regard. That is the
approach that I seem to understand from what has been given below.
I received two separate inquiries back in July about the "daytime
population of downtown Minneapolis". My response was to question their
definition of "daytime population" and indicated that the only
information I had available to me was the CTPP "Journey-to-Work"
tabulations. I made it clear that this did NOT include other trip
purposes to downtown, such as shopping, non-home but work-related trips
and the like.
I suppose that as long as all regions are treated likewise, you could
at least get some comparative measurement of this information.
Bob Paddock
Transportation Research
Metropolitan Council
230 East 5th Street
St. Paul, MN 55107-1633
651 602-1340
>>> Ed Christopher <edc(a)berwyned.com> 10/20/05 11:28AM >>>
This is interesting but I wonder how it would compare or relate to
CTPP
data. From the posting I am not quite sure what the CB is including
as
daytime population. Thinking in CTPP terms I would take what I call
CTPP
Part 2 workers for any given area and add to it some portion of the
Part 1
non- workers and then sum them together as my daytime population. Do
you
think this is what the CB did?
Chuck Purvis wrote:
> This is a message sent to the State Data Center listserv this
morning,
> 10/20/05:
>
> FROM THE DESK OF STANLEY J. ROLARK
> CHIEF, CUSTOMER LIAISON OFFICE
>
> October 20, 2005
>
> Subject: Release of Census 2000 Data Product on
> Daytime Population
>
> The Census Bureau will be releasing later today or tomorrow, Census
> 2000
> data on the daytime population. The data are being released for all
> counties (or co. equivs.) by state in the U.S. There are also
subtotal
> lines for each state and for the U.S. as a whole. There are data for
> the
> municipios in Puerto Rico, and a total for Puerto Rico.
>
> There are data for places (incorp. and CDPs) in the U.S. by state,
but
> no
> place data for Puerto Rico. The universe is places with either 2,500
> workers living in the place or 2,500 workers working in the place.
>
> There will be three separate Excel files. They will be accessible
> through
> the Subjects A to Z index, from a link entitled Daytime Population.
>
> Table 1 is a summary for places by size. All places > 250,000 are
> shown,
> in three size classes. Places less than 250,000 are shown in six
> size
> classes, but only the first twenty based on percent increase in
> daytime
> pop are shown for each size in Table 1.
>
> Table 2 shows all counties by state in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
>
> Table 3 shows places with 2,500 workers living in or working in,
by
> state, for the U.S. (not PR).
>
> The data product was developed by the Journey to Work and Migration
> Statistics Branch in Population Division. The data were developed by
> combining the Census 2000 data on the residence population with the
> Census
> 2000 sample data on place of work. The estimates of daytime
population
> to
> be released by the Census Bureau only adjust resident populations
for
> travel into or out of an area for work purposes. No adjustment is
made
> for
> travel to school, shopping, recreation, tourism, health care or for
> any
> other trip purpose. The data sources required for making these
> adjustments
> are not available on a consistent, nationwide basis. Furthermore,
the
> adjustments to resident population reflected in these "daytime"
> population
> estimates do not take the time of day work trips are made into
account.
> The
> simplifying assumption is made that all workers leave the area in
the
> morning and return to the area in the evening.
>
> The release will include data items on the number of workers working
in
> the
> area, the number of workers living in the area, the estimated
daytime
> population, the number and percent change due to commuting, the
number
> and
> percent of the workers who lived in the area that also worked in the
> area,
> and the employment-residence ratio (workers working in/workers
living
> in).
>
> The data are likely to be released with a press release but with no
> press
> embargo. While you will be receiving a copy of the press release as
> part
> of our normal procedures, I did want to provide you with a "heads
> up" about
> this release as you may receive questions and/or have an interest in
> this
> release. Census Bureau contact information regarding this release
will
> be
> included at the top of the press release.
>
> _______________________________________________
> ctpp-news mailing list
> ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
> http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
--
Ed Christopher
708-283-3534 (V)
708-574-8131 (cell)
FHWA RC-TST-PLN
19900 Governors Dr
Olympia Fields, IL 60461
_______________________________________________
ctpp-news mailing list
ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
Bill,
Yes, your points are all well-taken. These are estimates based on the
Census 2000 question, "At what location did you work LAST WEEK?" and the
directions that included the following -- "If you worked at more than one
address or location, give the address or location where you worked most
LAST WEEK". As the types of nontraditional work schedules prevail, we all
will be challenged to estimate what proportion of the workers are affected
by these schedules as well as the proportions that are away from their
usual place of work because of vacation, temporary layoff, illness, etc.
Not easy tasks.
-- Celia G. Boertlein
Journey-to-Work and Migration Statistics Branch
Population Division
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Washington, DC 20233-8800
phone: (301)763-2454
fax: (301)457-2481
email: Celia.G.Boertlein(a)Census.GOV
<William.Banniste
r(a)dot.gov>
To
10/21/2005 11:14 <celia.g.boertlein(a)census.gov>,
AM <edc(a)berwyned.com>
cc
<ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net>,
<ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net>
Subject
RE: [CTPP] Release of Census 2000
Data Product on Daytime Population
Celia,
How would one account for things such as teleworking, flexible work
schedules (such as the one prevalent in the Federal government that
results in workers having a day off every other week), and other
non-traditional work issues in determining the daytime population? As
these types of work schedules become more and more prevalent for
reducing congestion, personal preferences, etc. it would seem that
daytime population estimates would have greater and greater variance.
Bill Bannister
Assistant Director, Office of Advanced Studies
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
-----Original Message-----
From: ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net
[mailto:ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net] On Behalf Of
celia.g.boertlein(a)census.gov
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2005 4:20 PM
To: Ed Christopher
Cc: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net; ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net
Subject: Re: [CTPP] Release of Census 2000 Data Product on Daytime
Population
Ed,
The Census Bureau's estimate of daytime population only adjusts for
work-related travel, i.e., incommuters to an area and outcommuters from
an
area. Data necessary to adjust for shopping, school, recreation,
tourism,
etc. are not available. Non-workers are assumed to stay within the area
of
their residence.
Counts of workers working in counties (or equivalents) are consistent
with
CTPP counts in Part 2 and the county-to-county worker flow files.
Counts
of workers working in places in the daytime population file are not
fully
consistent with those shown in the CTPP, due to the extended allocation
process used in the CTPP products.
-- Celia G. Boertlein
Journey-to-Work and Migration Statistics Branch
Population Division
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Washington, DC 20233-8800
phone: (301)763-2454
fax: (301)457-2481
email: Celia.G.Boertlein(a)Census.GOV
Ed Christopher
<edc(a)berwyned.co
m>
To
Sent by: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
ctpp-news-bounce
cc
s(a)chrispy.net
Subject
Re: [CTPP] Release of Census 2000
10/20/2005 12:28 Data Product on Daytime Population
PM
This is interesting but I wonder how it would compare or relate to CTPP
data. From the posting I am not quite sure what the CB is including as
daytime population. Thinking in CTPP terms I would take what I call
CTPP
Part 2 workers for any given area and add to it some portion of the Part
1
non- workers and then sum them together as my daytime population. Do
you
think this is what the CB did?
Chuck Purvis wrote:
> This is a message sent to the State Data Center listserv this morning,
> 10/20/05:
>
> FROM THE DESK OF STANLEY J. ROLARK
> CHIEF, CUSTOMER LIAISON OFFICE
>
> October 20, 2005
>
> Subject: Release of Census 2000 Data Product on
> Daytime Population
>
> The Census Bureau will be releasing later today or tomorrow, Census
> 2000
> data on the daytime population. The data are being released for all
> counties (or co. equivs.) by state in the U.S. There are also subtotal
> lines for each state and for the U.S. as a whole. There are data for
> the
> municipios in Puerto Rico, and a total for Puerto Rico.
>
> There are data for places (incorp. and CDPs) in the U.S. by state, but
> no
> place data for Puerto Rico. The universe is places with either 2,500
> workers living in the place or 2,500 workers working in the place.
>
> There will be three separate Excel files. They will be accessible
> through
> the Subjects A to Z index, from a link entitled Daytime Population.
>
> Table 1 is a summary for places by size. All places > 250,000 are
> shown,
> in three size classes. Places less than 250,000 are shown in six
> size
> classes, but only the first twenty based on percent increase in
> daytime
> pop are shown for each size in Table 1.
>
> Table 2 shows all counties by state in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
>
> Table 3 shows places with 2,500 workers living in or working in, by
> state, for the U.S. (not PR).
>
> The data product was developed by the Journey to Work and Migration
> Statistics Branch in Population Division. The data were developed by
> combining the Census 2000 data on the residence population with the
> Census
> 2000 sample data on place of work. The estimates of daytime population
> to
> be released by the Census Bureau only adjust resident populations for
> travel into or out of an area for work purposes. No adjustment is made
> for
> travel to school, shopping, recreation, tourism, health care or for
> any
> other trip purpose. The data sources required for making these
> adjustments
> are not available on a consistent, nationwide basis. Furthermore, the
> adjustments to resident population reflected in these "daytime"
> population
> estimates do not take the time of day work trips are made into
account.
> The
> simplifying assumption is made that all workers leave the area in the
> morning and return to the area in the evening.
>
> The release will include data items on the number of workers working
in
> the
> area, the number of workers living in the area, the estimated daytime
> population, the number and percent change due to commuting, the number
> and
> percent of the workers who lived in the area that also worked in the
> area,
> and the employment-residence ratio (workers working in/workers living
> in).
>
> The data are likely to be released with a press release but with no
> press
> embargo. While you will be receiving a copy of the press release as
> part
> of our normal procedures, I did want to provide you with a "heads
> up" about
> this release as you may receive questions and/or have an interest in
> this
> release. Census Bureau contact information regarding this release
will
> be
> included at the top of the press release.
>
> _______________________________________________
> ctpp-news mailing list
> ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
> http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
--
Ed Christopher
708-283-3534 (V)
708-574-8131 (cell)
FHWA RC-TST-PLN
19900 Governors Dr
Olympia Fields, IL 60461
_______________________________________________
ctpp-news mailing list
ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
_______________________________________________
ctpp-news mailing list
ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
This is a message sent to the State Data Center listserv this morning,
10/20/05:
FROM THE DESK OF STANLEY J. ROLARK
CHIEF, CUSTOMER LIAISON OFFICE
October 20, 2005
Subject: Release of Census 2000 Data Product on
Daytime Population
The Census Bureau will be releasing later today or tomorrow, Census
2000
data on the daytime population. The data are being released for all
counties (or co. equivs.) by state in the U.S. There are also subtotal
lines for each state and for the U.S. as a whole. There are data for
the
municipios in Puerto Rico, and a total for Puerto Rico.
There are data for places (incorp. and CDPs) in the U.S. by state, but
no
place data for Puerto Rico. The universe is places with either 2,500
workers living in the place or 2,500 workers working in the place.
There will be three separate Excel files. They will be accessible
through
the Subjects A to Z index, from a link entitled Daytime Population.
Table 1 is a summary for places by size. All places > 250,000 are
shown,
in three size classes. Places less than 250,000 are shown in six
size
classes, but only the first twenty based on percent increase in
daytime
pop are shown for each size in Table 1.
Table 2 shows all counties by state in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Table 3 shows places with 2,500 workers living in or working in, by
state, for the U.S. (not PR).
The data product was developed by the Journey to Work and Migration
Statistics Branch in Population Division. The data were developed by
combining the Census 2000 data on the residence population with the
Census
2000 sample data on place of work. The estimates of daytime population
to
be released by the Census Bureau only adjust resident populations for
travel into or out of an area for work purposes. No adjustment is made
for
travel to school, shopping, recreation, tourism, health care or for
any
other trip purpose. The data sources required for making these
adjustments
are not available on a consistent, nationwide basis. Furthermore, the
adjustments to resident population reflected in these "daytime"
population
estimates do not take the time of day work trips are made into account.
The
simplifying assumption is made that all workers leave the area in the
morning and return to the area in the evening.
The release will include data items on the number of workers working in
the
area, the number of workers living in the area, the estimated daytime
population, the number and percent change due to commuting, the number
and
percent of the workers who lived in the area that also worked in the
area,
and the employment-residence ratio (workers working in/workers living
in).
The data are likely to be released with a press release but with no
press
embargo. While you will be receiving a copy of the press release as
part
of our normal procedures, I did want to provide you with a "heads
up" about
this release as you may receive questions and/or have an interest in
this
release. Census Bureau contact information regarding this release will
be
included at the top of the press release.
CENSUS DATA WIDELY USED IN NEW ORLEANS AREA
Plus: ACS and Census Long Form Could Be At Risk,
Census Bureau Says
A wide range of census data was in heavy demand in the days and weeks
after Hurricane Katrina ravaged much of New Orleans, a representative of
the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center told a gathering of
stakeholders at a Washington policy briefing last Friday. Denice
Warren, herself an evacuee from New Orleans, participated in a forum
sponsored by The Brookings Institution on how proposed funding cuts
would affect key Census Bureau programs. The American Community Survey
(ACS), key tests for the 2010 census, and several other widely-used
economic and demographic surveys could be scaled back or canceled under
the Fiscal Year 2006 (FY06) funding level approved last month by the
U.S. Senate.
Ms. Warren said the GNOCDC tracked visits to its web site
(www.gnocdc.org), which features data tables and maps on important
neighborhood characteristics, including poverty, educational attainment,
transportation, employment, housing, and immigration. For the first
half of 2005, the web site received roughly 5,000 hits per month. That
number jumped to 40,000 in August and 80,000 in September, suggesting
that public officials, relief organizations, and the media relied
heavily on data (much of it derived directly or indirectly from the
Census Bureau) to assess the consequences of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
and to help plan recovery efforts.
The forum also featured remarks by Dr. William OHare, KIDS COUNT
Program Coordinator, The Annie E. Casey Foundation; James Eskew,
Assistant Director, Cushman & Wakefield Client Solutions, which helps
businesses make informed location decisions; and Dr. William Frey,
Visiting Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings
Institution. Dr. OHare noted that public and private sector data
users have invested a great deal of time and money in preparing to use
American Community Survey estimates, and that a once-a-decade model for
collecting information ignores how quickly modern society is
changing. Dr. Frey also warned that collecting detailed socio-economic
data once-a-decade fails to recognize the dynamic nature of 21st
century America. Mr. Eskew highlighted how census data are the
foundation for analyzing and comparing local economies when businesses
are looking to build new headquarters, plants, or stores. The four
Brookings forum presentations are available at:
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/umi/20051014_censusfundingFY2006.htm
(scroll down to the bottom of the gray box).
Census funding update: With 2006 funding and the future of the American
Community Survey still uncertain, The Washington Post reported last
Friday that the Census Bureau is floating the idea of a 2010 census
with only a short-form population and race count that would provide the
data needed for congressional apportionment and redistricting, even if
it stops the ACS after this year (The Washington Post, 10/14/05, The
Federal Page). The bureau could consider such a scenario if Congress
fails to provide enough money to continue the ACS in 2006 and if money
is tight, the Post article said. Census Bureau officials told the
newspaper, as well as congressional appropriators, that suspending the
ACS and planning for a 2000-style census in 2010 would add $1.3 billion
to the estimated $11.3 billion lifecycle cost of the next count.
Census Bureau Director C. Louis Kincannon told the Post that a FY06
funding level materially below the House mark of $812.2 million would
spell trouble for key agency programs and plans, including the ACS,
automated data collection in the 2010 census, and the 2006 Census Field
Test in Travis County, Texas, and on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian
Reservation in South Dakota. The Senate allocated $727.4 million for
the Census Bureau, $150 million less than President Bush requested and
$17 million below the 2005 funding level.
The Washington Post article also quotes a spokeswoman for Sen. Richard
Shelby (R-AL), Virginia Davis, as saying: Senator Shelby recognizes the
important work being done by the Census Bureau, but he believes that we
must balance that with the tight budget constraints that Congress is
facing. Sen. Shelby chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on
Commerce, Justice, and Science; he did not chair the subcommittee with
responsibility for Census Bureau funding in the last Congress. Dan
Scandling, a spokesman for Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), who chairs the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice, and Commerce,
told the Post that House members will push to keep [the Census Bureaus
budget] at House levels. (Note: The House and Senate Appropriations
Subcommittees with responsibility for funding the Commerce Departments
Census Bureau no longer have fully comparable jurisdictions.)
Appropriations conferees: The U.S. Senate appointed conferees last
month to negotiate a final spending bill that includes the Census
Bureau. All members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce,
Justice, and Science are conferees. Please see the March 11, 2005,
Census News Brief posted at www.thecensusproject.org for a list of
subcommittee members.
The House of Representatives has not formally appointed its conferees,
but according to tradition, all members of the Subcommittee on Science,
State, Justice, and Commerce will likely serve on the conference
committee. Please see the February 24 Census News Brief for a list of
panel members.
Census News Briefs are prepared by Terri Ann Lowenthal, an independent
consultant in Washington, DC, with support from The Annie E. Casey
Foundation and other organizations. Ms. Lowenthal is also a consultant
to The Census Project, sponsored by the Communications Consortium Media
Center. All views expressed in the News Briefs are solely those of the
author. Please direct questions about the information in this News
Brief to Ms. Lowenthal at 202/484-3067 or by e-mail at
TerriAnn2K(a)aol.com. Please feel free to circulate this document to
other interested individuals and organizations.
--
Ed Christopher
708-283-3534 (V)
708-574-8131 (cell)
FHWA RC-TST-PLN
19900 Governors Dr
Olympia Fields, IL 60461
Starting, October 28th and running for 4 weeks, Cynthia Taeuber is
teaching an online course on "Using the Census's American Community
Survey". The course costs $400 and more information can be found at.
http://www.statistics.com/content/courses/census/index.html
Although I have not taken the course I have used Cynthia's materials and
slides in the past and found her presentations on the ACS to be most
informative. If anyone signs up and takes the course I would be
interested in hearing about it.
--
Ed Christopher
Resource Center Planning Team
Federal Highway Administration
19900 Governors Drive
Olympia Fields, Illinois 60461
708-283-3534 (V) 708-574-8131 (cell)
708-283-3501 (F)
I will be out of the office starting 09/30/2005 and will not return until
10/04/2005.
I will respond to your message when I return. Thanks!
***********************************************************************************
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please notify the sender (via e-mail) immediately.
Generally speaking, the ACS estimates use the FSCPE's (Federal-State
Cooperation for Populatin EStimates) state and county estimates as
controls but not the exact figures. It is more complicate with detailed
adjustments without documented explanations. At least it happens to the
2004 ACS estimates to Colorado counties and municipalities.
- Richard Lin, Ph.D.
Demographer
Colorado Division of Local Government
(303)866-4989, fax (303)866-2660
richard.lin(a)state.co.us
>>> "Chuck Purvis" <CPurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov> 9/2/2005 12:20 PM >>>
Jeffrey:
[I'm cross-posting my message to the national census-transportation
listserv]
You raise important points:
1. How does the Census Bureau weight & expand the American Community
Survey? Do they weight it to match sub-county "control totals"?
2. How will formula allocation programs (HUD, HHS, DOT) utilize
American Community Survey in allocating funds to local jurisdictions?
How will formula allocation programs handle the higher standard
errors,
and confidence intervals, associated with the ACS?
Answers:
1. The Census Bureau, to the best of my knowledge, uses counties as
the
finest geographic level for expanding and weighting ACS data. They do
not use sub-county or place-level control totals (e.g., like they did
with the weighting of decennial long form data to match decennial
short
form control totals). The "control totals" the Census Bureau uses are
the state-federal cooperative population estimates program, which
produces data on TOTAL population by age by sex by race/hispanic
status.
(How the Bureau adjusts these county-level population estimates to
remove the group quarters population, I don't know.) Again, this is
all
to the best of my knowledge.
For example, our State Department of Finance reports the population
for
Alameda County, in 2004, as 1,497,000. If we assume the same 1.9% of
Alameda County's population of group quarters, then this means about
1,469,000 persons-in-households in Alameda County in 2004. The ACS
measures 1,427,827 household persons in Alameda County, a difference
of
4.7%. Why this difference? The pop estimates that the Bureau is using
are perhaps different (?) than the pop estimates that the California
DOF
released this past May.
To state that the weighting and expansion of American Community Survey
data is an "issue" is a gross understatement. It's a really, really
big
issue.
2. In terms of the question "how will allocation formulas be affected
by ACS?" This is really a very, very significant issue and honestly, I
don't know.
For example, the president recently signed the federal transportation
reauthorization bill (SAFETEA-LU). There are two formula programs
based
on the distribution of DISABLED persons (for the "New Freedom
Program")
and the number of PERSONS BELOW THE 150% POVERTY LEVEL (for the Jobs
Access-for-Reverse Commuting - - JARC Program), based on urbanized
area
population. Right now, the only urbanized area data on disabled
population and poverty population is from the decennial census. So, to
allocate data NOW, the USDOT would need to rely on Census 2000 data.
When data is available from the 2005-2007 ACS (3-year accumulation of
data), down to the SMALL URBANIZED AREAS (50,000 to 65,000
population),
the USDOT MAY CHOOSE TO USE THE ACS 3-YEAR DATA TO ALLOCATE JARC & New
Freedom funds....Hopefully the 3-year ACS data is less jumpy & jittery
than the one-year data we've seen over the past four years. (An
additional point to make is that the disability data from the
decennial
census isn't that good. The disability data from the ACS should be a
much better indicator of disability levels.)
The other example, probably more near and dear to city planner's
hearts, is the allocation of community development block grant (CDBG)
funds based on census-tract level estimates of poverty (?) population.
I
think the funding agency will have to at least look at using the
five-year accumulation of ACS data, but I'm concerned (as are many
others) about the "bright line" rules that regulate whether an area
does
or doesn't receive CDBG funds. [I am out of my element & comfort zone
when talking about CDBG fund allocations. If there's a HUD-Census user
forum that discusses these issues, that would be great information to
share. Here is a link to a 2002 vintage HUD report on the ACS. I
haven't
read it yet: http://www.huduser.org/publications/polleg/acs.html
I've heard comments from the Census Bureau folks that the ACS data is
best for "characteristics, not counts" but the Bureau will need to
realize that we data users want it all: both characteristics (shares,
rates & proportions) and counts (# of persons below poverty level, #
of
disabled, # of zero-vehicle households, # of transit commuters, etc.)
My strongest recommendation is to "cross-validate" the ACS data with
other, local administrative data. The best cross-validation, at a city
level, will be to compare the citywide total housing unit estimate
from
the ACS against the City's own records on total units....
This is a long-winded "I don't know" response.
Chuck
**************************************************************
Charles L. Purvis, AICP
Principal Transportation Planner/Analyst
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
101 Eighth Street
Oakland, CA 94607-4700
(510) 817-5755 (office) [new, 8/1/05]
(510) 817-7848 (fax) [new, 8/1/05]
www: http://www.mtc.ca.gov/
Census WWW: http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/
**************************************************************
>>> JPLevin(a)oaklandnet.com 09/01/05 6:21 PM >>>
This new ACS data raises a lot of questions for us.
It shows our 2004 population as 365,266 with lower/upper bounds of
338,601
and 391,931
Our 2000 population was over 399,000. Even subtracting out the 7,000
or so
households in group quarters (who aren't counted in the ACS), this
would
give us 392,000 in 2000, but only 365,266 in 2004, despite a
significant
increase in our housing stock and by all indications an increase in
population.
Department of Finance estimate is 411,319 for 2004 and 412,318.
Does anyone else have similar problems?
This kind of undercounting can cost cities a LOT of money.
_________________________________
Jeffrey P. Levin (jplevin(a)oaklandnet.com)
Housing Policy & Programs Coordinator
City of Oakland/Community & Economic Development Agency
250 Frank Ogawa Plaza, 5th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
510/238-3501 FAX: 510/238-3691
http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/hcd
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October 2, 2005
CENSUS FUNDING UPDATE and more
Congress took steps last week to keep the federal government running in
the new fiscal year that began October 1, after failing to enact all but
two of the twelve regular appropriations bills by the end of fiscal year
2005 (FY05) on September 30. The Continuing Resolution (House Joint
Resolution 68) funds federal agencies through November 18, 2005 (or
until a separate appropriations bill is enacted, if sooner), indicating
that Congress intends to stay in session well past its original
adjournment target of early October.
The terms of the Continuing Resolution are not favorable for the Census
Bureau in the short run. The measure temporarily funds agencies at the
lower of three levels: the House-passed level, the Senate-passed level
(if applicable), or the fiscal year 2005 level. Last month, the U.S.
Senate allocated $727.4 million for the Census Bureau in fiscal year
2006 (FY06), an amount $17 million below the FY05 level and $80 million
below the amount approved by the House of Representatives in June. The
President requested $877.4 million for the agency in FY06.
Data processing contract awarded: Implementation of a $500 million
contract for the 2010 census data processing system, awarded last week
to Lockheed Martin Corporation, could be delayed if Congress fails to
appropriate more money for the Census Bureau than the amount approved by
the Senate last month.
Lockheed Martin coordinating a team that includes IBM, Computer
Sciences Corporation, Pearson Government Solutions, and several other
companies will be responsible for all systems, facilities, and
staffing to process census responses reported on paper questionnaires,
by telephone, and via the Internet. The six-year contract for the
Decennial Response Integration System (DRIS) includes developing an
Internet response option for the census, which was offered but not
widely used in 2000.
However, the Census Bureau warned in June that the FY06 funding level
adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee (and subsequently by the
full Senate) could delay the award of the DRIS contract. The bureaus
impact statement, issued June 29, says that delaying the award would
postpone[e] critical efforts to ensure we can effectively integrate
data capture of respondent data from multiple sources in the 2010 Census
and increas[e] the likelihood that this will not be successful in
2010. The decision to award the contract before negotiators have met
to decide on a final funding level could indicate that the Census Bureau
is confident it will receive a much higher budget than the Senate
approved; alternatively, the bureau could delay implementation of the
contract if appropriators fail to allocate sufficient funds.
New report explains ACS: A new report from the Washington-based
Population Reference Bureau (PRB) offers a useful description of the
Census Bureaus American Community Survey (ACS), with a focus on
important differences between ACS and census long form methods and
data. Authors Mark Mather, Kerri Rivers, and Linda Jacobsen compare
data collection in the two surveys for several key socio-economic
characteristics, including income and poverty, immigration and language,
housing and commuting, and marriage and family relationships. The
American Community Survey is available through the PRBs web site at
www.prb.org (see top center of home page).
New Census Advisory Committee to meet: The newly-created 2010 Census
Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting on October 27-28 at
Census Bureau headquarters in Suitland, MD. The committee replaced the
Decennial Census Advisory Committee, which was disbanded last winter.
The advisory committee will meet on Thursday, October 27, from 8:30 AM
5:15 PM, and on Friday, October 28, from 8:45 11:45 AM. Topics of
discussion include updates from congressional staff; status of planning
for the 2010 census, including communications plans; Master Address File
and TIGER digital mapping system improvement; American Community Survey
field work, including in Gulf Coast areas; and Census Bureau research
related to questionnaire content and coverage improvement.
The meeting will take place in the Francis Amasa Walker Conference
Center at the Census Bureau (Building #3). It is open to the public.
In the September 16th Census News Brief, I inadvertently neglected to
include the National Conference of State Legislatures on the list of
committee members. (My apologies to my good friend, Tim Storey, who has
ably represented NCSL on the census advisory committee for many years!)
Census News Briefs are prepared by Terri Ann Lowenthal, an independent
consultant in Washington, DC, with support from The Annie E. Casey
Foundation and other organizations. Ms. Lowenthal is also a consultant
to The Census Project, sponsored by the Communications Consortium Media
Center. All views expressed in the News Briefs are solely those of the
author. Please direct questions about the information in this News
Brief to Ms. Lowenthal at 202/484-3067 or by e-mail at
TerriAnn2K(a)aol.com. Please feel free to circulate this document to
other interested individuals and organizations.
--
Ed Christopher
708-283-3534 (V)
708-574-8131 (cell)
FHWA RC-TST-PLN
19900 Governors Dr
Olympia Fields, IL 60461