Dear CTPP Community,
We are in the development stages of an RFP for a Census Transportation Planning Products (CTPP) data delivery update/refresh.
The CTPP data is a special tabulation of census data that is transportation centric. Its chief difference from standard census products is a large amount of workplace based data, data at small geography (but still in tabular form) and flow data from home to work. This is aggregate (census) data, not microdata.
Manhan Group is working with us to develop the RFP and doing outreach to generate interested recipients. If you are interested, please let Ya Wang ya(a)manhangroup.com<mailto:ya@manhangroup.com> know. More info is below.
The project will have three parts: database backend, API, and front-end data portal. We are open to different vendors for different parts and open to any approach which makes sense. If we are using different vendors, the database backend vendor would need to support the vendor for the API or front-end data portal development.
The project aims to overhaul the existing data access solution to the CTPP data products. AASHTO is the sponsor of the project and Manhan Group, LLC is the project manager.
The existing data access application is linked here: http://data5.ctpp.transportation.org<http://data5.ctpp.transportation.org/>. The backend database is currently stored in MS SQL server. The existing data is also available for download in batch through a ftp site: ftp://data5.ctpp.transportation.org/ in zipped csv file formats.
Linked here is the document explaining the data structure for the CTPP 2012 to 2016 data set: https://ctpp.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2020/09/Data-St… .
Data Structure for CTPP 2012-2016 Data Set<https://ctpp.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2020/09/Data-St…>
Data Structure for CTPP 2012-2016 Data Set 1. Source Data from Census The data from Census comes in a form of ZIP files (one per state). Each ZIP file contains a collection of
ctpp.transportation.org
The new database would store both the existing CTPP data sets and the upcoming ones. Since CTPP users still want the online web map applications, it might be a good idea to store the census geography corresponding to CTPP geography summary level in the database as well. In addition, the design of the database might need to facilitate the longitudinal comparison between different CTPP datasets. AASHTO will provide equivalent tables which identify comparable variables across different data sets. Finally, the database might need to store information related to the utilization of tables or user information once the API and data portal are developed.
As to the API, we would prefer the vendor to use the current technology: REST and GraphQL. But we are open to other API technology as well if the vendor can convince us. Besides allowing users to query and filter the data, the API would also allow users to access feature service layer information.
The front-end web application will provide a data portal for non-technical users to query, filter and view the data.
Right now, we are at the stage of outreaching to potential vendors. Once we have finalized the RFP, we will send you an official invitation to respond to the RFP. In the meantime, feel free to contact us for any additional information, questions or share your ideas about this project.
Best,
Ya
And
Penelope Weinberger
She/They
CTPP Program Manager
AASHTO
Ctpp.transportation.org
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