Re: [CTPP] census testing

To Ed Christopher and (it is hoped) the CTPP news list: The President will push the long form tomorrow in his Saturday radio address: I and others have been asked for testimonials re the use we make of the data from the census and to be available to reporters for questions. This is my statement: In 1987 the first Commuting in America, a study of U.S. travel behavior trends, was written by Alan E. Pisarski, supported by a consortium of state and local governments, based entirely on 1960, 70 and 80 decennial census data. Commuting in America II was written in 1996 based on the 1990 Census using the expanded long form statistics. State and local governments invested millions of dollars in the tabulation, analysis and application of these data to their local transportation planning needs. In the concluding paragraphs of commuting in America II Mr. Pisarski said: THE SOURCES OF UNDERSTANDING The 1990 census has been the dominant source of information for this report and for metropolitan analyses across the nation. The work of the Bureau and of the States, working through their association, AASHTO, has been incredibly valuable. For the first time we have had national, comprehensive coverage of commuting in detail. THE FUTURE OF DATA; DATA OF THE FUTURE The great "if" is the year 2000 census, which is in greater jeopardy than any census has ever been in our era. This transcends the usual disinterest regarding the census when it is five years away. There is pressure to reduce the data collected to that absolute minimum needed for legislative redistricting. While all would agree that streamlining and improvements in efficiency would certainly be in order, the collapse of the census would be a disaster for public understanding of our society. The journey to work questions are of unquestioned value to public policy and public investment questions in the range of hundreds of billions of dollars. But it is the fundamental small area demographic data that underlies the specialized questions that is most critical to effective public policy at the local level. There is a sense that we are on the cusp of major shifts from old methods of data collection to new means just emerging - means that promise greater efficiency and speed. We must not lose the continuity of the data resources we depend on as these new techniques evolve. Commuting in America II, 1996 Alan E. Pisarski Author Eno Transportation Foundation Inc., Wash. D.C. Publisher