[CTPP] TAZ Creation -Reply

The file layout requirements for submitting TAZ equivalencies to the Census Bureau are in the Reference Section (page 7) of the TAZ-UP User Manual. For those who said they were not using TAZ-UP, we included a paper copy of the directions with the mailout of the TIGER Line/98 CD. The TAZ-UP software automatically creates this file. However, this documentation is included specifically for those who are not using TAZ-UP. i received this and was wondering if any others could help with some advice or insight. has anyone developed amls or other software to support their TAZ efforts out side of TAZ-UP? ----------- From: Kirk Eby <keby(a)tompkins-co.org> Tompkins County (FIPS 36109) currently has its TAZs in Arc/Info format. Except for 2 zones and one minor civil division change, all of the TAZs are based entirely on census blocks and MCDs. We have determined that for all but 6 census blocks, the TAZ number can easily be placed in a "table of equivalency" for the Tiger/Line 98 files. (If you are curious, all I did was take the centroids from the 98 Tiger files and use ArcView to spatially join them with the TAZ polygons from Arc/Info, thus allowing the TAZ number to be easily populated in the Tiger 98 table.) Rather than having to spend the time and resources to do the update in TazUp, and having to repeat in Arc/Info any changes that may be made in the "non-equivalent" zones, the County would prefer to change only the Arc/Info file, then create the required "table of equivalency." None of the information we have seen describes the format of this "table of equivalency" in any detail. Is there technical documentation of the format (required fields, file types, etc.) of the required "table?" Also, has anyone already developed an AML, Avenue, or other application to automatically generate the required "table?" Or is there at least a "sample" of the "table" somewhere? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Kirk Eby Tompkins County GIS Project Leader Information Technology Services