RE: [CTPP] Please help your data community re: PUMAs

We are both the MPO and the SDC Affiliate for our area. The Washington State SDC asked us to propose how we wanted our PUMAs delineated. Our population in 2000 was only 207,355, so we were only creating two PUMAs. Also, there would only be one workplace PUMA, corresponding to the whole county. No matter how we might have divided the area, differentiated flows between the two PUMAs and the county as a whole would not have been of much transportation planning value. Realistically, the only choices available under the circumstances were an east-west split of the county, or an approximation of an urban-rural split (about 80% of the population lives in the northern third of the county, so a north-south split wasn’t practical). We decided to create one PUMA for the urban core, and the second for the remainder of the county. That creates a donut, but at least allows for tracking the significant differences in household characteristics for the two different PUMAs, using the custom crosstabs only available through PUMS. Pete Swensson, Senior Planner Thurston Regional Planning Council 2424 Heritage Ct. SW Olympia, WA 98502 (360) 741-2530 (direct line) (360) 956-7575 (main desk) (360) 956-7815 (fax) swenssp(a)trpc.org This e-mail and any attachments are for the use of the addressed individual. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify our systems manager. TRPC has taken responsible precautions to ensure no viruses are present in this e-mail, however we do not accept responsibility for loss or damage arising from the use of this e-mail or attachments. _____________________________________________ From: ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net [mailto:ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net] On Behalf Of Elaine.Murakami(a)dot.gov Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 4:17 PM To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Subject: RE: [CTPP] Please help your data community re: PUMAs I am getting anecdotal remarks about whether or not SDCs have been open to working with the transportation data community, e.g. State DOTs and MPOs, about PUMA delineation. I think that if a few of you could provide some EXAMPLES of GOOD working relationships, maybe we can reduce the problems in the next round. Some questions to consider: After 2000, how did the SDC do outreach with the data community to get input into PUMA delineation? What are the SDCs' plans for outreach for the next round? Has the MPO or the State DOT participated in the SDC program as an affiliate? Did the transportation data community participate in the 2010 Census tract delineation? State's Data Center contact list: http://www.census.gov/sdc/network.html You don't have to write a book, just a couple of paragraphs would still be helpful! Elaine Murakami FHWA Office of Planning 206-220-4460 _______________________________________________ ctpp-news mailing list ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news