Please forgive any duplication - I am sending this as a bcc to a variety of lists in the interest of time - if you get this more than once, please just delete the other notices that originate from me. Please forward this to others that you know of that may find this service of interest. Peter J. Foote PFoote(a)TransitChicago.com Market Research/Resource Planning Planning Division Chicago Transit Authority 120 N. Racine Avenue Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 733-7000 x 6840 (Voice) (312) 432 - 7108 (Fax) ----- Original Message ----- From: "TRANSTATS" <TRANSTATS(a)inet.bts.gov> Sent: Monday, August 19, 2002 4:46 PM Subject: Bureau of Transportation Statistics--TranStats User Testing We'd like your help in testing a new website--TranStats, the intermodal transportation database. TranStats is a new website (http://www.bts.gov/transtats) for transportation researchers and analysts aimed at providing "one-stop shopping" for transportation data. The premise is fairly simple: By reducing the time needed to gather data, more time is made available for analysis. And easy linkages across many data sets can provide new insights. Ultimately, this should result in more timely and more informed decisions, and a better transportation system. Until now, the process of compiling data to analyze a transportation problem commonly involved searching for data sources, contacting various data providers to get the data--often many times, sorting through the data, and integrating data from various sources for analysis. This is a very labor-intensive process, often taking months. TranStats is an e-government initiative aimed at streamlining this process. TranStats offers analysts several unique features: · A searchable index of over 100 transportation-related databases across every mode of transportation, along with many social, economic and demographic data sets commonly used in transportation analysis. · Selective download--the ability to choose variables of interest and download the data directly to your PC for analysis using any database, spreadsheet, or statistical package. · Online data documentation--summary information about each database, data definitions, and code information for data variables. · Interactive analytical tools--the ability to perform simple statistical summaries, create time series or cross tabulations, generate graphics online, and cut/paste results into reports. · Interactive mapping to help visualize geographic data. · A mapping center with the full National Transportation Atlas Database, as well as applications for easily mapping several other key data sets. Users can explore data by transportation mode, agency or by subject area, use keyword searches to find relevant datasets, and get online help. And because all the data in TranStats are indexed with a transportation thesaurus, links to other transportation research information and data are easy through the National Transportation Library. The website is at http://www.bts.gov/transtats. Check out "Getting Started" on the TranStats homepage. Your comments and feedback will help us ensure high standards of quality and usability before we release TranStats to the public. For example, we want to know if the site is user friendly. Are databases easy to access? Are database descriptions adequate? Are the analytical tools useful? Is the site easy to navigate? Is the design intuitive? Please explore TranStats and send us your comments and feedback through e-mail (answers(a)bts.gov) or call us toll-free (1-800-853-1351). If you have trouble starting up and need help, please send us an e-mail at the same address or call the same toll-free number--our information service specialists will be there to answer your questions. The user testing will continue through COB Friday, August 30th, 2002. Please feel free to spread this message to other users who might be interested. We'll appreciate your help in making this a success. Ashish K. Sen Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics U.S. Department of Transportation Washington, DC.