Journey-to-work and other socioeconomic data from the census are the baseline used for State and metropolitan transportation planning.  The data provided in CTPP 2000 will be especially important because the 2000 census will be the last to include a "long-form questionnaire" to collect this type of information.  Instead, the Census Bureau will initiate a program to collect such data during the next decade as part of a continuous monthly survey called The American Community Survey.  Data from the 2000 census with be critical for States and MPOs to make the transition to American Community Survey data.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is designed to provide annual data for States, large metropolitan areas, and large cities for items traditionally surveyed in the "long form".  For smaller geographic areas, like census tracts and block groups, the data will need to be accumulated over several years before it can be released because of confidentiality restrictions and large sample error (due to the smaller geographic reporting units). It is expected that the "long form" will cease to exist after Census 2000.  In its place, a survey to sample households continuously, at 250,000 households per month, has been designed by the Census Bureau.  This survey is the ACS.  Some of the differences between a "long form" conducted with the Decennial Census and the ACS design are depicted in the Table below.
 

The Current plan is that 37 counties will be part of ACS comparison program in 1999 through 2001.  This will provide a large sample for which direct comparisons to the Census 2000 "long form" sample can be made.  Specifically, a 3-year accumulation can be compared to a point-in-time data sample for the same geographic area.

Also, in 2000-2002, the Census Bureau plans a national comparison sample of 700,000 housing units.  This will allow state estimates and estimates for geographic areas of 250,000 persons or more, e.g. large counties or cities.

In 2003, it is planned that ACS will go into production mode, with a 3% sample of households surveyed each year, with sample spread over the 12 months.

The ACS survey process differs significantly from decennial census process.  It includes mail, computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), and computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI).  The mail process includes a survey pre-notification, an initial questionnaire, a reminder card and a replacement questionnaire.  In the 4 county demonstration, the source of the data was as follows:

Mail  79%
CATI  10%
CAPI  11%

When Mr. Lynn Weidman (Demographic Statistical Methods Division) was asked what the Census Bureau was going to do as a result of these findings, he said they did not have specific plans to oversample in black areas, but considered oversampling with CATI in areas with low MAIL response.  Also they are considering different publicity campaigns, and revisions to the questionnaire design.
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Housing unit vacancy rates--In the ACS there is about a 2 1/2 month data collection period for each housing unit, while it transitions between mail--CATI--CAPI survey process.  In that time, some housing units transition between vacant and occupied.  Using Current Population Survey (CPS) data, Census Bureau estimates that in that 2 1/2 month window, 20.6% of vacant units become occupied, and 2.3% of occupied units become vacant.  Thus, a 10% vacancy measured from a point-in-time survey, like the traditional decennial census, will appear as an 8.4% vacancy from the ACS.
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The mailing list is called ctpp-news.  It is maintained as a volunteer effort by Chris Parrinello who has it running on a personal server called chrispy.net.  Chris is a software engineer for Motorola Corporation, friend of the committee and committed to providing safeguards from spam and Internet trickery.

To join the ctpp-news is easy.  You can either phone me (312-793-3467) or go through the automated process by sending an e-mail to majordomo@chrispy.net with the words "subscribe ctpp-news" in the body of the message.  Once you have subscribed, you can post to all the
members.

Right now the list has about 85 subscribers.  My hope is to see it get upwards of 250 individuals and include those from all the MPOs, consultants, states and anyone else who has worked with CTPP data.  From a list development perspective, I look at the ctpp-news as a building block for those who have an interest in census data transportation matters as a community.

For more information about our mailing list go to:
http://www.TRBcensus.com/maillist.html

Ed Christopher, Chair

Enclosed with this snail-mailed version of this Status Report is a publication called "CTPP 2000 Special Report" - TAZ Update Program.  It explains the CTPP 2000 TAZ submittal process for MPOs and DOTs.  This report is an official notification of the planned process and schedule for all participants who will be submitting TAZs to the Census Bureau for CTPP 2000.  Formal, detailed instructions on TAZ delineations and submittals will be sent out to all MPOs and DOTs in early 1999.  It is important to get this document and prepare your organizations accordingly.

If you would like a copy of "CTPP 2000 Special Report" - TAZ Update Program"  just drop an email to Tom Mank.

1. What tables did you use from the 1990 CTPP?

B. Urban, please list: 

2. What tables from the 1990 CTPP were of least importance to you?

A. Statewide, please list: 

B. Urban, please list: 

3. What data or tabulations would you like to have available for the 2000 CTPP which were not part of the 1990 CTPP? 

4. What is the best way for you to access the 2000 CTPP data tables [ASCII, dBASE, Spreadsheet (Excel, Lotus, Quattro Pro), SAS, GIS-based, other - please specify]? 

5. What GIS software / hardware do you currently use? What GIS format would be best for digital file exchange [ASCII comma delimited, ASCII space delimited, ARC Export files or shapefiles, other GIS data formats (Transcad, MapInfo, Intergraph, etc), CAD dxf]?? 

6. What is the source of your GIS base map (TIGER, ETAK, other private vendor, created in-house, other)? 

7. If given the opportunity, would you assign staff and resources to participate in workplace coding for 2000?