TRANSPORTATION FOR THE NATION

Vision

Transportation for the Nation (TFTN) will include consistent, current, high quality road centerline data for the entire country.

Background

TFTN will encompass data sets covering multiple modes of transportation, however, the initial focus will be on producing a road centerline data set that includes all types of roads, both public and private. Street networks (road centerline data) are one of the most widely used geospatial information products in today's society. They support numerous applications, including E-911 dispatching, mail and parcel delivery, response and relief efforts during major disasters, online sales tax collection, mapping, geocoding, intelligent transportation systems, automated vehicle routing and vehicle location systems. Their use is pervasive in American society, yet there are few figures available to demonstrate the true value of street network data to society.

So far, nationwide programs that collect and assimilate geospatial transportation data from local, state, regional and federal sources are usually done with a single purpose, rather than for multi-purpose use. Several commercial data providers buy, partner, or recreate the data produced by government agencies. In the absence of an effective and organized national program, and without incentives to cooperate, each level of government continues to duplicate efforts by creating these data to meet only their specific business needs. This practice leads to wasted tax dollars and inefficient government. The true business value of shared geospatial transportation data is only beginning to be realized.

The notion of Transportation for the Nation (TFTN) was originally put forth in a 2008 “Issues Brief” from the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). In that brief, NSGIC noted the fundamental nature of transportation data which is universally utilized by geospatial practitioners and also the fact that there is redundancy and at least three overlapping efforts that create nationwide transportation data sets. These inefficiencies cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Under the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A‐16, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) was designated as the framework “theme leader” for transportation data sets. USDOT developed a Strategic Plan as it investigated whether a TFTN program could help the agency meet its own internal business needs, fulfill its Circular A‐16 responsibilities and help the country more efficiently provide transportation data that is widely demanded.

With the proper focus on coordination and collaboration, a program such as TFTN can generate nationwide transportation data that meets both the USDOT's internal business needs and the broader requirements of other stakeholders across the country. The time is right for a program such as TFTN and NSGIC believes that it should proceed to more detailed business planning and proof‐of‐concept prototyping.

(Open the PDF Strategic Plan)

This document was produced for the USDOT by Koniag Technology Solutions (KTS) and Applied Geographics, Inc. (AppGeo).