BTS Aims for Improved Transportation Decisions With TranStats, an Intermodal Database on the Web

Contact BTS 24-02 David Smallen 202-366-5568

Monday, September 16, 2002 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today offered a major step forward in electronic government with the unveiling of TranStats, a new website providing one-stop data shopping through access to more than 100 transportation-related data bases.

"The Bureau of Transportation Statistics is making data more accessible for the entire transportation community," BTS Director Ashish Sen said. "Ultimately, TranStats should result in more timely and more informed decisions, and a better transportation system."

By reducing the time needed for data gathering, TranStats will increase the time available for analysis. By providing easy linkages across many data sets, TranStats can help achieve new insights on transportation. The new website is aimed at transportation researchers and analysts.

TranStats offers analysts several unique features:

• A searchable index of more than 100 transportation-related databases from every mode of transportation ? with many social and demographic data sets that are commonly used in transportation analysis.
• Selective download — the ability to choose variables of interest and download the data directly to a personal computer for analysis using any database, spreadsheet, or statistical package.
• Online data documentation — profiles on each database, summary information about the tables that comprise a database, data definitions and code information for data variables.
• Interactive analytical tools — the ability to do simple statistical summaries, create time series or cross tabulations, generate graphics online, and cut and paste the results into reports.
• Interactive mapping to help visualize geographic data.
• A mapping center with the full National Transportation Atlas Data Base, as well as applications for easily mapping DOT Grants and several other key data sets.

The website is at www.transtats.bts.gov.

Users can explore data on TranStats by transportation mode or by subject areas, use keyword searches to find relevant data sets, and get online help. All data in TranStats are indexed with a transportation thesaurus and links to other transportation research are reached through BTS' National Transportation Library.