BTS Releases NTAD 2002 Geographic Databases With New View of Water Features

Contact BTS 16-02 David Smallen 202-366-5568

Thursday, July 11, 2002 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released the 2002 edition of the National Transportation Atlas Databases (NTAD) containing a new hydrography layer that offers a complete cartographic view of all water features in the United States.

NTAD 2002 ― a collection of nationwide geographic databases of transportation facilities, transportation networks, and associated infrastructure ― supports research, analysis, and decision-making across all modes of transportation. It consists of 20 separate data sets, 13 of which have been updated, as well as the new hydrography polygon data layer. The updated data sets include: Populated Places 2000, Ports, States, Railways, the National Highway Planning Network, and Congressional Districts.

"Transportation is a spatial phenomenon and as such geospatial data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) give us the power to discover emerging problems and devise solutions far more readily than with traditional analytical methods," BTS Director Ashish Sen said. "NTAD 2002 is a powerful tool that provides planners with valuable geographic information to help them make informed decisions."

The new layer, as well as most of the geographic reference layers, are derived from 2000 Census data. All data sets have a standardized and much improved metadata format -- that is, more information to make them more accessible to the end user.

Due to popular demand, the data are again provided in shapefile format, which is compatible with most GIS software. BTS and its partners throughout the U.S. Department of Transportation and other federal government agencies worked together in the compilation of NTAD 2002. The additional data added this year made it necessary to expand the product from a single CD-ROM to a dual CD-ROM set.

To order a free copy of the CD-ROM, contact BTS by phone at 202-366-DATA (press 1), by fax at 202-366-3197, by e-mail at answers@bts.gov or by mail sent to Product Orders, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Room 3103, Washington, DC 20590.

The data sets may be accessed via the Internet at http://www.bts.gov/gis (select the "Geospatial Data" link). Additionally, the CD-ROMs may be ordered at http://www.bts.gov/btsprod (select the "Geospatial Information and Maps" link). For technical information, contact Pam LaFontaine at 202-493-0566.