National Transportation Atlas Databases: 1997 Now Available

Contact DOT 113-97 BTS Product Line 202-366-DATA Carol Brandt Technical 202-366-6662

Thursday, July 31, 1997 -- The U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater today announced the release of the National Transportation Atlas Databases--1997 (NTAD97) from the department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

BTS Director Dr. T. R. Lakshmanan said, "These databases provide a foundation for the transportation layer of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). We plan to work closely with state and local governments to enhance, update, and maintain these databases."

NTAD97 is a set of national geographic databases of transportation facilities. These databases include geospatial information for transportation modal networks and intermodal terminals, and related attribute information. Each database includes documentation according to the metadata content standards as prescribed by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).

This is the third release of the atlas. The 1997 version includes updated geography and attribute files in a standard ASCII text format. The data on the CD-ROM support research, analysis, and decision- making across all modes of transportation. The databases are most useful at the national level, but have major implications at the regional, state, and local scale throughout the transportation community.

This CD-ROM provides transportation planners and researchers geographic and attribute information for 22 datasets. These datasets include Public Use Airports, Amtrak Stations, Water Ports, the National Highway Planning Network, National Railway Network, Fixed Guideway Transit Network plus High Occupancy Vehicle Roadways, State Boundaries with Integrated Shoreline, Federally Adjusted Urbanized Areas, the Bureau of Economic Analysis Economic Areas, and more.

NTAD97 is available in both DOS/Windows and UNIX compatible CD-ROM format. The databases are designed for use within a Geographic Information System (GIS). To allow those without a GIS to view the data graphically, BTS is releasing a Windows NT/95 based data viewer. For those with a GIS, the data viewer will convert the geospatial data to a number of popular GIS formats. The data viewer is available through the Internet at http://www.bts.gov/gis/ntatlas/translation.html.

To order a copy of the CD-ROM, contact the Bureau of Transportation Statistics by phone on (202) 366-DATA, by Fax on (202)366-3640, by email to orders@bts.gov, or by writing to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics at BTS/DOT, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. The databases are available on the Internet at http://www.bts.gov/gis.