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The Bureau of Transportation Statistics Priorities for the Future (1997) / Chapter Skim
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C PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR A FEDERAL STATISTICAL AGENCY: HOW BTS COMPARES
Pages 120-125

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From page 120...
... The mission for BTS to compile, analyze, and disseminate informationwas established by the 1991 ISTEA legislation. BTS has begun two major multimodal surveys, produced several analytical reports, and developed computerized approaches to dissemination of data on transportation.
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From page 121...
... BTS has moved forward rapidly to contract with the Census Bureau to implement the Commodity Flow Survey and the American Travel Survey, which provide intermodal data that have not been available for over 15 years. BTS has also worked with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and the Transportation Research Board to help states and localities assess data needs and to understand the data that are already available.
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From page 122...
... It does not have authority over the statistical programs located in other parts of the department. However, it is clear that the 1991 ISTEA envisioned BTS as providing leadership throughout USDOT and the entire statistical system on transportation issues.
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From page 123...
... BTS has legislation to protect the confidentiality of data provided by individuals and businesses and, in the data collected by the Bureau of the Census, uses Census Bureau rules on this issue. As indicated above, the nature of airline and motor carrier information identified by respondent poses special problems and is inconsistent with the principle of statistical confidentiality necessary to maintain survey response rates and a statistical agency' s reputation for objectivity.
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From page 124...
... The Office of Airline Information within BTS releases identifiable information in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations. In addition, the Motor Carrier Statistics Program, recently transferred to BTS, identifies individual carriers.
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From page 125...
... BTS has initiated work with the Bureau of Economic Analysis to develop a transportation satellite account as part of the National Income and Product Accounts. BTS has a good record of working with agencies, both inside and outside USDOT, to provide useful transportation data, but it has not yet promoted data linkages with the surveys of other agencies in the federal statistical system.
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Key Terms

  • federal statistical
  • transportation data
  • commodity flow
  • travel survey
  • american travel

  • flow survey
  • census bureau
  • bts provides
  • motor carrier
  • statistical agencies

  • branch agencies
  • carrier information
  • prior clearance
  • agency head
  • professional staff

  • data providers
  • data linkages
  • mutual respect
  • identifies individual
  • equally accessible

  • continuous relationship
  • staff experienced
  • localities assess
  • carrier statistics
  • observe fair

  • statistical expertise
  • forward rapidly
  • airline information
  • including maintaining
  • computerized approaches


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