E-C158 Cover1 - Center for Transportation Analysis - Oak Ridge ...
E-C158 Cover1 - Center for Transportation Analysis - Oak Ridge ...
E-C158 Cover1 - Center for Transportation Analysis - Oak Ridge ...
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A<br />
WORKSHOP SUMMARIES<br />
Product Tools and Functionality<br />
JOHN FRITTELLI<br />
Congressional Research Service, Presiding<br />
SCOTT DRUMM<br />
Port of Portland, Recorder<br />
panel consisting of Donna Hambric and Andrew Hait from the U.S. Census Bureau was<br />
provided with the following points to consider:<br />
• Which predefined 2007 tools and functionality are the most useful and how should<br />
the tools and functionality be changed <strong>for</strong> the 2012 CFS?<br />
• Which AFF 2007 tools and functionality are the most useful and how should the tools<br />
and functionality be changed <strong>for</strong> the 2012 CFS?<br />
• How should the organization of data be modified? Was the 2007 organization useful?<br />
Is more or is less consolidation needed? In 1997 and 2002, CFS estimates were disseminated in<br />
more than 400 files. In 2007, the number of files has been consolidated to 42. For example,<br />
national, regional, divisional, state, and metropolitan areas were consolidated into one file <strong>for</strong><br />
each topic.<br />
This session focused on how to make the CFS data more accessible to users. Andy Hait<br />
walked participants through the products and data options currently available through AFF. The<br />
use of AFF to disseminate CFS 2007 data was a major change from CFS 2002. For the CFS,<br />
AFF is structured to provide predefined tools <strong>for</strong> quick and easy access to data and to provide<br />
user-defined queries <strong>for</strong> more detailed analysis of the data.<br />
PREDEFINED TOOLS<br />
The predefined data products available through AFF are (a) quick reports, (b) thematic maps,<br />
and (c) tables. Quick reports provide summary-level data tables by industry, geography, hazmat,<br />
or commodity. Although users have some limited options with quick reports, these are mostly<br />
basic tables that AFF produces very quickly. Thematic maps offer several map options to show<br />
how states vary on a number of different attributes related to commodity movement. Accessing<br />
the data through the BTS website also allows users to display a variety of predefined tables that<br />
would typically appear in a printed report.<br />
Concurrent with the release of the 2010 Census data, the Census Bureau is scheduled to<br />
release an update of AFF—AFF2.0. This new version will contain a number of improvements<br />
over the current tool, and CFS 2007 data will eventually be uploaded as the current version is<br />
phased out.<br />
Comments and questions from workshop attendees regarding the predefined CFS tools<br />
included the following:<br />
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