POLICY AND ORGANIZATION GROUP

Triennial Self-Evaluation of Committee Activities

Committee Name and Number: ABJ60

Committee Chairperson: Harvey J. Miller and Reginald R. Souleyrette

TSE Three-Year Period: April 15, 2003 to April 15, 2006

Date Prepared: May 2, 2006

Committee Web Site:

1. Committee Scope:

A. When did your committee last consider the scope? 2005

B. Does the current scope statement accurately reflect your committee’s activities? Yes

Should the scope be modified? No

C. What changes are proposed and why are these changes necessary? A name change is proposed to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Applications and Science Committee. Recently, the Photogrammetery and Remote Sensing Committee (AFB80) changed its name to “Geospatial Data Acquisition Technologies in Design and Construction,” and our proposed name change more clearly reflects our activities, interests, expertise and distinction between AFB80 and ABJ60 roles.

Following are comments of the committee members and friends related to this issue:

Comment 1: Transportation Geospatial Sciences?

Comment 2:For your consideration, I would suggest the name: Geospatial Information Sciences Committee. Transportation is impliedbecause it is under TRB. Geospatial is inclusive; engineering, geography, or any other related disciplines, can be part of it. In short, it can be called the GIS Committee.

Comment 3: Regarding the possible name change, I lean more towards using the more accurate name which reflects the committee’s total area of interest rather using a more common, but inadequate name such as “GIS”. I believe that our role is to promote the products of our work more so than promoting the committee itself.Since the committee is on the leading edge of geospatial technology, the committee would also be expected to be on the leading edge of concept definitions [including the concept that defines the committee and what it does]. If we retain the more limited “GIS” term in the name, then we would be inaccurately promoting a more limited scope of committee activity, and the committee itself could also inadvertently begin to think in more limited ways.

Comment 4: I fear that if we cast ourselves as a GIS committee, we will be viewed as technologists who train people, not as scientists and engineers who advance the underlying theory and applications that drive new developments of technology. My feeling is that if people are confused by the current name, it is better for them to be confused that way than to be thinking that what we do is push buttons on software and figure out how to use GPS units in the field.

Comment 5: Geographic Information Systems for Transportation, GIS-T is a better name. It is more recognizable to the average person and sounds less formal. Many out side of the GIS community don't fully understand or care about all of the concepts, they just want and analysis run and a graphic to display the results. The less formal and simpler you make the technology sound the more it will be accepted by those who don't understand it. GIS has to potential to do many great things for the Transportation community but before it can do that it must be accepted, and part of that acceptance is getting it recognized.

Comment 6: Would "Geog. Info. SCIENCE" let us have our cake and eat it too?

Comment 7: SDIS is somewhat of a mixed message I believe. If we feel that our primary focus rallies around and is primarly based upon GIS and spatial data then I think I name should be more specific for clarity. I hesitate however to too use a term to narrowly construed like "GIS Committee." At least maybe we should consider expanding somewhat to be "GIS and Spatial Sciences Committee" or something that conveys a more holistic or comprehensive focus.

Comment 8: I like the idea of changing the name of the Committee back to GIS-T. It is a term that is relatively well known within the transportation community, and although not precise, certainly conveys the mission of the Committee to the TRB audience.

Comment 9: When you introduce yourself as a member of the committee – what name do you use? I have begun to use “GIS Committee” as I do not want to belabor the introduction. Only when I want to impress an academic do I say “spatial … sciences” – and not always even then.

Comment 10:As far as the name goes, I would vote for something with geospatial information sciences in it. I agree that we don't want to be thought of as technicians.

2. Committee Strategic Planning

  1. Has your committee conducted strategic planning sessions? If so, please attach results. Yes, several. See attached annual report for 2006 that includes strategic plans of each research focus area within our Committee. Following is our vision statement, derived from the strategic planning activities:

There is unprecedented interest in geospatial issues in transportation. The ready availability of GPS and web-based imagery, and the emergence and growth of fields such as Location Based Services (LBS), are creating brisk demand for a new generation of gadgetry and services. One can anticipate that a public increasingly equipped with personal information devices will expect planners, traffic managers, incident responders and other transportation professionals to have comparable technology. However, implementing these technologies at the institutional level presents significant challenges because of elevated performance requirements, e.g.

bandwidth requirements are greater, there is a need for data standards and interoperability, robustness and fitness for use. Furthermore, to make informed investments in these technologies at the institutional level, one requires a strategic vision of the future of geospatial technologies in transportation at the broadest level.

As part of our strategic planning, the Research Subcommittee is identifying Grand Challenges in transportation, and are identifying how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geographic Information Science (GISci) can serve to meet these challenges. This reflects an attempt to outreach to other transportation communities regarding the role of spatial data and information science in meeting their research, development and planning needs. It also harmonizes with the efforts by the TRB Executive Committee to identify Critical Issues in Transportation.

  1. If you have not done strategic planning, what are your committee’s strategic directions for the future? We have conducted strategic planning activities, and our directions are reflected in the several research and applications areas represented by our Research Subcommittee focus groups (Safety, Operations, Environment, Planning, Infrastructure, Security, and Science).

3. Critical and Cross-cutting Issues

.

A. What are the key long term and emerging issues that your committee is tracking? GIS Applications in Safety, Operations, Environment, Planning, Infrastructure, and Security, as well as Education and Data Integration issues. We are also tracking GI Science developments.

B. What plans do you have to address cross-cutting issues with other committees? In the past three years, we have co-sponsored several annual meeting calls for papers and sessions with other TRB committees. Currently, we are co-sponsoring (with the Metadata Subcommittee of the Data Section ABJ00) a call for papers in the “Semantic transportation data models” area (as well as an NCHRP Synthesis problem statement on the topic, related to GIS Ontology). Also, we have initiated a new liaison program (see question 6, below).

4. Committee Activity Plans

  1. What activities are planned next year to achieve your goals?
  • TRB Annual meeting committee and subcommittee meetings
  • call for papers
  • paper/poster session(s)
  • white paper on GIS Data Needs, paralleling the Transportation Information Needs Assessment
  • Participation in the North American Travel Monitoring Exhibition & Conference, June 2006
  • Participation in the ATSIP Traffic Records Forum in Desert Springs, August 2006.
  • Participation in “asset management peer on integrating crash and roadway data” in the fall of 2006
  1. What activities are envisioned in future years? No firm plans at this time. However, we will continue to be involved in workshops and conferences as we have in the last three years.

5. Committee Organization and Membership

  1. Describe the membership gender and racial diversity. We currently have three women, one Hispanic-descent and five Asian-descent members.
  1. How is membership distributed geographically?

Eastern _8_Central _7_

Western _8_International _1_

  1. How is membership distributed across professional affiliation?

State Government _2_Federal Government _3_

Education _11_Private Sector _9_

Local Government _0_Nonprofit/Other _0_

D. How many “friends” are associated with the committee? 121

E. List subcommittees and their chairs.

Research – Val Noronha

Safety - Srinivas Pulugurtha

Operations - Billy Bachman

Environment – Hillary Perkins

Planning - Elizabeth Harper, Bruce Spear

Infrastructure – Jack Stickel

Security - Bruce Ralston

Science - Wende Mix

Integration – Bobby Harris

Education – Mike Anderson

6. Interaction with Other TRB Committees, Organizations, and Customers

A. List other TRB committees which your committee maintains a formal liaison representation.

ABC40 / Transportation Asset Management
ABG20 / Transportation Education and Training
ABG40 / Library and Information Science for Transportation
ADB40 / Transportation Demand Forecasting
ANB10 / Transportation Safety Management
ANB20 / Safety Data, Analysis and Evaluation
ABJ95T / Task Force on Visualization in Transportation
ADB60T / Task Force on Moving Activity-Based Approaches To Practice
ABJ20 / Statewide Transportation Data and Information Systems
ABJ10 / National Transportation Data Requirements and Programs
ABJ90 / Freight Transportation Data
ABJ50 / Information Systems and Technology
ABE40 / Critical Transportation Infrastructure Protection
ABJ30 / Urban Transportation Data and Information Systems
ADA20 / Metropolitan Policy, Planning, and Processes
ADB10 / Traveler Behavior and Values
ADD30 / Transportation and Land Development
ADA10 / Statewide Multimodal Transportation Planning

B. List outside organizations which your committee maintains ongoing liaison representation. Informally, we maintain liaison with ASCE, ITE, UCGIS and other professional organizations.

C. List shared activities during the past year (examples should include work on cross-cutting issues, information exchange, research, etc.)

  • Helped develop a proposal to URISA for an NSDI Transportation Data Specification, with Al Butler, ButlerButler, LLC, representing FGDC. This proposal has recently been submitted to URISA
  • Sponsored an internal stakeholders workshop on geospatial needs and opportunities at TRBKeckCenter in August, 2005
  • Co-sponsored the Spatial Asset Management Peer Exchange at Kansas City, October 31, 2005 attended by co-Chair Reg Souleyrette – E Circular being produced by member James Hall
  • Harv Miller, co-Chair participated in the initial meeting in December 2006 of the TRB Technical Activities Division Transportation Information Needs Assessment, designed to support a Congressionally mandated policy study.
  • We co-sponsored an external stakeholders pre-conference Workshop on geospatial needs and opportunities, TRB Annual Meeting, January 2006
  • Geospatial Technologies and Activity-Based Approaches session, cosponsored with Task Force on Moving Activity-Based Approaches To Practice; Committee on Traveler Behavior and Values; and Committee on Transportation Demand Forecasting, January 2006
  • Data Modeling for Utilities Within Transportation Corridors session, cosponsored with the Committee on Utilities, January, 2006
  • Improving Highway Safety Through Crash Data Systems session, cosponsored with Committee on Information Systems and Technology; and Committee on Safety Data, Analysis and Evaluation, January, 2006
  • Data Stewardship: Meeting the Challenges of Enterprise Data Management workshop, coponsored with Committee on Statewide Transportation Data and Information Systems; Committee on Transportation Asset Management; Committee on National Transportation Data Requirements and Programs; and Committee on Urban Transportation Data and Information Systems, January, 2006
  • We co-sponsored an FHWA Collaborative Workshop on Improved Decision Making Using Geospatial Technology (GIS Executive Scan), February 2006
  • Reg Souleyrette, co-Chair, presented at TRB Safety Data Analysis Tools Workshop, March 27-28, 2006 in DC.

7. Business Meeting Attendance (information from the most recent meeting)

A. Annual business meeting: Members _19_ Friends _21_ Guests _4_ TRB Rep _1_

B. Summer business meeting: Members _4_Guests _many_ (AASHTO GIS-T, March, 2006)

8. Technology Transfer Activities for Colleagues and Customers

A. Is the committee planning to publish documents within the next two years? (proceedings, circulars, etc.)

Please list and give anticipated dates. White paper on GIS Data Needs, 2006

B. Workshops proposed. None at this time

C. Conferences proposed. Co-sponsorship of the CUTR Transit GIS conference in late 2007.

D. Other activities (web pages, newsletters, updating of millennium paper, etc.)

9. Research Needs and Problem Statements (Of particular interest are problem statements for TRB Cooperative Research Programs, but please list related activities your committee is involved with as well.)

A. How do you determine and select research needs and problem statements? Committee input/brainstorming (workshops, call for ideas, etc.)

B. Number of Research Problem Statements currently under development? one

C. Number of Research Problem Statements funded during last three years? none

D. Are the statements available to the public (for example, posted on your website)? no

10. General Remarks and Comments Offered by the Committee

A. Should your committee continue in its present form with its present title? Yes, but with proposed name change (see above)

If no, please explain.

B. Should it be merged with one or more other committees? No

If yes, please explain.

  1. Any other comments considered appropriate by the committee.

11. Annual Reports of Committee Activities (Please attach last three years of annual reports and supporting documents).

TRB POLICY AND ORGANIZATION GROUP

2006 Annual Report of Committee Activities (calendar year 2005)

Each year, TRB staff fills in items below from TRB databases for committee review and editing. The committee chair submits the Annual Report to the Section Chair by March 1 of each year.

Committee Name and Number: Spatial Data and Information Science (ABJ60)

Committee Chairperson: Harvey J. Miller, Reginald R. Souleyrette

Year: 2006

1.Current Committee Scope: The scope of this committee includes all aspects of the spatial, locational and temporal data used in transportation. The committee is interested in both research into and applications of this information and its associated information systems, commonly referred to as Geographic Information Systems in Transportation (GIS-T). The committee will provide a focal point for and promote coordination of GIS-T activities within the TRB committee structure. Relevant activities include the application of spatial data and spatial sciences across the entire domain of transportation information systems.

2.Committee Membership (See member distribution chart attached.)

  1. Number of members at current time.

1.Total 23

2.Young 0

3.Emeritus 1

4.International 1

  1. Paper Review:

A.Number of papers reviewed during the last year 22

  1. Number of papers recommended for publication 0

4.Annual Meeting Sessions Sponsored (Lists of sessions for the last year are

attached.)

A.Number of paper or conference sessions at the last annual meeting 1

B.Number of workshop sessions at the last annual meeting 1

C.Number of poster sessions at the last annual meeting 2

D.Number of co-sponsored sessions at the last annual meeting 4

E.Number of published sessions at the last annual meeting 5

F.Number of unpublished sessions at the last annual meeting 0

5.Research Problem Statements (Problem statements submitted in last year are attached.)

A.We have just submitted an NCHRP Synthesis problem statement, “Integrating Transportation Data Using Ontologies” written by committee friend Ron Cihon and supported by Washington, Ohio and Iowa DOTs (submitted Feb 2006). We will report on its status next year.

  1. List of Critical and Cross-Cutting Issues (Issues the committee plans to address are attached.)

Our research subcommittee (headed by chair Val Noronha) was organized into six applications focus groups (Operations, Environment, Planning, Infrastructure, Safety, Security) and a crosscutting “science” group. We will continue to address these issues through this mechanism in 2006. Later this month, we will sponsor a session, “Spatial Data and Information Science Research Needs and Opportunities,” led by members Harv Miller and Bruce Spear at the AASHTO GIS-T in Columbus, Ohio. Vision statements for each of these groups are attached.

Plans for 2006 include:

Reg Souleyrette, co-Chair, to present at TRB Safety Data Analysis Tools Workshop, March 27-28, 2006 in DC.

Reg Souleyrette, co-Chair, to participate in Geospatial Sensors and Technology Integration for Transportation, Invitational Workshop, 2006 Date TBA, Santa Barbara (Val Noronha, research subcommittee chair, organizing)

Participation by committee members in North American Travel Monitoring Exhibition & Conference, Improving Traffic Monitoring Data for Transportation Decision-Making, Hyatt Regency Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 4-7, 2006

Participation by committee members in ATSIP Traffic Records Forum in Desert Springs, August 2006.

  1. Other Activities Sponsored During the Last Year:
  • Helped develop a proposal to URISA for an NSDI Transportation Data Specification, with Al Butler, ButlerButler, LLC, representing FGDC. This proposal has recently been submitted to URISA
  • Sponsored an internal stakeholders workshop on geospatial needs and opportunities at TRBKeckCenter in August, 2005
  • Co-sponsored the Spatial Asset Management Peer Exchange at Kansas City, October 31, 2005 attended by co-Chair Reg Souleyrette – E Circular being produced by member James Hall
  • Harv Miller, co-Chair participated in the December 2006 TRB Transportation Information Needs Assessment Conference
  • We sponsored an external stakeholders pre-conference Workshop on geospatial needs and opportunities, TRB Annual Meeting, January 2006
  • We co-sponsored an FHWA Collaborative Workshop on Improved Decision Making Using Geospatial Technology (GIS Executive Scan), February 2006
  1. Appendix – Annual Meeting Sessions:

ABJ60 - Spatial Data and Information Science
Paper or Conference Sessions
629 / (TPS06-028)
Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 8:00am- 9:45am, Hilton, Monroe West
Transportation Mapping and Analysis Using Real-Time Data
William Bachman, GeoStats, presiding
Sponsored by Committee on Spatial Data and Information Science
Environmental sensors, location-aware technologies, intelligent transportation systems, and simulation methods are generating a wealth of empirical and synthetic real-time data on transportation systems that have the potential to revolutionize mapping and analysis of these systems. Papers in this session examine the use of real-time data in digital mapping, data integration, sampling, and analysis of transportation systems.