Transportation Analysis Zones

1
Transportation Analysis Zones

• Changing Boundaries For Our Future

2
Purpose of the Zone

• Determines the granularity of the supported
  network
• Used to aggregate useful land use and census data
  for modeling
• Constrained by physical features (natural and
  manmade) and census subdivisions
• Single source of data for base and future year
  modeling
• May nest within other modeled areas or provide
  the basis for sub-area analysis

3
Zone Modifications

• Changing census block definitions
• New freeways or other barriers
• Land use changes or special generators
• Need for increased or decreased network
  granularity
• Nesting for other agency modeling efforts (e.g.
  Collar Counties, Statewide)

4
Getting New Data

• What data do you require now? Use super-TAZs to
  avoid suppression?
• What data might you require in the future if your
  modeling practices change?
• If you have TAZ boundaries that nest with another
  agencys TAZ boundaries, which agency defines the
  TAZs for both agencies?
• What information technology will you use?
  (TIGER/TAZ-up software, GIS, tables, )

5
Sherburne County (one collar county)
St. Cloud Area
6
Will there be more nesting or overlapping
jurisdiction issues?
Y E S
Metropolitan Areas Expand, Even Across State Lines
7
Perhaps You Can Help

• Identify potential future planning area overlap
• Share names of key contacts - Wisconsin DOT,
  Minnesota DOT, State Demographer, MPOs,
• Determine what data are needed where
• Decide who does what and at what scale
• Coordinate our efforts with state and federal
  agencies in order to obtain data
• Other actions?

8
If we make corrections or adjustments to the data
we need to share that with our nesting partner.
What worked well last time?
Its still early.
?
What about our external stations?
What should we watch out for this time?
There are new challenges out there.