Data Management Life Cycle, Final report

2018PDFTech ReportPRC 17-84 FData processingLife cycle analysisTraffic dataTraffic measurementTransportation planningData managementData management life cycleTexasUnited StatesTexas A&M Transportation InstituteMiller, KristiMiller, MatthewMoran, MaaritDai, BoyaTexas A&M Transportation InstituteTexas A & M University. Transportation Policy Research CenterUS Transportation CollectionTransportation inefficiencies cost money, reduce safety, increase pollution-causing emissions, and take time away from people\u2019s lives. The solution is not always to build more roads, create parking spaces, or add more bus routes. Sometimes, the better solution is to do more with the infrastructure we already have, and for that, you need information on which to base decisions. Data are raw material representing actions or transactions in the real world that are recorded, classified, processed, stored, and potentially repurposed to create information that supports policy and decision making. The end user interprets the meaning to draw conclusions and identify implications of the information. In transportation, decision-makers use data to assess alternatives, weigh tradeoffs, and to evaluate performance. Stakeholders use data to assess the comprehensive performance of a transportation organization. The public uses data to inform their personal decisions and travel behavior. Transportation data are a key component for policy research and performance management. Examples of data that reflect the wide range of data sources used for transportation purposes include the following: Crash records that reveal incident location and contributing factors. Probe speed and volume data to inform congestion mitigation and management efforts. Census data to show demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, population distribution, and change. Roadway inventory to estimate the supply and demand of infrastructures. Travel behavior data to identify patterns and trends. Public opinion data to reflect attitudes and awareness of transportation issues. Road weather information data to alert travelers to roadway conditions and traffic operations