NEWS RESEARCH: CRITICAL EVALUATION OF SPECIFIC TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY RESOURCES - TRANSPORTATION

Barbara Post, Transportation Research Board

bpost@nas.edu

TRANSPORTATION FACTS

Transportation accounts for $980 billion of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product

Transportation accounts of 19% of the average household expenditures

The transportation system effects all our lives

SCOPE OF TRANSPORTATION

Multiple modes - aviation, railroads, automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, maritime, pipelines, bicycles, public transit, logistic and freight transport

Multi-Disciplinary includes engineering, planning, environmental issues, economics, human factors

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

STATISTICAL INFORMATION

SAFETY INFORMATION

MODAL INFORMATION

TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATIONS Modal associations - Air Transport

Association, American Trucking Associations, American Public Transportation Association, Association of American Railroads

Associations for all aspects -National Asphalt Pavement Association, Portland Cement Association

Good Information but remember biases

DATABASES

TRIS

Largest and comprehensive resource on transportation information

Over 500,000 records of published and on-going transportation

For over 35 years has been one of the major resources on transportation

Available through Dialog (File 63) and TRANSPORT product from SilverPlatter

TRIS ONLINE

Web version of TRIS available through the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ National Transportation Library

Contains all of TRIS except European ITRD File and Research in Progress

Provides links to full text and document delivery sources

SCENARIO 1

Research Request: Two kids jumped out the back of a moving school bus. Can we get bus specifications? Specifically, how far is the drop from the emergency exit?

SCHOOL BUS EXITS

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION– Federal Government

NHTSA CFR - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

– State Government (Florida Dept of Education) Associations

– School Bus Information Council– National Association of Pupil Transportation

Databases (ERIC and TRIS)

SCENARIO 2

Research Scenarios:The big story that comes immediately to mind is the state of the nation's passenger air transport system. It's a huge national story and increasingly a major regional story as well as we all feel the personal impact of delays and the economic impact of an air transport system grinding to a crawl.

AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FEDERAL INFORMATION

– Office of Airline Information– Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation

and International Affairs– Federal Aviation Administration

ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATION DATABASES - Magazines, news articles,

bibliographic

SCENARIO 3

I think it's obvious to anyone who drives in a major urban center that while the traffic just keeps getting worse there seem to be few new highways to meet the demand.

How can we best track and research this growing economic and quality of life problem? What is the economic impact? Why have transportation alternatives failed and how can we identify the causes and those responsible? Again, a very complex story with so many aspects that need to be researched and constantly monitored to adequately report.

SCENARIO 3

Texas Transportation Mobility Study The Transportation Road Program AAA TRB Local governments Databases

SCENARIO 4

Need information on the Travel & Transportation Reform Act

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION REFORM ACT

Thomas - text of law and legislative history Department of Transportation Web Site General Services Administration

Post the question on the Transportation ListServe

TRANLIB@listserv.acns.nwu.edu

Call one of the Transportation Librarians