While traditional transportation data programs are being stressed by tightening budgets, new data needs are emerging in areas such as climate change, livability, better understanding of state and local freight flows, and intercity passenger rail. The effective use of performance measurement rests on having appropriate and adequate data. Much work is being done to address these concerns about data. A TRB invitation-only conference on Strategies for Meeting Critical Data Needs for Decision Making in State and Metropolitan Transportation Agencies was held December 5-7, 2011, in Irvine, California, in build on this work The conference convened agency policy makers, program managers and data experts from states, MPOs, and other organizations to examine the key data programs needed to support critical decisions facing transportation agencies in the next 5-10 years.
