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U.S.Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm News

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Geographic Databases for 2006 Released.

Contact: Steve Kulm or Warren Flatau
Telephone: 202-493-6024

Friday, July 28, 2006 (Washington, DC) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, will release the 2006 updated edition of the National Transportation Atlas Databases (NTAD) on Aug. 8. The 2006 edition not only features updated data from last year’s NTAD, but also premieres four new series of data that will provide the NTAD user with new opportunities in transportation analysis. This edition also contains substantial revisions to the National Highway Planning Network and the Metropolitan Planning Organization Boundaries. This year’s NTAD consists of 25 series of data, 13 of which were updated for this 2006 release. The NTAD also includes: intermodal terminals, the National Rail Network, Non-Attainment Areas, and transit rail lines and stations, among other data layers. NTAD 2006 is provided in shapefile format, which is compatible with most Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software. Following the initial release on Aug. 8, BTS staff will distribute 1,000 copies of the 2006 NTAD to attendees of the ESRI International User Conference in San Diego. Contacts: Press: Dave Smallen: (202) 366-5568. For technical information and copies: Mark Bradford: (202) 366-6810.