Making well-informed, responsible decisions is critical to shaping the nation's transportation infrastructure. Geospatial data are a foundation for relevant and critical information for planning, engineering, asset management, and operations associated with every transportation mode at all levels of government and administration. One definition of geospatial data is found in the executive order on coordinating geographic information and access: "'Geospatial data' means information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features and boundaries on the earth. This information may be derived from, among other things, remote sensing, mapping, and surveying technologies. Statistical data may be included in this definition at the discretion of the collecting agency." Extracting these data, transforming them, and making them available to decision makers has dramatically increased in importance as all modes and levels of government face increasing responsibility for improving efficiency while maintaining mobility, improving safety, and anticipating and addressing security threats. The supporting information used in this project was primarily obtained from three workshops held in three cities during 2002. The first workshop, held in Chicago in May 2002, examined the role of geospatial data in the project delivery process. The second workshop, held in Seattle in June 2002, focused on safety, security, and mobility. The third workshop, held in Washington, D.C., in October 2002, reviewed current activities of the modal administrations within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in using geographic information systems (GIS), the Global Positioning System, and remote sensing to make decisions. Representatives of each modal administration were invited to present their perspectives. All three workshops included ample time for discussion of the issues through breakout sessions designed to provide feedback to the committee.
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