ETH Travel Data Archive (ETHTDA)

IVT-Staff

V.S. Chalasani

Client

ETH Zürich

Duration

11.2001 -

Abstract

This project was aimed to present and preserve the precious travel data for further use. In the past two years a full-fledged and one of the first Travel Data Archive, the ETH Travel Data Archive (ETHTDA), was established at the institute. In order to run the data server, a proven and efficient server software NESSTAR was chosen and installed. In the first phase various databases that are used for analysis at the institute were archived according to Data Documentation Initiative(DDI) standards and uploaded into the NESSTAR data server of version 1.11. In the process of continuous evaluation and upgrade, the NESSTAR consortium has developed a more efficient data server 3.0, and compatible new archiving tools (NESSTAR Publisher, NESSTAR Cube Builder, NESSTAR Hierarchy Builder). The new data server has some excellent provisions such as catalogue hierarchy, external uploading, user management tool, etc. The existing old version of the data server (Nesstar server 2.16) was upgraded to the latest and archived datasets were also upgraded to the latest data server requirements. Diversified data that has been obtained from various surveys such as stated preference, revealed preference, travel dairies, volume counts, and continuous surveys are being archived. At present data from ten surveys have been archived to DDI standards and are available on the NESSTAR server.

Development of the documentation standards was mainly based on the social science data. Current documentation standards do not fully support the travel data, and therefore a need to upgrade. An exclusive documentation standard that support fully the travel data, Travel DDI, is currently under development. The following issues are also under consideration:

• A virtual transport data service, which brings all the travel or transport data archives on a common platform.
• Archiving of travel data-nest developed using longitudinal and cross-sectional data obtained from travel and related surveys.

Further informationen

• ETHTDA homepage
• Research database project 13333