ContactNCHRP Project 20-64 Calls for Comments on Preliminary Results in TransXML Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 30, 2005: The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) today announced that Project 20-64, an initiative to develop eXtensible Markup Language (XML) schema to support the exchange of transportation data, has produced initial results to define data exchange requirements in four business areas: Survey/Design, Construction/Materials, Bridge Structures, and Safety. The project team has published a set of requirements and issued a Call for Participation to transportation agencies to ensure that the preliminary work is widely reviewed prior to completion of schema development. Stakeholders can review the data exchange models online at www.transxml.net.
Spearheaded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), the TransXML Project 20-64 team consists of Cambridge Systematics, Inc. (prime contractor); Bentley Systems, Incorporated; Info Tech, Inc.; Michael Baker Jr., Inc.; and Charles E. Campbell. All members of the project team are strong supporters of open transportation data standards and intend to show their commitment to TransXML in future product development efforts.
Phase I of the project – completed in November 2004 – looked at numerous private- and public-sector data exchange efforts to create schemas. Several were found to together comprise a solid foundation for development of TransXML. Among these are LandXML; aecXML; and several emerging standards for geospatial information, including linear referencing. At the end of Phase I, the project team recommended that LandXML be adopted for the Road Survey/Design area of TransXML because of its existing base of users.
Phase II of the project began with an evaluation of the Geographic Markup Language (GML) as a possible basis for TransXML schema. This evaluation found that GML would provide a valuable unifying framework for TransXML. The project team is now moving forward with using GML for future TransXML schema development. The new GML application schemas to be developed for TransXML will not duplicate what already exists in LandXML. The TransXML effort will be suggesting improvements to the geometric roadway design portion of LandXML for consideration by LandXML.org – the stewardship organization for that schema. This portion of LandXML is being adopted as part of TransXML, and LandXML.org will continue to manage the evolution of the LandXML schema.
For Construction/Materials, schema will build upon aecXML and the knowledge base represented in the AASHTOWare Trns•port. For bridge structures, a schema for structural design and analysis will be developed based on the current AASHTOWare Virtis/Opis data structure. In the safety area, schema will be built upon the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) SafetyAnalyst data input requirements, the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) that define data for crash reporting, the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) elements, the AASHTO Transportation Safety Information Management Systems (TSIMS) data dictionary, and JusticeXML.
For more information on this project, please visit www.transxml.net. Unified Modeling Language (UML) models for all of the TransXML business areas have been posted on that web site. The research team is interested in comments on both the content of the models and their structure. To review and comment on the UML models, participants are requested to register on the site and join working groups for the business area(s) of interest. All participants are invited to submit comments and/or create discussion threads.
Questions on the project can be submitted via email to transxml@camsys.com.
About Cambridge Systematics
Cambridge Systematics serves local, state, national, and international agencies in the public and private transportation industries. Cambridge Systematics is dedicated to ensuring that transportation investments deliver the best possible results. By providing innovative policy and planning solutions, objective analysis, and technology applications, Cambridge Systematics helps its clients meet future transportation needs while improving the performance of existing infrastructure and operations. Above all, Cambridge Systematics is committed to its clients’ success in making transportation better for future generations.
About Bentley
Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the lifecycle of the world’s infrastructure. The company’s comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2004 revenues exceeding $300 million, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Design 500 and major owner-operators.. For more information, visit www.bentley.com.
About Info Tech
Info Tech, Inc. is a market leader in transportation construction management software and is nationally renown for highly technical statistical consulting services. The company is based in Gainesville, Fla., and provides customer-oriented, highly technical consulting, software development, systems integration and network communications services for 40 state transportation agencies, and thousands of consulting engineers and contractors. For more information, contact Info Tech at (352) 381-4400 or visit www.infotechfl.com.
About Michael Baker, Inc.
Michael Baker Corporation (www.mbakercorp.com) provides engineering and operations and maintenance services for its clients' most complex challenges worldwide. The firm's primary practice areas are aviation, environmental, facilities, geospatial information technologies, linear utilities, transportation, water/wastewater, and oil & gas. With more than 4,200 employees in over 40 offices across the United States and internationally, Baker is focused on providing services that span the complete life cycle of infrastructure and managed asset projects."
###
Sarah Ginand
Cambridge Systematics
(617) 354-0167
media contact info