README for "Auto Ramp 1996-1998" dataset.
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
2021-09-07

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LINKS TO DATASET
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A. ROSA-P archive dataset link(1996-1998): 

	https://doi.org/10.21949/1520837


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SUMMARY OF DATASET
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The Auto Ramp Facilities database is a geographic database of highway-rail transfer facilities containing automobile loading ramps in the United States.  Attribute data includes the facility owner and railroads that share use of the facility.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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A. General Information
B. Sharing/Access & Policies Information
C. Data and Related File Overview
D. Methodological Information
E. Data-Specific Information for: Auto Ramp 1996-1998 [datasets]
F. Update Log



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A. GENERAL INFORMATION
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0. Title of Dataset: 
   Facilities with Auto Ramps 1996-1998 [dataset]


1. Description of Dataset:
The Auto Ramp Facilities database is a geographic database of highway-rail transfer facilities containing automobile loading ramps in the United States. Attribute data includes the facility owner and railroads that share use of the facility.

2. Dataset archive link: 
       https://doi.org/10.21949/1520837


3. Authorship Information:
   Principal Data Creator or Data Manager Contact Information
           Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
       Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington D.C. 20590
       Email: ntad@dot.gov


   Data Distributor Contact Information
        Name: National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD)
           Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), The Office of Spatial Analysis and Visulatization (OSAV)
           Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington D.C. 20590
           Email: ntad@dot.gov
	   
	   
4. Date of data collection and update interval:
   Annually


5. Geographic location of data collection: 
   United States of America


6. Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data:
   U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)




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B. SHARING/ACCESS & POLICIES INFORMATION 
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0. Recommended citation for the data: 
   U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor]. (2021). Auto Ramp 1996-1998 [datasets]. https://doi.org/10.21949/1520837 

1. Licenses/restrictions placed on the data:
   These data are in the Public Domain.


2. Was data derived from another source?:
   No. 
   
3. This document was created to meet the requirements enumerated in the U.S. Department of Transportation's 'Plan to Increase Public Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research' Version 1.1 << https://doi.org/10.21949/1520559 >> and guidelines suggested by the DOT Public Access website << https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647  >>, in effect and current as of December 03, 2020.




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C. DATA & RELATED FILE OVERVIEW
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1. File List for the bts_NTAD_AutoRamp_Data_Package.zip collection      

   A. Filename: 
      bts_autoramp_DMP_20210907.pdf      
        Short description: 
        A PDF file containing the Data Management Plan that was created for current and future management of the data and associated files. 
 
   B. Filename: 
      bts_autoramp_20210907_README.txt     
        Short description: 
        The README.txt file that includes human-readable information about the data, variable definitions, contact information, and other contextual information. The file you are reading now.    

2. File List for the airport_XXXX.zip collection. Posted are the archived shapefiles, classified by vintage year (_XXXX). Datasets will be archived as they become available.


   A. Filename:
       autoramp.shp
	Short description:
	A shapefile containing the geopatial data for Auto Ramp 1996-1998 dataset. This includes associated files with extensions .prj, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx, .shx.

   B. Filename: 
       autoramp.met
        Short description: 
        A text file containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, data dictionary, etc.  



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D. METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION
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1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: 
   N/A

2. Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data:
   The data and documentation files can be opened with Esri ArcMap and any GIS software package. 



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E. DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION  
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1. XXXXXX data table
   Data is updated annually. Dataset Manager is contacted to verify changes to data resulting in NTAD update. The metadata is updated in the same manner. For the most recent data, please visit the NTAD catalog at https://data-usdot.opendata.arcgis.com/ 

A. Number of variables (columns):
   The data dictionary found in the original metadata autoramp.met provides definitions for the attributes.

B. Data Dictionary/Variable List:
   Because of the large number of variables, please refer to the Data Dictionary found within the file autoramp.met for names, definitions, and formats of variables.

C. Missing data codes:
   None




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F. UPDATE LOG
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This bts_autoramp_20210907_README.txt file was originally created on 2021-03-11 by Dominic Menegus, Geographer, dominic.menegus@dot.gov

[Note changes or update to the readme.txt file, e.g.:]

2021-09-07: Original file created
2023-09-14: Review and updates as needed 
2023-10-13: Updating end year