[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33044-33045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15125]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

[Docket Number 170629607-7607-01]


Limited-Access Highway Classification Codes

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of final change.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) publishes this 
notice to announce the upcoming change in the classification of 
limited-access highways in the Census Bureau's Master Address File/
Topologically Integrated Referencing and Encoding (MAF/TIGER) System. 
The change assigns all limited-access highways a MAF/TIGER Feature 
Classification Code (MTFCC) of S1100 (Primary Roads). Previously, the 
classification code for limited-access highways was either S1100 
(Primary Roads) or S1200 (Secondary Roads).

DATES: This notice will be effective on August 18, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Cackowski, (301) 763-5423, or at 
[email protected], Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau, 
4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233; or also by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Background

    MAF/TIGER System is an abbreviation for the Master Address File/
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing System. It 
is a digital (computer-readable) geographic database that automates the 
mapping and related geographic activities required to support the 
Census Bureau's census and survey programs. The Census Bureau developed 
TIGER to automate the geographic support processes needed to meet the 
major geographic needs of the 1990 census: Producing cartographic 
products to support data collection and map presentations, providing 
geographic structure for tabulation and dissemination of the collected 
statistical data, assigning residential and employer addresses to the 
correct geographic location and relating those locations to the 
geographic entities used for data tabulation, and so forth. During the 
1990s, the Census Bureau developed an independent Master Address File 
(MAF) to support field operations and allocation of housing units for 
tabulations. After Census 2000, both the address-based MAF and 
geographic TIGER databases merged to form the MAF/TIGER System. The 
contents of the MAF/TIGER System undergo continuous updating and are 
made available to the public through a variety of TIGER products such 
as shapefiles, geodatabases, and web map services.

B. Final Change

    The Census Bureau issued in the Federal Register a notice and 
request for comment on the limited-access highway code change on April 
25, 2017 (82 FR 19020). We did not receive any comments on that initial 
notice, therefore this is an announcement of the upcoming final change. 
Please see the earlier Federal Register notice (82 FR 19020, April 25, 
2017) for a discussion of the proposed changes and rationale for doing 
so.
    The Census Bureau publishes this notice to announce the upcoming 
change in the classification of limited-access highways in the MAF/
TIGER System. Generally, only interstate highways are currently in the 
S1100

[[Page 33045]]

classification, while non-interstate limited-access highways are 
classified as S1200. This change will make all limited-access highways 
S1100. The final description of the Primary Roads (S1100) 
classification is:

    Primary roads are limited-access highways that connect to other 
roads only at interchanges and not at at-grade intersections. This 
category includes interstate highways, as well as all other highways 
with limited access (some of which are toll roads). Limited-access 
highways with only one lane in each direction, as well as those that 
are undivided, are also included under S1100.

    The final description makes clear that secondary roads are not 
limited-access highways. The final description of Secondary Roads 
(S1200) is:

    Secondary roads are main arteries that are not limited access, 
usually in the U.S. highway, state highway, or county highway 
systems. These roads have one or more lanes of traffic in each 
direction, may or may not be divided, and usually have at-grade 
intersections with many other roads and driveways. They often have 
both a local name and a route number.

    Dated: July 13, 2017.
Ron S. Jarmin,
Performing the Non-Exclusive Functions and Duties of the Director, 
Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 2017-15125 Filed 7-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P