[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 116 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32514-32517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15420]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Comment on the
Proposal To Develop a ``Standard for a Universal Grid Reference System
for Spatial Addressing''
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FGDC is soliciting public comments on the proposal to
develop a ``Standard for a Universal Grid Reference System for Spatial
Addressing.'' If the proposal is approved, the standard will be
developed following the FGDC standards development and approval process
and will be considered for adoption by the FGDC.
In its assigned federal leadership role in the development of the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), the Committee recognizes
that FGDC standards must also meet the needs and recognize the views of
State and local governments, academia, industry, and the public. The
purpose of this notice is
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to solicit such views. The FGDC invites the community to review the
proposal and comment on the objectives, scope, approach, and usability
of the standard; identify existing related standards; and indicate
their interest in participating in the development of the standard.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 15, 1999.
CONTACT AND ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted via Internet or by
submitting electronic copy on diskette. Send comments via Internet to:
">[email protected]www.usgs.gov.
A soft copy version on 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect, Microsoft
Word, or Rich Text Format (preferred) format and one copy of a hardcopy
version may be sent to the FGDC Secretariat (attn: Jennifer Fox) at
U.S. Geological Survey, 590 National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley
Drive, Reston, Virginia 20192.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following is the complete proposal for the
``Standard for a Universal Grid Reference System for Spatial
Addressing.''
Project Title
Standard for a Universal Grid Reference System for Spatial
Addressing.
Date of Proposal
May 24, 1999.
Type of Standard
A data presentation standard specifying the representation of two-
dimensional spatial addresses.
Submitting Organization
The Public X-Y Mapping Project, 8013 Hatteras Lane, Grid:
18SUH06949701 (NAD 83), Springfield, VA 22151.
Point of Contact: N.G. ``Tom'' Terry, Jr., The Public X-Y Mapping
Project, E-mail: neri@erols.com, Pager: 703-457-0451.
Objectives
The objectives of this standard are to provide the community with:
1. A presentation format to enable the use of large-scale paper and
digital maps with Global Positioning System (GPS). Persons using
different commercial brands or types of maps will be able to
communicate with each other because they will all use the same grid
reference system.
2. An unambiguous, geodetically referenced, and mathematically
uniform system for a two-dimensional address to supplement conventional
street addresses. It will also serve as a spatial address away from the
road network.
3. A single system which can be taught to all citizens in the
school system, and which can be used in any community across the
nation.
4. A system that is seamless at political boundaries and can be
uniformly truncated at various levels of precision.
5. A basis for building a street and feature index database
referenced to the UGRS which can be accessed and used by any member of
the community.
Scope
This standard will define a Universal Grid Reference System (UGRS)
for use in spatial addressing type applications. It is intended to
serve as a preferred system that is easier to use than latitude and
longitude by the average citizen. It is intended for use in mapping at
scales from approximately 1:5,000 to 1:1,000,000. Technically, it will
be the same as the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS), taking
advantage of that public domain system's use of the Universal
Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid and truncation and variable precision
features. The standard will address other issues pertinent to civil
mapping, such as recommended grid spacing.
This standard is not intended to change how coordinates are stored
in computers. It is not intended to replace the use of latitude and
longitude on nautical and aeronautical charts or on maps at scales
smaller than approximately 1:1,000,000. It is not intended to replace
the State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS). SPCS will continue to be used
where jurisdictions prefer it for property descriptions, mapping at
scales larger than 1:5,000, or other more technical uses such as manual
surveying.
Justification/Benefits
Today Americans have many sources of geographic information to
support their day-to-day activities. Commercial street and highway maps
are a major source of this information for the community. These
commercial products typically carry a system of proprietary zone grids,
unique to a particular map or map brand. Zone coordinates consist of an
alphanumeric code that locates places within a cell of a given spatial
extent.
A Community may have a variety of large-scale maps available that
use disparate coordinate systems. In a sample of the Washington, DC
area conducted this year, four years after the Global Positioning
System (GPS) reached full operational capability, 25 different large-
scale street maps were found to be commercially available, and on these
maps, there existed 21 different coordinate systems. Of these grids,
none worked with readily available, low-cost consumer GPS receivers.
Some commercial mapmakers claim their maps (and zone grids) are the de
facto standard in some communities, because in some cases, local
governments have adopted one of these proprietary zone grids for use as
a spatial address system.
Often organizations with a local focus have not recognized problems
inherent in the use of disparate grid systems or the need for preferred
system that is national in scope. Consumers and businesses that must
routinely cross interstate and local government boundaries require a
solution national in scope. In an emergency scenario where time is
precious and understanding communicated locations or positions in a
non-conflicting manner is critical, it is operationally best for all to
use a standard reference systems. When a local government accepts the
use of a proprietary coordinate system as a ``de facto'' standard, it
grants a monopolistic license to a specific commercial map vendor,
thereby inhibiting competition in that community's marketplace. The
UGRS will provide commercial map vendors who choose to adopt it a
preferred coordinate system that enhances their products by enabling
the exchange of spatial address information.
Addressing Schemes
Americans have traditionally used postal or street addresses to
locate a destination in their day-to-day activities. In 30 of the 50
States, the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is another system often
used to describe a piece of property. Traditional addressing schemes
have served well, and will continue to be used. Nonetheless, these
systems are flawed by their lack of mathematical uniformity.
Additionally, they often lack the ability to provide an address for any
point in the nation.
These different systems do not work with GPS, or are unreliable for
work with GPS and digital maps. With the advent of GPS, the average
citizen can purchase access to a $10 billion source of precise
positioning information for the price of a good watch. In the near
future, vehicles will routinely come equipped with GPS driven digital
maps. Mobile wireless communications have become pervasive, allowing
community members to cheaply communicate with one another from any
point on he globe. When people communicate, one of the fundamental
pieces of information they need to exchange is location. In view of
these technological advances, there
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exists a need to support the community in its use and communications of
geospatial information with a preferred spatial address system.
Computer Translation Versus a Preferred System
Some have suggested that because high-speed digital computes can
easily translate between mathematically uniform transformations, there
is no need for a preferred system for spatial addressing. They contend
that computer systems will simply translate a provide coordinate value
from any one of an infinite number of coordinate systems used by the
community into one the operator can understand or use. In the real
world, this is a flawed concept. First, it will be some time before
every citizen has a lap/palm top computer to use for routine
navigation. Secondly, it will not be possible to keep every citizen's
computer updated with the infinite number of coordinate systems that
can be produced. It is analogous to cartographic anarchy, where there
are no recognized conventions.
Some say the day of the paper map is over, but we have not achieved
the ``paperless environment.'' Paper will continue to be a critical
medium for portraying and using geospatial information. While digital
systems information such as GPS. the Internet, and print on demand
paper maps will increase the ability of the community to use geospatial
data, paper maps will continue in widespread use. Maps required a
common coordinate system if people are to exchange useful positioning
information. A preferred spatial addressing convention is required just
as a preferred set of street names is used for street addresses. Street
addresses simply would not be useable if there were multiple names for
each street. Accordingly, a preferred convention is necessary if the
community is to have a useable and workable spatial address system.
Truncation and Variable Precision
The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) system most closely meets
URGR requirements and is:
A plane coordinate system, which is far easier to use than
latitude and longitude for large-scale work.
A geodetically referenced, mathematically uniform system
in the public domain.
National and international in scope.
However, UTM does not provide a convention for truncating
coordinate values, nor does it allow for variations in precision of
information. For example, although the UGRS will support 1-meter
precision, many users do not need spatial resolutions finer than 10
meters for location and navigation and do not require that coordinates
be shown to all the decimal places to which they are stored in
computers. In fact, users find it easier to remember fewer digits. This
is analogous to memorizing and recalling telephone numbers.
The Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) is a mature, widely used,
off-the-shelf system based on the UTM that also provides a method to
truncate coordinates and offers various levels of precision. It is
proposed that the UGRS use this existing technical standard.
Development Approach
This standards development effort will make use of existing
standards and specifications to the greatest possible extent. The MGRS
meets the basic requirements for a UGRS. The Public
X-Y Mapping Project has nearly completed a draft of the proposed UGRS
that will be presented to the FGDC as a starting point for development
of this standard. It is proposed that the FGDC form an ad hoc working
group or subgroup of the Standards Working Group to review The Public
X-Y Mapping Project Draft and prepare it for public review. The need
for a more permanent group will be reevaluated based on initial public
comment.
Implementation and acceptance of a preferred spatial addressing
standard will require demonstration of the usefulness of the standard.
Therefore, there is a need to plan and carry out demonstration projects
once the technical specification has stabilized.
Development and Completion Schedule
Completion of initial draft: August 1999.
Public Review: September-November 1999.
Final Draft: TBD--dependent on public comment--December 1999.
Demonstration Projects: 2000-2003.
Resources Required
A working draft of the UGRS will be provided by The Public X-Y
Mapping Project. No new resources are needed to prepare the working
draft. An ad hoc working group of the Standards Working Group will be
needed to assist The Public X-Y Mapping Project in preparing the draft
for public review according to FGDC directives. The Public X-Y Mapping
Project expects this group to assist in the adjudication and resolution
of comments received during the public review.
Administrative and financial resources will be required from FGDC
members and outside organizations to carry out the demonstration
projects.
Potential Participants
Major Federal land map producers.
Commercial map producers.
The GPS industry.
Representatives of map users such as E-911 service
providers (see examples).
Related Standards
This proposal relates to ANSI X3.61-1986, Representation
of Geographic Point Locations for Information Interchange, which
standardizes representation of UTM coordinates for computer
representation, since the proposed UGRS is based upon the UTM.
ISO 15046-16, Positioning Services, provides an interface
for real-time GPS receiver output (and output from other positioning
technologies). The UGRS standards project should follow the progress of
ISO/TC 211 Work Item 16 and harmonize with the requirements of ISO
15046-16.
ISO 15046-11, Spatial Referencing by Coordinates, provides
a conceptual schema for the description of coordinate reference
systems. The UGRS standards project should follow the progress of ISO/
TC 211 Work Item 11 and harmonize with the requirements of ISO 15046-
11.
It is not clear how this proposal relates to the linear
referencing standard being proposed by the Intelligent Transportation
community in the U.S. and the U.S. representatives to ISO/TC 204, the
international road informatics standards committee. This will be
investigated during the preparation of the public review draft.
This proposal may be related to the NSDI Framework
Transportation Identification Standard being developed by the FGDC
Ground Transportation Subcommittee. Overlaps will be investigated
during the preparation of the public review draft.
The UGRS standard will drawn NIMA Technical Manual (TM)
8358.1, Datums, Ellipsoids, Grids, and Grid Reference Systems, which
describes the basic principles of the Military Grid Reference System
Other Targeted Authorization Bodies
If it is determined that this standard could benefit from or would
require changes to ANSI X3.61, then NCITS L1 (custodian of ANSI X3.61)
would be another target organization.
Although initially targeted for adoption in this country, the UGRS
could be applied worldwide. If this is determined to be desirable, ISO/
TC 211
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would the appropriate standards body to consider it.
Addendum--Example Applications of the UGRS
UGRS is intended to be preferred method for designating point
positions for numerous activities, particularly vehicle/land
navigation. It will supplement conventional street addresses in the
community and will provide a virtual address for any point away from
the road network.
1 Enhanced 9-1-1
The spatial address (in the form of UGRS coordinates) will appear
along with the caller's street address on the screen of 9-1-1 system
operators in Public Safety Access Points (PSAP). The UGRS address can
be used by officers on the street, who may be equipped with either
paper or digital maps.
2 Disaster Relief Operations
In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, the devastation was so great,
that street signs were blown away, making it difficult for outside
agencies to navigate to places in need of assistance. UGRS will provide
a nationally uniform method for describing a position that will allow
outside assistance providers to ``hit the ground running'' with GPS
equipment and to make use of commercial street maps that may be readily
available.
3 Search and Rescue (SAR)
The advent of technologies such as medical evacuation helicopters
and wireless communications (i.e. radios, cellular phones) has
increased the need to precisely and unambiguously identify places away
from the road network. For example, medical evacuation helicopter crews
have cited difficulties (while often flying in dangerous environments,
i.e. mountainous terrain at night) in understanding SAR team
descriptions of where they are supposed to fly. A preferred spatial
address system would eliminate this communication interoperability
problem.
4 Digital Maps
Digital maps from sources such as CD ROMs for use on deskp/lap top
computers and Internet information vendors are coming into widespread
use. The UGRS has greater suitability for these digital mapping systems
than conventional street addresses because it affords greater accuracy
and ensures confidence that the point indicated is the correct
location. Today, it is possible to quickly access a source of maps on
the Internet. With a UGRS spatial address, the user precisely
designates the point of interest by entering the address as if it were
a phone number (This has important implications for future cellular
phone operations and GPS/car navigation systems). The information
provider can quickly respond with a map of that location. The UGRS also
provides a coordinate system that can be portrayed on these maps when
they are printed (``print on demand''), thereby ensuring a geodetic
reference for later use of the map with GPS when driving to the
location.
5 Locating Small Business Features
Quite often, it is necessary to locate a small feature such as an
Automated Teller Machine (ATM), the drop off box for a package delivery
service such as FedEx or United Parcel Service (UPS), or post office
box. Today, automated sources of information provided by the Internet
or by telephone indicate the location of the closest ATM or drop-off
box, but finding these small features can prove to be a difficult task.
UGRS spatial addressing will greatly ease a customer's task by
unambiguously communicating a point position of higher resolution than
possible with conventional street addresses and will maximize current
and future capabilities of GPS.
6 Locating a Street Address Number
Locating a street address number of buildings or homes can be a
difficult task that greatly adds to the workload of a vehicle deliver.
This is especially true at night during heavy traffic. Many times a
driver is confounded that street address numbers are small, poorly
placed, or missing altogether. A virtual address defined by UGRS
enables the use of GPS or a map with a UGRS grid and greatly eases the
workload of a driver trying to located a specific and precise location.
7 Identifying Multiple Businesses Locations
A business with multiple locations in a community can add the
spatial address for its establishments in telephone or Internet
directories (or other sources of information). This information,
coupled with commercial street maps that portray the UGRS grid, will
allow potential customers to quickly determine which establishment is
closet to them. Customers will easily see the relative location of each
store.
8 Outdoors Recreation
A great deal of outdoors recreation, such as backpacking, kayaking,
hunting, fishing rock climbing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling,
mountain-biking, and horseback riding, takes place away from the road
network and the conventional street address system. The widespread
availability of low cost wireless communications (i.e. cellular
telephones, Family Radio Service [FRS] transceivers, etc.) has
increased the need for a spatial address system that people can use to
identify their location in a simple, uniform manner without ambiguity
during these activities. For example, in the event of an accident
requiring medical assistance, UGRS will provide a standard method for
communicating unambiguous location of the accident to responding
organizations. Likewise, backpackers and others can report their UGRS
spatial address for a pickup point after a long hike, adding
flexibility to their plans. The UGRS will provide a universal means for
identifying the location of shelters, cabins, trail heads, springs,
camping areas, parking areas, and other features in journal entries,
magazine articles, guide books, and other source of recreational
information. A UGRS will provide a universal coordinate system and grid
for outdoor recreation maps which ensures the exchange and
compatibility of spatial address information across many different
sources to include the use of GPS.
9 Agriculture
There is a need in agriculture to uniformly identify particular
parcels of land for various work tasks. For example, a farmer
communicating with a mechanic by celluar phone may need to clearly
identify in which field a tractor has broken down. Another example is
where the farmer has to instruct a deliverer of some commodity about
where to stage the material.
10 Tourism
The tourist is one who is new to an area and unfamiliar with its
features, but is looking for specific places of interest. A preferred
spatial address for a place of interest will be found on brochures and
in other others of tourism information to enable tourists to quickly
and unambiguously locate a place of interest.
Dated: June 4, 1999.
Richard E. Witmer,
Chief, National Mapping Division.
[FR Doc. 99-15420 Filed 6-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-Y7-M
