CMTS Data Portal

Purpose:

The CMTS-MTS data portal is a comprehensive inventory of available web-based information regarding the Marine Transportation System (MTS). The CMTS-MTS inventory includes data and reports available on approximately 200 websites used by Federal agencies to provide information to the public. All links were provided to the CMTS by the agencies for inclusion in the database. Analysts, researchers, and decision makers can access this data and information for performance-measurement and statistical evaluation.

The data portal incorporates a USA Search component, which provides comprehensive search capability of the content included on each website. The intent is to provide the most inclusive return for search terms spanning all Federal agencies connected to the MTS. This type of powerful search ability eliminates the need to search through each individual agency’s website.

Value:

The CMTS-MTS data portal uses a combination of domain addresses (such as epa.gov) and specific URLs (such as epa.gov/special_report). These domains and URLs were provided by individual agencies as part of an initial outreach and update campaign completed earlier this year.

The domains offer the ability to search many levels of government websites, and the individual URLs provide more specific direction for searching. In addition, an advanced search option allows the user to define not only terms to include but also terms to exclude from the search.

One example of information available through the CMTS-MTS data portal is a detailed summary of U.S. imports and exports (by commodity, port, waterway system, or state) as compiled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Other examples are North American cruise statistics, which are compiled by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and real-time information on tides and currents provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

CMTS Data Portal Information and Uploads