David P. Racca
284 Graham Hall, University of Delaware
dracca@udel.edu phone:302 831-1698
Title
Policy Scientist
Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research
University of Delaware
Education
University of Delaware, M.S. Statistics
Harvard University, B.A. Applied Physics and Engineering Sciences
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Summary
Mr. Racca has extensive experience as a project manager and analyst in areas of
transportation, demographics, emergency management, land use planning, environmental
protection, and information system implementation. Transportation is the primary focus
of his consulting and research and he has conducted numerous transportation studies,
including those for travel demand forecasting, transportation network modeling, transit
service planning, transportation facility maintenance, GIS-T applications, data
management, and pavement management systems. He has extensive experience with the
use, development, and management of information systems for local, State, and federal
agencies. Mr. Racca has 19 years of experience working with every aspect of the use and
implementation of geographical information systems (GIS) and has established a strong
reputation in Delaware for his work in transportation and GIS. Mr. Racca possesses
broad technical skills in database design, web site design, data conversion, data
integration, computer programming, and statistical analysis. He has trained numerous
professionals and college students in the effective use of information systems.
Transportation
Project manager for numerous studies and data production projects for the Delaware
Department of Transportation including those for transit market analysis, trip generation,
cost and benefit analysis of programs.
Research in the use of collaborative software (MicroSoft SharePoint) to manage travel
data
Formulated and implemented standards for the management of traffic impact study and
Traffic count data in Delaware.
In Delaware Transportation Institute (DTI) sponsored research has quantified the
potential transit market as revealed by the CTPP Urban Element data and local surveys.
Continued research in examining origin/destination data using survey data and travel
demand forecast data. Examined door-to-door travel time, with particular emphasis on
modeling access time to by various modes (walk, bike, and drive) to optimum placed
transit entry points.
Extensive GIS modeling and presentation at levels of detail down to the suburban road
and tax parcel. Studied and mapped markets for transit, special populations, and activity
centers in support of the Delaware Authority for Regional Transit (DART)
1995-2001 Service Plan.
Conducted travel studies in Delaware examining trip generation, trip purpose, travel time,
distances and speeds, mode of travel, and related demographic and land use factors.
For DelDOT, examined costs of maintaining transportation facilities. Also estimated
future costs and compared them with projections of funding.
Created numerous geographical information system products for transportation including
road network models, transit routes, and travel demand forecasting data.
Performed a detailed study of information standards for GIS-T, including those for
positional accuracy, transfer, distribution, and documentation.
Processing and analysis of ridership surveys as required for FTA Section 15.
Very experienced in the preparation and application of digital road network models and
related data as used in travel demand forecasting models, routing applications, and
resource location allocation algorithms. Applications in several DELDOT and Delaware
Transportation Institute projects. Project manager to prepare Delaware’s HPMS Linear
Referencing System.
Experience in the integration of transportation data bases and in the development of user
interfaces to catalog and access data. Research conducted in information systems to
support collaboration among transportation planners.
Work with DELDOT Division of Planning in a project to improve data management and
integration. Developed web-based interfaces for the cataloging and access
of planning data.
Support of DELDOT Pavement Management Team and consultants in modeling the
performance and condition of roads as a function of age, structure, and other factors.
Extensive work in modeling travel mode choice to estimate the effects of transit
initiatives.
Performed cost-benefit analysis for DART First State’s Advance Public Transportation
Systems.GPS, automated counter, surveillance cameras, and scheduling software were
among the technologies evaluated.
GIS
Applications
Project Manager for NSDI Competitive Cooperative Agreements Program
projects to develop an FGDC National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse Node for
Delaware,involving the active support of over two dozen State and local agencies.
Preparation of GIS web sites for the Delaware Department of Education and the Public
Entity Risk Institute
University of Delaware representative on the Executive Council of the Delaware
Geographic Data Committee.
Served as primary GIS consultant to New Castle County Government in the upgrade,
implementation, and development of GIS.
Project manager for mapping and land-use studies for the Coastal Heritage and Mill
Creek Greenways.
Mapped and calculated demands of sewer networks as part of the New Castle County,
Little Mill Creek Interceptor Relief Project.
Developed procedures to update demand data for water transmission network models
from utility records in New Castle County
Project manager and designer to create the first Kent County GIS Tax Parcel Map, as
funded by the Delaware Office of Information Services, Department of Natural
Resources, and CADSR.Preparation and use of cadastral maps in numerous
comprehensive planning and environmental protection projects.
Worked with New Castle County Parks Department personnel to develop inventories and
Maps of county park lands.
Public Safety
And
Emergency
Management
Examined response times and police officer work loads toward the formulation of
alternative delineations of police districts to achieve better service for New Castle Count
Public Safety
Managed New Castle County public safety personnel in the development of georeferenced property address files to support computer-aided dispatch systems.
Prepared hazard and vulnerability data sets and analysis for the Delaware Emergency
Management Agency.
Project manager for work to examine police officer work loads toward more effective
delineation of police districts.
Environmental
Protection
Project manager for the mapping of major storm water out-falls and controls within New
Castle County as part of the Phase I NPDES Study conducted by DELDOT and DNREC
to meet EPA requirements.
Designed and managed a well-head protection data management project for EPA to
address and develop methods for using GIS to support water resource protection efforts.
Designed land use mapping and data input procedures to study phosphorous and nitrogen
loads in the Appoquinimink Watershed in New Castle County.
Information development and mapping for the Southern New Castle County Waste Water
Study.
Database and GIS layer development for the Southern Wilmington Hazardous Waste
Study conducted by DNREC.
Communications Designed work scopes and written proposals for over $600,000 in funded projects with
State, local, and federal agencies over the past 5 years.
Prepared contracts, progress reports, technical specifications, recommendations, research
papers, presentations, and project reports. Have presented topics at national conferences,
local seminars, client meetings, and to groups within the University.
Teaching
Have effectively trained and managed assistants and interns in the course of projects.
Possess excellent personnel management skills.
Have offered courses in GIS, mathematics, and computer science to professionals and
students at the college and high school level. Have designed and conducted numerous
customized training and technical support sessions for professionals.
Demographics
Have edited and refined programs and procedures to project and allocate population and
housing.
Extensive experience preparing and analyzing U.S. Bureau of the Census data.
Computer
Systems
Skills
Established state of the art GIS facilities at the University of Delaware and have assisted
other State and local government agencies in the development of GIS systems and data
libraries.
Expertise in the development of computer hardware and software specifications for the
development of computing facilities. Former owner/operator of a computer sales and
repair company. Very experienced with the installation and troubleshooting of computer
software and hardware.
Programming experience in Fortran, Visual Basic, C#, Cold Fusion, HTML, and lower
level languages. Extensive experience with ARC/INFO products including Arc 8,
ArcView, SDE, ARC IMS. AML programming for data processing and analysis, user
interfaces, image processing, general batch processing, and the design of efficient and
advanced digitizing interfaces to insure quality control and the best use of personnel in
GIS data production jobs.
Experience with a wide range of higher level software including spreadsheats, database,
and statistical packages. Installed, maintained and developed Oracle systems.
An expert user of ARC/INFO and experience with MapInfo, ARCVIEW, GeoMedia,
Atlas GIS, and TranPlan.
Experience with software used for collaboration, Micro Soft SharePoint
Publications and Reports
An Identification and GIS Representation Standard for Road Networks to Support Planning and Research,
Version 1.2, April 2009
A Summary of the Delaware Trip Monitoring System Survey for Kent County, Years 1997 to 2006, October
2008, prepared for the Kent County Metropolitan Planning Organization
Examination of GIS and Current Information System Plans and Responsibilities, November 2006, prepared
for DelDOT Division of Planning
Property Value/Desirability Effects of Bike Paths Adjacent to Residential Areas, November 2006, with
Amardeep Dhanju, Delaware Transportation Institute and DelDOT
Active Adult (55+) Community Trip Generation Rates, January 2006, sponsored by the Delaware Center for
Transportation, and DelDOT
Estimating Modal Splits, November 2005, Delaware Transportation Institute and DelDOT
Transforming Data Into Information: The Development and Demonstration Of a Model To Support
Transportation Planning, April 2005, prepared for the Delaware Transportation Institute and DelDOT
Costs and Benefits of Advanced Public Transportation Systems at DART FIRST State, July 2004, Delaware
Transportation Institute and DelDOT
Factors That Affect and/or Can Alter Mode Choice, March 2004, with Edward C. Ratledge, prepared for
the Delaware Transportation Institute and DelDOT
Hazardous Material Transportation Study Phase 1, December 2002, prepared for the State of Delaware
Emergency Response Commission
Phase I: A Planning Review of Delaware’s Hazardous Material Transportation Flow Studies , sponsored
by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, and the State Emergency Response Commission.
Publications and Reports (continued)
DelDOT Jurisdictional Maintenance Study , with Simon Condliffe, July 2002, sponsored by the Delaware
Center for Transportation, and DelDOT
Examination and Presentation of Travel Demand and Relationships to Land Use, July 2001, sponsored by
the Delaware Center for Transportation, and DelDOT
Directions in Transportation Data Management, February 2000 sponsored by the Delaware Center for
Transportation, and DelDOT
Support of Pavement Management Systems at the Delaware Department of Transportaiton, Fall 1998
With Qingbo Zheng, sponsored by the Delaware Center for Transportation
An Investigation of Routing Strategies To Improve Transit Service”, July 1997, Final Report of a Delaware
Transportation Institute funded project.
Implementation of a Geospatial Data Clearinghouse for Delaware, September 1997, USGS NSDI 1996
CCAP sponsored report.
Demographic and Commuting Trends in Delaware, December 1996, with Edward C. Ratledge, sponsored
by DelDOT
Transportation Issues in Delaware, A Demographic Overview, Fall 1996; Edward Ratledge, David Racca
Standards for Transportation Related GIS Data, June 1995, Final Report of a Delaware Transportation
Institute funded project.
Standards for GIS-T, Paper presented at the 1995 GIS for Transportation Symposium, published in
conference proceedings.
Kent County GIS Development Project Phase I Report, May 1994, Recommendations for the development
of GIS in Kent County Government, Sponsored by Kent County Government.
The Design and Development of an Interactive Information Management Network for Local Wellhead
Protection, March 1993, Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Presentations of Research
Standards for GIS-T; presented at the 1995 GIS for Transportation Symposium
Standards for GIS; presented to the DNREC GIS Users Group, November 1996
The Use of GIS to Examine Transit Express Routes; presented at the 1996 GIS for Transportation
Symposium
The Development of a Standard Transportation Network Model Which Incorporates Features of the
DELDOT Center Line File and Travel Demand Forecast Model; presented to the GIS SubCommittee of the
DELDOT IRM Steering Committee. March 1996
Using GIS to Identify Markets for Transit; presented at the 1998 GIS for Transportation Symposium
Evaluation of Overall Pavement Condition Rating, to DelDOT Maintenance and Pavement Management
Staff, November 1999
Demonstration of a Data Model To Support Planning, to Delaware Transportation Institute, September
2001
Preliminary Finings of the Delaware Hazardous Material Trasnportation Study, to the State Emergency
Response Committee-Hazardous Materials Group, November 2001
Examination of Travel Demand and Relationships To Land Use, to Delaware Transportation Institute,
March 2000
Findings of the DelDOT Household Survey, to representatives of DelDOT and the Delaware
Transportation Institute, March 2000