Aug 19, 2002 – Merrick & Company has been selected to provide Pima Association of Governments (PAG), the Metropolitan Planning Organization in the Tucson, Arizona metropolitan area, with PAG’s third major digital orthophoto data acquisition effort. As a follow up to the services provided by Merrick & Co. in the year 2000, this $1.075 Million contract includes capturing colour digital orthophotography for 3260 square miles at a 1’pixel resolution and black and white digital orthophotography for 354 square miles at a ½’ pixel resolution. Deliverables include digital orthophotos (TIFFs), Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), and 2’ contours (ESRI Shapefiles and AutoCAD. DWGs). The contour data will be delivered in two datums, NGVD 1929 and NAVD 1988, on DVDs.
To assist the USGS with the collection of aerial imagery for Homeland Security efforts in major metropolitan areas, Merrick & Co. will provide an overlapping area of approximately 1000 square miles of color digital orthophotography at a .3-meter resolution. This data set will be referenced to UTM Zone 12 and delivered to the USGS on DVDs.
Andy Gunning, PAG’s Director of Regional Planning, explains that Merrick & Co. was selected from among 21 vendors who submitted bids because of their impressive proposal, understanding of the data product deliverables, accuracy levels, and the technical approach, especially in quality assurance/quality control procedures.
The higher resolution digital orthophotography, DTMs, and contour coverages will be delivered as completed in February through May 2003. Project is scheduled for completion by the end of June 2003. Managing the rapidly growing region of the Tucson, Arizona metropolitan area is driving the need for more accurate land base data and geographic information system (GIS) analysis and decision tools. In response to these needs, PAG created the Regional Data Center (https://www.pagnet.org/RDC) where government agencies, the private sector, and general public can view and order data online. “The public and private sectors immediately saw the benefits of using this level of data,” states Gunning. This helped foster good working relationships and funding efforts between all levels of government including local jurisdictions, the Arizona State Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration.
