CTPP FAQs

Question 1

What is CTPP MCP Server?

Accepted Answer

CTPP MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects AI assistants (like Claude) to the Census Transportation Planning Products (CTPP) API, enabling them to access detailed commuting patterns and transportation statistics.

Question 2

What key features does CTPP offer to developers?

Accepted Answer

Developers can list CTPP dataset vintages, browse tables, retrieve variable names, determine available geography levels, fetch statistical data using geography and variable filters, and resolve place names to FIPS codes via fuzzy matching.

Question 3

Are there any prerequisites to use the CTPP MCP Server?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you will need a CTPP API key from ctppdata.transportation.org, Node.js 18+, Docker/Docker Compose for the PostgreSQL database, and configured environment variables for API key and database connection.

Question 4

How does CTPP integrate with AI assistants?

Accepted Answer

CTPP integrates via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). AI clients like Claude Desktop or Claude Code can launch the CTPP MCP Server as a subprocess, allowing the AI to use its tools to query and analyze CTPP data directly.

Question 5

What types of data can I access using CTPP?

Accepted Answer

You can access detailed commuting patterns at state, county, place, and tract levels, including residence tables (where workers live), workplace tables (where workers work), and origin-destination (flow) tables for commute pairs.

CTPP

CTPP

Key Features

Use Cases

Key Features

Use Cases