Recently results from the Census Bureau’s Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) operation for Massachusetts were shared with MassGIS. Per the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute LUCA project report, Massachusetts ranked 7th in the nation for total Accepted Unmatched Addresses (123,264) and 6th in the nation for Accepted Unmatched Addresses as a percentage of total 2018 housing units (4.2%). These represent addresses the Census Bureau did not previously have in their own Master Address File (MAF). Massachusetts is one of only four states (along with Colorado, Missouri, and Georgia) that ranked in the top 10 in both categories. While the addresses are still being validated by the Census Bureau, because most of them were derived from the MassGIS Master Address Database (which has stringent quality control procedures), we are confident that most of the addresses we contributed will be confirmed.
Additionally, in October MassGIS produced a customized extract of nearly 8,000 addresses and address points for the Donahue Institute to review and incorporate into their submission for the Census Bureau’s New Construction program. This was the last opportunity before the 2020 Census in April to include any addresses missing from the Census Bureau’s MAF that represented new development after March 2018. In conjunction with validation efforts using MassGIS’ Standardized Assessors’ Parcel information, nearly 3,500 addresses from the extract were added to the New Construction submission. Additionally, the Donahue Institute identify 2,460 more “new construction” addresses from MassGIS’ statewide standardized assessor records that were not yet to be incorporated into the MAD.
We look forward to continued collaboration with the Donahue Institute in maintaining consistently valuable addressing products for the Census. These efforts help ensure appropriate Congressional representation and a fair share of Federal funding for Massachusetts. Every address counts! We also thank and appreciate all our data partners, especially the municipalities, across the Commonwealth for their assistance in maintaining the MAD so it remains an invaluable resource for public safety and other endeavors like the Census. We encourage all municipal addressing authorities to periodically review the addresses and locations stored in the MAD for their communities and to contact us with any updates or questions
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Over the years, we’ve been asked if we have a layer showing places of worship. Staff recently completed such a layer showing the locations of more than 2,000 churches, mosques, and synagogues in Massachusetts.
We used lists maintained by three governing councils: Massachusetts Council of Churches and the Massachusetts Roman Catholic Dioceses; Islamic Council of New England; Synagogue Council of Massachusetts. Facilities that are not governed by or are otherwise affiliated with these umbrella organizations do not appear in this layer.
The lists contain addresses that were geocoded to our Master Address Database, with some sites being manually refined using the most current Google imagery and other web sources. In addition to the address, several other useful attributes are present; including (where available) phone numbers, websites and email addresses.
Oliver and the Data Viewer store this layer in the Infrastructure folder. We’ve also created an interactive ArcGIS Online map.
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There has been a recent rash of emails seemingly coming from State email accounts, including our own Paul Nutting, addressed to Assessors or other local officials. The Division of Local Services at the Department of Revenue has also been spoofed. Spoofing is when the email seems to be coming from a known contact; however, upon further examination of the sender’s address, it is merely an alias being used with a more nefarious underlying email address, which has no relationship to the known contact. Phone spoofing is also now beginning to occur. In those cases, the caller ID shows a phone number that seems to be coming from your local phone exchange, or even worse, an official looking contact. However, it is not actually originating from those sources.
These spoofing emails are a form of phishing attack. In the cases that led to this article, the spoofed email includes an attachment named “invoice”. That attachment almost certainly contains a malicious virus or malware that will infect your computer, as well as all of those connected to your network. Recently, several communities have fallen prey to ransomware, which locks every user out of their computers and the network until a hefty sum is paid to the perpetrators.
No State systems were compromised or otherwise used in this phishing expedition. There is no means by which MassGIS or the State can control what a cybercriminal can do with what amounts to a simple contact name. We are asking that you remind your colleagues to be vigilant and never open attachments or click on links that are not coming from a trusted source. Even if you trust the source, if you are not expecting that person to send you an attachment or if the email subject seems unlikely for that source, it’s wise to separately confirm with the source before opening the email. Immediately delete any suspicious emails.
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Created by the Traffic Safety Section at MassDOT, the Interactive Mapping Portal for Analysis and Crash Tracking (IMPACT) system is a new publicly available online portal for Massachusetts crash data. IMPACT replaces the previous crash portal and offers more streamlined access to data by providing user-friendly search options, predefined data dashboards and reports, and updated graphics and analytics. In addition to providing crash level data, IMPACT allows users to search for more comprehensive information regarding both the individuals and motor vehicles involved in the reported crashes.
The new interactive system includes a variety of mechanisms to obtain crash data information including prepared reports, full query options, cross tabulations and charting, and mapping capabilities. Users can download full crash datasets. The data are available in near real-time and are updated daily to reflect crashes that have been reported by law enforcement into the RMV’s Crash Data System. Users can search for data from 2002 to present day.
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MassGIS continues to incorporate updates into its standardized parcels database.
“Level 3” Assessor Parcel Data have been updated for the following 57 cities and towns:
| Town ID |
City/Town |
Fiscal Year |
| 37 |
Boxborough |
2020 |
| 41 |
Brewster |
2019 |
| 47 |
Buckland |
2020 |
| 57 |
Chelsea |
2019 |
| 72 |
Dartmouth |
2020 |
| 78 |
Dover |
2020 |
| 107 |
Gloucester |
2020 |
| 116 |
Groveland |
2020 |
| 124 |
Hardwick |
2020 |
| 139 |
Hopkinton |
2020 |
| 144 |
Ipswich |
2020 |
| 196 |
Nahant |
2020 |
| 209 |
North Adams |
2020 |
| 210 |
North Andover |
2020 |
| 222 |
Oakham |
2020 |
| 237 |
Plainfield |
2020 |
| 244 |
Randolph |
2019 |
| 251 |
Rockland |
2019 |
| 252 |
Rockport |
2020 |
| 260 |
Sandisfield |
2020 |
| 265 |
Seekonk |
2020 |
| 282 |
Sterling |
2019 |
| 293 |
Taunton |
2020 |
| 299 |
Townsend |
2020 |
| 304 |
Uxbridge |
2020 |
| 323 |
West Brookfield |
2020 |
| 342 |
Wilmington |
2019 |
| 347 |
Woburn |
2020 |
Visit this link for full metadata and links to the free data download
View and query parcels statewide in the Massachusetts Interactive Property Map.
This online map now includes an option to download data for an entire municipality. From the Layers dropdown check the Download items and click anywhere to download all the parcel data for that city or town. The cached tiled web service that appears in Oliver and is available in ArcGIS Online includes these latest updates.
Two layers from the state Department of Fire Services are now available from MassGIS:
Please visit the links above for metadata and links to free data download.
In Oliver and the Data Viewer these are located in the Political/Administrative Boundaries folder.
The Community Health Centers layer has been updated by MassGIS, using data provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
The data, from the DPH Bureau of Environmental Health GIS program, is current as of May 2018.
The attribute table schema has changed with this iteration with the addition of a master address ID and geographic town fields.
Please visit the metadata page and links to free data download, an online map, and web services.
In Oliver and the Data Viewer toolbar the layer is found in the Infrastructure folder.
The MassDEP GIS Group has updated the following layers, now available from MassGIS:
Data are up to date through October 8, 2019.
Please see the above links for metadata and free data download.
In Oliver and the ArcMap Data Viewer, all data are found in the Regulated Areas folder, except Public Water Supplies (Infrastructure folder).
Energy and Environmental Affairs GIS staff have updated the Protected and Recreational OpenSpace layers (arcs and polygons), available from MassGIS.
Since the last publication to the web, staff at EEA and its associated agencies performed edits that improved the boundaries and/or attributes to nearly 3,000 polygons of recreational areas and open spaces in 142 municipalities.
New shapefile and file geodatabase downloads represent data updated as of 10/23/2019.
(Note that MassGIS is now distributing a file GDB and no longer a personal GDB)
The details:
- Additions of or improvements to 12 school athletic fields, 434 conservation areas, 25 cemeteries, 147 water supply lands, 79 parks, and 314 conservation restrictions, resulting in a net gain of more than 4,300 acres in the database.
- Town-wide updates completed for Ipswich, Lynnfield and Westwood.
- The Department of Conservation and Recreation – Watershed performed edits in five municipalities.
- The Department of Fish and Game performed edits in seven towns, adding more than 1,000 acres.
- The Department of Agricultural Resources digitized three agricultural preservation restrictions, adding 184 acres.
- Completed additional digitizing for EEA-sponsored programs:
- Twelve projects from EEA grants.
- Ten acquisitions that involved the Conservation Land Tax Credit.
- Twenty-two parks and playgrounds were updated with PARC grant data.
The updates are reflected in the MassGIS Topographic Basemap that appears in OLIVER and is available in ArcGIS Online.
Please visit the metadata page and links to the free data download.
The data are in the Conservation/Recreation category in Oliver and the ArcMap Data Viewer.
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