USES OF CLOUD TECHNOLOGIES FOR GEOSPATIAL APPLICATIONS
Case Studies of Select Transportation Agencies

November 2013

Prepared for:
Office of Planning
Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation

Prepared by:
Organizational Performance Division
John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation

LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF TABLES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. INTRODUCTION
2. OBSERVATIONS
3. CASE STUDIES
APPENDIX A: LIST OF INTERVIEW AND PEER EXCHANGE PARTICIPANTS
APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW GUIDE
APPENDIX C: PEER EXCHANGE AGENDA
APPENDIX D: PEER EXCHANGE ROUNDTABLE QUESTIONS
APPENDIX E: ESTIMATED RETURN ON INVESTMENTS
ENDNOTES

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Types of cloud service models
Figure 2. IPLAN platform design
Figure 3. ITD's security configuration for IPLAN
Figure 4. The MUTTS application and utility location viewer in eGIS
Figure 5. Cycle MD mobile application showing how users can choose bicycle routes based on different conditions
Figure 6. Relation of the MD iMap templates within the cloud configuration
Figure 7. Top screenshot showing MD iMAP's StreamHealth application as it currently exists when accessed through MD iMAP's ArcGIS Online portal. Bottom screenshot showing the StreamHealth application in ArcGIS Online when the template is applied
Figure 8. Configuration of the Franklin County LBRS system
Figure 9. Screenshot of customized topographic base map, with environment and parcel data added
Figure 10. Screenshot of metrics for the Utah Unified Transportation Plan Map in UPlan
Figure 11. Transportation deficiency map developed by WATS using Google Fusion and Tables
Figure 12. Maps in Mi Community Remarks with proposed projects in the LRTP depicted with colored pins

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Cloud deployment models
Table 2. Configuration and deployment models used by interviewed agencies

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The U.S. Department of Transportation John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) in Cambridge, Massachusetts prepared this report for the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Planning. The project team included Alisa Fine and Paige Colton, both of the Volpe Center's Organizational Performance Division, and Jaimye Bartak of Cambridge Systematics.

The Volpe Center project team wishes to thank the staff members from several organizations nationwide, listed in Appendix A, for providing their experiences, insights, and editorial review. The time they kindly provided was vital to preparing the case studies and reviewing this final report.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Public agencies are increasingly turning to cloud technology to help streamline workflows and allow data sharing among a broader audience. In particular, transportation agencies are beginning to use cloud computing to more easily store, manage, manipulate, analyze, and share geospatial data and business information. Cloud technology can replace traditional data-sharing mechanisms such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sites by displaying data in an interactive manner. Even modest efforts to use cloud technology have led agencies to ask fundamental questions about how transportation agencies will conduct business in the future.

Great potential exists in using cloud technologies to support GIS applications, but their use is still evolving. To explore this in more depth, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) interviewed selected agencies and developed case study reports that document these agencies' GIS and cloud computing initiatives. FHWA also sponsored a peer exchange that brought participating agencies together to discuss their experiences in greater detail. The resulting case studies presented here include:

Idaho Transportation Department's IPLAN
Maryland Department of Transportation's Miss Utility Tracking System (MUTTS), interactive mobile applications, iMap Application templates, and Enterprise GIS system
Ohio Department of Transportation and Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Location Based Response System (LBRS) programs
Utah Department of Transportation's UPlan
Washtenaw Area Transportation Study's long-range transportation plan deficiency maps and Mi Community Remarks application, and interagency data sharing initiative.

This report is expected to support GIS practitioners and decisionmakers to identify examples of noteworthy practices, consider the pros and cons of using cloud technologies for GIS applications, and determine how cloud technology can be best used to support their own business practices.

The majority of the participating agencies are still in the early stages of determining how they can most effectively use the cloud in their GIS activities; all are planning to expand their use of the cloud to serve additional business needs of their organizations. The agencies have explored a variety of cloud deployment models and have generally come to prefer off-the-shelf or third-party platforms over developing applications with original or customized code.

These initial efforts have yielded significant and sometimes unexpected benefits to the agencies' GIS activities, business operations, and partnerships. The cloud has increased the user base and impact of spatial data and reduced the time and costs associated with managing and displaying GIS data. Agencies have also been able to foster and strengthen multi-agency collaboration and partnerships, and enhance their interactions with the public.

As transportation agencies have begun to encounter challenges with implementing cloud technologies related to data security, procurement policies, and leadership support, they have started reconsidering the role and purpose of information technology systems and security; data storage, maintenance, and collection; and how to add value to geospatial data and visualization. As they experience successes and lessons learned in these areas, and as technology rapidly advances alongside their progress, agencies believe that cloud computing is destined to greatly influence the way that transportation agencies conduct their business in the future in terms of efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness.

1. INTRODUCTION

For many years, access to databases, networks, web services, and various other computing resources at public transportation agencies was largely limited to transportation agency staff. As computing technologies have evolved, the term “cloud computing,” commonly referred to as “the cloud,” has emerged to describe a way of linking these resources via the Internet to provide information to both internal and external users. More than simply a way to exchange information, the cloud also enables agencies to share processing and visualization tools. This allows agencies to present data in a more interactive manner than with traditional data-sharing mechanisms, presenting opportunities for expanded sharing of geospatial information.

To explore how transportation agencies are using the cloud to support geospatial applications, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) interviewed select transportation agencies and developed a series of case studies focusing on their experiences using cloud-based applications. As a follow-up to the case studies, FHWA sponsored a peer exchange in Boise, Idaho, on May 9-10, 2013, which convened case study participants to discuss their experiences in greater detail.¹

Participants in both the case study interviews and peer exchange included staff and representatives from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA), Maryland State Transportation Authority (MDTA), Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), Utah DOT, and the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS). Staff from the North Carolina DOT (NCDOT), the Utah State Geographic Information Council, and a consultant from BioWest Inc., currently assisting ITD with the development of its cloud-based application, also participated in the peer exchange. Appendix A includes a complete list of participants.

ITD hosted the peer exchange at its offices in Boise (see agenda in Appendix C). Participants demonstrated their respective agency's current use(s) of the cloud to support geospatial applications and then participated in four roundtable discussions. These roundtables focused on areas of interest identified during the telephone discussions, including: (1) defining the cloud and why its use is important in geospatial applications; (2) deploying the cloud to users and different configurations for cloud technologies; (3) strategies used to implement cloud-based technologies; and (4) overall trends and new areas of opportunity for using the cloud to support geospatial applications. Appendix D provides a list of questions proposed or discussed during the roundtables.

The purpose of developing the case studies and holding a peer exchange was to allow transportation agencies, including State and regional transportation agencies, the opportunity to:

Identify the state of the practice in using the cloud to support geospatial applications;
Share related experiences, including technical approaches and innovative examples;
Discuss benefits, challenges, success factors, and lessons learned;
Identify potential opportunities to expand the use of the cloud in geospatial applications; and,
Support such an expansion through networking and the formation of a community of practice.

The case studies and peer exchange were conducted as part of FHWA's GIS in Transportation program.² Through technical support, resources, and capacity-building opportunities, the program aims to assist transportation agencies in more effective uses of GIS and geospatial applications.

The Cloud: Definition and Use

Defining the Cloud
The term “cloud” does not describe a new technology but rather a way of purchasing, sharing, and distributing computing resources. There are many definitions of what constitutes the cloud. This report uses the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) definition, which is endorsed by the General Services Administration (GSA).³ According to NIST, cloud computing “is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”⁴

Core characteristics of the cloud include the following:⁵

On-demand access. Services are available automatically, regardless of the user's location, and consumers are not required to interact with each service provider. Consumers do not necessarily need technical knowledge of computing services to be able to access and share information.
Broad network access. Services are accessible over a network and available to any device connected to that network, from enterprise servers to individual desktop computers to web-enabled smartphones.
Resource pooling. Computing resources (e.g., bandwidth, storage, memory) are pooled to serve multiple consumers and can be dynamically adjusted to address varying demand. One server can be converted into many virtual machines, which contributes to economies of scale for the consumer.
Rapid elasticity. Computing resources and capabilities can be rapidly adjusted depending on the level of consumer demand or unpredictable traffic fluctuations. Consumers have few restrictions, if any, in their ability to access computing resources at any time.
Measured service. Vendors use a pay-as-you-go pricing model, where subscribers pay for services based on resources used.

There are various implementation models for cloud-based computing services. For example, services may be implemented via computing infrastructure, software, or platforms (see Figure 1).⁶

A cloud service implemented through computing infrastructure (“infrastructure as a service,” or IaaS) is a complete package of computing functionality, including hardware, software, servers, and networking components. A user accessing an IaaS application needs only a web connection; through this connection, the user has extensive flexibility to design, develop, and manage a variety of cloud-based applications ranging from small-scale websites to large enterprise systems. IaaS is the most robust implementation model because it allows the subscriber maximum flexibility to customize software and operating systems (OS) for sharing, storage, and manipulation of data.

A cloud service can also be implemented through software (“software as a service,” or SaaS). SaaS provides one or more software applications designed for specific purposes as opposed to the complete package of computing functionality of IaaS. SaaS services are typically vendor-managed and vendor-designed “out of the box” applications, with some customization possible by users.

Cloud services implemented through a platform (“platform as a service,” or PaaS) fall in between IaaS and SaaS in terms of functionality. PaaS services provide users with some flexibility to customize applications but these changes are tied to the vendor's specific OS and network environment.

Figure 1. Types of cloud service models.⁷

Diagram showing four models of cloud service models: packaged software, infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service. The diagram illustrates, in each case, the breakdown of what is managed by you and what is managed by the vendor.

In addition to these service models, there are also several different deployment models through which different user groups can manage and access data. Table 1 provides additional detail.⁸ Agencies typically identify who needs access to the cloud and what information will be shared to identify an appropriate cloud deployment and service model to use when developing an application that uses cloud computing.

Use of the Cloud for Geospatial Applications
The public sector is increasingly adopting cloud technology to streamline workflows and to allow data sharing among a broader audience. Traditionally limited to GIS experts or displayed on static maps, transportation agencies are moving geospatial data to cloud-based formats to adapt to new mobile technologies and an increased general expectation for on-demand and interactive access to information. The cloud offers an opportunity to merge the benefits of mapping with information technology (IT) and supports transportation agencies' drive towards more interdisciplinary practices by serving as a platform for data-sharing and collaboration among different organizations. As society increasingly shares and receives information in a spatial format, the cloud provides a relevant approach for transportation agencies to maintain their role as providers of official geospatial transportation data and information.

Recent Federal initiatives are encouraging the public sector's adoption of the cloud. These include the 2010 U.S. chief information officer's (CIO) “Cloud First” policy, which encourages government agencies to adopt cloud technologies to increase information technology (IT) efficiencies.⁹ The CIO and NIST also recently published a strategy document, a guide to creating cloud contracts, and a specific cloud “roadmap” to support the adoption of cloud technologies by Federal agencies. These and other initiatives are encouraging use of the cloud as a method to improve efficiencies through sharing computing resources and making information more easily accessible through a single platform.¹⁰ The Federal government has also emphasized the importance of data sharing, most notably in the recent Executive Order – Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information, which requires the Federal government to “mak[e] information resources easy to find, accessible, and usable.”¹¹

Use of the cloud for geospatial applications is increasing and continues to evolve as the cloud's capabilities and potential benefits become more widely understood.¹² In addition to simply storing and sharing geospatial data and business information, cloud computing can support a number of functions that allow users to manage, analyze, and manipulate data, such as through mapping functions. This also provides nontechnical users or organizations, especially those with limited budgets, the capacity to access and manipulate geospatial data.

For the transportation sector, which is traditionally divided into many smaller organizational divisions, cloud computing can help bridge information gaps that exist between agency functions and facilitate collaboration. Cloud-based GIS systems and applications can also compile information from a wider array of sources via the web, encouraging data-sharing among agencies to support the interdisciplinary nature of transportation services. Collaboration through cloud-based applications or systems can increase efficiencies in agency activities by allowing diverse agency divisions to access the same data and eliminate duplicative data collection activities. Access to a wider array of data also enables faster and more effective analysis, leading to better-informed transportation planning and decisionmaking and more coordinated business activities.

Emerging Issues
Cloud-based systems and applications have been slower to develop in the public sector than the private sector. Public sector agencies often have security and privacy concerns about sharing information via the cloud, particularly if external users have access to the information through a public, community, or hybrid deployment model. To help address these concerns, the U.S. CIO established the Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). FedRAMP is intended to streamline the security assessment process for third-party cloud providers. Once authorized by FedRAMP, providers are added to an approved list that makes procuring third-party cloud services easier for Federal agencies.¹³ State agencies could potentially use FedRAMP policies as a model.

Procurement policies at many agencies may not be designed to accommodate cloud services, particularly if contracts with cloud service providers are elastic and based on monthly usage of bandwidth instead of the acquisition of hardware. As the industry is relatively new, cloud service providers have not yet developed long-term pricing models. The Western State Contracting Alliance has emerged as a leader by providing a cloud service contract mechanism that State and local public agencies can join to compare vendor pricing and expedite procurement.¹⁴

Most of the agencies participating in this research effort are still in the early stages of determining how to most effectively use the cloud in their activities, but even their modest efforts have led to fundamental questions about how transportation agencies will conduct business in the future. For example, as agencies encounter challenges related to data security, procurement policies, and leadership support, they have begun to reconsider the role and purpose of IT systems and security; data storage, maintenance, and collection; as well as how to add value to geospatial data and visualization. As agencies experience successes and lessons learned in these areas, and as technology rapidly advances alongside their progress, agencies believe that cloud computing is destined to greatly influence the way that transportation agencies conduct their business in terms of efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness.

Table 1. Cloud deployment models.

Model	Consumer	Computing Infrastructure	Data	Public Sector Example
Private	Single organization (e.g., a State DOT)	Owned, managed, and/or operated by a single organization or third-party provider.	Data in a private cloud typically remain within the subscriber organization's servers.	Los Alamos National Laboratory developed a private cloud to consolidate its numerous data servers; users access an internal portal to obtain information from these servers.¹⁶
Public	General public	Owned, managed, and/or operated by a vendor or organization interested in distributing information as a public service.	Typically, a public cloud offers access to a broad range of user types. Data may be stored on the host agency's or third-party servers. Selected users may be able to share their data as well.	GSA developed a public cloud infrastructure for Data.gov, a repository of different datasets generated by the Federal government. Data.gov is accessible to any user from a variety of platforms (e.g., desktops, smartphones) and allows agencies to post their own data directly to the site rather than posting links to where data are hosted on their own servers.¹⁷ Case study examples: IPLAN
Community	Specific community of consumers with shared concerns (e.g., policies, mission, goals); may include several different organizations	Owned, managed, and/or operated by a single organization, third-party provider, or a combination of entities.	Data on a community cloud may be configured similar to a private or public cloud, but access to it is limited to authorized users.	The Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency are developing a common, cloud-based desktop for users in the intelligence community. This desktop will allow any user with access rights to obtain information that previously would have been located behind various agency firewalls.¹⁸ Case study examples: WATS' use of Google Docs, Fusion Tables, and Drive; MORPC.
Hybrid	Any combination of the above	Applications are owned, managed, and/or operated by a combination or linkage of entities (e.g., a State DOT may own data that are stored on a third-party provider server and shared via the provider's interface).	Data are typically stored on a subscriber's servers, but accessed, viewed, and/or processed through cloud-based applications. Conversely, data may be stored in the cloud while processed using a subscriber or user's server.	The Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration developed a hybrid cloud that combines a private cloud and commercial cloud services. The cloud will allow designated users to access common datasets to develop different kinds of applications, tools, and dashboards that serve various user communities.¹⁹ Case study examples: MDSHA, UPlan, IPLAN.

2. OBSERVATIONS

This section describes overall observations of how the State and regional transportation agencies interviewed are using cloud-based systems to support their GIS activities, as well as the associated benefits, challenges, and lessons learned resulting from these experiences. As most transportation agencies are only just beginning to integrate cloud-based computing into their business processes, the findings below primarily describe recent, self-developed efforts of those interviewed that generally do not rely on outside agency efforts as models.

State of the Practice

Most agencies are in the early stages of using cloud configurations for GIS data-sharing and mapping but are not yet using the cloud for GIS analysis. Approaches to using the cloud are varied and still evolving. Some agencies already support a variety of business processes using cloud-based technologies, while other cloud-based tools are pilots or prototypes. GIS activities supported by the cloud mainly provide data-sharing and mapping capabilities; agencies continue to perform complex GIS analysis processes locally. Overall, none of the interviewed agencies has yet fully incorporated cloud-based applications, mapping, or data sharing into their workflows at the agency- or department-wide levels, though all noted that they intended to expand their use of cloud-based systems to support a wider range of activities. For example, MORPC developed its LBRS file in response to the State of Ohio's need for up-to-date road data from its localities for emergency response systems. However, it plans to add other data, such as bicycle paths and sidewalks, to make the file useful for other activities.

Agencies are using a variety of deployment models. A common thread among most agencies is their use of hybrid cloud configurations, which allows the agency to control access to data stored on agency servers, often for security purposes. For example, MDSHA wanted an easy method to connect dig requests with data on nearby utilities without moving utility data onto their software provider's servers, so it developed a hybrid configuration that linked the third-party, cloud-based MUTTS application to MDSHA's servers. Table 2 provides details on the configurations and deployment models used by each agency interviewed:

Table 2. Configuration and deployment models used by interviewed agencies.

Agency/Application	Deployment Model	Software development	Service Model	Data storage	Data maintenance
MORPC: LBRS files	Community	Off the shelf	Packaged software	On agency server	Agency, partner agencies
UDOT: UPlan	Hybrid	Customized off-the-shelf	SaaS	On agency server & third-party server	Agency, partner agencies
ITD: IPLAN	Hybrid	Off-the-shelf	SaaS	On agency & partner agency servers	Agency, partner agencies
WATS: Google Docs, Google Fusion, and Mi Community Remarks	Hybrid	Off-the-shelf	SaaS	On third-party servers	Agency
MDSHA: MUTTS, truck routing application, MD iMap Templates, MDTA enterprise GIS system	Hybrid	Custom and customized off-the-shelf	SaaS/SaaS (self-developed)/SaaS/PaaS	On agency server & on third-party servers	Agency

Cloud technologies are being used at the interviewed transportation agencies in response to a need for more integrated and accessible GIS data. As the use of geospatial applications and data has expanded over the past few decades, agencies have begun to address the proliferation of disconnected, large, and often redundant datasets. At the same time, as the use of mobile technology increases, transportation agencies are responding to a general expectation for more open, accessible, and interactive data that have been cultivated by the Internet. Furthermore, the use of the cloud reflects transportation agencies' increasingly interdisciplinary activities, such as in asset management and environmental streamlining. For example, information and data once siloed in individual departments is now needed in a centralized format to respond to the asset management reporting requirements of MAP-21. Agencies view the cloud as a way to gain a better understanding of the full scope of their assets and business activities to reduce redundancies and make more efficient and informed decisions.

Off-the-shelf or third-party platforms are preferred over developing custom code for cloud applications. In particular, most agencies are using or have considered using Esri's cloud-based GIS SaaS, called ArcGIS Online,²⁰ in part because of many agencies' existing licenses with Esri. Some agencies have attempted to custom-code their own cloud applications but noted the large time investment needed. For example, UDOT initially wrote its own code for its UPlan application before switching to a customized version of ArcGIS Online due to the staff time required to maintain the code and interface. Based on UDOT experiences, ITD opted to use ArcGIS Online rather than develop custom code for its cloud application, IPLAN.

Cloud-based technologies are accompanied by data standardization and quality control efforts. Agencies that have moved data to the cloud or use cloud-based applications need some level of format and quality standardization in order to display disparate datasets in a web viewer or to make the data compatible for integration into larger datasets. For some agencies, such as MORPC, a cloud-based solution was the outcome of an initial goal to consolidate and centralize data into a common location and format to reduce redundancies and allow locally collected data to be viewed across jurisdictional boundaries. Other agencies are finding that as data are published to the cloud, data stewards are motivated to improve the quality of the data on their own. For that reason, some agencies, such as UDOT, are letting data stewards assume responsibility for quality based on their own needs.

The functionality and design of cloud-based applications influence data standardization and quality control efforts. For example, data quality and standardization may be important at the statewide level to prevent inaccurate data from being incorporated into other agency datasets and analyses. In response, some agencies, such as MDSHA, have initiated proactive data inventory and assessment efforts in order to eliminate redundant datasets and prioritize data as it is fed into its cloud-based system.

Benefits

Overall, the transportation agencies interviewed believed that their cloud-based applications provided significant and sometimes unexpected benefits to their GIS activities, business operations, and partnerships. Although they have not yet developed quantitative performance measures and assessed the effectiveness of their applications, the benefits of using cloud-based solutions are demonstrated by the interviewed agencies' desires to expand their cloud-based tools and datasets in future years.

The cloud increases the user base and impact of spatial data. GIS can produce powerful results by juxtaposing information that previously was only available in an isolated or nongeographic format (such as public comments). However, until recently, the software and expertise needed to process GIS data was primarily limited to GIS specialists. Cloud-based GIS applications such as UPlan, IPLAN, and WATS' Mi Community Remarks enable those without GIS software or GIS expertise to view and manipulate spatially formatted data in more user-friendly, interactive, and intuitive environments. In addition, this information becomes available to the user instantaneously.

Time and costs associated with managing and displaying GIS data are reduced. Cloud services offer agencies the opportunity to store a large amount of information in one place that otherwise must be stored and maintained in a variety of locations on an agency's servers. Cloud services also enable users to access information stored in several locations through a single portal. Using a cloud configuration to store geospatial data can “free up” space on an agency's servers and eliminate the need for individual users to maintain and store their own version of a data file or software, consolidating resources and making data easier to find. Some noted, however, that storing data on a cloud server can be expensive if the service package charges by the amount of bandwidth used for uploads and downloads.

Both UPlan and IPLAN, for example, were developed to harness the benefits of visualizing data in a spatial format while reducing time spent on managing and processing data. This is accomplished through an application design that links to but does not store data. Even if the cloud application is not used for data storage, time and cost savings are nonetheless realized. The application eliminates the need to search for and combine datasets for regular business activities as all data can be accessed from one interface. Agencies also noted that time savings are realized by IT staff not having to manage disaster recovery systems and software updates for third-party software and platforms, which is especially advantageous for smaller agencies with more limited budgets and IT capacity.

Cloud-based systems foster and strengthen multi-agency collaboration and partnerships. The agencies that currently use cloud systems reported that information sharing is easier, faster, and more effective, and that they have benefited from learning of and using data that other agencies collect and maintain. As an example, Ohio DOT notes that many counties hired a vendor to manage LBRS data through third-party cloud-based services. In collaborating with their municipal and local agency partners to establish LBRS data submittal processes, these counties discovered redundant data collection among jurisdictions or were made aware of useful data maintained by another agencies or departments. Sharing this information effectively reduces the “silo” effect between and within agencies and streamlines data collection and maintenance activities.

As new data from various sources become available in a centralized repository, there will be new opportunities for data analysis. For example, UDOT, ITD, and MORPC all anticipate that their cloud-based applications will lead to more regional cooperation among jurisdictions based on the availability of regional-scale data that will be accessible through the cloud. Agencies also noted that users have increased confidence in the quality of GIS data since a cloud-based system can reflect updates and changes coming from different locations and users in real-time. This is especially important as NextGen-9-1-1²¹ routing systems use GIS and will depend upon up-to-date road network data and address information.

Cloud-based applications can improve agencies' interaction with the public. Cloud-based applications provide an online, easy-to-use forum for exchanging spatial information with the public. For example, WATS reported that it received 99 comments on its long-range transportation plan, much higher than in past iterations, and received informed comments from transportation professionals who may otherwise have been too busy to attend public meetings. Transportation agencies see the cloud as a way to present the interdisciplinary nature of their transportation activities and to place them in the context of a larger government service. Additionally, as third-party, crowd-sourced applications emerge due to a demand for geospatial infrastructural data,²² the cloud offers transportation agencies the opportunity to control how their assets and business activities are presented by providing “official” data.

Challenges

Since cloud computing is relatively new, most agencies noted several challenges associated with developing and implementing cloud-based applications. Challenges outlined include:

Security concerns can slow or limit cloud deployment. Agencies expressed concerns about maintaining security for data published on the cloud, and experienced challenges in convincing partners to share data on systems where users could access and possibly misinterpret or misuse data. GIS and IT professionals in transportation agencies are also beginning to discuss how much security is necessary for their various datasets as their cloud-based systems and applications are developed. In some cases, GIS or transportation practitioners turned to the cloud due to IT security complications involved in building an application or publishing data behind the agency firewall.

Overall, agencies view IT policies and processes as a potential hurdle to meeting their customer's needs. While GIS practitioners generally believe that often the benefits to sharing information outweigh the risks to releasing it, in many cases IT policies have evolved to focus on securing rather than providing information. Agencies view this as a challenge to remaining nimble and responsive in meeting customer needs when deploying cloud-based applications and data.

Cloud-based services present unfamiliar, and in many cases untested, cost models. Many cloud-based services, particularly those provided by third parties, are based on a “pay-as-you-go” model, which charges for services (such as bandwidth and data storage) as they are used. Agencies therefore find it difficult to meet procurement policy requirements that call for cost-benefit analysis, as estimating future usage levels of cloud services is difficult.

Private providers of GIS-cloud applications are also still piloting various cost models for their services, contributing to the unpredictability of future cost estimates. Agencies had difficulty justifying cloud computing services that by nature are ephemeral and do not conform to traditional cost models based on the longevity of infrastructure or ownership. Cost-benefit analysis models of different cloud scenarios and the assurance of cost stability are needed to assist agencies in demonstrating the value of cloud technologies to their agency.

The level of expectation for data accuracy and quality of cloud-based data is evolving. When data are published to the cloud, agencies noted that data stewards often took care to improve the data's quality. Yet agencies are also finding they need to determine the level of accuracy, quantity, and detail acceptable for cloud-based activities and whether data quality standards must match those held for paper documents. Several reasons exist for these concerns. First, because increased detail in data may increase storage and bandwidth needs, the costs associated with providing cloud services may increase (this concern may be mitigated by the trend towards increasingly inexpensive storage space). Very detailed data may also attract additional security issues that could lead to more limited accessibility, or result in misinterpretation. However, agencies must also maintain certain data standards if they are to be used in the transportation decisionmaking processes. For that reason, agencies developed standards for data to be published on the cloud while leaving enough flexibility in formats so that the data can be used for multiple purposes. For example, UDOT screens uploaded data to meet minimum standards, even though the data are maintained and actually stored on user servers. For other agencies, such as MORPC, the format of the LBRS files creates a standard that the participating jurisdictions must adhere to in order to contribute their data. These efforts are intended to ensure that data is displayed in the manner intended by the data owner to the appropriate audience.

As use of the cloud increases, agencies are mindful that there must be some level of organization and process development behind the scenes in order to prevent various groups from adding redundant datasets. For instance, MDSHA is currently developing a template for MD iMAP partner agencies to outline their data collection and maintenance schedules to inform new applications as they are developed. Identifying and preventing redundant data, as well as making sure data is easily searchable and generally accessible, are also important for minimizing costs if data are stored on third-party servers.

The dynamic nature of the cloud requires new strategies for recordkeeping. The cloud enables users to update geospatial data in a centralized location in real time. While this provides benefits in terms of access to up-to-date data, it presents challenges in regard to maintaining a historical record. In the event that an agency needs to document its decision to justify or explain a certain outcome, data used from cloud-based systems or applications may have since been updated. Agencies have responded to this in various ways. One approach is to “version” the database from which the cloud-based application draws data by storing only changes to the dataset. This works for scenarios where the agency has direct control over all data used within its cloud-based system or application. For scenarios where users maintain data, agencies may have to rely on data owners to record the version and methodology of data that were used on a particular date. But agencies acknowledge that there is a risk in depending on other entities to maintain records.

Lessons Learned

The interviewed transportation agencies offered the following lessons learned based on their experiences developing cloud-based applications so far:

Remain flexible to adapt to new, unanticipated responsibilities. The ultimate goal of adopting cloud computing is to increase efficiency, but agencies note that doing so can create unexpected responsibilities that might add to or change the nature of staff workload. For example, MORPC found that it had to spend significant time cleaning up initially submitted LBRS data in order to maintain the stability of their LBRS files. MORPC chose not to shift this responsibility to partners in order to encourage participation and buy-in, and the quality of submitted data is improving as users gain experience.

As new uses for publishing data in cloud scenarios are identified, transportation agencies may also find that they spend additional time updating existing or in developing new applications to achieve new efficiencies. After establishing its dig request workflow using MUTTS, for instance, MDSHA is adding a new function that will link construction permits with dig requests. Agencies tended to see the time investments associated with cloud technologies as “time well spent,” and recommended incorporating cloud computing into business processes incrementally in order to remain flexible and able to adjust to new demands. ITD expects that the increased use of IPLAN will also result in increased requests of its GIS staff for GIS analysis, which it views as a positive use of its GIS resources for future problem solving.

Seek input from partners in designing and developing cloud-based tools and systems. Interviewed agencies found that designing their applications and data structures with significant input from internal and external partners helped focus the technology and identify the data they needed to include. Often these partners will be the owners of key data or will be relied upon to maintain the GIS data once the cloud-based system or application is available. Gathering input and creating ownership responsibilities ensures cooperation from partners and also serves to shape the cloud-based tool or system to satisfy the needs and requirements of multiple entities. For example, while MORPC is the primary developer of their LBRS files, it meets monthly with an advisory committee comprised of participating jurisdictions to discuss next steps and to obtain feedback. Agencies recommend including IT representatives in cloud governance bodies but to be mindful of balancing security concerns with an understanding of customer needs. In addition, legacy issues attached to existing data must be considered, and partners must recognize that it may be unrealistic for some agencies to easily modify their data systems and processes to accept and contribute data from the cloud rather than their local servers as originally designed.

Demonstrate benefits to gain support. Some agencies indicated having encountered skepticism or resistance to incorporating cloud computing into existing workflows. This may be due to the disruption of familiar work processes or the perception of additional responsibilities associated with the cloud. Agencies stressed the importance of demonstrating the cloud system or application to both leadership and staff. Proponents should articulate the value the cloud adds to traditional GIS. ITD met with each Idaho Transportation Board (ITB) member, for instance, to describe the purpose of IPlan and also to take the opportunity to listen to what board members hoped to achieve through increased geospatial collaboration.

Regardless, users may still need to pilot the cloud in their regular activities before committing to its long-term use. Cloud-based systems and applications should also be designed for intuitive use, as not all users are familiar with GIS or cloud computing. For example, MORPC did not pursue agreements with its partner agencies—many of which did not have high-level GIS capacity or resources—because it felt the LBRS system would receive more buy-in from users experiencing the tool and its benefits first.

Use the cloud to facilitate and coordinate business interests. Agencies view cloud computing as a collaborative tool among users that may not otherwise have a means to coordinate. Once established, the cloud-based tool or application should reflect and engage the business interests and contribute to the vision of the organization, as well as incorporate user needs, especially as data are added. Agencies regard this process as an opportunity to learn not only what customers find important, but also to help focus the activities and business processes of the organization. For example, after data stewards uploaded data into IPLAN, ITD discussed the purpose of the data with the users. This helped create a better understanding of users' needs and helped users understand the purpose of IPLAN. Such discussions should also occur at the management level to understand program- and department-level needs. This interaction can also help prevent the cloud from becoming too unfocused or cluttered with questionable or redundant data.

Identify risks and develop contingency plans and mitigation strategies to avoid negatively impacting partners. In order to reduce the perception that the cloud will add new, time-consuming responsibilities, agencies recommend developing workarounds and contingency plans. For example, ODOT has developed automated methods to correct common data discrepancies in files submitted to its statewide LRS dataset instead of asking jurisdictions to reformat their data.

Consider the implications of using third-party cloud platforms or data repositories. Third-party cloud-based platforms and software are by nature not under the control of users or the subscriber. Several agencies noted that third-party systems should not be relied on as the sole repository of an agency or program's data and information due to the risk of server failures. For example, in assessing its experience with Mi Community Remarks, WATS identified a need to back up the public comment data it received in case its Google application became unavailable. While agencies felt that third-party cloud vendors have an equal or larger incentive to maintain security as their agency IT departments, they are also aware of the risk of substantial business disruption if a cloud service malfunctions, leaving agency IT staff unable to assist. Some partners may also be wary of sharing information and data on a third-party site for this reason.

Third-party cloud applications also carry different cost implications. Due to outsourcing infrastructure and maintenance costs, third-party cloud scenarios may create the perception of reduced costs among users. Agencies cautioned that any data storage on third-party servers should be strategic, as pricing is often based on file size and bandwidth used during data transfers and geospatial files can be large in size. Hybrid cloud configurations, such as UPlan and IPLAN, were often chosen in part for this reason.

Potential Opportunities for the Cloud in GIS Activities

Agencies noted several areas in which they may consider expanding or refining uses of the cloud.

Cost-benefit analyses of cloud applications may be developed as efforts expand. Most agencies have not yet quantitatively evaluated the uses and effectiveness of cloud platforms and applications, although many have anecdotal or qualitative evidence that indicate the benefits of these tools. The development of quantitative measures and metrics to better assess the cost of cloud technologies might be an area of focus on the part of both agencies and vendors.

Cloud applications can provide powerful opportunities for feedback loops. Agencies noted the potential for cloud applications to become locations where agencies can respond to comments, information, and data that users provide through the cloud. For example, WATS envisioned a mechanism where it could follow up on comments received during its long-range planning process and inform participants how their comments were considered and incorporated into their decision making.

The cloud may influence the reconsideration of data classification and maintenance. Some transportation agencies noted that as data used in the cloud is applied to more uses than it was formerly, data may be re-organized and maintained in terms of how they are used rather than their functional or ownership classification. For example, dirt roads are not currently included in most State linear referencing systems, but emergency responders still need to know where these roads are located. If 911 systems continue to increasingly rely on geospatial data to route calls, the cloud could render this type of data hierarchy obsolete and authority over dirt road location data could shift to more relevant data stewards. In this way, the cloud could relieve transportation agencies of some data maintenance responsibilities, freeing them to focus on other activities.

Potential Areas of FHWA Support

Agencies noted potential areas where FHWA activities could support further advancement of cloud-based geospatial activities, including:

Further develop the national goals related to data sharing. Through documents, standards, best practices, and national guidance, FHWA could assist agencies in pursuing cloud-based technologies by articulating the national importance of linking data from multiple agencies and jurisdictions. For example, cloud-based data sharing of local data could be linked to national initiatives that promote environmental streamlining and ecosystem-scale planning and analysis.

Develop a national model for cloud-based GIS activities. A national-scale cloud-based application that linked multiple Federal agencies could serve as a model to demonstrate the benefits of interagency collaboration and data-sharing to states.

3. CASE STUDIES

This section presents in-depth case studies on the current activities of the State DOTs and regional transportation agencies that participated in the report interviews and the peer exchange. Each case study includes information on how the agency began using cloud technology to support their geospatial applications, how they developed or are planning on developing these applications, and the challenges, lessons learned, and benefits encountered during the process.

Idaho Transportation Department

Overview

IPLAN is a cloud-based, collaborative tool under development by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) that will enable staff, partnering agencies, and the public to visualize GIS datasets via a user-friendly web browser. IPLAN's primary purpose is to improve collaboration, efficiency, transparency, and accountability among ITD's six districts, among ITD and partner agencies, and between ITD and the public through improved data sharing. ITD anticipates that IPLAN will enhance the planning process by allowing users to share critical data, and will be a tool for communicating ITD's progress on MAP-21 goals as well as providing tools for transportation scenario planning by layering system performance measures, long-term system vision, and financial forecasts. IPLAN will also support the streamlining goals of FHWA's Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative.

Figure 2. IPLAN platform design.

Diagram of the IPLAN Platform design. At the top is an image of a server, a storage device, and four terminals with an arrow pointing down to a blue cloud labeled 'IPLAN Platform: A complete interactive map-based web portal.' Arrows point down from the cloud to three rectangles, labeled 'Maps and Data Products,' 'Web Publishing,' and 'Mobile Devices.'

ITD was first introduced to the potential benefits of a web-based, data-sharing platform through a GIS consultant aware of a similar initiative. At the time, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) was developing its UPLAN tool. ITD learned of the benefits of UPLAN and decided that ITD might benefit from a similar data-sharing tool. In 2012, UDOT began to help ITD adapt a version of UPLAN for Idaho using ArcGIS Online. ITD is now a member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Technology Implementation Group (TIG), which UDOT created to help States explore how to best build and use cloud-based, collaborative geospatial tools, with a focus on UPlan. The UPlan TIG includes 11 other States in addition to Utah and Idaho.

IPLAN Development

After conducting an Enterprise Architecture Assessment,²³ ITD determined that Esri's ArcGIS Online, a cloud-based, off-the-shelf, Software as a Service (SaaS) package, would be the most effective way to develop IPLAN due to ITD resource constraints and a desire to adopt a usable system relatively quickly. Esri's ArcGIS.com will function as a web portal for users to retrieve, visually display, and analyze geospatial data from within ITD. IPLAN's data and GIS services will be stored on ITD and other agencies' servers (see Figure 2). By giving Esri the responsibility for software maintenance, ITD expects to incur less risk since the need for custom software development and future maintenance requirements is eliminated.

To date, ITD has developed an IPLAN pilot website that provides a test case for ITD to explore, discuss, and refine the tool. ITD has also assessed the agency's GIS needs and goals, developed a project charter and business case for IPLAN, and received approval from the Idaho Transportation Board (ITB)²⁴ to continue developing the application. ITD recently finalized the development of IPLAN's system architecture, which included determining how to tie IPLAN into ITD's internal GIS network. ITD's districts are currently using ArcGIS Online to edit, share, and finalize data for their own use. IPLAN is leveraging ITD's GIS server capabilities to host and publish map services, which do not consume credits. Unless specifically configured to do so, data that are served from ITD cannot be edited through IPLAN.

The next step is to develop and configure the IPLAN tool as well as to establish a long-range vision to identify next steps for enhancing IPLAN's capabilities. ITD has not yet determined a detailed scope and contract cost for later phases but ultimately anticipates that ITD will create more focused maps, demonstrate how IPLAN fits into everyday business solutions, and use it as a tool to communicate Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) goals for ITD.

Intended Users

ITD anticipates that IPLAN will serve three types of stakeholders: ITD internal staff, partnering agencies, and the public.

The tool's primary internal users will be ITD environmental and transportation planners from ITD's six districts. These staff will use the tool to support environmental planning and project streamlining. Other ITD staff, such as design and construction sections, will take advantage of the existing State enterprise airport, pavement, traffic, and safety data to be displayed by IPLAN. Overall, IPLAN will assist staff at all levels of ITD, from technicians to ITB members, to make data-driven decisions.

ITD anticipates that a number of partner agencies will also share and use data on IPLAN. These partners may include State agencies, Federal resource agencies, and local community planners. For example, resource agencies may share data on endangered species, historic preservation, and wildlife migration. By encouraging partner agencies to share information via IPLAN, ITD anticipates making better transportation investment decisions and streamlining transportation planning activities. ITD has started gathering feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including internal ITD staff, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, Idaho State Emergency Medical Services Communications Center, FHWA Idaho Division, on the data they would like IPLAN to display.

ITD also foresees that IPLAN will provide the general public an opportunity to more easily access information about transportation projects and assets as part of ITD's larger goal to increase overall agency transparency. In the future, ITD may use IPLAN to gather and display public comments on transportation projects during the yearly Idaho Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) programming cycle, thus enhancing the public involvement process.

Data Collection and Maintenance

ITD does not plan to collect, store, or maintain data included in IPLAN except for those data ITD already manages. IPLAN will automatically draw these data from ITD's GIS databases. Individual data owners, both internal and external, will be responsible for the compilation and maintenance of other data. ITD intends to sign Memoranda of Agreement with stakeholders to ensure that the information provided is updated regularly. Some agencies, such as Idaho Department of Fish and Game, currently have their own data-mining applications, to which IPLAN may directly link. Smaller agencies with limited GIS resources may be able to work with the Idaho Geospatial Office to spatially enable and store their data, and IPLAN could then link to this information.

ITD is also addressing security concerns regarding sensitive data and its availability to the public. Only those using ITD's internal network or with credentials using the Internet will be able to access sensitive data using IPLAN. For example, certain data, such as historical artifact locations, will be restricted and stored behind ITD's firewalls. Data will also be replicated on a GIS server in a secure area²⁵ outside the firewall, allowing only those with a username/password to access the data from an external network (see Figure 3 for a simplified diagram of ITD's security configuration).

IPLAN will potentially display certain datasets to the public more generically than is displayed internally. For example, ITD's bridge department is concerned that the public may misinterpret the current display of bridge data as evidence of a safety risk, when in fact it is just the manner in which bridge engineers record information. Instead of using the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) condition ratings of “Not Deficient/Structurally Deficient,” IPLAN could convey this message using a green/red color coding system or ranking the bridges as healthy/not healthy.

Figure 3. ITD's security configuration for IPLAN.

A simplified diagram of ITD's security configuration

Lessons Learned

ITD reported the following lessons learned in its experiences using cloud-based technologies:

Leverage existing resources and partnerships. One important driver of success for ITD is the close working relationship it developed with UDOT in order to understand the elements of UPLAN. Using UPLAN as a model has allowed ITD to showcase the potential of IPLAN to agency leadership and provides a conceptual framework that ITD can tailor to its own needs. The AASHTO TIG has also been an important resource in supporting collaboration and communication between agencies with similar goals. In addition, ITD is taking advantage of Esri's preexisting ArcGIS Online platform, which allows ITD to achieve results on a quicker time schedule than performing the work in house. ITD's collaboration with Esri has significantly decreased the perceived risk and cost of adopting a new technology, encouraging leadership support at ITD.
Work to ensure agency leadership buy-in. Agencies must take into account concerns and resistance related to the implementation of new technologies. For example, Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) staff at ITD initially expressed concerns regarding data security and the reliability of using cloud technology. Collaboration and management support has been key to addressing such concerns. ITD demonstrated IPLAN's potential value by presenting the application's return on investment and potential for serving interdepartmental and interagency needs to each individual member of the ITB. After receiving the ITB's approval, IPLAN developers noticed a significant shift in opinion and were able to have more productive conversations with concerned stakeholders.

Anticipated Benefits

ITD anticipates IPLAN will provide a number of benefits to the agency itself, partner agencies, and the public, including the following:

Enhance data distribution and sharing capabilities. ITD currently considers itself “data rich” but “distribution poor,” as much of ITD's data are stored in various locations and are not easily accessible or searchable. Furthermore, much of the data are in a tabular or spreadsheet format. IPLAN will allow users to spatially display this information and make data more accessible to a broader audience. As searching IPLAN becomes the preferred method of finding data for a project, ITD anticipates partner agencies will be encouraged to further share up-to-date data via the site. Eventually, full cross-agency use of IPLAN will likely save ITD time.
Enable creativity and improve analysis. ITD predicts that IPLAN will help users share and layer information in formats that allow them to look at issues in new and innovative ways. For example, IPLAN can improve how ITD's Idaho Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) is displayed. Currently, the ITIP is only available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), which makes searching for and understanding information difficult. IPLAN will also allow ITD to be more aware of potential environmental impacts from the start of a project, leading to more strategic and efficient project design and development.
Lead to cost- and time-savings. ITD has conducted several assessments to determine the cost-savings that could be realized from the use of IPLAN. Based on these calculations, ITD predicts significant savings derived from more streamlined environmental review processes. For example, ITD believes the use of IPLAN will reduce the cost to complete environmental documents by approximately $350,000 per year by streamlining the data compilation process. Overall, the tool will make it easier to gather data and allow data sharing to become part of everyday business processes. As a result, staff will be able to more easily and efficiently address questions when they are posed, reducing the time needed for decisionmaking. In 2012, ITD estimated that the use of IPLAN could have saved ITD $2 million in the implementation of Idaho's Transportation Investment Program over the previous 5 years (see Appendix E for more information on estimated cost savings).
Provide a degree of implementation and cost flexibility not previously possible. In some cases, it can be difficult for State DOTs to quickly adopt traditional IT technologies because of challenges in finding the resources necessary to build and maintain their own hardware (e.g., additional servers) and software. ITD believes State DOTs can overcome these challenges by using cloud-based technology (in particular an “out of the box” SaaS that comes with flexible data storage capacity) to implement new applications more quickly. Third-party systems typically require less upfront and maintenance staff time and costs, since a third party manages the software and the agency pays for only the features and server space used.

Next Steps

In the future, ITD envisions using IPLAN as a platform for providing datasets required by Federal legislation. For example, ITD envisions the ability to use IPLAN to generate data and reports required by MAP-21. This functionality will be developed during a later stage of development.

ITD has recently encountered challenges in developing IPLAN because of staff transitions, but is working with a contractor to assist with development of the application. ITD aims to fully deploy IPLAN in fall 2013.

Maryland Department of Transportation

Overview

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) contains multiple transportation business units (TBUs), including the Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA) and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), which are responsible for maintaining Maryland's roads and Interstate highways. Some of MDOT's business units are currently piloting the use of cloud-based platforms, software, and applications to support various business activities.

This case study examines four cloud-based initiatives at MDSHA and MDTA. The first is a hybrid cloud-based application called Miss Utility Tracking System (MUTTS), which coordinates and tracks responses to requests that construction workers and excavators make to dig holes. MDSHA would like this application to serve as a template for other cloud-based initiatives. The second is a collection of interactive mobile applications that are designed for specific segments of the traveling public, including truck drivers, cyclists, and highway motorists. The applications are also representative of a hybrid cloud configuration.

Third, several of MDSHA's and MDTA's staff members are involved in improving the configuration of MD iMap as part of an interagency technical committee, which is comprised of representatives from MDSHA, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), MDOT, and other State agencies. Launched in 2009, MD iMap²⁶ is a statewide data and mapping portal that compiles data from various agencies across the State of Maryland. MDSHA is a funding partner for MD iMap. The technical committee's effort includes building templates for web-based applications using Esri's ArcGIS Online, which is a third-party SaaS program.

Finally, MDTA deployed an enterprise GIS system in 2009. This business unit-wide system is currently configured as a private cloud that only MDTA and MDOT staff members can access. The system blends functionality from Esri and Google Earth²⁷, and its data and applications are stored entirely within MDOT's firewall.

Miss Utility Tracking System

Maryland utilizes MUTTS,²⁸ a notification center that informs construction workers and excavators of underground utilities before digging. The notification system is a web-based application; when an excavator submits a dig request via MUTTS, MDSHA receives an automated ticket. To connect MUTTS with MDSHA's utility data, MDSHA's Office of Information Technology developed a cloud-based interface using Salesforce cloud-based software.²⁹ MUTTS therefore represents a hybrid PaaS cloud configuration, as the web interface is located on Salesforce's servers but also links to MDSHA's eGIS (MDSHA's enterprise GIS system) and databases to create a utility location viewer (see Figure 4). MDSHA staff members use the viewer to locate dig requests on a map that shows other nearby utilities.

When requests to dig within MDSHA rights-of-way are entered into MUTTS, the web application populates a database stored on the Salesforce server with the dig request. The request appears as a link to the MDSHA staff member using the web application.

The dig request link is tied to the address for which the dig permit was submitted, allowing it to be geocoded and mapped within MDSHA's eGIS. An MDSHA staff member may then view the request to see the dig location relative to other nearby utilities within a certain buffer on the eGIS map. The staff person reviewing the request can then notify an excavator of the existence of utilities. MUTTS tracks the entire process, from initial request to closeout, to guide and improve response times.

Figure 4: The MUTTS application and utility location viewer in eGIS.

Mobile Applications

MDSHA is developing several mobile applications to provide information to certain segments of the traveling public. A prototype SaaS truck routing application notifies truckers passing through the State about emergency detours and parking information. The application uses HTML5³⁰ and JavaScript³¹ to make it “device agnostic,” which allows the application to automatically scale to the screen size of various mobile devices as well as desktops or other platforms. Development of this application provided MDSHA an opportunity to test a hybrid cloud configuration, and its success has led to the development of similar applications. The application pushes data outside of MDSHA's firewall for mapping purposes using Esri ArcGIS Server.

MDSHA is currently exploring ways to use automatic vehicle location (AVL) system data, which transmits the location of vehicles, for the truck routing application. Most trucks are outfitted with AVL technology, and these data could be collected through the application and used to provide more geographically tailored information to the users of the application. Data could also be integrated into other datasets within MD iMAP's cloud-based environment and with the University of Maryland's Regional Integrated Transportation Information System (RITIS)³² to aid in congestion monitoring.

MDSHA is also developing an application for cyclists called “Cycle MD.” The application is configured similarly to the truck routing application, and users to the safest bicycling routes based on their current locations and conditions. The application relies on data collected from two counties by MDSHA's Office of Highway Design that was used to develop metrics for cycling comfort. The application is designed to visualize those metrics and serve as a decision support system to direct cyclists to safe routes (based on traffic, shoulder location, etc.) (see Figure 5). Users can inform MDSHA about cycling-related facilities and infrastructure, such as bicycle shops. Finally, a Points of Interest application will let users view information available on the Maryland Official Highway Map³³ in a geospatial format.

Figure 5. Cycle MD mobile application showing how users can choose bicycle routes based on different conditions.

Screenshots of the Cycle MD mobile application: the 'Where To Ride' screen and the Map Settings screen

MD iMap Application Templates

MD iMap, a statewide data and mapping portal, is configured as a hybrid cloud. While data remain on servers from various MDOT business units, applications that display the data reside within ArcGIS Online. Existing applications within the iMap portal vary widely in terms of design, format, and function, and at times users have had difficulty consuming data displayed in inconsistent formats. Additionally, many of the applications currently hosted on MD iMap were built using an Arc GIS API for Flex³⁴ configuration, which is not always entirely compatible with mobile devices. Many of the MD iMap technical committee members believe that having a more standardized appearance and functionality for MD iMap's applications would help meet users' needs and that a cloud-based configuration would better respond to the growing market of mobile devices. For that reason, members of the technical committee are working to develop cloud-based templates for all applications on MD iMap that are accessible in the public domain. The committee is planning to use DoJo,³⁵ open-source code, to build these templates, which will provide the format for the geospatial data accessed by public users through the ArcGIS Online-hosted interface. The templates will serve as standard interface formats for users to access, manipulate, and share MD iMap information (see Figure 6 for a diagram of the cloud configuration for the templates and Figure 7 for an example of a template).

The server that currently supports MD iMap can accommodate increased web traffic during emergency events such as hurricanes. Maintaining this hardware requires staff and financial commitment that most of the time is disproportionate to its normal level of use. Members of MD iMap's technical committee are therefore particularly interested in the elasticity that a cloud environment could provide for its geospatial data.

Figure 6. Relation of the MD iMap templates within the cloud configuration.

A diagram of the cloud configuration for the MD iMap templates

Figure 7. Top screenshot showing MD iMAP's StreamHealth application as it currently exists when accessed through MD iMAP's ArcGIS Online portal. Bottom screenshot showing the StreamHealth application in ArcGIS Online when the template is applied.

Screenshot of MD iMAP's StreamHealth application as it currently exists when accessed through MD iMAP's ArcGIS Online portal

Screenshot of the StreamHealth application in Arc GIS Online when the template is applied

MDTA Enterprise GIS System

Prior to 2009, MDTA did not have GIS software. To provide MDTA with GIS capabilities, the business unit's IT department developed a new GIS system using Esri's ArcGIS Server³⁶and Google Earth to serve 1,800 users across MDTA and MDOT. The data the enterprise system uses are stored within MDTA's various departments and analyzed using ArcGIS Server. MDTA's ArcSDE server³⁷ then transfers that data for publication onto Google Earth servers using Google Fusion. In this way, users have responsibility for data maintenance, but the data are accessible to other authorized users within the network via Google Earth Enterprise.³⁸ All data remain within MDTA's firewall. MDTA has also customized the Google Earth application with State-owned background aerial photographs.