Lead presenter: Ting Ma, District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT)
Biography:
Dr. Ting Ma works as a Performance Analyst with the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, focusing on using data and technologies to track and improve the agency's performance and transportation planning, operation, and management. Her responsibilities include the agency’s performance plans and reports, TPM coordination, and data support to divisions, including Asset Management, micromobility (shared bikes, scooters, and mopeds), project delivery, and Circulator programs. Before joining DDOT, Dr. Ma worked at the National Center for Smart Growth and led the efforts creating the first dashboard to monitor neighborhood changes along the Purple Line. She receives her Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning and Design from the University of Maryland, College Park, and her Master in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
PaveDC: Empowering Paving Decisions with Data Visualization
Description
Abstract:
PaveDC is Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plan to eliminate all poor-condition roads in the District of Columbia by 2024. To meet that target, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) established a task force to evaluate asset condition and plan projects. The task force includes the agency’s chief and other officers, as well as managers and employees from DDOT’s divisions for Asset Management, Performance Management, Resource Allocation, and Community Engagement. The task force has recognized the power of data visualization and used it to assist the paving decision-making process and the communication with the constituency. Given the financial restraints, selecting roads for resurfacing is critical. PaveDC team created prioritization models which take both the current roadway pavement condition and the 311 service requests into consideration. Using Tableau, the team ranked worst 50 roads per ward as the preliminary selection. From the construction’s perspective, it is more efficient to combine poor-condition roads in adjacent blocks into one project. Therefore, the team developed a GIS-based web app equipped with a high-resolution street-view widget to map out all roads, overlay it with other data such as active utility permits, to select longer stretches for paving and to avoid potential conflicts with utility work. Visualization also helps the PaveDC team communicate paving plan with the constituents. The PaveDC website (see Figure 1) is an innovative, interactive, and real-time public-facing platform embedded with story maps, dashboards, and online maps. Residents can use the website to learn about the paving process, explore asset repair work plans and track the status of projects. The website is also mobile-friendly and thus increase the accessibility of the low-income groups who may not have access to a desktop computer. The website was launched on April 6, 2018 by Mayor Bowser during DC’s 10th Pothole Palooza kickoff (see https://ddot.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-launches-pavedc-10th-annual-potholepalooza-kickoff). The website was covered in the local media and to date has received more than 10,000 visits. The success of PaveDC was immediately felt when shortly after the launch, the number of calls or emails requesting information about paving went to almost zero. Since PaveDC’s launch in April 2018, the PaveDC team has successfully closed 19,273 roadway-paving-related 311 service requests. In fiscal year 2018, over 39 miles of roads, 18 miles of sidewalks, and 10 miles of alleys were repaved. PaveDC work has been recognized and received the 2018 Transportation Innovative Solutions Award from the Women Transportation Seminar – DC Chapter. Also, Esri has accepted to have DDOT to share PaveDC experience and insights at the 2019 Esri User Conference as a success story.