30 May 2008

Two large American public bodies have become the latest organisations to choose Microsoft’s Virtual Earth platform as a basis for mapping applications. The Departments of Transportation for Texas and Ohio are using Virtual Earth to build easy-to-use Web sites where citizens can find out the latest traffic information and accident details, and even see traffic camera views.

These significant citizen traffic assistance features are the latest examples of governments across the world using Microsoft Virtual Earth to make everyday activities easier and citizens more informed.

Texas has used the Virtual Earth platform to develop a range of traffic and citizen information services in addition to developing Virtual Earth-powered portals for cities including Houston, El Paso and San Antonio.

For the first of many planned citizen-facing portals, Texas recently launched the El Paso Intelligent Transportation System, TransVista. TransVista allows residents to see live traffic camera views, roadway communication signs, and traffic incident data in 2D and 3D views with nothing more than an Internet browser. Users can toggle between traffic hazards and incident data that comes directly from the El Paso Police Department as well as control information displayed through an integrated, easy-to-use panel on the left side of the screen.

Just weeks after El Paso launched its Virtual Earth application for visualising travel conditions in its region, the Houston TranStar consortium — a partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation, Harris County, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County and the City of Houston — launched its Houston TranStar Traffic Map. The TranStar site allows travellers to check on traffic flow, incidents and lane closures, and it provides traffic-camera views and the ability to inspect road-sign messages. All this data is layered on the Virtual Earth platform, along with appealing maps and rich aerial imagery provided through an easy-to-use Web service.

As with all Virtual Earth-based applications, users need only an Internet-enabled computer with a browser to access the information and do not need to install a desktop application. Both Texas sites are Virtual Earth 3D-enabled, which includes comprehensive 3D city models.

The Ohio site Buckeye Traffic provides travellers with similar up-to-date information on road conditions, traffic, construction and other activities affecting roadways managed by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Information is updated through sources such as pavement sensors, monitoring stations and traffic cameras, and through direct input by ODOT personnel.

“States and localities are realizing the broad and affordable benefit that comes from using the Virtual Earth platform to display the current traffic and weather information that individuals and families need to make work, school and travel decisions every day,” said Gail Thomas-Flynn, general manager of State and Local Government at Microsoft. “Texas and Ohio are leading the way in extending their transportation guidance mission with the help of Virtual Earth.”

Add a comment