Navigating the Potholes of GIS & CADD Integration at Virginia DOT

1. Navigating the Potholes of GIS & CADD Integrationat Virginia DOT November 2013 Bryan Kelley RNS/GIS Program Manager Information Technology Division

2. Agenda

3. Intro to Virginia DOT • The agency maintains a ~58,000-mile network of highways and bridges, 4 underwater crossings, 2 mountain tunnels, 3 ferries, and ~20,800 bridges. • In addition, Virginia has ~10,500 miles of city & town roads, ~1,800 miles of county roads, ~50 miles of toll roads, and ~400 miles of Federal roads. • VDOT has nine districts. In the districts, there are 42 residencies and more than 200 local offices. VDOT's headquarters is in Richmond. • VDOT manages the core roadway inventory data across multiple business units: Traffic Engineering, Maintenance, Transportation Planning, Local Assistance, etc. • The Commonwealth of Virginia’s 39 cities are independent of the 95 counties.

4. CADD File Management • Falcon & CADconform • CADD files are managed in Falcon, which is an integrated desktop and web-based application that enables users (internal & external) access to files. • The Falcon applications provide search, revision control, document notes, file check-in/check-out, and archive tools. • CADconform Server is used by VDOT as a quality control tool to ensure that CADD file submittals conform to design policies and standards. CADconform checks for level, text height & width, text font, line style, and line weight standards (i.e., spellchecker for DGN files). • The Falcon (tsaADVET ) applications and CADconform (Altiva) operate on top of MicroStation and are integrated with MicroStation from the user's perspective.

5. CADD File Management MicroStation Other… CADconform Falcon

6. Roadway Inventory Management • Roadway Inventory Management System (RIMS) • Roadway modifications tracked as Inventory Change Requests (ICR) • Manages & maintains core road inventory data as reported thru biz process • Data managed as ‘events’ along linear referencing system (LRS) • Available data entry categories • Responsibility: state, county, city, town, federal, etc • Travelway: # thru lanes, pavement width, shoulder and median type & width • Sidewalk & bike/ped facilities: side of road, description • Pavement surface & base type: type categories, description • Right of Way: width from CL, variability, description • Other: Scenic byway, Highway name, Toll facility, Functional class, NHS, etc. • Associated reference files can include: Plats, construction plans, other docs

7. Roadway Inventory Management Web-based applications enable field staff to enter inventory data. Automated workflows notify central office staff for QA of data. Application indicates conflicts or gaps in inventory data based on defined business rules. Authorized staff can update the data to correct issue.

8. Field Data Collection • Data collected via contracted van-driven process • On a typical annual basis: interstates, primaries, 20% of secondaries • Typical data: pavement condition, pavement ratings, driven imagery, etc. • Pavement data feeds models for maintenance program • One-time collection data efforts have included… • Curves, grades, etc. • Guardrail, sidewalks, etc. • # of lanes, turn lanes, etc. • Data available as GIS files, process under • development way to synch it with and • update road inventory data. All data • collected using linear referencing system.

9. Enterprise Data on the LRS • Roadway Inventory Management • Manages & maintains core road inventory data • Crash • Manages, consumes, locates, and feeds crash data via TREDS • Traffic • Identifies the location of traffic links along the LRS • Speed Zone • Manages speed zone data along the LRS • Railroad Crossing • Manages location and attributes of crossings • Structure and Bridge • Manages location of bridges with PONTIS • Pavement Management • Synchronizes pavement condition data with PMS • Highway Performance Monitoring • Provides data editing and HPMS reporting functionality RNS Program data feeds Virginia 511, VA Traffic, & DMV's Automated Routing System.

10. Data Visualization: Inventory & Field All RNS data can be visualized via desktop GIS applications , or enterprise web map. Shown are crashes and speed zones in Integrator 2. Integrator2 ‘integrated’ with iVision via right-click action. Brings up driven imagery and associated data.

11. Integration Efforts: Past • In 2006, VDOT contracted to build a GIS-CADD integration leveraging ESRI’s ArcIMS, ArcSDE, FME, and Falcon (CADD DMS). • The objective was to GIS-enable CADD drawings so that they could be automatically overlaid on the GIS data. • The scope of the involved converting the CADD file from native coordinate system to a custom geographic projection, and displaying the ‘levels’ of the DGN file with the ‘layers’ of the GIS data. • Although technically successful, discoveries were made... • CADD data followed more than one standard • Complexity of coordinate conversion • Speed of conversion and overlay process • Culminated to workflow not being deployed

12. Integration Efforts: Present • In 2011, VDOT contracted to build a prototype application that had the ability to upload, scale, & rotate an image based on user-defined control points. • This ‘widget’ was built using ESRI ArcGIS Server and Silverlight API, and is a candidate widget to be included in VDOT’s enterprise mapping application (Integrator 2). • In addition, VDOT is evaluating the ability to locate CADD file availability in GIS for a given section of road to provide a visual indication that a file is available to view and an image / use the widget to place the image on the map. • Some outstanding questions remain… • Updating CADD file availability in GIS • Persisting CADD file overlays • Speed of integration effort

13. Integration Efforts: Work in Progress A GIS web-based tool has been prototyped for rubber-sheeting an image over GIS data. Early attempts at CAD/GIS integration were technically successful, but from a practical perspective failed. Newer tech, data standards, and a simplified approach may help. User Defined Others RIMS RNS Int2 Crash Falcon GIS HPMS iVision Falcon System integration is an ‘IT’ task. However, the more important task is the business processes that make that integration necessary and possible.

14. Lessons Learned: The Pain Points • Considerations to make when devising a GIS / CAD / As-Built solution • “IT” takes time • Set expectations accordingly and publicize measures of success • Business Owner Champions • Find multiple business owners who will champion and help fund your effort • User Experience • Engage end-users early & often; keep it practical, reliable, & usable • Data Standards • Establishing, maintaining, and following data standards is paramount • It’s all about the data • Visualizing & analyzing data with current technology reveals the gremlins • There will be discoveries of data issues requiring data clean-up • Educating users on ‘how to use’ and ‘how not to use’ data is key • Establishing & maintaining a strategic vision is critical to success

15. Thank you for this opportunity. • For questions or further information, please contact… • Bryan Kelley • RNS/GIS Program Manager • Information Technology Division • bryan.kelley@vdot.virginia.gov