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AWARDS & RECOGNITION

2004 Awards: Innovative Use of Technology

WINNER: District of Columbia
DC Guide

(Left to right) Front row: Annandaneshwar .H. Saunshimath, Ghermay Araya, Vicki DeFries, Matthew Gilmore Back row: Mario Field, Tianpu Liang , Chris Baltazar , Jamey Harvey, Adam Rubinson, Bryan Kirk, Caroline Molivades

The DC Guide offers the most comprehensive set of geographic information available about the nation's capital. Launched in November 2003, it is the only municipal website that leverages both Geographic Information System (GIS) and search engine technologies to draw from more than 200 layers of useful data. This sophisticated application quickly and seamlessly delivers the data whether users search according to address, type of business, government service or location in the city.

The DC Guide is easily accessible from the home page of the DC government website at http://dc.gov. The site includes municipal data collected by the DC government and business information provided by Dun and Bradstreet presented through several gateways:

	Find It - locate over 40,000 businesses and 200 government service locations.
	Get There - use a trip planner to help find directions from point to point in DC.
	Where You Live - type in an address, or select an area from a list, to find the locations of schools, libraries, recreation facilities and commercial establishments in any neighborhood, ward, or zip code.
	Make a Map - create a customized map that includes multiple DC destinations.
	Real Property - find information about more than 170,000 properties by typing in a person's name or property address.
	Map Gallery - explore a gallery of the most popular maps of DC.
	Taxicab Fare Calculator
	Birds' Eye Tour of DC - learn about the city's most popular locations with this interactive map of the National Mall and downtown DC.

The DC Guide uses current GIS technology to present user searches and map displays that are optimized for speed. This allows the application to seamlessly deliver a vast amount of information at a much faster rate than similar municipal websites. All information the user selects is shown on one map as opposed to other websites that require the use of separate GIS applications to access different types of data.

"In the past, GIS mapping tools were used primarily by governments and businesses, but not the general public. We set out to develop innovative uses for these versatile applications and put them in the hands of every resident, business, and visitor to the District of Columbia. I'm delighted to see our efforts recognized with this prestigious award."
Suzanne Peck, Chief Technology Officer, District of Columbia By improving the DC government website's service efficiency and effectiveness, the DC Guide is sharply increasing the numbers of businesses, residents, and visitors who substitute online information searches for visits or phone calls to District government centers. Since the DC Guide's launch in November 2003, average daily visits to the About DC section of the website (where the DC Guide is categorized) have doubled. In addition, the DC Guide serves as an online resource and reference manual for the District's customer service employees.

Before the DC Guide was launched, residents, businesses and visitors had to use several sources to find specific District information. Other tools, such as the trip planner, custom neighborhood maps and business locators were not available to the public at all. Now, Internet users have a website that is a single, free source for finding the locations of all government services, businesses and attractions in DC, as well as maps and turn-by-turn directions.

RUNNER UP:
Michigan
Michigan Recreational Boating Information System

NOMINATIONS:
Click on the link to download program submission.

Alabama
Web-Based Point-of-Sale Hunting and Fishing Licensure

Arkansas
The Arkansas Wal-Mart Vehicle Registration Renewal Process

Colorado
CO DNR-DOW Chronic Wasting Disease Remote Data Collection Project

Delaware
Access Delaware Project

Florida
WebPoint

Indiana
Indiana Accountability System for Academic Progress

Kentucky
Protecting Lives, Property and Pride in the Bluegrass State

Massachusetts
GPS Snow & Ice Tracking System

Missouri
Mobile Computer Project

Nevada
MANAGING SCARCE WATER RESOURCES

Oklahoma
YourWIBI.doc Web-in-a-Box Service from YourOklahoma

Pennsylvania
Problem Specific Policing

South Dakota
South Dakota's Computer Based Media Production and Distribution Project

Texas
Enforcement Wireless computing Solution (EWC)

West Virginia
WV Challenger

Wisconsin
National Heritage Inventory

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