MODERNIZING THE NEPA PROCESS: A VIRTUAL GIS-BASED PLATFORM
McCormick Taylor supported the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) with the development of two web applications to help modernize their NEPA process for the Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Maglev Project.
The first web application was an interactive GIS mapping application integrated into the project’s website that allows the public to view project data, leave comments spatially by dropping a pin on the map, and vote on preferred alignments. The GIS mapping application also has an administrative portal that allows MDOT MTA staff to track and review comments, view preferred alignment voting, visualize comment responses as heat map visualizations, and import comments from phone calls, emails, letters, and handwritten comment forms. The application was built using a suite of open source libraries such as Leaflet and GeoServer.
The second web application is a Document Management System (DMS) application designed to facilitate agency review of Maglev Project NEPA documents. The DMS application allows MDOT MTA staff to upload PDF documents, assign document commenting periods, distribute the document to agency reviewers, view usage statistics, and compile comments and responses into a document errata. The DMS application provides a collaborative document review environment where agency reviewers are able to see comments submitted by other agencies during the review process. The application was built using the React JavaScript library and node.js JavaScript run-time environment.
During the presentation, Dawn and Joseph will delve into the process of creating these web applications, explore the functionality the applications provide, and discuss lessons learned.
