MassDOT Developers Conference Morning Presentation

DEVELOPERS CONFERENCENovember 14, 2009

MIT, Tang Center

Follow the Developers Conference on at hashtag

#massdotdevAnd at the conference website: www.massdotdevelopersconference09.com

WELCOMEDevelopers Conference Overview

Chris Dempsey + Joshua Robin, MassDOT

UP NEXT: JEFFREY B. MULLAN, SECRETARY MASSDOT



WHAT IS MASSDOT?The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has four divisions:

•Highway (State Highways and Bridges, Turnpike)•Transit (RTAs, MBTA, MassDOT Rail)•Aeronautics•Registry of Motor Vehicles



SIX MONTHS AGO: MassDOT and its customers want mobile + web applications with info about transit and roads.

MassDOT builds its own app:•Long procurement•Only one application and one audience served•Limited agility to improve the app long term.

Developers try to build their own:•Beg MassDOT for data•Scrape data yourself•Jump through hoops to get data in digital formats•Worry that even when you release a successful application, MassDOT would object



NEW MODEL: OPEN DATA“Open”

MassDOT data by making it available in standard

formats•RSS, XML, GTFS, etc.

Harness the power of developers to build interesting and useful applications with our data

•Creates value for both MassDOT AND developersBetter serve customers across many platforms



MASSDOT DEVELOPERS PAGE BETAJuly 2009, MassDOT launches the MassDOT Developers as a resource to developers interested in working with transportation

data!http://www.mass.gov/eot/developers

http://www.mass.gov/eot/developers



A NEW APPROACHIn addition to opening data, MassDOT Developers efforts strive to engage the developer community in a new and different way:

•A focus on allowing developers to shape the direction this effort takes•Monthly meeting with developers•An open conversation through the MassDOT Developers Google Group•Use of Twitter for updates @MassDOTdev

http://groups.google.com/group/massdotdevelopers

http://groups.google.com/group/massdotdevelopers

http://twitter.com/MassDOTdev



A NEW APPROACH

“This approach is a smart 21st-century alternative to hiring some consultant who develops inelegant software at exorbitant

costs.”Boston Globe, Saturday, September 5, 2009



MAKING AN IMPACT: RESULTS

•6 innovative applications with at least 2 more in development•8 creative visualizations that tell the story of the MBTA.

MassDOT Developers Conference Morning Presentation

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Transcript of MassDOT Developers Conference Morning Presentation