GIS for Transportation Symposium

Delivering Your Message

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so show us your maps and web mapping applications at this year’s GIS-T Mapping Gallery. The GIS-T community has demonstrated many creative and insightful ways through maps, other graphical forms, and the web, for getting their message out to their audience. If you or your agency has created products like these to augment your message, the Mapping Gallery would be a perfect opportunity to show them to the GIS-T community. You can enter your maps and web mapping applications to the Mapping Gallery, for display at this year’s conference, at the conference registration site. All entries will be evaluated for possible awards by judges during the conference.

Guidelines and Policy

The Mapping Gallery exhibit are is reserved for professional and transportation agency projects and work. It is not intended to be a venue for private industry promotion. Posters are not to exceed Arch E size (36″ X 48″).

General Guidelines

• No vendor or product advertisements.
• All submitted maps and web mapping applications must contain a list of products used to produce it and contact information. This information list will be displayed with the map and on the web mapping display.

Paper Map Guidelines

• Un-mounted flat maps/posters are easier to hang
• Laminated products may reflect glare and be harder to assess.
• Maximum size of the map is Arch E (36″ X 48″).
• Do not submit the same map for different categories – please choose the best fit.
• Agencies may submit a variety of maps/posters in appropriate categories.
• All submitters are encouraged to spend some time at their display to answer questions – especially from the judges – during the Mapping Gallery Reception which is held on Wednesday evening (April 24th) between 5:00 – 6:30pm.
• All map submitters are asked to submit in advance or bring an image (in Adobe PDF) of the map to the conference. If you carry your map(s) with you to the conference, please inform the conference registration desk.
• Maps should be dropped off at the Registration Desk before noon on Tuesday.
• If you don’t want to carry your map with you, they can be mailed. Please mail maps no later than March 29, 2019 to:

Ana Nowak
FDOT-CIM-GIS Office
605 Suwannee Street, MS-L
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Ana.Nowak@dot.state.fl.us

Web Mapping Applications

• A special area and time will be set aside for presentations to be made.
• These presentations are meant to move quickly, so every applicant will have 5 minutes to present their web mapping application to the judges. Screenshots, PowerPoint, or a live demo will be accepted. If the submission is a live demo and the application does not launch correctly, the submitter will use slides to illustrate the functionality of their website.
• All submitters must supply 5 – 7 slides that will demonstrate the functionality of their website.
• Web mapping applications must operate from a conference supplied computer. Additional software, specific to the application and not part of the conference’s standard tool suite, will not be allowed.
• A standard computer configuration profile will be sent to you upon email request to Patrick Whiteford (pwhiteford@azdot.gov). Submit web mapping application links and slides no later than March 29, 2019 to Patrick Whiteford(pwhiteford@azdot.gov).

Paper Map Judging Categories

All participants are encouraged to select the judging category (described below) that their map best exemplifies.

Transportation Publication

This category is reserved for “Official” publications by your transportation agency. GIS should be involved in some aspect of the product creation. Typically, these will be professionally printed maps produced in mass quantity. State transportation (travel) maps are a good example of this category. State rail maps, bike maps, and other professional publications dealing with any aspect of transportation also qualify.

Judging Criteria

• Clarity of presentation
• Ease of use and comprehension
• Pleasing use of color and/or contrast
• Clear labeling and symbology
• Overall design

Information Usage

This category is for GIS-generated products which are used to convey information; or to synthesize multiple data elements; or to analyze and report results. The variations on how GIS is used to convey information are almost limitless. Items submitted in this category can be single-use, non-production elements or broadly disseminated maps and/or posters. These items are the common work-horses that we all use on a routine basis. Examples might be AADT maps, crash location maps, ride quality index maps, or transit stops. Whatever kind of information your area uses to accomplish its daily work, chances are someone is generating GIS products to help understand it.

Judging Criteria

• Succinct title or caption
• Readability of relevant data
• Value added component
• Complexity of data
• Usability of information as presented

Public Presentation

This category is reserved for posters and/or maps that are prepared specifically for public meetings. They may be used as part of a charrette or public information session but they must be intended for an audience. An example of a potential map would be one showing Preferred Alternatives on a project that is brought to public comment sessions.

Judging Criteria

• Clear delineation of subject matter
• Potential for interaction
• Readability
• Overall quality
• Demarcation of area under study
• Scale relative to size

Effective Cartography

Please submit in this category, maps that are especially good at using cartography effectively to convey the map message. This can be as simple as making sure the elements that are essential get proper emphasis or they can be truly creative or complex. This is the category to submit the extremely well-done maps that take extra effort or thought to make it all work together.

Judging Criteria

• Communication of map theme
• Placement of essential elements
• Overall use of space
• Effective symbols and icons
• Text placement, font, and size
• Weighting of map elements

People’s Choice Award

The Symposium attendees will vote for their favorite display during the Mapping Gallery Reception.

Web Mapping Application Judging Categories 

Savvy Web Mapping Application Award

Judges will vote for their favorite web mapping application during the web presentations. We expect the web mapping application presentations to be near the printed Map Gallery to encourage everyone to see all the submissions.