Innovative WisDOT website wins two national awards

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) Federal Discretionary Grant Awards dashboard website was recently recognized by two national organizations for its innovative use of technology to show where Wisconsin is maximizing federal investment in transportation.

The dashboard is an interactive map featuring advanced Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. It shows where more than $2.16 billion in federal discretionary grants were awarded to communities, municipalities and Tribes across the state. Web visitors can find it linked to WisDOT’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) webpage, which details how historic federal infrastructure funding is impacting Wisconsin. WisDOT is one of only two states to incorporate this technology, and the only state to present the federal funding data with such interactive detail.

Award Winner:

• The Center for Digital Government (CDG) recognized the dashboard’s technical innovation and selected it as a State Government Experience Project Winner. The award recognizes outstanding work by state governments that “have raised the bar on the experience of government services to create a better engaged constituency and a more responsive government.”
• The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Committee on Communications, TransComm, selected the dashboard as 2024’s most outstanding state department of transportation website designed without a consultant.

The dashboard was designed inhouse as a joint effort by WisDOT’s Bureau of Information Technology Services GIS Unit, the Division of Business Management’s Federal Program Office and the Office of Public Affairs.

“WisDOT is committed to maximizing federal infrastructure investment to improve people’s lives across our state,” WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman said. “With one or two clicks, anyone can easily see where more than $2 billion in federal funding is positively impacting Wisconsin communities. I’m proud of our team for creating this innovative resource and I’m excited to see what we can do next.”

WisDOT harnessed GIS technology to present extensive federal funding data through this interactive map. Users can zoom in and out on locations across the state, select a dot on the map to view a federal discretionary grant program and see detailed project information and links to project fact sheets.

The dashboard displays various tabs for customized information, with data from discretionary grant funding opportunities since 2009, including:

• Applicant type
• Federal agency grant program
• Type of grant
• Federal agency

The charts are also interactive. Users can easily filter projects in the map view by selecting a bar or pie piece. The Proposed Award Total tallies the amount awarded by the issuing agencies.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.