The WA-Trans project is a collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies in Washington to build a statewide transportation database. It began in 2000 and has expanded to include 8 federal agencies, 7 states, and over 50 state and local agencies. The project uses pooled transportation funds to develop tools for sharing and integrating transportation data across jurisdictions. By automating data integration and updating processes, the project has successfully incorporated data from local counties into the statewide framework and estimates savings of $27 million over 20 years for participating agencies. Key lessons include the importance of communication, addressing local needs, and securing adequate long-term funding.

1. March
11
Transportation for the Nation
Case Study – Washington State:
Washington Pooled Funds effort
TFTN Strategic Plan Case Study

2. Overview:
The Washington State Transportation Framework project (WA-Trans) is an
exemplary project for cooperation and partnership at all levels of
government, including 8 Federal Agencies, 7 States, 14 Washington State
agencies, 23 counties, 10 cities, 9 tribal governments, and 20 other private
and public entities, to build a framework transportation data layer. The
primary goal of this project is to build a statewide transportation database
using a continuously evolving and improving collaborative effort. WA-
Trans has been working in cooperation with six other state departments of
transportation to develop computer-based tools that facilitate
transportation data sharing and integration. The computer-based tools
portion of the project has been financed with federal funds, specifically
Transportation Pooled Funds (TPF).
Project Background:
The WA-Trans project began in 2000, when the Puget Sound Regional
Council (PSRC) led an effort to develop a transportation framework model
within the King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties in Washington
State. In 2003, the project name officially changed to WA-Trans, and
Oregon became an active partner in the project. Business needs analysis
and data model design work began as well. In 2004, standards design
and development began, and core datasets were determined and
defined. Pilot projects began to take shape and business needs were
addressed with pilot project requirements and specifications. By the end
of 2004, the WA-Trans data standards and data model, and a high-level
architecture design were completed; and funding became available for
WA-Trans to hire a technical lead. In 2005, WA-Trans began the Puget
Sound pilot, which included Pierce County, King County, PSRC and USGS.
The goal of the pilot was to the test WA-Trans data model usability by
translating data from King and Pierce Counties into WA-Trans, integrating
that data into a seamless dataset, and providing it back to the counties,
as well as USGS. As of 2005, four states also participated in the program
and funding was provided for a TPF Study.
In 2006, the WA-Trans database was implemented and transformers were
developed using FME Workbench software. These transformers allow
Pierce County and King County to provide their data to WA-Trans and
have it automatically transformed to the WA-Trans schema and loaded
into the WA-Trans database. An innovative concept termed ’agreement
points‘ was developed, which allowed data to be connected across
borders more efficiently without requiring each entity to change their
data within their jurisdiction.

3. By 2007, six states were participating with WA-Trans in the TPF Study.
Bidirectional transformation of data from the counties to WA-Trans and
back again was completed successfully. A return on investment (ROI)
study showed positive benefits to local, regional, state, and federal
agencies. The results of this study showed a conservative estimate of $27
million in savings over 20 years with an 11% ROI and a break-even point
within one year of completion. A Data Provider portal was researched
and prototyped, which allowed data providers to submit data to WA-
Trans over the Internet.
In 2008, WA-Trans completed the Puget Sound pilot, incorporating local
data from King, Kitsap, and Pierce Counties. Prototype Data User and
Data Provider portals were completed.
In 2009, database and portal packages were delivered to all participating
TPF partners in an effort to test transferability of processes into different
states. Software to automate processing was researched and Change
Detection and Change Management were completed. A seven-county
implementation project was initiated to provide local road data to
support safety program needs. Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish,
Spokane, and Thurston counties participated. The dataset included local
address and route information, and state route information. Later in the
year, the Eastern Washington Regional dataset project was initiated as a
WA-Trans implementation effort. Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille,
Stevens, and Whitman counties participated in this project.
Automating Data Integration, Data Update processes, and feature-level
metadata dominated WA-Trans in 2010. Completing refinement and
documentation of the Integration and Workflow of data from local
providers, including addresses and routes with state route information into
the WA-Framework data structure, was a significant accomplishment. The
ability to string together automated processes was researched. The
process for provider data submittal and transformation into the WA-Trans
standardized database, change detection, and the flagging of these
changes for the update process was completely automated.
TPF Partners Software Packages that include: Software, Process
descriptions, SQL and Spatial ETL Code, and detailed documentation are
expected to begin in April 2011. Data Update and maintenance process
research and software development is continuing and expectations are
that completed software will be delivered by June 2011.
After all of the successes of the program, looking forward, the lack of
adequate funding has become a serious issue and the program could
potentially come to an end.
Lessons Learned and Challenges:

4. As with many complex projects, communication is a key component in
making a project successful early on. Having a communications person as
the early lead to the project proved to be extremely beneficial for
educating participants and gaining support to move forward with a
common goal.
Some of the challenges that were encountered in the program included:
• Lack of internal WSDOT offices understanding of the differences between
managing relational data versus geospatial data.
• Lack of GIS expertise in small counties which created a significant barrier
for entry for them into the program.
• WSDOT did not initially understand the importance of addressing (much
like many State DOT’s) due to their complete reliance on the state LRS. To
WSDOT WA-Trans efforts with addresses seemed like a waste of resources.
Some of the lessons learned in the program that could be applied to a
national model included:
• Local counties with strong GIS groups will see immediate benefits of a
program that goes beyond their boundaries because they often have
difficulty obtaining good data beyond their boundaries.
• Local counties will become significantly important partners, even helping
other surrounding counties that had no geospatial capabilities
participate.
• At the onset of a program it is important to create a perpetual ID system
to accurately perform change detections.
• Learning to educate local government agencies about a program, and
asking them how the program could help them, versus telling them what
the program can do for them will achieve a higher level of success
• The need to have agreements in place (most likely memorandums of
understanding) that are very specific and allow participants to freely
share data at a regular frequency are time consuming but essential to a
program’s success.
Conclusions:
The WA-Trans program has shown that a successful framework data
program can be executed at the state level in which data can be
collected from a local level, integrated at a state level, and shared to all
project participants while saving money and benefiting the users at all
levels of government. In addition, having individual states coordinate with
the local government agencies within their states is a model that has
been successful and is a model that can be reproduced and expanded
to create a national framework data set.

5. The incorporation of addressing into the WA-Trans program has proven
that this collection of data plays a vital role in a Statewide Transportation
Framework and addressing should be part of a national program to fully
engage local government. Finally, it is critical to a state and/or a national
program to have adequate funding for not only infrastructure, tools,
staffing and data, but also for outreach and communication efforts.
Sources: Michael Leierer, WA-Trans Project Manager and Technical Lead;
and Bob Crabhorn, Independent Consultant interview on January 12,
2011; “WA-Trans Business Needs Document Version 2.0”, January, 2008.
“The Agreement Point Process and Case Study Version 2.0” WA-Trans,
Washington State Department of Transportation, April 4, 2008; “Providing
Data to WA-Trans the First Time (and into the future)”, WA-Trans,
Washington State Department of Transportation, July 10, 2009; “Integration
Process Workflow (New Provider Data)”, WA-Trans, Washington State
Department of Transportation, January 7, 2011; Washington State
Framework for GIS Project Web site:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/transframework/default.htm;