The IndianaMap Turns 52
Fifty-two Indiana counties sharing data with the
IndianaMap, that is. The IndianaMap is a statewide electronic map used to help manage everything from hiking trails to new business development to highway construction projects. It is especially valuable for emergency response and recovery, showing the
National Guard where to sandbag against floodwaters or helping coordinate volunteer
fire departments battling a blaze in an unfamiliar county. If you’ve ever zoomed in on
your house on Google Maps, you may be surprised to find out you’ve been looking at
aerial photography provided to Google from the IndianaMap. The IndianaMap is digital, which means the same information you find on www.indianamap.org is also available to real estate professionals, engineers, demographers, and even school kids.
An essential component of the IndianaMap’s usefulness is having local governments
participate. Information is invariably better when it comes from the people who live
there. Who knows a neighborhood, city or town better than its own inhabitants? Finding
a way to make that local information interoperable with other information is vital. During
the September 11th terrorist attacks, the lack of interoperable communications
compounded already tragic circumstances. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans,
the public was outraged at the lack of coordination among local, state, regional and
federal agencies during the response effort. Taking map information that is created and
maintained by local data stewards, and stitching it together with other federal and state
information, creates a single statewide, interoperable map accessible to all levels of
government, and anyone who relies on it for decision-making.
After a request last year by Jim Sparks, the Indiana Geographic Information Officer, and
the nonprofit Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC), counties started signing up
to voluntarily participate and share non-sensitive map information. “Meetings were held
around the state to share information and help counties make the decision to
participate,” said Phil Worrall, Director of IGIC. The Indiana Department of Homeland
Security (IDHS) is providing grants to those counties to assist them in connecting to the
technical infrastructure of the IndianaMap. As the administrative barriers to sharing the
maps are slowly peeled away, more local data, like roads and boundaries, will be seen
in the IndianaMap.
And as the IndianaMap turns 52 there is much to celebrate. Over 65% of Indiana’s population will be covered by the local maps with the current level of participation, and
many more counties are expected to join. This has been made possible by the
cooperation of over a dozen organizations, including the Indiana Geographic Information
Office / Indiana Office of Technology, IGIC, IDHS, the Indiana State Government Center
for GIS Excellence, the Indiana Geological Survey, and University Information
Technology Services at Indiana University, to name a few, in addition to the participating
counties.
As a result of this unprecedented level of cooperation, the IndianaMap is saving Hoosier dollars. Sharing information - rather than having to reproduce it over and over again - is
efficient and pays off in taxpayer savings. A study last year by IGIC showed a
remarkable 34:1 return on the investment made in the 2005 statewide mapping project,
which produced the pictures you see on Google Maps. Additionally, the study revealed
a staggering $1.7 billion worth of projects and programs being supported by the map.
Jill Saligoe-Simmel, PhD, who conducted the study said, “The initial investment of $8.5
million in the IndianaMap supports over 200-times its value in projects and operations -
with 90% of users indicating they could not do their projects without it.” Ongoing
maintenance of the IndianaMap is currently unfunded, even though access and use of
the IndianaMap is free. The full report is available at www.igic.org. While governments around the country pursue statewide maps and local data
participation with mixed results, Indiana is well on its way to an interoperable
IndianaMap for all levels of government. As Jim Sparks puts it, “The more the maps are
used the more value they deliver to Indiana. I am deeply appreciative of the willingness
of these counties and their private sector consultants to make the IndianaMap richer by
sharing their local data. Everyone benefits when we all work together to make sure that
consistent, accurate geographic information is freely and widely available.”
Read more about BLA's involvement with the IndianaMap (PDF)
Groundbreaking for Hoosier Heartland Highway Final Section
The Indiana Department of Transportation and Hoosier Heartland Industrial Corridor Coalition hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the SR 25 Hoosier Heartland Highway on Wednesday, October 22 in Lafayette, Indiana. Construction on the first section of the project is slated to begin later this year. |
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Bernardin, Lochmueller & Associates, Inc. (BLA) was selected for the prestigious 2009 Circle of Excellence by PSMJ Resources, Inc., a premier management consulting firm for the A/E/C industries.
PSMJ chooses Circle of Excellence firms by ranking them according to 13 benchmarks to measure exceptional performance, including project performance and staff utilization. BLA was one of only 44 North American firms selected for the honor and the only Indiana-based firm on the list.
The ranking highlights firms that “are well managed, have a strong client base, and are led in a responsible and sustainable manner,” said H.E. “Dan” Daniels, PSMJ Survey Editor. “PSMJ believes that clients prefer to work with well-run firms because they are more likely to provide superior service and value.”
Keith Lochmueller, BLA’s CEO and Chairman of the Board, said the firm is deeply honored that its work garnered this international recognition. “We put clients’ long-term needs first and run our firm with a long-term vision,” Lochmueller said. “I’m glad this has helped us grow in a sustainable, responsible manner.”
PSMJ Press Release
City of Washington Praises Common Sense Green Solution
The City of Washington, Indiana and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management talk about BLA’s approach to solving the city’s stormwater challenges. Read more here and here.
Three New LEED Accredited Professionals Added to BLA’s Green Team!
BLA is pleased to announce three Project Managers recently passed their LEED exam. They include Matt Wallace and Aaron Burke of Evansville and Don Wilson of Indianapolis.
All three are professional civil engineers with experience designing “green infrastructure” projects.
82nd Street Bridge Now Open
Indianapolis Department of Public Works held a ribbon cutting to officially open the bridge, located in the heart of Indianapolis’s Keystone at the Crossing shopping district, on October 8.
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