The Challenge

The District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) faced a critical challenge: how to effectively track, manage, and coordinate hundreds of infrastructure projects across the nation’s capital. With multiple construction projects, study areas, and location-specific initiatives happening simultaneously, DDOT needed a centralized system that could provide real-time visibility into project statuses, prevent conflicts, and improve decision-making.

Prior to 2017, DDOT project information was scattered across various systems, making it difficult to identify potential conflicts between projects or to make informed decisions about resource allocation. Project managers struggled to access up-to-date information about pending contracts, task orders, funding status, and procurement issues. This fragmented approach led to inefficiencies, delays, and occasionally, overlapping construction work that disrupted city traffic and inconvenienced residents.

Even more challenging, the District of Columbia had recently migrated its Street Spatial Database (SSD) to ESRI’s Roads and Highways Linear Referencing System (DCALRS), creating an opportunity to leverage advanced GIS capabilities – but only if a new system could properly integrate with this technology.

The Solution

Prime Source Technologies partnered with DDOT to develop ProTrack+, a GIS-centric web application that revolutionized how the department manages infrastructure projects. Launched in May 2017, ProTrack+ serves as a comprehensive central repository for all project-related information, establishing a parent-level record for each project with a one-to-many relationship with other activities in a project’s lifecycle.

Key Features

GIS-Centric Design: ProTrack+ leverages the District’s Advanced Linear Referencing System to provide intuitive mapping interfaces where users can create, view, and manage infrastructure projects. The system allows staff to identify project locations visually on maps rather than through conventional address descriptions.

Comprehensive Project Tracking: The application centralizes information about project status, funding, approvals, and timelines, creating a single source of truth for all stakeholders. This holistic view includes Transportation Planning Board approvals, Federal Highway approvals, and DC Council approvals.

Advanced Mapping Integration: ProTrack+ connects with the District’s official street centerline database (SSD), using custom-developed tools to properly update and populate data from the base segmentation to create a robust network in DCALRS.

Modern Technology Stack: Built using ESRI’s JavaScript API 4.0 and ASP.NET MVC architecture (.NET 4.61) with Entity Framework 6, the application separates business logic in an enterprise SQL Server database from feature attributes in an enterprise geodatabase, providing maximum flexibility while maintaining data integrity.

Implementation Approach

PST provided end-to-end services for the ProTrack+ system, including:

• Program management and requirements analysis
• Database and system design
• GIS system integration and analysis
• Full software development lifecycle support
• Testing and quality assurance
• Ongoing maintenance and enhancement

The implementation team worked closely with DDOT stakeholders to understand workflow needs and ensure the system would support various approval processes and reporting requirements.

The Results

ProTrack+ has transformed how DDOT manages infrastructure projects, delivering significant benefits:

Enhanced Decision-Making: Department leadership now has access to comprehensive, real-time data about projects across the District, enabling better decisions regarding project prioritization, funding projections, expiring contracts, financial status, and procurement issues.

Improved Coordination: With a clear visual representation of all active and planned projects, DDOT can identify potential conflicts before they occur, reducing construction delays and minimizing disruption to residents and businesses.

Streamlined Processes: The system has standardized project tracking procedures, creating consistent workflows that improve efficiency and accountability across the department.

Seamless GIS Integration: By leveraging the District’s sophisticated DCALRS system, ProTrack+ enables users to easily locate, measure events on the network, find nearest intersections, and determine points on the nearest route to a given point.

Advanced Reporting: DDOT staff can now generate comprehensive reports on project status, expenditures, and timelines, supporting both operational needs and strategic planning initiatives.

Future Direction

Building on the success of ProTrack+, DDOT and PST continue to enhance the system. Planned improvements include deeper integration with TOPS (Transportation Online Permitting System) for validating projects and exchanging permit data, integration with Cityworks for viewing corresponding 311 work requests, and enhanced geospatial capabilities to capture actual work areas as polygons for more accurate conflict identification.

The system will continue to evolve to support DDOT’s mission of delivering a safe, sustainable transportation network that meets the needs of all District residents, businesses, and visitors.

About Prime Source Technologies

Prime Source Technologies (PST) is a leading provider of innovative IT solutions, specializing in IT modernization and automation for government agencies. With CMMI Level 3 Development and Services certification and ISO 9001, 20000, and 27001 certifications, PST delivers high-quality, future-ready technology solutions that drive efficiency and productivity.

As a trusted partner to the District of Columbia government for over 15 years, PST has developed and supported numerous mission-critical applications including the award-winning Transportation Online Permitting System (TOPS) and ProTrack+, helping DDOT deliver world-class transportation services to the nation’s capital.