The City of Charlottesville Information Technology Department received a 2015 Governor’s Technology Award for their work on the Charlottesville Area Transit’s (CAT) Mobile App.
Presented at the COVITS conference in Richmond, the award recognized successful public sector information technology projects from around the Commonwealth. A total of eighteen teams were recognized for their work.
Submissions focused on the strategic use of IT to increase productivity, boost efficiency, and reduce overall operating costs. The City of Charlottesville won the Govenor’s Award in the IT as Efficiency Driver – Government to Citizen category.
In collaboration with Charlottesville Area Transit, project leader Steve Hawkes led team members Kangyoon Baeand Nathan Newell to develop CAT’s mobile app. The app which is available for both iPhone and Android users, gives citizens the capability to obtain real-time transit information on their smartphone. The IT Department leveraged smart phone Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities, CAT’s Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system, and the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS) to make an intuitive user interface.
Since the launch of the mobile app on March 1st, 2014, the app has beendownloaded more than 15,000 times and carries a user rating of 4+ out of 5. CAT has witnessed an annual cost savings of $2,400, a direct result of reduced demand for printed Rider’s Guides.
Community members may download the free award winning mobile app by visiting the Google play store for Android phones or the iTunes Store for Apple products.
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Chris Graham
