April 6, 2005

Houston TranStar

Houston TranStar, the Transportation and Emergency Management Center for the Greater Houston Region, has been named the winner in the category of 'State and Local Government Innovator' for its 'Real-Time Situation Status Website' during the 6th Annual Digital Government Awards at FOSE 2005, the largest government trade show in the world.

The award, presented in Washington, D.C. by the management consulting company Accenture and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, recognizes the best examples of how governments are using technology to transform the delivery of citizen services and showcases high performers in government innovation.  Awards are presented for achievements in federal, state and local government categories, as well as for the most innovative pilot or prototype solutions category.

The Real-Time Web site located at www.houstontranstar.org works cooperatively with multiple local, state and federal agencies to provide effective transportation and emergency management services across jurisdictional boundaries and helps address transportation and emergency management issues by providing a seamless, real-time situation database that exports partner-provided information to other government agencies and the general public.

"The members of the Houston TranStar partnership are excited about the website being recognized as being innovative and one of the best in the nation," said Jack Whaley, director of Houston TranStar.

"With Houston TranStar serving as a model for other Transportation Management Centers worldwide, it is incumbent upon us to be a leader in the industry but, more importantly, to provide an unprecedented level of service to the citizens of this region."

"At MIT, we seek innovative solutions of tomorrow applied to the problems of today and each of the winners demonstrated excellence on that mark," said Daniel J. Greenwood, director of the MIT E-Commerce Architecture Program and lecturer at the Media Lab of MIT.  

"Winners used information technologies in creative ways to support and enhance all manner of government functions, from soldiers in the field, to helping commuters assure safer, faster drives home."

In preparation for the 6th Annual Digital Government Awards at FOSE 2005, Accenture and MIT assembled a world-class panel of leaders in academia, government and other organizations to view and judge the submitted nominations.  Awards for each category were based on the degree of creative thinking and innovative use of technology used to create or enhance service delivery, the extent to which the nomination successfully addressed a significant problem faced by the users or the organization and the level of transformation, demonstrated effectiveness and tangible results achieved in the delivery of the program or service.

For additional information on the award or on FOSE 2005, visit www.fose.com or contact Artee T. Jones executive public information officer for TranStar at ajones3@houstontranstar.org.

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