August App of the Month: Ville de Victoriaville Info-Travaux App

Discover how Ville de Victoriaville used Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS to configure an app that’s saved the City time and improved the way information about public works projects is shared with citizens.

It’s summertime in Canada and that means it’s construction season. Across our communities, roads, sidewalks and parks are dotted with those all-too-familiar orange objects: pylons, worker vests, signs, flashing lights… and the list goes on.

Although infrastructure upgrades are crucial, the delays construction causes can be frustrating if you’re driving, biking or walking through your community. Planning your route to anticipate delays or avoid construction entirely is always helpful. To help communicate upcoming and ongoing construction work, many municipalities develop communication plans to ensure citizens stay informed. This includes sharing information online through their website.

This month’s featured App of the Month—Ville de Victoriaville’s “Info-Travaux” (Public Works Information) — was created to do just that.

Citizens in Ville de Victoriaville can refer to the Info-travaux online map for updates related to ongoing public works projects in the community.

The City chose to display public works projects on an interactive map to make it easier and more dynamic for citizens to locate information, as opposed to simply listing rows of information in a chart on their website. Plus, as project work is completed, it can be quickly reflected on the map. For example, if a section of road has been repaved, the area highlighted on the map will shift to the new work zone. Also, the City has been using Esri technology for several needs and the new possibilities offered by ArcGIS Online convinced Victoriaville to adopt an online, GIS-based map.

Projects listed on the interactive map include paving, urban design, outdoor furniture, aqueduct rehabilitation and lighting upgrades.

The app helps Ville de Victoriaville communicate updates related to the $17.5 million in infrastructure improvements being invested this year to improve its downtown and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Staff and citizens greatly appreciate the app. Since its relaunch in 2015, the app ranks among the City’s most viewed interactive maps with 900 visits. Citizens can more readily access information, while staff appreciate the time savings it provides.

Before the app was developed, the City’s communications department manually updated project information in lists posted on the City’s website. With the app, that’s no longer necessary. The public works department updates a project’s status at the beginning and end of each week, and the City’s geomatics team publishes the information through ArcGIS Online, which in turn populates the app. This improved workflow has helped the City deliver information faster to citizens.

The City’s GIS department configured the Info-Travaux app according to their needs using Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS — an application that allows you to easily build and deploy custom 2D and 3D web apps with more options beyond those offered by the ArcGIS configurable app templates. None of the members of the City’s GIS department had prior programming experience, so using Web AppBuilder made creating the app much easier. The geomatics team consulted with the City’s public works and communications departments before configuring the app to ensure their needs and requirements were satisfied.

Victoriaville plans to follow the evolution of ArcGIS to continue capitalizing on its advancement as a system of engagement that can help public organizations connect with citizens and share information to encourage greater transparency and efficiency.