The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) was one of 145 worldwide winners of a Special Achievement in GIS Award, chosen from the more than 300,000 organizations using ERSI's geographic information system (GIS) technology.

The award, given for the most innovative uses of the company's product, was presented at the 2009 ERSI International User Conference in San Diego.

GIS combines computer hardware, software and data to collect, manage, and analyze geographic information, giving users the ability to see relationships, patterns and trends in the form of maps, reports, and charts.

OKI established its GIS department in 2002 and has utilized the technology throughout its many programs, projects, and initiatives.

Its broadest use of the technology is in its OKI Travel Demand Model, which uses GIS to store and maintain a highway network and street centerline database for the entire region.

This database allows OKI to model and forecast regional travel demand, informing transportation decisions such as signal timing, new turn lanes, accommodations for pedestrians and transit, and roadway capacity.

The GIS department also uses the technology to help communities develop land use plans, capital improvement plans, economic development and greenspace strategies, and to address infrastructure concerns.

"We are extremely proud of the work our GIS department has accomplished and honored to receive such a selective award," said OKI board president and Campbell County judge executive Steve Pendery. "The vast range of projects undertaken by our GIS department deserves recognition."

ESRI estimates that more than 1 million people worldwide use their technology, including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities.

"Our world is being challenged by rapid change," says Jack Dangermond, ESRI president. "GIS technology is increasingly being deployed as a way to understand the issues facing our society. At ESRI, we are always extremely impressed with the work of our users and want to recognize their efforts with our Special Achievement in GIS Award. Their work is a great example of using GIS to improve our world."

Photo credit: "ESRO UC 017" by , courtesy of Flickr. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.

Previous reading on BC:
Interactive OKI bike route guide now online (7/15/09)
2009 Cincinnati Bike Route guide released (5/19/09)
OKI bike plan updated, Cincinnati's moving forward (5/5/09)
OKI releases 2008 annual report (4/30/09)
OKI conducting travel survey (3/12/09)