"All throughout the development, I found Experience Builder to be effective and intuitive. For example, creating a splash screen to provide a brief overview of the application took only minutes to design. Developing widgets, which were programmed specifically to accomplish customized tasks, was similarly unambiguous," says DelMonico. "In the end, I enjoyed my first experience with Experience Builder."
DelMonico adds that the student group also used ArcGIS StoryMaps to create a website detailing the story behind LTS methodologies. ArcGIS StoryMaps is an application that lets users combine authoritative maps with narrative text, images, and multimedia content. Because the site involves elements key to community planning, DelMonico brought the project to the attention of his current colleagues.
"For planners, tools such as the these are important to have because the ease of analyzing information can help planners make long-term policy decisions and programmatic estimations for capital budgets," says DelMonico.
Fisher believes this particular PALS project gave the students a unique learning opportunity while also allowing Prince George's County to understand more about bike stress mapping and the conditions on the local roadway network.
"The students not only practiced their GIS skills with the map, but they also worked on how to present information for an informed audience and the general public," says Fisher. "The project was very successful, and a second project using newly developed network capabilities will take place this spring."