2008 has proven a good year for Microsoft Virtual Earth in DoT applications. You may recall write-ups here about Virtual Earth in DoT portals for Ohio, Houston and El Paso that provide citizens with road and travel information for those regions, layered on Virtual Earth's accurate basemap imagery for absolute clarity and understanding of that data. Meanwhile, transit agencies and weather sites both in the US and abroad, have also jumped on the Virtual Earth platform for their web sites that allow for enhanced trip planning through visualization of road and travel conditions. 

Now Virginia DoT (VDOT) has joined the party, launching a Virtual Earth based "Truck Restrictions" web portal. The site is a feature of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Travel Center Web site and provides information to truckers on road restrictions within the State. As seen in the screenshot, the site is designed to help truckers maneuver through Virginia’s roads and know where they can and can not go. The Virtual Earth platform map control allows you to drag the map, zoom in and out to view location information that is relevant to the intended travel route or you can select the county of interest through a drop-down box. Once you have the road data you need, switch over to the Virtual Earth aerial view mode for a closer examination and better understanding of that location. Nothing like actual photography of an area for a good visual reference before traveling that route.

The site also includes a "State Wide Truck Routes and Information" navigation link that takes you to a document providing a truck map legend, truck length, routes and other trucking restriction information.  The document contains a link to a detailed VDOT state trucking map that provides state wide STAA truck routes and contains the restrictions for the primary truck routes that run through Virginia.  These documents and map can be saved or printed.

Take note, you other DoT agencies ... the march is on and Virtual Earth is leading the way for you to create better connections with your constituents and provide them with a better citizen centric services!