Welcome to the Washington State Transportation Framework for GIS web site. In short, we’re called “WA-Trans”. This site provides news, announcements, and related links about our project, and is sponsored by the Washington Geographic Information Council, the Framework Management Group, and the Washington State Department of Transportation. Our project mission is to provide the best up-to-date data on roads, railways, ferries, aviation, ports, and non-motorized transportation infrastructure. This data can be used in geographic information systems (GIS) across the state for a variety of purposes — from emergency management and homeland security to transportation functions to environmental analysis and management.
Building a statewide transportation database is a collaborative effort that will be continuously improved. It will include location-based transportation data available from all levels of government, including tribal nations. The WA-Trans data or “transportation layer” will seamlessly connect between jurisdictions, boundaries, and other framework layers. For more details, see the Executive Summary (pdf). We encourage other State DOT's to become involved in this effort through the Transportation Pooled Fund.
To be successful, WA-Trans must be supported by well defined, documented, repeatable processes. Initially, a business needs assessment was performed by WA-Trans. It was based on the needs of various organizations across the state. For more details, see the Business Needs Assessment (pdf). Quick Links to other documentation are listed below. A complete list of documentation and presentations can be found on the Project Documents page.