BOSTON, Oct. 20 - The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) is pleased to invite you to the MassDOT Developers Conference, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 14, 2009 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. The conference is free and open to the public.

EOT, which becomes MassDOT on November 1, is also announcing the 2009 EOT Developers Challenge, which inspires developers to create both applications and data visualizations, to submit them to EOT, and to release them to the public. The two top submissions will receive a CharlieCard valid for one-year of free travel on the MBTA, in addition to recognition at the conference.

Our multi-modal data set, hosted on the EOT Developers Page, is being used by smart, innovative software developers to build applications that benefit transportation users, travelers, and riders. EOT has engaged these developers, holding developers' meetings and engaging the community through Twitter and Google Groups, and hopes to expand its data and incorporate more information in real-time. The conference and EOT Developers Challenge are a fantastic opportunity to engage in the process of turning this data into an application that has impact in the real world. It also provides participants a stage to showcase their work.

The conference and challenge are part of the Patrick Administration's commitment to comprehensive transportation reform and creating a modern, efficient, and customer- friendly transportation system. These initiatives are also a part of Governor Patrick's Civic Engagement agenda, which seeks to foster creative new ways for citizens to engage in state government. A "Boston Globe" editorial has labeled the Developers Page "a smart, 21st-century alternative," and the program was featured in a front-page story in the Boston Metro newspaper.

The conference and challenge are modeled on similar efforts in Washington D.C., where the city's Apps for Democracy program returned 47 iPhone, Facebook, and Web applications with an estimated value in excess of $2.6 million to the city. Applications and visualizations may be submitted through November 9, 2009. Developers and data visualization experts will submit their creations to EOT, where the applications will be judged on the quality of design, usability, and convenience. The two first-place winners in each category will each receive a CharlieCard valid for one year of travel on the MBTA's rapid-transit and bus system.

The conference is free and open to the public. It will include plenary sessions featuring speakers from the transportation and technology community, and breakout sessions, where developers can meet to discuss EOT's data and what applications they are working on. The conference will also include training sessions for the Regional Transit Authorities, which provide transit services outside of Greater Boston, to help those agencies maintain their data in open and available formats on the Developers Page.

To RSVP, go to http://massdotdevconference.eventbrite.com/.

The Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOTPW) has direct oversight of the Massachusetts Highway Department and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The Secretary of Transportation, who leads EOT, serves as the Chair of the MBTA Board of Directors, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, and the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission.

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