Maryland

Maryland Adopt-A-Highway Program Modernization

Client: Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA)
Our Role: Technology Implementation

A group of volunteers is cleaning up trash alongside a Maryland highway. They are all wearing safety vests and carrying orange trash bags.

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) manages the Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) Program, in which community groups volunteer to clean one-mile segments of roadways four times a year. Despite its success, program administration had become decentralized and inefficient.

Each of SHA’s 26 maintenance shops operated independently, using spreadsheets, paper forms, and phone calls to manage the adoption process. There was no unified database, no visibility into active segments, and no easy way for the public to sign up or for staff to track statewide participation. This lack of standardization hindered safety oversight and delayed new adoptions, sometimes taking six months to a year to complete.

To address these challenges, GFT partnered with MDOT SHA to design and implement a geospatial information systems (GIS)-driven, digital platform that unifies program operations statewide. Built using Esri® technology ArcGIS Hub, Survey123, and Dashboards, we combined these with Microsoft Power Automate and Azure Web Services to develop a new solution that replaced fragmented manual processes with an intuitive, map-based public adoption system.

Through the interactive Esri Hub site, citizens can view adoptable segments in real-time, submit a request via a simple ArcGIS Survey123 form, and receive instant confirmation — all without needing a login. Behind the scenes, Microsoft Power Automate routes each request to the appropriate maintenance shop, notifies staff, and updates records automatically. For SHA staff, the platform integrates with the state’s One Maryland One Centerline (OMOC) roadway network and ArcGIS Roads and Highways, providing accurate, enterprise-level data management and safety validation.

Key Features

Public-Facing Portal: A user-friendly ArcGIS Hub site allows volunteers to search, view, and adopt available highway segments within minutes.
Automated Workflows: Microsoft Power Automate triggers route submissions, approvals, and notifications between maintenance shops, adopters, and the Office of Maintenance.
Smart Links for Adopters: Personalized access to each group’s adoption dashboard with no login or portal accounts required. Each link is a secure, token-based URL validated through Azure App Services.
Centralized Data Management: Integration with MDOT SHA’s OMOC framework ensures consistent, authoritative data across all 26 maintenance shops.
Real-Time Visualization: ArcGIS Dashboards display adoption activity, cleanup reports, and trash collection totals for program oversight and reporting.
Legacy Data Integration: Existing adoptions were preserved using MDOT SHA’s 3M sign inventory data, creating a complete, accurate statewide view.

Outcomes

Accelerated Adoption Process: Public signups now take minutes instead of weeks or months.
Streamlined Operations: Automated workflows eliminate manual data entry and reduce administrative burden across all 26 maintenance shops.
Improved Program Visibility: Real-time dashboards provide statewide transparency into active adoptions, cleanup events, and performance metrics.
Enhanced Safety Oversight: Integration with MDOT SHA’s OMOC ensures only safe, adoptable roadway segments are available.
Environmental Impact Tracking: Automated data collection supports Maryland’s annual NPDES environmental reporting, demonstrating measurable community stewardship.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: Centralized, authoritative data helps MDOT SHA allocate resources, evaluate participation, and plan maintenance more effectively.
Community Empowerment: Through intuitive public dashboards, citizens and organizations can easily adopt, monitor, and celebrate their contributions.
Scalable Solution: The framework can be repurposed for other asset-based programs, such as stormwater ponds, rest areas, or landscaping initiatives.
Positive Public Engagement: The modern, user-friendly system promotes civic pride and strengthens MDOT SHA’s connection with Maryland communities.