STATUS REPORT
recent release in March 2011, over 25,000 pages of legal materials have been viewed through Law.data.gov.
Open Innovation and Data-Driven Collaboration
New agency data sets available through Data.gov have been used to create a number of programs and applications that improve ordinary citizens' lives in a variety of ways. For example, the Department of Health and Human Service's release of its agency data, in connection with HHS's Community Health Data Initiative, has spurred collaboration and the development of many useful applications. These include community health maps and dashboards, health data integrated with web search engines, and tools for citizens to find the best healthcare providers. Information about hospital performance now appears in internet search results also as a result of work by HHS.
There are many similar examples, too many to list. The Department of Agriculture's release of nutritional data enabled the development of healthy eating applications. Developers, students, and other innovators used USDA data to design applications encouraging children to eat better and become more physically active. A site called FlyOnTime.us uses information made available from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to allow consumers to see estimated versus actual arrival times for flights on major commercial carriers. BrightScope, a financial information company, has used federal data to provide information to employees about the fees charged on 401(k) plans, which can save employees from excessive fees.[1]
Some agencies have collaborated to leverage their efforts to promote open government through disclosure of agency data. For example, Recalls.gov, a project of six federal agencies, alerts the American people to unsafe, hazardous, or defective products, a virtual "one-stop" for United States Government recalls, providing consumers with up-to-date product safety information. Users can download mobile phone applications to find the information by typing a product's name into a phone and learning immediately whether that product has been recalled because of a safety concern. Consumers can also see photos of recalled products and learn what to do with recalled products in their homes.
For another example, the EPA, NOAA, NPS, tribal, state, and local agencies developed AIRNow.gov to provide the public with easy access to air quality information wherever they live. This site offers daily Air Quality Index forecasts, as well as real-time Air Quality Index conditions for over 300 cities across the U.S., and provides links to more detailed state and local air quality sites. AIRNow.gov also links to collaborations with Google Earth and other sites, and that data supports local government initiatives, such as the Los Angeles area's South Coast Air Quality Management District's air quality application for smart phones.
The Department of Homeland Security together with the local emergency responders created Virtual USA, which will enable public safety official across levels of government to share information in real time and improve response to national disasters. This system develops links to share both location and operational status of power and water lines, flood detectors, helicopter-capable landing sites, emergency vehicle and ambulance locations, weather and traffic
- ↑ More examples of innovative applications using raw agency data can be found at: http://www.data.gov/developers/showcase.
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