Talking Transportation: Filling the pothole story

It’s the best time of year if you love baseball, but the worst time of year if you own or drive a car. Yes, major league baseball players are enjoying sunshine and spring weather as they prepare for a new season. The rest of us are struggling through a different change of seasons – from winter to pothole season – that leaves roadways bumpy, and in some cases dangerous.

State transportation departments have used a variety of tools to engage the public on the topic of potholes. Some have been fun, others serious. In Washington, DC and other states the annual spring push asks the public to help officials locate potholes.

Missouri DOT Goes Mobile to Reach Employees

MoDOT NOW is an employee focused app created by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

It is a common trend among communication offices around the transportation world. We spend hours working with project and program managers identifying target audiences and the key messages that we hope will change behavior, garner support for a controversial idea, or perhaps increase participation in a public process.

But as we look outward toward “the public,” or “elected officials,” we neglect a tremendously important audience — our fellow transportation employees. Yes, do not be surprised if the people with whom you work are among the least knowledgeable about your agencies core messages and organizational priorities.

Transportation’s Best of 2013: Communicating with the Public

The Transportation Research Board held its annual meeting earlier this month in Washington DC. More than 11,000 people descended on the three hotels that host the series of discussions, workshops, poster sessions and committee meetings. In the broader transportation world, TRB’s annual meeting is the ultimate place to catch up with industry leaders and hear the latest in research trends and successful tactics.

For the transportation communicator, TRB’s annual meeting includes many important sessions, and one that I always enjoy is the 90 minutes dedicated to the winners of the “Communicating Concepts with John and Jane Q. Public” competition. The TRB Planning and Environment Group each year asks transportation organizations to nominate their best work at communicating a particular aspect of transportation to the public.

Transportation agencies can find big audiences and opportunities in winter emergencies

As the nation recovers from this week’s arctic blast, it seems like a good time to reflect on how we fared getting around on frozen roads, tracks and trails.

Departments of transportation – whether at the local or state level – found themselves the focus of much attention, as did most transit agencies. When the weather turned brutally cold, the questions from drivers and transit riders really came down to this simple question: “Can I get where I need to go?”

Brrr! Audio, video social media tools help Maryland’s SHA share the latest road information

It’s cold out there and the Maryland State Highway Administration — like most highway and transportation agencies around the country — has plenty of tips and suggestions to help people travel safely during difficult weather events. But it is where and how SHA is posting its information that is rather interesting.

Maryland’s highway agency is using a combination of SoundCloud, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to tightly integrate its safety messaging.

Speculation abounds: What’s blocking the $80M TBM Bertha?

If there ever was a time to check in on what’s happening in Seattle, it is now. No, not because the Seattle Seahawks are dominating the National Football League. The massive tunnel boring machine digging a 1.7 mile path under the city is stuck. Nicknamed Bertha, the $80 million TBM is part of a massive project – years in the planning and implementation –designed to replace the elevated double-deck highway that runs along the Seattle waterfront with a tunnel.

Research for Transportation Decision-making

courtesy: FHWA Highways for Life

Transportation agencies are constantly innovating to meet the needs of an aging system, a declining revenue stream and an evolving customer base. The FHWA Highways for Life program earlier this year published a document, “A Guide to Developing Marketing Research for Highway Innovations,” which is intended to help transportation agencies “understand the needs, wants, and values of their existing customers and potential customers and us that information to make better decisions.”

While I believe that most agencies already use some kind of research when deciding whether to pursue programmatic and operational innovations, the guide should prove a very useful resource for the transportation communications community.

Filled with anecdotes and case studies, the manual is a solid introduction to marketing research. It will explain things to consider when deciding on the types of research you might need, whether you will need to bring in a consultant and even some strengths and weaknesses for various research methods.

Whether you are a seasoned communication pro, or just getting started, the Highways for Life guide is worth checking out.