Transportation Agencies Take Note: Facebook Matters in a Crisis

Transportation organizations have important information to share with the traveling public. That’s especially true during natural disasters when maintenance crews and first responders are often the first people surveying damage and assessing the status of infrastructure leading to people’s homes and businesses.

Last month, Pew Research Center and the Knight Foundation published the latest report that shows nearly half of U.S. adults are getting their news from Facebook. Meanwhile, the annual State of the News Media report found a continued decline in local daily newspaper circulation (down 7 percent) and local TV news viewership (down 5 percent late night and down 2 percent mornings).

What’d you say? Archiving the conversation for public records

There is no doubt that social media is a standard practice for state DOTs and other transportation agencies. And, as with other standard government communications, public records and retention laws, guidance and regulation abound for social media.

That’s right. Today’s transportation communications practitioners expected to keep up with emerging technologies, learn the rapidly shifting cultures that govern each unique space, and stand ready to share credible, vetted information at a moments notice regardless of the time of day. They also have to understand and comply with archiving rules and regulations governing their organization. 

Transportation Communicating is About More Than Cars and Highways

Even as the price of fuel remains low and national vehicle miles traveled grows on our nation’s highways, there is no doubt that bicycling — whether competitively or recreationally — is growing in popularity.

Most states have policies and programs in place to support bicycling programs and infrastructure. In addition, state transportation departments tend to have employees who bike regularly. In many states the chief engineers and transportation CEOs regularly cycle and serve as the strongest advocates for bicycling.

Boom! Wait, you have a cannon?

My friends at the Washington State Department of Transportation posted this photo on their Flickr feed recently. Amazing how a photo can offer a glimpse into the world of transportation.

From WSDOT: “Avalanche Specialist Alan Willard yells “FIRE!” as he shoots a howitzer. Crews are working to reduced avalanche hazard near SR 20 at Liberty Bell. The successful mission knocked down 8 feet of snow covering both lanes of the highway.”