Tips on using Facebook Live for transportation engagement

Streaming live events is not necessarily a new idea for transportation agencies. But one state DOT has found that leveraging live streaming capabilities within Facebook can generate huge results.

The Washington State Department of Transportation was one of the first state DOTs to experiment with Periscope, a live streaming service owned by Twitter. The 2015 State DOT Social Media Survey found that about 10 percent of DOTs in 2015 were using either Periscope, or the similar Meerkat, streaming media service.

Tuning In: Pokemon Go #Safety Message

Not every current event is appropriate for a transportation social media feed. But the folks at Washington State Department of Transportation continue to show off their deft ability to connect with their audiences by tying in with the latest Pokemon game.

Release July 7, Pokemon Go challenges players to find Pokemon characters – in the real world. So basically, people are walking around – or worse driving around – looking for these virtual characters. Clearly, a word of safety advice is in order here, right?

Here’s the tweet from @wsdot:

If your weekend includes looking for #Eevee on #PokemonGO, please do so safely. No Pokemoning from behind the wheel. pic.twitter.com/Kt9CmTOKiP

— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) July 8, 2016

And before you think that WSDOT was just overly opportunistic, consider this item posted on Vine: (editor’s note: the Vine was deleted from the site. But visit Vine to see other examples.)

And there are even people who in just the first week think walking and playing the game is too “boring.” So, they are trying to figure out how to drive and play the game “safely.”

As if the world of driving wasn’t already difficult enough!

WSDOT Video Explores Tunnel Construction

One of the tremendous opportunities offered by online video is the ability to take transportation stakeholders to places they might never go and to see things they might never see.

The Washington State Department of Transportation recently gave its stakeholders a unique view of the State Route 99 tunnel currently under construction. So far, the simple aerial view inside the tunnel has earned more than 154,000 views on YouTube.

According to WSDOT, the massive tunnel boring machine Bertha had carved nearly a third of the length of the nearly 2-mile-long tunnel that will ultimately replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct that runs north and south along Seattle’s iconic waterfront.

 

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.”

Talking Transportation Safety: If You Only Had 20 Minutes

Photo courtesy: AASHTO Faces of Transportation competition & Nevada DOT

I am fortunate to work collaboratively with transportation communicators from around the country. They are dedicated, smart, experienced and full of wisdom. So, recently in preparation for an upcoming meeting, I asked a few of my veteran colleagues to answer a couple of questions.

• If you had 20 minutes to talk to about communicating safety with non-communications staffs, what items would you want to discuss?
• What is the one thing you would want your co-workers to know about communicating safety?

Talking Time: US Times Zones and Other Oddball DOT Stories

Departments of transportation have all kinds of responsibilities that go far beyond filling potholes and making sure the traffic signals are synchronized. During my time at the Washington State Department of Transportation, I was constantly amazed at the variety of projects and programs that were carried out by the dedicated agency staff and consultants.

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.