Many highways that once cut through cities across the country are now coming of age, and the state DOTs responsible for maintaining them are beginning to wrestle with what those facilities should look like in the coming decades and, in some cases, whether they should be there at all. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has signaled strong interest in rethinking these highways and USDOT will soon be inviting applications for its $1B Reconnecting Communities program, authorized through IIJA. That will be good news for a small number of agencies facing mounting pressure from community members pushing for innovative thinking on urban freeways.
communication
Beset by complaints, BART’s Twitter resorts to unvarnished honesty
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system’s Twitter account went viral March 16 when, faced with a larger than usual number of complaints, it began replying “This is our reality,” accompanied by brief—this being Twitter—descriptions of the system’s SOGR and capacity challenges.
Washington State Energy Efficiency Education Campaign (Spitfire Strategies, 2012)
As part of Spitfire’s work with SSTI and the Washington State Department of Transportation to develop a collaborative transportation energy efficiency campaign, Spitfire conducted a series of research activities to inform campaign planning.
Can we talk? How to communicate on transportation issues
Talking to the public or elected officials about transportation policy and funding can be difficult. AASHTO and blogger Lloyd Brown have some tips for crafting and delivering your message.
The Language of Mobility (AASHTO, 2011)
As a supplement to Making the Case for Transportation Investment and Revenue, AASHTO produced materials which update their case studies and present tips for successful communication strategies to talk about transportation funding and revenue.
The Language of Mobility (AASHTO, 2011)
As a supplement to Making the Case for Transportation Investment and Revenue, AASHTO produced materials which update their case studies and present tips for successful communication strategies to talk about transportation funding and revenue.
Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation (TCRP, May 2012)
This synthesis explores the use of social media among transit agencies and documents successful practices in the United States and Canada. Social media provide transit agencies with an unparalleled opportunity to connect with their customers. Download …
How do we get “everyday Americans” to support transportation funding?
Despite the fact that everyone uses some mode of transportation, a recent article in Governing Magazine explored the transportation community’s failure to engage “everyday Americans,” in the need for transportation investments. There is too much at stake – jobs, money, infrastructure – for people to ignore these critical issues. If we want policymakers to make smart transportation decisions, they need to feel pressure from their constituents. The article finds that we aren’t reaching “everyday Americans” because the messages that the transportation community has been using doesn’t resonate with them. How do we fix this communications challenge?