Small Urban and Rural Center on Mobility

Posts tagged as "public participation"

Webinar on Engaging People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Coordinated Planning

SURTC researcher Del Peterson will be participating in a webinar November 22 on engaging people with disabilities and older adults in coordinated planning. He will be presenting results from SURTC research regarding the use of technologies to improve public participation in transportation planning. The webinar is being hosted as part of a project sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Community Living. More information about the webinar is below:

What's Research Got to do with It? Applying Evidence-based Practices to Improve the Participation of People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Coordinated Planning

Learn how evidence-based practices can be incorporated into strategies to engage people with disabilities and older adults in coordinated transportation planning; hear stories from SURTC researchers and ACL catalysts about how evidence-based practices are used in their work; obtain resources to identify evidence-based practices; and learn how to tap into the UTC program and other federal and non-federal resources related to research.

Speakers

  • Del Peterson, associate research fellow with the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center (SURTC) located at North Dakota State University (NDSU)
  • Crystal Lyons, president of Crystal Fortune Lyons, LLC, and a professional consulting company specializing in disability policy development and DOJ and DOT ADA Title II compliance.
  • Jed Johnson, MSW, MBA, Director, National Veteran Caregiver Training Program, Easter Seals headquarters
  • Full speaker biographies (PDF)(133 KB)

Webinar Information

  • Nov. 22, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Click here to participate in the webinar.

To learn more about the Inclusive Coordinated Transportation Project, visit TransitPlanning4All.

SURTC Studies the Use of Technologies for Improving Public Participation

Public participation in the transit planning process is vital to ensure that transit services meet the needs of the public and provide the greatest benefit possible. However, the public is not always engaged in the planning process, and certain segments of the population may be underrepresented. The emergence of new technologies, including smartphones, webcasts, online surveys, and social media, provides promise for engaging the public and removing barriers to participation.

A study conducted by SURTC investigated the impacts of technology in improving public participation. The project consisted of four major activities: onboard surveys using electronic mobile devices, online surveys, webcasts, and social media. The use of each of these tools was tested to determine their impacts on increasing public participation.

The study found that transit agencies can use online surveys and mobile devices for intercept surveys as complements to traditional surveys to reduce data entry costs, improve data quality, and increase participation, though there are limits to their effectiveness. Transportation planners found webcast recordings to be very useful for providing information to the public. The use of social media as a means for transit agencies and transportation planners to engage the public and disseminate information will continue to grow.

This research was sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and conducted by Jeremy Mattson, Del Peterson, and David Ripplinger. The full report will be posted on the FTA website and listed on the SURTC website when it is available. Contact Jeremy Mattson (jeremy.w.mattson@ndsu.edu) or Del Peterson (del.peterson@ndsu.edu) for more information.

Staff Presentations from Rural & Intercity Bus Conference Online

The following presentations given by SURTC researchers Jeremy Mattson and Del Peterson at the 20th National Conference for Rural Public & Intercity Bus Transportation are available to view or download on the SURTC website:

These and other presentations are available in the Staff Presentation section of the SURTC website.

Webinar Recording: Transit, Technology & Public Participation

The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) has posted a recording online of a webinar conducted by SURTC researchers Del Peterson and Jeremy Mattson on using technologies, such as smartphones, webcasts, online surveys, and social media, for increasing public participation in transportation planning. The presentation was conducted as part of CUTR's webcast series. The webinar can be viewed at the link below, using the required recording ID. Visit the CUTR Webcast page to view other recordings as well as upcoming webinars.

Webinar recording: Transit, Technology & Public Participation

Recording ID: Transit-Tech

SURTC to Conduct Webcast of Metro COG Public Input Meeting

SURTC will conduct a webcast of a public input meeting hosted by the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments (Metro COG) on March 27. The meeting is regarding a current study of the Trunk Highway 75/Trunk Highway 10/Center Avenue corridor in Moorhead and Dilworth. The meeting and the webcast will run from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Click here to attend the live webcast.

SURTC is conducting the webcast as part of a project to test the use of technologies such as webcasts, smartphones, online surveys, and social media for increasing public participation in transportation planning.

CUTR Webcast Series: SURTC Presenting Transit, Technology & Public Participation

SURTC researchers Jeremy Mattson and Del Peterson will be presenting findings from their Transit, Technology & Public Participation Study during a webcast Thursday April 5 at 11am CDT.

The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) will be hosting the presentation as part of their online webcast series.

The objective of this project was to evaluate the benefits of employing an integrated system of technologies and practices to improve public participation in the public transportation planning process. A demonstration project was developed in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area addressing the issues of limited agency resources, individual participation barriers, and the technology divide, among others. A combination of on-vehicle rider surveys, transit-oriented social networks, electronic transportation surveys, and public meeting webcasts were designed to mitigate these issues. For more information, view the project posts.

Webcast Recordings Posted

Recordings of webcasts for the Nov. 22 public input meeting for the 9th St./Veteran's Boulevard corridor study and the Nov. 30 Transit Development Plan (TDP) meeting are now available online.

Additional Webcasts Planned

SURTC will conduct a webcast of Fargo-Moorhead Metro COG's public meeting Nov. 22 regarding its 9th St East/Veteran's Boulevard corridor study. The meeting takes place from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the West Fargo Sheyenne 9th Grade Center Commons Area, and the webcast will begin at 5:30.

SURTC is also conducting a webcast of Metro COG's public input meeting on Nov. 30 regarding its Transit Development Plan (TDP). The webcast, which will begin at approximately 11:45, will include a presentation on the draft TDP.

Recordings of the webcasts will be posted afterwards. Links for viewing the live webcasts are as follows:

Webcasts Recordings Posted

SURTC conducted webcasts of Fargo-Moorhead Metro COG's public input meetings Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 regarding its Main Ave, TH 10, TH 75, Center Ave corridor studies. The Nov. 15 meeting focused on Main Ave. in Fargo (from 25th St. to the Red River), while the Nov. 16 meeting addressed Center Ave. and Highways 10 and 75 in Moorhead and Dilworth. The webcasts were recorded and can be viewed at the following links:

SURTC to Conduct Webcasts of Public Input Meetings

SURTC will be conducting webcasts of public input meetings for the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments (Metro COG). Metro COG is hosting public input meetings Nov. 15 and 16 for its Main Ave, TH 10, TH 75, Center Ave corridor studies. The objective of Metro COG's study is to identify existing conditions along the corridor, establish planning conditions, identify and analyze issues and needs, and develop and analyze alternatives. Those unable to attend the meetings can view the live webcasts. Webcast participants will be able to submit questions and comments online. Afterwards, recordings of the webcasts will be posted on Metro COG's website that can be viewed at any time. SURTC is conducting the webcasts as part of its Transit, Technology, & Public Participation Project to test the use of webcasting technology for increasing public participation in transportation planning.

The webcasts will take place Tuesday, Nov. 15 and Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 6:00 pm and can be viewed at the following link: