Innovative Approaches to Public Involvement

Pauletta TonilasRegional Transportation District

Senior Manager of Public Relations

February 24, 2014

RTD FasTracks Program

• 1 rail line open

• 5 rail lines in construction

• 1 bus rapid transit (BRT) line in construction

• Denver Union Station redevelopment in construction

Public Information/Involvement Program• Multi-faceted PI program

– Public meetings– Email blasts– Website– Social media– Informational materials– Special events– Public opinion surveys– Newsletters– Videos

– Telephone Town Hall Meetings

Former Director Newsletters• Previous way to

connect with the public

• 15 quarterly Director newsletters

• Major time investment

– 100 staff hours per issue

• Little ROI

• Time to try something new!

Telephone Town Hall Meetings• Large conference call; live radio show

• Moderator facilitates meeting

• Calls pushed out to thousands of numbers

• Call-in number available

• Keypad polling with immediate results

• Screened caller questions

• Opportunity to inform, educate and get input

5

Telephone Town Halls vs. Newsletters

15 Telephone Town Halls 15 Director Newsletters

450,000 touches 6,500 touches

74,000 participants 1,300 opens

.12 per contact $1.03 per contact

.73 per participant $5.17 per open

Mobility Study Public Involvement

• Tested town hall meetings in lieu of public meetings

• Two town hall meetings held

• 10,500 participants• Received input on:

– What’s important when riding transit

– How they’d like to get information about the study

Meeting Control Panel

Post-Meeting Reports

Tele Town Hall Lessons Learned• Keep recorded messages short

• Provide script for participants, but don’t over-script everyone

• Encourage dialogue and interaction among participants

• Provide staff support during meetings, but don’t over-staff

• Have info resources on hand during meetings for reference

• Prepare questions and key messages for filler

• Check and double-check call-in number and ID code

• Hold a briefing to run through format and share tips

• Provide food and beverages

• Check voice mail box and respond to questions/comments in a timely manner

Flyover Video Maps

http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/ec_22

Videos• Annual videos• Time lapse videos• Smart phone videos

Thank you!

13