Better living through better transit.
Engagement and Involvement
How and where we engage the public is a vital element in the development of any transit program. These training modules are specifically tailored to understanding the ins and outs of engagement in our post-pandemic world.
Public Involvement and Communications in a Post-Pandemic World
The current and future post-pandemic world has turned public and stakeholder engagement on its head. Providers have had to re-think HOW to conduct engagement in all scenarios: virtual, hybrid, and in-person. How can agencies best plan and prepare for these scenarios? How can turn-out and participation be measured? What equity considerations should be made for engagement today? All these topics, including creating accessible engagement opportunities, will be presented and discussed throughout the course of the workshop.
Workshop topics include:
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Virtual Public Engagement
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Equitable Public Engagement
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Managing Hybrid Engagement
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Safety Considerations with In-Person Engagement
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Overcoming Technology Limits - Engaging individuals who have limited access to technology
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Accessible Engagement
Creating an Effective Public Engagement Policy, Plan, and Toolkit for your Agency
This workshop supports agencies in thinking through and developing polices for public and stakeholder engagement, including sample plans (that may be project-specific), and a toolkit to support engagement efforts. Attendees are guided in understanding the essential elements of engagement of a successful engagement toolkit and how to “go the extra mile” to ensure focused and equitable engagement, while developing the skills needed to measure the effectiveness of such efforts.
Attendees develop an understanding of the following elements through the course of the workshop:
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Engagement policies and guidebooks
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Engagement plans
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Engagement toolkits
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Worksheets and forms for tracking and measuring engagement efforts
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How to report on engagement successes/challenges and develop agency de-briefs
Telling Your Transit Story
Public transportation is a critical element of any community, region, and state. So critical, in fact, that it ranks as the top need in multiple community and health-based plans. While the providers and planners know that transit is critical, how do we communicate the value of transit to those entities that make broader decisions and fund infrastructure? How do we emphasize the priority of funding public transit over other community needs? This workshop is designed to guide transit agencies through telling 'our transit stories' for all types of audiences. Learning objectives include, but are not limited to:
Attendees develop an understanding of the following elements through the course of the workshop:
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How to shape and message your 'story'
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Learning about various audiences
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Goals for communication
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Using performance metrics to tell a story
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Breaking down complex information using graphics