Technology tools such as iPads, Facebook and Twitter will be used as part of a NDSU research project to gather public input about the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Transit (MAT).
The project is part of a nationwide effort by the Federal Transit Administration to explore innovative ways to improve public participation in transportation planning. “NDSU’s project is unique in its emphasis on technology. Our hope is that these technologies will help overcome some of the barriers that prevent individuals from providing input related to service and planning,” says David Ripplinger, a researcher with the Small Urban and Rural Transit Agency, a part of NDSU’s Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute.
Researchers will help the transit system use social networking sites, blogs and other techniques to solicit input on transit. Social networking tools will be used to notify individuals of opportunities to participate and serve as a vehicle for distributing planning documents. Ripplinger previously helped MAT develop strategies for using Twitter to communicate with riders.
“We are always looking for ways to improve communication with our customers,” says Lori Van Beek, Moorhead Transit manager. “More than 50 percent of our riders are college students. They are very used to technology and electronic communication, so this should be a good fit.”
Translation software will help engage immigrant populations in the Fargo-Moorhead area who frequently rely on mass transit for mobility. One-on-one surveys will continue to be employed to gather information from transit riders and others, but portable technology like iPads may help improve consistency and accuracy.
“In the future, meetings may no longer be the way we collect information,” says Michael Kunza, transportation coordinator with the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments. “Technology opens up opportunities for use to gain input from a broader cross section of the community.”