Strategic Communications to Improve Support for Transit-Priority Projects: Report and Toolkit (2019)

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55 A P P E N D I X C Interview Instrument Transit Agency Interview Instrument To be implemented following survey Purpose The purpose of this interview is to follow up with respondents to the transit agency survey on Communication Strategies for Transit-priority projects. It is meant to follow up on survey responses and capture more nuanced information. We will take no more than 60 minutes of your time for this interview. The focus of this conversation is the strategic communications developed and implemented by your transit agency to promote the [Project Name] transit-priority project that [brief project description]. Note to interviewer: prior to the call, you should review all survey responses and identify specifically which follow-up questions from this Interview Instrument are relevant. In scheduling the call, please send the relevant questions ahead of time. Transit Agency Information Note to interviewer – please complete this section prior to initiating the call. Transit Agency: Date of Interview: Contact Name: Contact Phone/Email: Contact Title and Department: Transit-Priority Project: Background Information on the Strategic Communications Effort 1. Please describe the basic elements of the strategic communications effort for the [project name] project. 2. Please describe your personal involvement in the development and/or administration of the transit-priority project and the communication strategy(s). 3. In planning of the communication strategy(s), did your transit agency contact staff at a peer agency or agencies that had previously launched a similar effort? If so, which transit agency or agencies?

56 Strategic Communications to Improve Support for Transit-Priority Projects: Report and Toolkit 5. What were the key steps and considerations to developing this strategic communications plan? — What prompted this strategic communications plan? — How did the strategic communications team go from concept to implementation? 6. Were specific target markets (audiences) identified for outreach? — What were the target markets/audience groups? — Did you tailor communication strategies for each market/audience? — If so, how were communication strategies tailored to different markets/audiences? 7. Did you collaborate with community partners in the development and/or execution of the strategic communications plan? — How did you identify community partners? — What role did the partners play in developing and implementing the communications strategies? — What lessons did you learn about collaborating with others for strategic communications for public transit? 8. Was funding set aside to develop and implement the strategic communications plan? — If yes, what was the source? — What was the approximate cost of using the different communication strategies? — Were any adjustments made to the plan to save costs? — If no funding was set aside, how did you fund the communication strategies? Outreach Methods 9. Did your transit agency retain a third-party agency to assist with the development and implementation of the strategic communications plan? — Have you used this firm previously? — Can you provide recommendations or advice to other transit agencies regarding the use of consultants in the development and implementation of strategic communications for transit-priority projects? 10. What was the process used to develop campaign language? Basic Information about the Communication Strategy for the Transit-Priority Project 4. The [project name] included a strategic communications plan. Was this the first time this type of communications plan was developed and deployed by your transit agency for a transit-priority project?

Interview Instrument 57 — Were there any project identity/branding methods used to distinguish this transit priority project and its communications from your regular transit service? 12. What was the duration and frequency of your communication strategies? — How often were strategies communicated? (i.e., daily, weekly) — How long were strategies open/utilized? (i.e., in weeks or months) — Is the communications campaign still running today? 13. Did technology play a role in some or all of the communication strategies? — If so, what type of technology was used? — How easy was it for the public to use? 14. What was the formal evaluation process for the communications strategy? How was it developed, and what is the timeline for the evaluation? Success and Challenges 15. Overall, do you feel the strategic communication for this transit-priority project was successful? Why? — What are the top plan elements that you think were most crucial to that success? 16. What were some of the challenges your transit agency faced while developing and/or implementing the communication strategy? What didn’t work so well? — What 2-3 things would you change in the plan if you could restart the process? 17. How do you perceive the impact of the campaign on public awareness and support? 18. Is there any additional information that you would like to share about this strategic communication effort or others that you have been a part of designing or implementing? Future Efforts 19. Is your transit agency planning for other transit-priority projects that will include a strategic communications campaign? Please describe. 20. How do you expect the planning and implementation of the campaign to differ from the effort we have been discussing? 11. Which media and methods did you use in your communication strategies? — Were they strategies you had used in the past or were they new to your transit agency? — Were some strategies considered more successful? If so, which one(s) and why? — How many communication methods were used?

Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications: A4A Airlines for America AAAE American Association of Airport Executives AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program ADA Americans with Disabilities Act APTA American Public Transportation Association ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ATA American Trucking Associations CTAA Community Transportation Association of America CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program DHS Department of Homeland Security DOE Department of Energy EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FAST Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (2015) FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers MAP-21 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (2012) NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NTSB National Transportation Safety Board PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005) TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program TDC Transit Development Corporation TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998) TRB Transportation Research Board TSA Transportation Security Administration U.S. DOT United States Department of Transportation

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