Low Participation in Public Involvement Efforts
The Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) faced a significant challenge in garnering participation from residents across the diverse nine-county Genesee-Finger Lakes region. Despite efforts in the past, the GTC struggled with low engagement rates across all public involvement initiatives. This was particularly problematic as they embarked on their long-range plan in early 2020, requiring broad community input to inform decision-making.
The Solution: An Integrated Outreach Strategy
To address this challenge, the GTC’s single-person Community Engagement department adopted a proactive approach focused on enhancing outreach and engagement efforts. They leveraged the PublicInput Platform to aggregate past participant lists and email newsletter subscribers, facilitating targeted outbound communication. This resulted in impressive open rates of up to 46%, initiating an awareness campaign that persisted throughout the project duration.
Furthermore, the team diversified participation channels to accommodate various preferences and accessibility needs. In addition to hosting the online survey within a robust project website, they implemented alternative engagement formats such as email, text messaging, voicemail inboxes, in-person meetings, and virtual public forums. By embracing multiple engagement avenues, they increased participation from mere dozens of comments to hundreds of comments over their previous long range plan while also significantly broadening the scope of community involvement in other projects.
The Outcome: Improved Public Participation and Representative Engagement
Through their centralized approach to outreach and engagement management via PublicInput, the GTC experienced tangible improvements in participation rates and representation. By continually refining their strategy based on real-time feedback and data insights, they achieved higher overall participation levels than ever before. Moreover, the diverse array of engagement channels facilitated more inclusive participation, ensuring that a broader spectrum of residents had a voice in shaping the region’s transportation plans. Overall, the GTC’s concerted efforts led to increased community engagement and a more robust foundation for informed decision-making.
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