Do you want better ways to communicate with your local transit agency?
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is sponsoring a study to explore the use of web-based feedback to improve transit service. As part of the study, researchers are interested in understanding how riders would like to communicate with transit agencies, focusing on web-based feedback tools. They have set up an online community so you can submit your ideas, vote on other people’s ideas, and add comments as part of the discussion.
Comments on the site have been organized around three campaigns – topics, tools, and touch – which include the following prompts:
- Topics= What types of comments would you like to send transit agencies (e.g., bus was early/late, operator behavior, public safety issues, cleanliness of the vehicle or bus stop, commendations for operators and staff)? What types of issues should agencies be encouraging feedback on (e.g., service quality, maintenance issues, public safety concerns, route and schedule planning, long range planning, fare policy)?
- Tools= What type of technology is most useful for communicating with transit agencies (e.g., web-based, such as a form on the website; mobile applications; text messaging)? What types of social media are most effective for agencies (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest)? What types of tools would you like to see transit agencies use to get formal comments from transit riders (e.g., surveys, panels, discussion forums)?
- Touch= How should agencies handle feedback that is received from riders about day-to-day operations (how quickly do you expect a response, what type of response, do you want interactivity with the agency)? How should agencies handle feedback that is received via social media (response time, type of response, interactivity with rider)? How should agencies engage with riders about feedback for general and long term planning feedback (frequency of surveys, interactivity with panels, etc.)?
This forum will be active until April 30, 2014, after which time it will be closed to comments, but left open for agencies to see the results. The input will be incorporated into a report that will be published by the Transportation Research Board (TRB).
Please visit http://b43.ideascale.com/ to include your ideas to make agency-rider communication better!
