Category: [SURVEY OF THE MONTH]

[SURVEY OF THE MONTH] Developing a Data-Driven Decisions Tool with Illinois DOT
The Survey of the Month series is a monthly blog where we highlight the extraordinary work our customers are doing, along with some takeaways that are relevant for anyone interested in making the most out of online engagement using MetroQuest’s survey platform! To see more in the series, visit the blogs here.

This month, we highlight a recent survey from Illinois DOT (IDOT), created by WSP, who has used MetroQuest to create excellent surveys for a variety of projects. The focus here is on IDOT’s new Data-Driven Decisions Tool initiative. This initiative aims to ensure that resources are invested in a fair, equitable manner, prioritizing projects that meet the goals of the department and its constituents. By collecting feedback through a MetroQuest Survey, IDOT gathered input on evaluation criteria and resident priorities to inform development of the Data-Driven Decisions Tool.

What’s the story? Inclusive Data-Driven Decisions Tool for Capacity Projects

This past spring, House Bill 253 was passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor. The legislation builds upon federal asset management requirements for roads, bridges and transit, supporting the public in understanding how projects in their communities will impact safety, quality of life and ability to access economic opportunities.

Starting in 2022, IDOT will be required to evaluate any new capacity projects based on a selection process that weighs a variety of factors, such as improvement of traffic operations, economic development, livability, environmental impact, and safety. To support this, IDOT is developing a Data-Driven Decisions Tool that will be used in the Rebuild Illinois capital program, the most extensive capital program in state history.

Initial themes of the Data-Driven Decisions Tool were identified through the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) documents created in 2017. The LRTP provides innovative, sustainable and multimodal transportation solutions that support local goals and grow Illinois’ economy. After significant public outreach, they identified five overarching goals: Economy, Livability, Mobility, Resiliency and Stewardship.

Based on these themes, they developed five goal areas with thirteen evaluation criteria:

IDOT sought public input on metrics and priorities that will guide the development of an inclusive Data-Driven Decisions Tool. By gathering this feedback through a MetroQuest Survey, IDOT will be able to understand resident preferences, and most importantly, where those residents are located. Survey data will allow IDOT to weigh priorities and geographically target different transportation needs across Illinois, and eventually ensure efficient, effective, transparent and fair implementation of the Rebuild Illinois capital program.

For more information, please visit the IDOT website.

Anatomy of a Data-Driven Decisions Tool Survey: Increased Transparency in Project Selection Process

By developing the Tool through a MetroQuest survey, IDOT has the opportunity to develop metrics and priorities guiding the decision-making process. Moreover, the inclusion of public input through the survey helps them implement a truly inclusive framework for their projects by including feedback from people who use the transportation system.

After the Welcome Screen, the Survey uses a Priority Ranking Screen to share six priority items. These items include the five goal areas identified through the LRTP process as shown in the graphic above, and an “Other” category to allow visitors to suggest another goal area that they believe IDOT should consider.

Next, the Budget Allocation Screen is utilized to ask participants to distribute 100 chips to give more weight to the six goal categories they deemed the most important in the previous activity. This Screen also offers visitors another chance to provide input on what is most important to them, similar to the Priority Ranking Screen.

On the following Strategy Rating Screen, visitors are presented with the five goals and thirteen evaluation criteria initially developed by IDOT, based on existing plans, guidance from state and national experts, and best practices of peer states. With that being said, IDOT believes that the feedback from the public is critical to the finalization of the Data-Driven Decisions Tool. They included a short description under each criterion to inform the participants and provide context before they give input.

You can try the IDOT Data-Driven Decisions Tool Survey here. This is a demo version that will not affect the survey results.

5 Tips from the Data-Driven Decisions Tool Survey: A Simple Survey with Quantitative and Qualitative Questions

The IDOT Data-Driven Decisions Tool Survey consists of simple interactive activities with easily quantifiable data. Below are 5 takeaways from their survey that can help you when designing your next MetroQuest Survey:
1. On the Priority Ranking Screen, only six priorities, the five goal areas and the “Other” category, are presented to the visitor. Keeping your content to a minimum will keep your visitors captivated and encourage them to complete the survey. It is recommended to design your survey to take no more than five minutes to complete. Studies show that shorter surveys have a higher completion rate.
2. On the Priority Ranking and the Budget Allocation Screens, visitors are also given an option to provide a written response on what is important to them, on top of the presented goal areas. While the activity around distributing chips collects quantitative data, adding a separate category labeled “Other” for the written response allows for the collection of qualitative data. Studies found that a blended research approach results in a better understanding of the topic on different levels, supporting both prioritization and exploration.
3. On the Budget Allocation Screen, the team utilizes the “Details” popup to include more comprehensive information about each category so that participants can make an informed decision on where they would spend the funding and investment. The gamified experience strengthens the idea of funding prioritization for participants, illustrating options as well as limited resources.
4. Visitors are only presented with thirteen evaluation criteria on the Strategy Rating Screen, no more or less. The category descriptions are short and to the point for maximum appeal and ease of use. Like other screens, they also provided the additional comment bubble for visitors to provide more insightful input on each criterion.
5. One of the demographic questions asks which district they live in, District 1 to 9. The survey team effectively used a hyperlink to IDOT’s website, where a map image shows the district areas. This ensures that participants select the correct district as they can confirm their location on the official map.
Congratulations to the team at WSP and IDOT for delivering a survey that will help build a truly inclusive Data-Driven Decisions Tool for future projects!

For more great tips on how to make the most out of MetroQuest, contact your Customer Experience manager or reach out for more information!

Want to learn more about how MetroQuest supports community outreach on your next transportation plan? Check out our recent webinar:

Forum on Measuring Public Involvement Effectiveness for Transportation Agencies

In this interactive webinar forum, public involvement leaders from TxDOT, NCDOT and GDOT share how agencies can ensure that their public engagement programs are an effective and efficient use of public resources!

WATCH WEBINAR
December 22, 2021
[SURVEY OF THE MONTH] How Virginia DOT is Solving Traffic and Safety Challenges with MetroQuest
The Survey of the Month series is a monthly blog where we highlight the extraordinary work our customers are doing, along with some takeaways that are relevant for anyone interested in making the most out of online engagement using MetroQuest’s survey platform! To see more in the series, visit the blogs here.

This month, we are highlighting a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) survey that is part of the Woodbridge Area STARS Studies. VDOT identified significant traffic backups and road congestion in the Woodbridge Area during the morning and evening peak times. To identify solutions for alleviating the problems, the study assesses potential safety and operational improvements for the interchange of I-95 and Route 123.

What’s the story? Comprehensive Transportation Solutions to Relieve Congestion in Woodbridge

According to the project website, data from a 2019 study showed that over 300,000 vehicles a day use the I-95 and Route 123 interchange. VDOT identified the need for improvement and launched a study to assess reconfiguring ramps, extending lanes, modifying and relocating traffic signals, access management, as well as transit enhancements to improve traffic flow on the interchange. This study is part of a larger initiative called STARS; Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions. The objective of the STARS program is to develop comprehensive and cost-effective transportation solutions to relieve congestion bottlenecks and solve critical traffic and safety challenges throughout the state of Virginia.

They created MetroQuest Surveys in English and Spanish to gauge community priorities and collect opinions around the suggested solutions.

To learn more about the project, please visit the Woodbridge Area STARS Studies website.

Anatomy of a Corridor Survey: Using MetroQuest to Understand Community’s Preferences

The I-95 and Route 123 Survey starts with the Welcome Screen, containing an aerial photograph of the interchange. This is a fantastic way to captivate the visitors as they can concisely read the study’s background information to quickly grasp its intention and its relevance to their lives.

Like many other successful MetroQuest Surveys, the Priority Ranking Screen follows next and is used to identify the visitor’s priorities within the study area. Visitors are asked to rank their top 5 out of 9 possible items. The priorities include significant factors such as congestion, safety, active transportation accessibility, travel time reliability and express lane improvement. Each priority includes a brief and practical explanation.

Two subsequent Image Rating Screens are utilized to present potential improvements for I-95 southbound and northbound. Each option has an image, a description of the improvement required and the predicted outcome. Participants are asked to rank each potential improvement on a 5-point scales and provide input as possible solutions with various outcomes.

MetroQuest Survey is designed to be non-linear, meaning that visitors can jump around, move backward to re-read and change their answers. The combination of the non-linear design and the Image Rating Screen plays a significant role in VDOT’s Survey, allowing the visitor to inspect and compare various suggested options in any order they prefer and make an informed decision before providing input.

Please feel free to try the MetroQuest Survey. This is a demo version that will not affect the survey results.

5 Tips from VDOT’s STARS I-95 and Route 123 Survey: Simple Yet Effective Ways to Collect Valuable Input

The STARS I-95 and Route 123 Survey breaks down complex material into comprehensible material by educating visitors, asking them to first rank their priorities before going into more detail into the priorities with possible solutions and various outcomes. VDOT engaged over 1200 participants by using multiple channels of outreach, with campaigns such as news releases to the media, targeted paid Facebook advertisements, organic Twitter posts, and email blasts.

Below are 5 key takeaways from their survey:
1. The Welcome Screen draws visitors into the survey with an appealing aerial photograph of the study area and contextual information. The aerial image and the extended background features catch the visitor’s attention without being overly distracting. The rotating sliders at the bottom of the screen are used to convey essential project information.
2. On the Welcome Screen, the extra popup is adequately utilized to include the study area map to inform visitors visually where the study area is. Using image maps are effective when the information you need to convey is better presented visually than in text. Image maps deliver a large amount of information in a small space and serve to make them more interactive.
3. As mentioned earlier, the I-95 and Route 123 study is part of a larger program called STARS, which involves planners, traffic engineers, safety engineers and roadway engineers to jointly implement innovative and practical solutions. The STARS branding logo and the branding colors and the branding colors, orange and blue, are used to elicit a sense of pride in the region and are used throughout the Survey for brand recognition.
4. The Image Rating Screens include an image, text-based description of required work and the outcomes. This is an excellent use of the Screen features to allow participants to view the differences between the alternatives so that they can provide informed input. The visitors have two options to zoom into the images to view more details:
  a) When the magnifying glass icon on the top right corner of the image is clicked, visitors can view a larger image without leaving the Survey. Keeping the participants in the Survey until the end will help you achieve a higher completion rate.b) The hyperlink text “Click here for a full-size image” opens a new tab in the browser to open a much larger image that fills up the screen. In this case, it is essential to include the hyperlink as the participants are presented with complicated map images with legends to digest.
5. We do not typically highlight the Wrap Up Screen, but in VDOT’s Survey, the simplicity of their team’s demographic questions, used to collect necessary information for their study, is one of the key takeaways! They ask simple yes/no questions about whether they live or work near the study area and the home and work zip codes. To ensure your Survey reaches a diverse population, it is recommended to include demographic questions such as gender, age, race, and income. We often notice that most surveys ask for personal information such as email addresses and home addresses, but you should try as much as possible to avoid collecting personal data. Asking for the participant’s email address as a demographic question is a turn-off for the participants who believe they are doing you a favor by answering your Survey. This practice also assures the anonymity of survey responders.
Congratulations to the team at VDOT for another successful MetroQuest Survey with an outstanding turnout for their corridor study!

For more great tips on how to make the most out of MetroQuest, contact your Customer Experience manager or reach out for more information!

Want to learn more about how MetroQuest supports community outreach on your next transportation plan? Check out our recent webinar:

The Art and Science of Virtual Public Engagement for Transportation Planning

The road to success with online surveys is part art and part science. This webinar explores both by unbundling the most successful case studies and what made them so effective. Learn how to create delightful surveys that engage 1000s and deliver the results you need to support a wide range of transportation plans!

WATCH WEBINAR
November 30, 2021
[SURVEY OF THE MONTH] COVID-19 Survey Series: Regional Economy Development Recovery Plan
The Survey of the Month series is a monthly blog where we highlight the extraordinary work our customers are doing, along with some takeaways that are relevant for anyone interested in making the most out of online engagement using MetroQuest’s survey platform!

To see more in the series, visit the blogs here.

This month, we are changing gears and highlighting a survey series relevant to everyone after the last year and a half: the Nashua Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) is developing an economic development recovery plan in response to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-survey series will help NRPC identify the challenges businesses face and develop practices and strategies to stimulate the economy and foster and increase support for businesses.

What’s the story? COVID-19 Impact on Businesses

The NRPC serves 13 municipalities in the greater Nashua region located in Southern New Hampshire. The Commission focuses on developing and implementing innovative planning strategies to preserve and improve the quality of life.

NRPC was awarded a grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and started the process to develop a comprehensive economic development recovery plan for the greater Nashua region. The initiative addresses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the region’s economy, including job loss, business closure, workforce challenges and the disparate impact of recent economic disturbances on traditionally disadvantaged and underserved businesses.

The Survey series consists of 3 modules: Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Retail & Restaurants. NRPC built a brilliant project website, which is an essential part of successful online engagement. Here are some key takeaways from the NRPC’s project website:
1. Building a project website allows the engagement team to develop a brand around the project. In this case, while NRPC used MetroQuest for the online survey, the name of the tool is not relevant to participants. NRPC followed their branding guidelines by using the organization’s vibrant green color and built the branding around the project. Moreover, the project website will be available for longer than the MetroQuest Survey’s engagement period, allowing visitors and participants to follow the project for updates.
2. At the top of the project website, visitors are presented with large, prominent Survey launch buttons linking to their 3 Surveys. Having the Survey links readily available on the project website delivers a clear call to action and is key to driving traffic to the Survey.
3. Below the Survey launch buttons and before sharing their input in the Surveys, visitors are given the opportunity to learn about the intended audience for each Survey with detailed but concise background information about the project.
I encourage you to visit their project website and see how following these guidelines creates a welcoming environment for Survey participants.

Anatomy of the Economic Recovery Plan Survey Series: Identifying Challenges & Strategies and Weighing Support Options

The Survey series consists of three parts: Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Retail & Restaurants. Each of the three surveys are intended for different audiences:
1. Workforce Survey for all businesses, especially those with workforce challenges.
2. Entrepreneurship Survey for start-ups and any other businesses established in the last three years.
3. Retail & Restaurants Survey for businesses in the hospitality, retail, and food service industries.
Upon landing on each Survey’s Welcome Screen, visitors are greeted with representative images for each topic along with a short introduction with the purpose of the project and statistical facts.

Like many other MetroQuest Surveys, the pandemic recovery surveys begin the interactive portion of the Survey with Priority Ranking Screens. The visitors are asked to rank five challenges the business has faced due to the pandemic. For example, two of the surveys ask visitors to rank factors that have adversely affected their ability to maintain and expand operations in the hospitality industry or as a start-up. In contrast, in the Workforce Survey, participants are asked to rank five strategies the business is willing to implement to expand its available workforce. These challenges and strategies were previously identified by the team at NRPC.

Next, different rating Screens were utilized to suggest and inform the visitors of any options and strategies that could be implemented to conquer the challenges they currently face. Visitors were asked to give input on the strategies based on how well it would work for their business, whether by responding to a Tradeoffs Screen, Budget Allocation Screen or Strategy Rating Screen.

For example, the Workforce Survey used a Tradeoffs Screen to display five tradeoffs presented to the visitor in the previous Screen: Transportation, Childcare, Housing, Compensation, and Non-Traditional Schedules. Visitors were asked to indicate which tradeoff they prefer. For example, under Non-Traditional Schedules, they were asked to indicate their preference regarding flexible hours or traditional fixed and full-time hours.

Similarly, the entrepreneurship Survey included a Budget Allocation Screen to ask participants to distribute theoretical funding of $100,000 across nine categories: Accounting & Finance, Legal Services, Grant Writing, Marketing & Communication, Networking, Health & Wellness, Strategic Planning, Advice & Mentoring and Leadership Skills.

Each category provides more details so that participants can make an informed decision on where they would spend the funding and investment. This interactive activity strengthens the idea of funding prioritization for participants, illustrating options and limited resources.

If you would like to try the Surveys, here are the links for each Survey:
- Workforce: http://demo.metroquestsurvey.com/gsc62
- Entrepreneurship: http://demo.metroquestsurvey.com/baj01
- Retail & Restaurants: http://demo.metroquestsurvey.com/il1x1m
These are demo versions that will not affect the Survey results.

5 Tips from the COVID-19 Recovery Plan Survey Series: Clear calls to action!

From the project website to the Survey series, NRPC’s message is clear and straightforward. Below are 5 takeaways from their project:
1. Essential elements of the project website are providing concise background information for the participants to learn about the project initiative and a clear call to action with prominent survey links and eye-catching screenshots of the three Surveys.
2. Once visitors land on the Welcome Screen, they are greeted with the purpose of the Survey and the importance of the public’s input in a succinct manner. This is followed by the statistical facts on the relevant topic on the bottom rotating sliders, helping visitors understand the context and relevance of their input.
3. In all three Surveys, Priority Ranking Screens serve as the first interactive Screen to easily show participants how to share their input using this new, fun method. It is a simple yet effective exercise. Your participants get warmed up to using MetroQuest’s interactive activity while you gather data-driven insights that are easy to understand!
4. Instead of using cumbersome standard survey questions, gamify the experience so that participants have more enjoyment while providing feedback for your project! The Budget Allocation Screen is an excellent choice to educate participants about limited resources and solicit input about where they would allocate them, while playing a quick game. A fun survey experience will help you achieve a higher survey completion rate. The participants will also be more likely to share your Survey with others that you might not be able to reach otherwise.
5. Using different rating Screens, including the Image Rating and Strategy Rating Screens, allow you to gather qualitative data quickly; simultaneously, you can also allow participants to provide optional written feedback by providing the comment button where appropriate. This will enable you to gather both qualitative and quantitative data!
Congratulations to NRPC for creating a fantastic survey series to help the businesses in their community!

For more great tips on how to make the most out of MetroQuest, contact your Customer Experience manager or reach out for more information!

Want to learn more about how MetroQuest supports community outreach on your next transportation plan? Check out our recent webinar:

The Art and Science of Virtual Public Engagement for Transportation Planning

Online surveys have come to the forefront as safe, effective measures for engaging a large and diverse audience. Learn how to create delightful surveys that engage 1000s and deliver the results you need to support a wide range of transportation plans!

WATCH WEBINAR
October 26, 2021
[SURVEY OF THE MONTH] Our City, Our Voices – Comprehensive Planning for today and the future with the City of Nanaimo
The Survey of the Month series is a monthly blog where we highlight the extraordinary work our customers are doing, along with some takeaways that are relevant for anyone interested in making the most out of online engagement using MetroQuest’s survey platform! To see more in the series, visit the blogs here.

This month, we want to highlight a comprehensive plan in an earlier stage of planning for Nanaimo, a harbour city on the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. LANARC Consultants are helping the City and its Mayor with an initiative to engage the community to receive great ideas and collectively create a vision and road map for their city’s future!

What’s the story? A path to the future, together!

The City of Nanaimo currently has a population of 100,000. By 2045, they estimate 140,000 people will live, recreate and work there. Nanaimo’s Mayor and Council introduced REIMAGINE NANAIMO, an initiative to collectively imagine how the spaces and places of the city can evolve to better meet the needs of the natural environment and the people.

REIMAGINE NANAIMO is part of a multi-phase comprehensive plan. The initial phase gathered ideas by sharing information and listening to resident’s views about the city’s future. Now, the city is developing options for achieving its shared vision and is evaluating ways to support the goals.

The Survey had incredible outreach campaigns working with influencers on various social media platforms to reach diverse demographics. They engaged 1539 participants with 20906 data points. Because of the Survey’s fun and informative components, which we will talk about below, REIMAGINE NANAIMO achieved an impressive participation rate of 64% meaning at least 1 out of 2 visitors shared their input; a typical Survey obtains around 20 to 30% participation rate. They could not be happier with the results!

To learn more about the project, please visit the project website here.

Anatomy of a Comprehensive Plan Survey: Priorities, Scenario Exploration, and Scenario Building

When visitors open the Survey, they are welcomed by the beautiful scenery of a hiker overlooking the city, a short introduction of their project and information on the significance of their input on the Welcome Screen.

On the following Priority Ranking Screen, participants are asked to rank their top 5 priorities out of a list of 10 related to transportation, economy, housing and natural environment. The selected top 5 priorities are shown on the following Screen, the Scenario Rating Screen, where participants are asked to explore 3 different scenarios: Current Path, Mobility Hubs and Central Focus.

By showing the priorities with as metrics, participants can discern which scenario performs best given their priorities and make informed decisions! The participants can familiarize themselves with the project by viewing the detailed plan overviews in PDF and short videos.

On the next Screen, the Map Marker Screen, the participants are asked to provide input on the types of destinations that they feel are missing in Nanaimo by dropping makers on a Google map. The marker types to choose from were “Tall Buildings”, “Infill Neighbourhoods”, “Shops & Services”, “Community Amenities”, “Support Services”, “Active Trans & Transit” and “Other”. Each marker has dropdown options and a comment box for the participants to provide more in-depth input.

Finally, the Wrap Up Screen asks a few demographic questions, thanks the participant and allows them to enter in a prize draw for a local eatery.

We encourage you to try the Survey by clicking here. This is a demo version that will not affect the survey results.

5 Tips from the ‘Our City, Our Choice: Scenarios Exploration’ Survey: Simple call-to-action with informative videos and additional resources

Nanaimo is a beautiful place and the decision makers care about community engagement and the public’s role in shaping the city’s future. They put together an engaging MetroQuest Survey with many takeaways. Below are just 5 tips from their survey that you can use on your next project:
1. 1. On the Welcome Screen, the visitors are greeted with an extended background image of the breathtaking scenery of Nanaimo. The positive impression created by the captivating visuals encourages the visitors to continue their survey participation . The positive survey experience results in a higher survey completion rate!
    
    Location-specific survey participation incentive. You may have considered providing incentives for the public to complete the survey in the form of a reward draw for anyone who enters their contact information. LANARC Consultants and the city offer a reward “one of ten $50 gift cards to a Nanaimo eatery of your choice”. It’s recommended to consider using a reward that only community members can use, such as to a local retailer, to avoid ballot box stuffing!
    
    Short educational videos and other resources were presented in the Scenario Rating Screen. You can accommodate different learning styles by providing a variety of resources such as videos, PDFs and images. A study found that the human brain processes an image 60,000 times faster than text. By including visually appealing resources into your survey, participants can process the information and data better and more quickly!
    
    Connected indicators to help participants make informed decisions. Explaining scenarios can be a complex undertaking, making the Scenario Rating Screen one of the more time-consuming Screens. After identifying prioirites in the first screen, connecting the indicators in the scenario exploration screen helps participants understand how various indicators perform on the different scenarios, emphasizing which scenario would likely work better in terms of their selected priorities.
  1. Lastly, each marker has easy-to-answer dropdown options on the Map Marker Screen. Participants simply need to click on an option from the list of answers. This reduces the length of the survey and makes it concise, which in turn means more data will be provided. Another advantage of dropdown questions is that they are designed to create easily quantifiable data.
Congratulations to LANARC Consultants and the City of Nanaimo for an engaging survey using new features and demonstrating best practice for effective online engagement!

For more great tips on how to make the most out of MetroQuest, contact your Customer Experience manager or reach out for more information!

Want to learn more about how MetroQuest supports community outreach on your next transportation plan? Check out our recent webinar:

The Pivotal Role of Public Involvement in the Surface Transportation Bill

In this webinar, equity and transportation planning experts from Kansas DOT and HDR discuss post-padnemic recovery, the surface transportation bill, and how agencies can prepare a winning strategy!

WATCH WEBINAR
October 4, 2021
[SURVEY OF THE MONTH] Shaping the Future of Transportation in Baton Rouge, LA
The Survey of the Month series is a monthly blog where we highlight the extraordinary work our customers are doing, along with some takeaways that are relevant for anyone interested in making the most out of online engagement using MetroQuest’s survey platform! To see more in the series, visit the blogs here.

The Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC) in Louisiana is a Council of Governments serving eleven parishes around Baton Rouge. The agency coordinates and addresses regional issues related to transportation, land use, economic development and the environment. It is the Baton Rouge area’s designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

As such, CRPC focuses a large part of its resources on transportation planning, including the federally mandated update to its Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) every four years. MOVE2046 is the Capital Region’s MTP, and the team utilized a MetroQuest survey to great effect!

Let’s take a look at what they did…

What’s the story? Developing the future of transportation in LA with MOVE2046

MOVE2046 creates the future of transportation in the region by developing goals, strategies, and projects that will help achieve a vision over the next 25 years. The plan encompasses half of the parishes that the MPO serves, and is developed in coordination with local governments as well as key stakeholders to make certain that it supplements, rather than hinders, existing plans in the region.

Broad community engagement around the plan ensures the public has ample opportunity to get involved and help shape the plan’s vision, goal, and recommendations with their input. Currently, the project is in its second stage where options are being evaluated. For more information, please visit https://crpcla.org/move2046.

Anatomy of a Survey: A Classic LRTP Survey for Engagement

Long-range transportation plans (LRTPs) have traditionally been the single most common use of MetroQuest, from back in the early days of our software to now! MetroQuest can be (and is) applied to any planning context, and the MOVE2046 plan demonstrates just how exceptional an online survey can be for transportation plans.

After the Welcome Screen, which informs visitors of the plan and of the survey’s purpose, participants are asked to rank their priority items out of a list of 7, namely (in random order) Improve Connectivity, Improve Walking and Biking, Support the Movement of Freight, Improve Public Transit, Improve Safety, Maintain What We Have, and Reduce Traffic Congestion. This Priority Ranking Screen allows participants to tell the survey team what is most important to them.

On the next Screen, participants are asked to distribute a fictitious but representative budget of $100 into eight possible categories, namely Maintain What We Have, Move Freight More Efficiently, Improve Safety for All Users, Improve Public Transit, Maximize Existing Network with Technology, Add New Roads or Widen Roads, Improve Bike/Pedestrian Facilities, and Improve Streetscape Appearance. It is a gamified experience asking for priorities while also highlighting the fact that funds are finite!

The last interactive Screen, before wrapping up the survey with demographic questions and ways to stay involved, is a Map Marker Screen which asks participants to show the region’s biggest needs by dropping markers onto a map of the area in question. The marker options are Congestion, Bicycle and Pedestrian, Public Transit, Safety, Maintenance, and Other. This type of Screen allows participants to tell the survey team exactly where they see issues and opportunities!

You can try the MOVE 2046 survey here. This is a demo version that will not affect the survey results.

5 Tips from MOVE2046: Good survey design is all in the details!

The MOVE2046 Survey made the most of MetroQuest’s capabilities to serve their LRTP purpose! Below are 5 takeaways from their survey that can help you when designing your next public engagement survey:
1. Visitors landing on the MOVE2046 Welcome Screen are greeted by a beautiful background image along with rotating factoids. It is a simple yet very effective way to make the landing page eye-catching!
1. Each priority has a short description and uses an icon image to convey the meaning. Icons are a great way to supplement description of items as it keeps the Screen simple. Images are also popular! We know it can be a challenge to find what you are looking for, so we’ve created the updated image library for some inspiration and images to use; there are over 400 stock image that can be searched by keyword! You can access the Image Library from your MetroQuest Studio.
1. On the Budget Allocation screen, the survey team kept each of the categories short and to the point for maximum appeal and ease of use. However, they also made use of the “additional information” bubble for anyone who might want a bit more context on any of the categories. This is a great way to serve those who wish to know more without overwhelming the main area with too much text.
1. On the Map Marker Screen, each marker has a sub question with a drop down and a textbox, giving participants a space to elaborate on their choice. This enables the survey team to capture qualitative data that will help inform the plan, in addition to the quantitative spatial input!
1. Also on the Map Marker Screen, the survey team made use of the location drop down at the bottom right which allows participants to zoom into the area that is most interesting or concerning to them. This gives more precise and nuanced input by helping participants get to where they need on the map.
Congratulations to the team at CRPC for a well-executed project and a fantastic LRTP survey experience!

For more great tips on how to make the most out of MetroQuest, contact your Customer Experience manager or reach out for more information!

Want to learn more about how MetroQuest supports teams in achieving successful community outreach? Read about COMPASS’s success!

COMPASS Gathers Input from 18,500+ Participants to Plan Future Transportation

To help shape the future of the region into the year 2050, local planning officials at COMPASS in Southwest Idaho turned to the public for input and achieved record-breaking results!

WATCH CASE STUDY

Anatomy of a Survey: A Classic LRTP Survey for Engagement

Long-range transportation plans (LRTPs) have traditionally been the single most common use of MetroQuest, from back in the early days of our software to now! MetroQuest can be (and is) applied to any planning context, and the MOVE2046 plan demonstrates just how exceptional an online survey can be for transportation plans.

After the Welcome Screen, which informs visitors of the plan and of the survey’s purpose, participants are asked to rank their priority items out of a list of 7, namely (in random order) Improve Connectivity, Improve Walking and Biking, Support the Movement of Freight, Improve Public Transit, Improve Safety, Maintain What We Have, and Reduce Traffic Congestion. This Priority Ranking Screen allows participants to tell the survey team what is most important to them.

On the next Screen, participants are asked to distribute a fictitious but representative budget of $100 into eight possible categories, namely Maintain What We Have, Move Freight More Efficiently, Improve Safety for All Users, Improve Public Transit, Maximize Existing Network with Technology, Add New Roads or Widen Roads, Improve Bike/Pedestrian Facilities, and Improve Streetscape Appearance. It is a gamified experience asking for priorities while also highlighting the fact that funds are finite!

The last interactive Screen, before wrapping up the survey with demographic questions and ways to stay involved, is a Map Marker Screen which asks participants to show the region’s biggest needs by dropping markers onto a map of the area in question. The marker options are Congestion, Bicycle and Pedestrian, Public Transit, Safety, Maintenance, and Other. This type of Screen allows participants to tell the survey team exactly where they see issues and opportunities!

You can try the MOVE 2046 survey here. This is a demo version that will not affect the survey results.

5 Tips from MOVE2046: Good survey design is all in the details!

The MOVE2046 Survey made the most of MetroQuest’s capabilities to serve their LRTP purpose! Below are 5 takeaways from their survey that can help you when designing your next public engagement survey:
1. Visitors landing on the MOVE2046 Welcome Screen are greeted by a beautiful background image along with rotating factoids. It is a simple yet very effective way to make the landing page eye-catching!
1. Each priority has a short description and uses an icon image to convey the meaning. Icons are a great way to supplement description of items as it keeps the Screen simple. Images are also popular! We know it can be a challenge to find what you are looking for, so we’ve created the updated image library for some inspiration and images to use; there are over 400 stock image that can be searched by keyword! You can access the Image Library from your MetroQuest Studio.
1. On the Budget Allocation screen, the survey team kept each of the categories short and to the point for maximum appeal and ease of use. However, they also made use of the “additional information” bubble for anyone who might want a bit more context on any of the categories. This is a great way to serve those who wish to know more without overwhelming the main area with too much text.
1. On the Map Marker Screen, each marker has a sub question with a drop down and a textbox, giving participants a space to elaborate on their choice. This enables the survey team to capture qualitative data that will help inform the plan, in addition to the quantitative spatial input!
1. Also on the Map Marker Screen, the survey team made use of the location drop down at the bottom right which allows participants to zoom into the area that is most interesting or concerning to them. This gives more precise and nuanced input by helping participants get to where they need on the map.
Congratulations to the team at CRPC for a well-executed project and a fantastic LRTP survey experience!

For more great tips on how to make the most out of MetroQuest, contact your Customer Experience manager or reach out for more information!

Want to learn more about how MetroQuest supports teams in achieving successful community outreach? Read about COMPASS’s success!

COMPASS Gathers Input from 18,500+ Participants to Plan Future Transportation

To help shape the future of the region into the year 2050, local planning officials at COMPASS in Southwest Idaho turned to the public for input and achieved record-breaking results!

WATCH CASE STUDY
July 27, 2021
[SURVEY OF THE MONTH] Planning for a High-Capacity Transit System in Southwest Idaho
The Survey of the Month series is a monthly blog where we highlight the extraordinary work our customers are doing, along with some takeaways that are relevant for anyone interested in making the most out of online engagement using MetroQuest’s survey platform! To see more in the series, visit the blogs here.

This month, we spotlight a survey that broke records for the highest number of participants in a day. The transit options survey from COMPASS in Idaho received over 4,000 participants in just one day and went on to hit record-high participation numbers with over 11,000 participants when the survey closed a month later!

Let’s take a look at their survey and highlight some takeaways for success with your next online public engagement survey.

What’s the story? All aboard! Exploring transit options for the Treasure Valley

COMPASS, which stands for the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho, created a fantastic survey for the planning of a future high-capacity transit system to meet the demands of a growing region. This new system would be an addition to the current bus system.

While high-capacity transit options for the area have been explored for years, a recent study conducted by COMPASS in 2020 analyzed types of transit and route options. Those results were used to inform the All aboard survey. This survey, which concluded in February of this year, was the third in a series of surveys that aims to shape the region’s long-range transportation plan.

The survey reached incredible participant numbers: 11,706 to be precise, with a much higher number of total data points. Social media was a primary driver for traffic, with almost 50% of respondents stating that social media was how they heard about the survey, followed by news stories with 21.5% of participants. Read the full case study to learn more about the promotional strategy that lead to such great public participation.

The full results from the survey can be found in this report.

For timelines and additional information on the project, visit the project page. For more information, visit COMPASS’s website.

Anatomy of a Transit Survey: Visual Screens for Maximum Fun Factor!

When landing on the Welcome Screen, participants will find information on the project, including the background as well as some additional information on high-capacity transit. Immediately after, the survey starts with a Tradeoffs Screen. This type of Screen gives participants a chance to look at the project in terms of what they would prioritize when given competing choices.

Here, participants were presented with four tradeoffs, namely Convenience, Timing, Separation, and Investment, and asked where they would position themselves. For example, under Convenience, they were asked to indicate their preference regarding faster trips with fewer stops or slower trips with more stops.

The next task was to provide destinations on a Google map on the Map Marker Screen. Participants could choose from available markers, including “home,” “job,” “entertainment,” “errands,” and “other.” The task was for participants to show on the map where they typically go. This exercise around origin and destination is a great way to understand typical trips and help show the study organizers where capacity is most needed!

The fourth Screen was an Image Preference Screen where participants were asked to provide input on service preferences. They could choose one image out of a set that best represented their answer in a number of categories, namely “Where do you want to go,” “How do you get there now,” “What’s close enough,” and “What’s most important to you?” Each of the questions had five possible answers, with one being an “Other” or “Not applicable” option. The purpose was for the survey team to understand how high-capacity transit could serve the participants.

If you’d like to try out the survey, take a look at this demo version. This does not collect data and will not impact survey results.

5 Tips from All Aboard: Straightforward and fun survey for a high impact!

The survey stands out as particularly visually appealing and fun. Below are 5 takeaways from their survey:
1. On the Welcome Screen where visitors first land, they see a language switch button labelled “Español” so that those who prefer to take the survey in Spanish can do so easily. This element is part of MetroQuest’s overall effort to streamline the process required to create a survey in an additional language. For more information, read our recent update on multilingual surveys to support inclusive public engagement, or reach out to your customer support manager.
1. The Welcome Screen also makes use of the rotating slides at the bottom to provide additional information, small factoids about the project, process, and definitions. This is a recommended and particularly useful way to use it! A participant who wants to learn a little more will take the time to read those, and one who wants to spend only a few minutes here can do so as well.
1. What stands out from this survey is that it is far from a traditional survey! In fact, apart from a few demographic questions at the end, there are no text-based questions at all! We firmly believe that reason for this survey’s fantastic participation rates is that it does not feel like survey at all, but an interactive, fun experience that still resulted in high numbers of data points and informed public input.
1. COMPASS created a very visually appealing experience that, instead of using text for the majority, switches things up with images, and with a map for input. For more tips on this, have a look at this 1-minute video where I discuss why more visuals and less text make for better surveys. The success of this survey helps confirm that participants are much more likely to provide input when it feels like a fun experience, rather than an onerous task with long texts.
1. One particularly good example of the above point is the use of the Visual Preference Screen. The questions read like traditional questions – where do you want to go, how do you get there, etc. However, instead of providing a drop down with a list with possible answers, or asking participants to tediously fill in a text answer, this survey provides 5 images for each question that represent each of the answers and create a visually appealing activity that one can complete in just seconds.
For more great tips on how to make the most out of MetroQuest, contact your Customer Experience manager or reach out for more information!

MetroQuest supports community outreach on plans big and small! Check out our recent webinar on designing success for any size project:

The Art & Science of Big Online Engagement for Small Plans

Join us as we delve deep into good survey design and targeted promotional tactics, helping planning teams achieve successful community engagement for any size of project!

WATCH WEBINAR

Anatomy of a Transit Survey: Visual Screens for Maximum Fun Factor!

When landing on the Welcome Screen, participants will find information on the project, including the background as well as some additional information on high-capacity transit. Immediately after, the survey starts with a Tradeoffs Screen. This type of Screen gives participants a chance to look at the project in terms of what they would prioritize when given competing choices.

Here, participants were presented with four tradeoffs, namely Convenience, Timing, Separation, and Investment, and asked where they would position themselves. For example, under Convenience, they were asked to indicate their preference regarding faster trips with fewer stops or slower trips with more stops.

The next task was to provide destinations on a Google map on the Map Marker Screen. Participants could choose from available markers, including “home,” “job,” “entertainment,” “errands,” and “other.” The task was for participants to show on the map where they typically go. This exercise around origin and destination is a great way to understand typical trips and help show the study organizers where capacity is most needed!

The fourth Screen was an Image Preference Screen where participants were asked to provide input on service preferences. They could choose one image out of a set that best represented their answer in a number of categories, namely “Where do you want to go,” “How do you get there now,” “What’s close enough,” and “What’s most important to you?” Each of the questions had five possible answers, with one being an “Other” or “Not applicable” option. The purpose was for the survey team to understand how high-capacity transit could serve the participants.

If you’d like to try out the survey, take a look at this demo version. This does not collect data and will not impact survey results.

5 Tips from All Aboard: Straightforward and fun survey for a high impact!

The survey stands out as particularly visually appealing and fun. Below are 5 takeaways from their survey:
1. On the Welcome Screen where visitors first land, they see a language switch button labelled “Español” so that those who prefer to take the survey in Spanish can do so easily. This element is part of MetroQuest’s overall effort to streamline the process required to create a survey in an additional language. For more information, read our recent update on multilingual surveys to support inclusive public engagement, or reach out to your customer support manager.
1. The Welcome Screen also makes use of the rotating slides at the bottom to provide additional information, small factoids about the project, process, and definitions. This is a recommended and particularly useful way to use it! A participant who wants to learn a little more will take the time to read those, and one who wants to spend only a few minutes here can do so as well.
1. What stands out from this survey is that it is far from a traditional survey! In fact, apart from a few demographic questions at the end, there are no text-based questions at all! We firmly believe that reason for this survey’s fantastic participation rates is that it does not feel like survey at all, but an interactive, fun experience that still resulted in high numbers of data points and informed public input.
1. COMPASS created a very visually appealing experience that, instead of using text for the majority, switches things up with images, and with a map for input. For more tips on this, have a look at this 1-minute video where I discuss why more visuals and less text make for better surveys. The success of this survey helps confirm that participants are much more likely to provide input when it feels like a fun experience, rather than an onerous task with long texts.
1. One particularly good example of the above point is the use of the Visual Preference Screen. The questions read like traditional questions – where do you want to go, how do you get there, etc. However, instead of providing a drop down with a list with possible answers, or asking participants to tediously fill in a text answer, this survey provides 5 images for each question that represent each of the answers and create a visually appealing activity that one can complete in just seconds.
For more great tips on how to make the most out of MetroQuest, contact your Customer Experience manager or reach out for more information!

MetroQuest supports community outreach on plans big and small! Check out our recent webinar on designing success for any size project:

The Art & Science of Big Online Engagement for Small Plans

Join us as we delve deep into good survey design and targeted promotional tactics, helping planning teams achieve successful community engagement for any size of project!

WATCH WEBINAR
June 29, 2021