As 2022 comes to an end, we here at MetroQuest wanted to reflect on the last year and give an inside scoop on what to expect from us in 2023! 

It’s clear that equity in public engagement was a big priority this year for the planning industry, and your efforts certainly haven’t gone unnoticed. We’re always thinking of ways to better serve our customers throughout their engagement journey, and we hope to continue to do so in the new year.  

Let’s get into our 2022 MQ Wrap-Up, along with some exciting details about our 22.5 Release that will include a fresh, new look coming to MetroQuest Studio at the beginning of 2023!

Inspiring Project Teams to Strive for Equitable Engagement

Sometimes, all you need to get started in your community engagement project is a few good tips that have been proven to work.

As online public engagement is always changing, we revised The Beginner’s Guide to Effective Online Engagement in order to paint a full picture of what to consider in your planning. This crash course is the perfect tool to use moving forward in virtual public engagement.

Want to take it a step further? We just recently released The Planner’s Guide to Equity in Public Engagement. We collaborated with experts from over 1,400 agencies to address the barriers and limitations of engaging hard-to-reach audiences and curated a list of implementation methods for equity in public engagement!

Building Virtual Connections and Learning from Them

We couldn’t imagine two years ago how essential our devices would become. However, this shift to digital has made it easier than ever to connect with each other and share stories. When you start your journey with MetroQuest, we don’t underestimate the importance of feeling supported and connected! Our Customer Success Managers are here to guide you along the way. They create meaningful relationships with all our customers and are a valuable part of our identity. 

The importance of meeting virtually was ever clear during the second annual Conference on Virtual Public Engagement for Transportation Planning, our two-day virtual event which featured plenty of sessions on hybrid engagement from Texas DOT, NCDOT, Minnesota DOT, WSP USA and more!  

Let’s not forget our webinars that are streamed live with an interactive Q&A session at the end. Take a look at the webinars we did this year, featuring lots of testimonies on engaging difficult-to-reach audiences, increasing inclusivity and accessibility and achieving equitable results.

What’s Coming to MetroQuest in 2023

What to expect from our 22.5 Release? We want MetroQuest to be synonymous with user-friendliness, accessibility and responsiveness. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming…  

• UI Refresh – MetroQuest Studio is getting a User Interface overhaul! Studio will have a new, cleaner look, along with a navigation tab and custom survey lists. 
• Review Survey – Review Survey is a new tool that will be available in MetroQuest’s Editor. It will alert survey editors of any missing or potentially overflowing content before the survey can be finalized. This tool will allow users to have a shorter Pre-Launch period. 
• Live Chat – We’re excited to share that soon MetroQuest users will soon get real-time support right in Studio or Editor. A live chat feature built into MetroQuest Studio will allow users to chat with a Support Team member at the click of a button!

Team MetroQuest’s Purpose Moving Forward  

Earlier this year, MQ members got together for a team-building exercise. We spent the day having honest and open conversations about what it means to work at MetroQuest and what the company represents in order to define MetroQuest’s purpose and values. Moving forward, we hope 2023 is encompassed with what we stand for: quality, equality, and respect! Our mission will be to continue to support positive change through inclusive engagement in the new year.  

 

Happy Holidays!