Transportation design and construction firms and public agencies from New Mexico to Pennsylvania were recognized for “excellence in community relations and public education” during the American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) 2007 PRIDE Awards luncheon, held May 8 in the Nation’s Capital during the association’s Federal Issues Program.
Established by the ARTBA board of directors in October 1999, the PRIDE Awards honor outstanding programs that enhance the image of the transportation construction industry. An independent panel of public relations professionals and journalists reviewed nominations and selected winners.
Awards were presented in the following categories:
- Public-Media Relations/Education: Recognizes programs and activities that educate the public and opinion leaders about the significant contributions the transportation design and construction industry (or its sectors) make to the economy and /or quality of life.
- Community Relations: Honors programs and activities which demonstrate positive involvement with the community in which a public agency, firm or association is located.
Public-Media Relations/Education- Public Sector
First Place: North Carolina Department of Transportation “Trucking in the Work Zone” Campaign
Working to reduce the number of work zone accidents in the state, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) partnered with the state trucking association to create a multimedia education resource designed to increase driver awareness of work zone safety issues and help them navigate through these sites.
Second Place: Missouri Department of Transportation Work Zone Safety Public Service Announcement
On August 15, 2006, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) highway worker Ken Hoierman was struck and killed by a motorist in a work zone. Ironically, just one week before his death, a local television interview recorded Ken’s plea encouraging motorists to slow down, heed the advice of signage and drive with caution. Following Ken’s death, his family pledged their full cooperation and support of MoDOT’s campaign to use his interview as a public service announcement.
Public-Media Relations/Education- Private Sector
First Place: HNTB Engineering/Illinois Tollway “Construction Communications Initiative”
Supporting one of the largest rehabilitation efforts to the Illinois Tollway since the 1950’s, HNTB Engineering and the Tollway developed a multi-year communications campaign to inform commuters, road users and the general public about project developments. Utilizing both traditional earned media and direct communications programs, the team regularly contacted more than 800,000 motorists through various venues.
Second Place: Louisiana TIMED Managers Parsons Brinckerhoff, the LPA Group Inc., and GEC
Reaching Louisiana’s rural communities with information about transportation infrastructure and ongoing economic development activities is a top priority for the Louisiana Department of Transportation’s (LA DOT) “Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development” (TIMED)—a $4.7 billion statewide program. LA DOT identified and is upgrading 16 strategically located transportation projects to promote economic development and easier travel. To raise awareness and build support, project managers created a 450-mile long “road show,” which stopped in each of the 16 targeted communities.
Community Relations- Public Sector
First Place: Wisconsin Department of Transportation Marquette Interchange North Leg Reconstruction Project
With more than 300,000 vehicles transiting the corridor each day, the Marquette Interchange North Leg (a project “Roads and Bridges” magazine called the nation’s number one road project in 2004) is a major transportation artery in the state. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) improvements along the corridor required extensive community relations work to maintain traffic flow throughout construction and ease motorist travel. To achieve this goal, WisDOT created a series of high tech software applications for motorists. WisDOT also created a series of commemorative icons for inclusion in the project architecture and a public art display on overpasses and bridge abutments providing a legacy to affected communities and a cooperative work opportunity for a project team that included Milwaukee Transportation Partners, a joint venture of CH2M HILL and HNTB.
Second Place: Missouri Department of Transportation “Missouri Advance Planning initiative” (MAP)
As part of the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) long-range transportation planning effort, agency leaders created a targeted consumer and stakeholder communications and research campaign to generate public input and guidance on future transportation programs. MoDOT established a series of regional, area-resident working groups, created a new one-stop online resource for residents, implemented a direct stakeholder research campaign and conducted a statewide survey of residents. Survey results and tactics will be included in the MAP public report and provide a model for future transportation projects.
Community Relations- Private Sector
First Place: Twin Mountain Construction II Company, I-40 New Mexico
Working on the “GRIP /I-40 Coors Design Build Project,” New Mexico’s largest ever urban design-build project, Twin Mountain Construction II Company faced a short timeline for completion and a requirement to solicit positive public support for the project’s aesthetic and functional designs. The team created an “Aesthetics Public Advisory Committee” to seek and guide public input in the decision-making process. Working with the state DOT, the team created a design and architecture review committee with members from around the state.
Second Place: Utah S.R. 201 Design-Build Project by H.W. Lochner Inc.
Utah S.R. 201 is one of the most heavily commercialized areas in the state and serves as a vital link for commuters, local businesses and travelers. As part of its design-build corridor upgrade, H.W. Lochner created a broad public outreach and communications campaign targeting stakeholders. Lochner’s public involvement team created a series of branded signs, e-mail templates, websites, consumer hotline and newsletter outreach campaigns. The firm’s efforts included regular communications to a stakeholder database, 90 percent of whom were daily commuters. In addition, Lochner’s team conducted personal and group outreach to all businesses along the corridor.
