Iowa Creates Virtual Public Involvement Tool

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) developed a virtual public involvement platform to manage its stakeholder outreach and improve project decision making and is now making the tool available to other highway agencies.

As mobile phone, internet, and social media use grows, agencies are turning to virtual public involvement—the use of digital technology to engage people or visualize projects—to supplement in-person public involvement strategies during planning and project development.

The Iowa DOT created its Public Involvement Management Application (PIMA) to expand citizen input on transportation projects, reduce manual processes, and improve consistency of data collection for public meetings. “PIMA allows us to manage and coordinate our public involvement effort across our organization,” said Brad Hofer, director of the Iowa DOT Right-of-Way Bureau.

PIMA Goals

The agency had several goals in developing PIMA, which features both an internal management tool and a public portal. “We wanted to better analyze and adjust our public involvement effort based on real data,” said Hofer. “We also wanted to improve the ease with which the public can provide feedback on all our projects.”

Traditionally, the Iowa DOT held public meetings primarily for larger, more complex projects. “We wanted a public space that gives everybody an opportunity to comment on every project,” said Hofer.

The searchable public portal gives users information on all Iowa DOT projects and details from any past public meetings. It also displays the level of support a project has received, which is based on comments that have been submitted. In addition to providing a way for people to learn about and comment on projects, PIMA allows Iowa DOT staff to respond to and manage citizen comments electronically.

In recent months, the Iowa DOT has used PIMA for online public information meetings, offering participants the opportunity to view a prerecorded presentation at their convenience and make comments as they watch. Meeting materials can include visuals such as videos, story maps, and slide presentations.

“With PIMA, Iowa has been able to continue business as usual,” said Valerie Brewer, public involvement manager. The agency is working on the capability to livestream public information meetings in the future.

Spreading the Word

The Iowa DOT has demonstrated the PIMA platform to other State DOTs interested in using it for their public involvement efforts. The Georgia and Massachusetts Departments of Transportation have incorporated PIMA into their processes and others are considering implementation.

The Iowa DOT offers PIMA free by agreement with the stipulations that other agencies give Iowa credit for PIMA when appropriate, not share proprietary information with others, and share any improvements they make with Iowa. “We’re excited that this will continue to stimulate innovation around virtual public involvement,” Hofer said.


—MORE INFORMATION

Contact Brad Hofer, Valerie Brewer, or John Rees of the Iowa DOT for details on the PIMA tool’s applications and benefits.

Contact Carolyn Nelson of the FHWA Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty for information on virtual public involvement.