BACKGROUND

Active transportation consists of human-powered modes of transportation such as biking and walking. In addition to providing health benefits to users, active transportation can enable positive societal outcomes such as reducing vehicle usage and associated emissions, injuries, and air pollutants, and enhancing economic vitality and equity in communities. As such, active transportation encompasses several complex and intersecting issues, such as equity, public health, accessibility, data, economics, and safety. Historically, active transportation has been viewed in a silo, as an optional add-on, or as a design exception. Active transportation projects and strategies are developed by transportation and other government agencies, including state departments of transportation (DOTs), metropolitan planning organizations, localities, and municipalities. Communications and messaging are critical to raising the awareness of the benefits of active transportation and enabling the culture shift needed to consistently and sustainably provide safe and equitable active transportation. Research is needed to develop effective communication and messaging practices to reinforce and institutionalize active transportation investment.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop a framework for state DOTs and other government agencies to communicate the processes and strategies for institutionalizing active transportation investment.

At a minimum, the framework shall provide:

• Agency employees, including executives and other employees, with techniques and resources to reinforce this institutional commitment, as well as techniques for overcoming organizational barriers to implementation
• Guidelines for fostering meaningful partnerships with external audiences, including elected officials, potential advocates, the public, and partner organizations

Accomplishment of the project objective will require at least the following tasks.

TASKS

PHASE I: Planning and Initial Outreach

Task 1. Conduct a review of the most relevant literature and related resources concerning active transportation communication and messaging. Special attention should be given to instances of successful organizational behavioral change in support of active transportation investment and instances of conflicting messaging practices that may impede successful active transportation programming.

Task 2. Develop a stakeholder outreach plan. The outreach should target local and state elected officials, transportation agency leaders, and advocates with shared goals from community-based organizations. Respondents should demonstrate innovative approaches to gathering meaningful stakeholder feedback. The outreach should target internal agency gaps and external community needs to foster engagement. Submit a technical memorandum #1, including the results of Task 1 and the plan developed in Task 2. NCHRP approval of the technical memorandum is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.

Task 3. Administer and summarize the stakeholder outreach. Submit a technical memorandum #2 summarizing the results of the stakeholder outreach. NCHRP approval of the technical memorandum is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.

Task 4. Propose a method to achieve the research objective, to be fully developed in Phase II. As part of the proposed method, develop an annotated outline of the framework deliverable and any proposed supplementary tools. Considerations of the following topics should be included in this method for the purpose of providing clear, accurate, and consistent messaging of active transportation benefits to relevant audiences:

• Methods for shifting active transportation safety and equity to a default behavior
• Inclusion of historical or notional case studies illustrating effective communications strategies
• Emphasis on adult learning principles
• Logical progression of accountability checks used to determine an appropriate communications strategy
• Barriers, challenges, and successes to communicating the essentiality of active transportation
• Nuances of regional context, such as differing user mobility patterns and mode choices
• Unique needs for elected officials, advocates, and agency staff to enable cultural shift
• Challenges and opportunities posed by the availability of active  transportation and any impacts on commuter patterns
• The benefits of active transportation for all system users
• Intersection and co-benefits with related considerations such as affordable housing, access to jobs, physical and mental health improvement, climate impact mitigation, community revitalization, reduction of injuries and liability, and return on investment

Task 5. Prepare an interim report that documents Tasks 1 through 4 and provides an updated work plan for the remainder of the research. The updated plan must describe the process and rationale for the work proposed for Phase II.

PHASE II: Execute the Method and Produce Final Deliverables

Task 6. Execute the research method from Task 4 according to the approved interim report.

Task 7. Develop the framework and supplementary tools. The draft framework and tools shall be submitted no later than 6 months before the contract end date.

Task 8. Prepare the final deliverables, which shall include the following:

• The conduct of research report that documents the entire research effort
• The framework and supplementary tools
• Public outreach materials, including a PowerPoint presentation with speaker  notes, graphics, and press releases
•  A standalone technical memorandum entitled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products”.

STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP. The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.