A Fort Worth transportation strategy built on public input has won national accolades.
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority’s Transit Master Plan campaign won grand prize honors as part of The AdWheel Awards, presented by the American Public Transportation Association. The awards program honors communications and marketing efforts in showcasing their importance in the industry.
The Fort Worth agency, also know as The T, gathered community input for a year before formulating its plan, which won grand prize in the category of Campaigns to Highlight Transit Needs-Funding.
The agency’s entry focused on information gathering, development and implementation. The process included surveys, community focus groups, Twitter town halls and a specially designed bus that would visit community events. The bus was equipped with laptops for visitors to take the survey.
“We made great efforts to make it convenient for participants to be involved in the process,” said Paul J. Ballard, president-CEO of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, commenting in a news release.
After the plan was formulated, the agency used local media to help build awareness and to spotlight funding needs for implementation. Since unveiling the plan, senior leaders with the agency have been meeting with elected officials and community leaders, and have been discussing partnerships and opportunities for providing new service.
AdWheel Awards winners will be honored during a ceremony in California in September during APTA’s annual meeting.