Internet Outreach in Statewide Long-Range Planning: New Jersey Experience

Abstract

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) recently tested the use of a public involvement website devoted to statewide long-range planning. The website, www.njchoices.com, was launched in April 2000 as a cornerstone of the public involvement program for the current plan update. This initiative allowed NJDOT to explore the use of Internet technology for dialogue concerning long-range investment priorities. In addition, NJDOT gained a better understanding of the technical and administrative requirements of maintaining an interactive site. Along with information on the planning process and statewide transportation issues, the website included mechanisms through which users could voice their concerns. Innovative features included a transportation budget game, an interactive demographic map, and an animated tutorial on the sources of traffic growth. These features received more use than an online survey on transportation priorities or a virtual suggestion box for user comments. Between April 2000 and July 2001, the website recorded 9,209 user sessions, reaching a broader audience than traditional outreach methods for statewide planning. Usage was shown to be strongly associated with publicity for the site. Other findings concern ways to integrate web-based and traditional outreach methods, the importance of user testing of site content, and the need to establish an organizational framework for institutionalization of the website.