In order to develop transportation policy effectively, elected officials should be provided with the opportunity to tap into the views of a broadly representative group of citizens who reflect the expansive range of political, demographic and geographic characteristics that define the state of Texas.
Input from this representative group of Texans may be achieved through developing an online community, a communication model being explored in other states.
The first phase of this effort includes researching the best methods to establish the community and developing such an online community. The community will allow for the development of tools such as online surveys and group discussions to determine what public opinion is regarding certain transportation policy initiatives. The interactions between researchers and the community and among community members with each other will identify knowledge gaps and misperceptions of the online community communication model.
Check back for a publication of this study to come out late May 2015.