2012 National Planning Excellence Award: Public Outreach

Fast Forward Mobile Outreach Bus

Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG), the regional planning agency for the Tulsa metro area, wanted to identify and prioritize corridors for long-term transit development. To gather citizen input, an ordinary city bus was transformed into an mobile transit lab featuring educational tools, LCD video screens, and interactive displays.

The 40-foot Fast Forward Bus traveled to 117 locations over a four month period, stopping at schools, libraries, shopping malls, and community events. More than 2,000 citizens were able to discuss transit face-to-face with planners. Upon entering the bus, citizens could discuss transit options with a staff member, take a short survey, and watch a five-minute video. The interaction enabled citizens to discuss specific transit needs, concerns, and frustrations face-to-face. Of the citizens participating in the Fast Forward Bus, 88 percent indicated they had never previously participated in a transportation planning meeting and more than 1,500 citizens submitted surveys about transit planning in the area.

Upon entering the mobile outreach bus, Tulsa residents could take a short transit survey. More than 1,500 surveys were collected.