Even before a corridor was selected for the pilot project, the Connected Corridors outreach and communications team engaged in the following activities to support the project's development:
- Conducted background research and analysis on various potential corridors in the state and specific research on corridors in the Los Angeles area
- Studied other ICM projects in the state, US, and abroad in order to understand the corridor, the technology and/or infrastructure to be deployed, the outreach strategies, etc.
- Developed short-, medium-, and long-term plans for outreach and communications for the Connected Corridors program and pilot for approximately the next three years
- Prepared communications goals:
- Build awareness of the Connected Corridors program and pilot and the consortium of participants
- Provide information in multiple formats to clearly articulate the who, what, where, when, and why of the program
- Promote the Connected Corridors program, the Pilot, and the consortium
- Engage all stakeholders and keep them educated and informed; produce materials in multiple languages if needed
- Generate support for the Connected Corridors program and pilot
- Obtain positive media coverage
- Prepared communications objectives:
- Proactively communicate regarding the Connected Corridors program and pilot
- Provide timely, relevant information for either general or specific purposes
- Support decision-makers by providing clear, concise messaging and detailed communications materials
- Build a strong community/corridor-oriented foundation of public support and positive media coverage based on local concerns and input
- Mapped out a specific strategy for Pilot stakeholder meetings, publications (newsletters, fact sheets, etc.), websites, social media, public announcements, conference participation, agency agreements, etc.
- Wrote, circulated, and confirmed the vision statement for the project:
“Developed with a consortium of partners, Connected Corridors is a multi-modal, integrated, tested, replicable, and sustainable corridor transportation program created for California. It uses technology, instrumentation, communications, software, and operational/system innovations to build a framework for a modern traffic management system. The goals: better traveler mobility, improved safety, less congestion, higher efficiency, and sustainable environmental benefits that can be implemented statewide.”