ARTBA Foundation Announces
2007 “PRIDE Award” Winners

Program Honors Excellence in Community
Relations & Public Education

Contact:
Jeff Solsby 202-289-4434		Print this page

Washington, D.C. [May 09, 2007]— Transportation design and construction firms and public agencies from New Mexico to Pennsylvania were recognized for “excellence in community relations and public education” during the American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) 2007 PRIDE Awards luncheon, held May 8 in the Nation’s Capital during the association’s Federal Issues Program.

Established by the ARTBA Board of Directors in October 1999, the PRIDE Awards honor outstanding programs that enhance the image of the transportation construction industry. An independent panel of public relations professionals and journalists reviewed nominations and selected winners.

Awards were presented in the following categories:

Public-Media Relations/Education

Public Sector  

First Place: North Carolina Department of Transportation “Trucking in the Work Zone” Campaign

Working to reduce the number of work zone accidents in the state, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) partnered with the state trucking association to create a top notch multimedia education resource designed to increase driver awareness of work zone safety issues and help them navigate through these sites. NCDOT’s “Trucking in the Work Zone” DVD was distributed to more than 2,000 truckers and statewide organizations — truckers comprise a high percentage of drivers on the state’s road network.

Second Place: Missouri Department of Transportation Work Zone Safety Public Service Announcement  

On August 15, 2006, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) highway worker Ken Hoierman was struck and killed by a motorist in a work zone. Ironically, just one week before his death, a local television interview recorded Ken’s plea encouraging motorists to slow down, heed the advice of signage and drive with caution. Following Ken’s death, his family pledged their full cooperation and support of MoDOT’s campaign to use his interview as a public service announcement. Missouri television station KDSK cooperated with the department in distributing the announcement to media outlets statewide. The campaign is estimated to have reached more than half of the targeted driver audience in the St. Louis market alone. Free media coverage provided additional support for the message based on Ken’s chillingly compelling message: slow down in a work zone.  

Private Sector  

First Place: HNTB Engineering/Illinois Tollway “Construction Communications Initiative”

Supporting one of the largest rehabilitation efforts to the Illinois Tollway since the 1950’s, HNTB Engineering and the Tollway developed a multi-year communications campaign to inform commuters, road users and the general public about project developments. Utilizing both traditional earned media and direct communications programs, the team regularly contacted more than 800,000 motorists through a monthly newsletter, ongoing e - mail and web communications programs, public information kiosks, a series of community meetings, stakeholder outreach events and high profile news conferences. The partnership contributed to a marked increase in public support for the project and awareness of its objectives.

Second Place: Louisiana TIMED Managers Parsons Brinckerhoff, the LPA Group, Inc., and GEC, Inc.

Reaching Louisiana’s rural communities with information about transportation infrastructure and ongoing economic development activities is a top priority for the Louisiana Department of Transportation’s (LA DOT) “Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development” (TIMED)—a $4.7 billion statewide program. LA DOT identified and is upgrading 16 strategically located transportation projects to promote economic development and easier travel. To raise awareness and build support, project managers created a 450-mile long “road show,” which stopped in each of the 16 targeted communities. Led by Governor Kathleen Blanco and DOT Secretary Johnny Bradberry, the campaign reached thousands of students, residents and local officials and generated significant media coverage. At the center of the campaign was a themed motor coach, which attracted attention and promoted the program’s efforts in each community along its route.

Community Relations

Public Sector

First Place: Wisconsin Department of Transportation Marquette Interchange North Leg Reconstruction Project

With more than 300,000 vehicles transiting the corridor each day, the Marquette Interchange North Leg—a project “ Roads and Bridges ” magazine called the nation’s number one road project in 2004—is a major transportation artery in the state. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) improvements along the corridor required extensive community relations work to maintain traffic flow throughout construction and ease motorist travel. To achieve this goal, WisDOT created a series of high tech software applications for motorists, including a route-planning tool, traffic update notification system and a series of guides to provide work-around solutions during construction. WisDOT also created a series of commemorative icons for inclusion in the project architecture and a public art display on overpasses and bridge abutments providing a legacy to affected communities and a cooperative work opportunity for a project team that included Milwaukee Transportation Partners—a joint venture of CH2M HILL and HNTB.

Second Place: Missouri Department of Transportation “Missouri Advance Planning initiative” (MAP)

As part of the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) long-range transportation planning effort, agency leaders created a targeted consumer and stakeholder communications and research campaign to generate public input and guidance on future transportation programs. MoDOT established a series of regional, area-resident working groups, created a new one-stop online resource for residents, implemented a direct stakeholder research campaign and conducted a statewide survey of residents. Survey results and tactics will be included in the MAP public report and provide a model for future transportation projects. 

Third Place: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Interstate 83 Exit 14 and 15 Improvements

Working on a project with more than 55,000 vehicle trips each day, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and partner Gannett Fleming, Inc., implemented a Context-Sensitive outreach and communications program to exceed required impact and mitigation standards on the Interstate 83 project. The team created a week-long community design exhibition—attracting nearly 300 visitors—that highlighted the project with driving simulators and an operating an interactive review and feedback process. PennDOT also created a community advisory committee hosting 19 meetings over 30 months reaching hundreds of local residents. The Interstate 83 team also created an emergency services team to seek input from fire, police and first responder teams.

Private Sector

First Place: Twin Mountain Construction II Company, Interstate 40 New Mexico  

Working on the “GRIP /Interstate-40 Coors Design Build Project,” New Mexico’s largest ever urban design-build project, Twin Mountain Construction II Company faced a short timeline for completion and a requirement to solicit positive public support for the project’s aesthetic and functional designs. The team created an “Aesthetics Public Advisory Committee” to seek and guide public input in the decision-making process. Working with the state DOT , the team created a design and architecture review committee with members from around the state. The result was a process that was successful not only on the I-40/Coors Project, but also provided a new communication and outreach model that has been utilized statewide.

Second Place: Utah State Route 201 Design-Build Project by H.W. Lochner, Inc.

Utah State Route 201 is one of the most heavily commercialized areas in the state and serves as a vital link for commuters, local businesses and travelers. As part of its design-build corridor upgrade, H.W. Lochner created a broad public outreach and communications campaign targeting stakeholders. Lochner’s public involvement team created a series of branded signs, e-mail templates, websites, consumer hotline and newsletter outreach campaigns. The firm’s efforts included regular communications to a stakeholder database—90 percent of whom were daily commuters. In addition, Lochner’s team conducted personal and group outreach to all businesses along the corridor from major employers like England Trucking, UPS and the Postal Service to the many family-owned businesses throughout the area.

The ARTBA-TDF was established in 1985 as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity to promote research, education and public awareness. It supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, roadway work zone safety and training programs, special economic reports and a national exhibition on transportation.

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