Public Outreach and Construction Information for Phase 2 of the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica.
Phase 1 of Expo's light rail line between Los Angeles and Culver City, though currently under construction, was up against significant community concerns and Phase 2 was expected to encounter similar obstacles. Consensus Inc. is currently working on a four-year contract with the Exposition Construction Authority (Authority) to manage the public outreach and construction information program. Our work began with support for the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). On February 4, 2010, following a contentious debate about the Phase 2 preferred alignment, the FEIR was certified and the preferred alternative selected. Consensus Inc. managed efforts to ensure more than 70 stakeholders were mobilized to attend the Authority Board certification meeting in support fo the project and secured dozens of support letters submitted on behalf of the project. The Authority, with plans approved now for both phases, wants to rebrand the light-rail line as a contigious project rather than two separate ones, including collateral materials, online presence, and informative dialogue.
Public Outreach and Construction Information for Phase 2 of the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica.
The FEIR hearing was an important milestone to show community support backing the project but needed persuasive messages about the benefits of the light-rail line to mobilize supporters. Consensus Inc. used a variety of channels to deliver these messages including socail media platforms, eBlasts and stakeholder briefings. Peer-to-peer dialogue was essential for mobilization, including videos posted on Facebook to allow interested stakeholders to learn about the project from people they trust. Twitter posts allowed for a grassroots showing of supporters to the Authority Board meeting. We posted live Twitter updates from the meeting, resulting in the number of followers to double within a 3-hour period. Weekly eBlasts prior to the hearing helped to dispel myths and educate stakeholders on the facts and the benefits of the light-rail line. One eBlast featured a blog post from a thrid-party spokesperson, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, with information on why he planned to vote in support of the project.
To re-brand the light-rail line as a contiguous project rather than two seperate ones, Consensus Inc, redesigned collateral materials and reinvigorated the project's online presence with updated information and interactive content. As the project moves into the design-build phase, we continually work on the availability of public information about the project by updating the Authroity's website to reflect updated branding and increase interactivity, participating in briefing community groups, and continuing to maintain the project's Facebook and Twitter pages with regualr updates on construction notices and photos, project milestones, and news/blog coverage. We are also in the process of developing a series of informational webisodes, which will be posed and shared across online channels. The facebook page (www.facebook.com/ExpoLine), which currently has 690 fans, has been a site of rich discussion where comments citical of the project are often met with supporers refutations. On Twitter (www.twitter.com/ExpoLine) where the project has 400 followers, stakeholders are able to ask questions about the project and receive responses directing them to information.
With the FEIR certified, Consensus Inc. will continue to use peer-to-peer communication with the use of social media tools, including a rebuilt and interactive project website, to provide timely and relevant information regarding the design-build phase and updates to stakeholders throughout the corridor.
