At a recent Tribal Transportation Planners Meeting, held alongside the Tribal Leaders Summit, Bubar & Hall Consulting, LLC, gave a presentation on a few innovative tools we are currently utilizing for transportation planning. The tools that were presented were an interactive dashboard for crash data and a web application that collects crowdsourced safety data.
An interactive dashboard for crash data in simpler terms is an excel spreadsheet that has been made into a variety of visualizations such as maps, graphs, and charts. Once the underlying excel sheet is formatted properly, future data entries will be automatically added to the existing visuals, allowing for users to view the most up-to-date information. Developing dashboards to view and interact with data allows decision makers to interpret that data quickly and make data-driven decisions with the best information available.
Using a web application to collect crowdsourced information, data on a map can be generated by residents, commuters, and other stakeholders using the road—or other public programs, infrastructure, or categories of concern. In addition to Road Safety issues, users can also report issues in the following categories: Animal Control, Blight, Environmental Health, Park/Tree, Road, Snow/Ice, Trash, and Water/Sewer. Other users can then respond to comments to either affirm or dispute reports.
Collecting transportation-related data is vital to the planning process and has a large impact on long-range plans. Traditionally public input is collected using a survey, social media, or public meetings. These methods of data collection have varied levels of success, but they all collect meaningful data that is used to shape long-range plans. The information collected not only helps leaders make informed decisions, which in turn allow for more efficient use of resources; it can also make projects and communities eligible for additional funding and grants. When it comes to public outreach, the more data collected the better.
In order to collect additional data, specifically about road safety, the web app referenced above was created to allow users to identify safety concerns on a map. People who visit the web app can choose to submit a new report or comment on an existing report to support or refute its claim. Simply visit http://b-hc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/CrowdsourceReporter/index.html?appid=08aa748b8a3f4f83bcc1edd5326f0cbd, or visit the Road Safety page under Projects on the Fort Berthold Plan website, https://fortbertholdplan.org, and scroll down to click on the Road Safety Issue Reporter Interactive Map towards the bottom of the page, then proceed as a guest to interact with the map. This “crowdsourced” data will be used as an additional source of public input to help ensure that the final long-range plans reflect the community’s comments and concerns.
We want to hear from you! With your participation, we can create a true partnership and ensure that the Fort Berthold Comprehensive Regional Transportation Plan meets the needs of the entire Fort Berthold Community.