Research to Inform Data-Driven Communications

Insights Lend to Reshaped Public Sentiment

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), the chief transportation agency responsible for maintaining and improving Portland’s fast-growing transportation infrastructure, desired research to inform long-term, citywide behavior change to help address the issues of traffic and congestion by encouraging Portlanders to be part of the solution. To understand Portlander’s current behaviors as well as provide data-informed communications guidance to PBOT, we used research to gain a baseline sense of the public’s top transportation priorities and to guide PBOT’s longer-term transportation strategies. Through a research approach that included both qualitative and quantitative methods, we provided strategic messaging, transportation priorities, and communications channel recommendations. As a result, PBOT drastically changed their public-facing communications efforts to appeal to the sentiments of Portland residents and underscore the role they play in reducing traffic congestion.