Case Study: Ohio Department of Transportation boosts public engagement for Route 23 Connect with PublicInput

How Ohio DOT Prioritized Public Engagement to Manage and Deliver High Profile Projects

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) faced significant public engagement challenges while planning the high-profile Route 23 Connect Study. Initial opposition, including a dedicated opposition website, emerged due to concerns over the project's impact on agricultural land. To overcome pandemic-related barriers and manage diverse stakeholder input across a large corridor, ODOT partnered with PublicInput to centralize and manage its outreach efforts using the vendor's public engagement platform and Meetings Module.

By implementing PublicInput as its central system of record, ODOT gained a comprehensive understanding of project feedback and could strategically target outreach to underrepresented communities. The solution facilitated widespread participation, ultimately engaging over 7,065 stakeholders through web, email, voicemail, and meetings. This robust and transparent process helped overcome opposition, leading to the discontinuation of the opposition website and allowing ODOT to successfully move forward with a segmented plan for corridor improvements based on extensive public input.

Ohio Department of Transportation

Jack Marchbanks

Director