This case study features Social Pinpoint’s legacy platform SPP Classic.
Background
To keep up with Melbourne’s rapid population growth in the outer suburbs, the outer suburban arterial road network required upgrades to improve safety, travel times, and reliability and provide better access to employment centres, freight hubs and recreation spaces. VicRoads have identified eight priority projects in Melbourne’s outer western suburbs to improve the operation of the road network. The community and stakeholders were invited to give feedback on the designs so far via a Social Pinpoint interactive map. The feedback will be used to inform the design process and work with construction companies to refine the designs throughout 2017.
“This is one of the biggest ever projects to update suburban arterial roads and it’s going to create jobs, cut travel times and congestion and improve safety. We’re building better roads for Victorian families to get them home safer and sooner to their loved ones.”
– Premier Daniel Andrews
Challenges
The Victorian Government has made one of the biggest investments ever for outer suburban roads. The program includes eight arterial road upgrades in the outer west to be delivered within five years, as well as a contract for a further 10 years of maintenance for more than 700 lane kilometres of road, spanning from Werribee to Footscray.
VicRoads wants to ensure the community and stakeholders are given the opportunity to have their say on projects that impact them. VicRoads needed to provide many opportunities for the community to get involved, learn about key projects and influence project outcomes.
Solution
The Victorian Government has made one of the biggest investments ever for outer suburban roads. The program includes eight arterial road upgrades in the outer west to be delivered within five years, as well as a contract for a further 10 years of maintenance for more than 700 lane kilometres of road, spanning from Werribee to Footscray.
VicRoads wants to ensure the community and stakeholders are given the opportunity to have their say on projects that impact them. VicRoads needed to provide many opportunities for the community to get involved, learn about key projects and influence project outcomes.
“Based on other engagement we completed in the area, we were hoping for around 500 comments and we ended up reaching 863 comments.”
– Laura Middleton, Senior Advisor
Outcome – It’s all in the Statistics
“Based on other engagement we completed in the area, we were hoping for around 500 comments and we ended up reaching 863,” said Middleton when asked about the outcome of the project.
Social Pinpoint created a strong feedback platform between the members of the area and VicRoads, so there was clear communication during the projects. Incorporating an interactive component to their online strategy allows easy access and availability for community members to give their input.
As part of the project engagement strategy, VicRoads also held pop up sessions to promote their online engagement tools and speak directly with the community. Their statistics showed that the engagement was considered a success and the interactive map provided an exciting way to get involved with the growing community.
