Front Page / Issue Briefs / Issue Category / Issue Brief Title / Model Program or Policy Option: Title

Model Program

NYCDOT Street Ambassadors

Summary    one paragraph description 

• Street Ambassadors target high-volume community locations to expand the public’s feedback and knowledge of DOT’s Street Improvement Projects. DOT planners and outreach staff also conducted numerous workshops, open houses, walk-throughs, and community board presentations on projects large and small. For a complete list of the agency’s progress on Public Engagement Initiatives, refer to nycdotplan.nyc/initiative-table.^[1]

Goal    short description of the policy or program goal  

• Short term goal of getting transportation projects on the ground. ^[2]
• Long-term goal goal to educate people on transportation and recenter the conversation in an accessible and fair way. ^[3]

Cost    total policy or program cost; also include per person cost if available 

• This model program does not require specific funding.

Implementation    describe how the policy or program is implemented (esp. who, how) 

• Taking transportation outreach to the streets and educating everyday New Yorkers about street design changes.^[4]
• Rather than asking busy people to come to meetings, they meet them where they are. The idea is to bring the decision making process to the people. Ex: A single mother working two jobs doesn't have to make time for planning, the planning makes time for her. ^[5]

Evaluation    summarize any evaluation findings that policy or program effectiveness

• 2016 OUTREACH ACHIEVEMENTS: 82 Projects Supported 328 Individual Deployments 27,293 Giveaways Distributed 32,000 + Conversations with Public
• Project Deliverables
• Heat Maps
• In-Depth Survey Responses
• Quotes from the Public
• Data Crunching
• Photo Archive
• Desire Lines Maps
• Delivery Windows
• Ten ambassadors, drawn from numerous communities and half of whom spoke Spanish, engaged 32,000 people concerning 82 projects during 2016, said Kishoni. In 2017, more than 21,000 engagements occurred, generating ideas for creating in-depth surveys and following up. ^[6]
• In the past, City residents needed to make time to attend public meetings in order to participate in the planning process for our streets. DOT is changing that by bringing our outreach directly to New Yorkers. In 2015, the agency launched its Street Ambassador program, a multi-lingual team whose main office is the streets of New York City. The Ambassadors set up mobile information stations in locations where DOT projects are being considered or have been implemented to collect ideas and input from the public.
• As part of the planning for the Queens Boulevard Phase II safety project, the Ambassadors interacted with over 3,300 residents and shoppers on Queens Boulevard, distributing information, conducting mobile workshops, and gathering feedback. The Ambassadors also visited over 90 businesses in the project corridor to discuss truck delivery needs. This approach ensured the agency received input from actual street users and expanded the number of residents engaged in transforming our streets. 

Status    indicate whether this policy or program has been adopted in more locations or remains a proposal 

• The SDOT, In partnership with the Mobility Innovation Center, commissioned the University of Washington’s Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance to review the innovation frameworks of six leading cities—Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco—to identify and analyze their noteworthy innovations, and provide recommendations as the department considers developing its own innovation framework.^[7] The study, based on archival research and semi-structured interviews, revealed how different cities: 
• Solicited ideas from residents, public employees, and the private sector.
• Analyzed those ideas for their potential.
• Implemented promising leads with the ultimate goal of changing policy and establishing new programs.
• NYCDOT Ambassador program was deemed the most impressive.

Point of View    quotations from those in support or opposition to this policy or program 

Contact     contact information for sponsor of this policy or program 

Bibliography    link to any additional readings or websites related to this policy or program