The Northwest Region of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) was awarded a communication honor for its public outreach efforts done in connection with the Big I Roundabout construction in Crawford County.

In conjunction with the 2019 improvement project at the intersection of Routes 6/322, 19, and 98 in Vernon Township, PennDOT’s District 1 team members Jill Harry, Joshua Kaufer, Hannah Stiller, and Chad Tarr conducted a series of educational community programs, created online resources, and partnered with businesses and social organizations to pass out navigation handouts, among other things.

Those efforts were recently recognized by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) through its Transportation Communication (TransComm) committee as the national skill award honoree in the category Public Involvement Approach: Without a Consultant. 

“I am really proud of this accomplishment by our District 1 team. During the design stages of the intersection improvement project, we received concerns from the public about how we might educate drivers, especially mature drivers, on using the roundabout,” District 1 Executive Brian McNulty, P.E., said. “We heard that concern and acted. This team reached thousands of our customers, providing them with information about the new intersection through a comprehensive outreach plan.”

The outreach effort included more than a dozen question and answer sessions at various community centers in Crawford County, a comprehensive project webpage (www.penndot.gov/BigIRoundabout), and update videos recorded and posted throughout the construction process. The team also created a handout specifically for the Big I and made it available at a variety of locations, produced a navigational video unique to the roundabout, and connected social media posts through the common hashtag - #BigIRoundabout. 

The TransComm Skills Contest is conducted annually to recognize the outstanding work of its public relations practitioners and facilitate an exchange of ideas. The contest is considered the premier competition in the transportation industry and the awards have become a standard of public relations excellence among state departments of transportation. Winners demonstrate the very best examples of innovation, planning, production, execution, and evaluation of results and budget.

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.gov/District1. 

Follow PennDOT’s northwest region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAErie or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/northwestregionpenndot. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035

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