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3.A.a - On-Line Services
What are on-line services?
On-line services provide communication through a computer network
round-the-clock. They are a cross between a personal computer
and a telephone line. With a computer modem and a subscription to
an on-line service (similar to a cable television subscription),
users are connected to the computers of other subscribers. At their
own computers, they find information or participate in dialogues
with other users. On-line services can be the basis for an electronic
bulletin board or E-mail.
The rapid evolution of computing technology has now allowed
individuals to communicate with on-line services through hand-held,
portable devices instead of being fixed to a computer terminal
and telephone line. As the cost for these devices and subscription
services continue to decrease, a greater number of individuals will
be able to communicate anytime and anywhere on specialized topics
of interest.
On-line services enable people to give and get information when
they want it and where they want it. They afford people instantaneous
access to information in documents or on bulletin boards. They allow
people to post information that includes opinions, suggestions,
or support for agency proposals or programs. On-line services also
allow for participation from a geographically dispersed audience.
People do not have to attend meetings to have their comments recorded.
Alaska provided on-line services to public libraries for access
to information including dates and times of meetings and the text
of its State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
On-line services have the following components:
- A specific electronic address for the individual or agency;
- A “home page”—a place for messages or an index;
and
- A connection to the Internet via modem and telephone lines,
along with appropriate software.
On-Line services may be subscription-based or free. On-line
services are generally available through the Internet, a worldwide
connection of computers and information sources. Users of on-line
services usually connect through the Internet to a specific electronic
address where information of interest is available. The connection
to the Internet may be “free” to the user (available at
public libraries) or based on access and/or usage charges, to be
paid by the user (like a cable TV subscription). The Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) provide the necessary software and other key information
necessary to explore the Internet. Some agencies have established
their own on-line services (web sites) from which users can access
information about plans, projects, and events.
Why are they useful?
They enable agencies to post information about services or recent
activities. The California State Government On-line Network
includes California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) as one
of its divisions so people can contact it for information. Washington’s
Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has a home
page directory leading to information about its history and organization,
current news, newsletters, and public access network. The Institute
for Transportation Research and Education, working with the North
Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT), offers up-to-date information
on highway construction projects and ferry and train schedules.
On-line services connect individuals to a wide-reaching network
of agency information. Individuals and organizations pull up
information files and print those that interest them. Users send
instantaneous messages about the information to other on-line users,
including the agency. They “surf” among options, with
an enhanced sense of access and ability to communicate. Using on-line
services to reach an agency home page concerning a proposed transportation
project or planning process, a local resident may:
- Collect information;
- View a picture, animation, or video;
- Direct a specific inquiry to the agency or the appropriate staff
member;
- Submit a comment; or
- Register a concern.
On-line services allow interest groups to communicate and share
information. The Institute of Transportation Engineers provides
a listing of computerized bulletin boards with information and data
on transportation topics. The Institute for Global Communication
has several special-interest on-line services for its 9,500 members,
ranging from health reform to marine habitat preservation to labor
relations. In Texas, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris
County (Houston) offers free on-line service. The National Trust
for Historic Preservation has an on-line bulletin board, PRESERV
LINK, with 100 members providing information.
On-line services are used at any stage in a long-range planning
or project development process. The output is used in the same
ways as output from public meetings or messages on an answering
machine. The State of Alaska has a home page, as do the Alaska DOT
and its Transportation Planning Section. They regularly get comments
from users.
Information sharing takes place at any time of day. Agencies
post completed information about proposals or programs. Participants
read the information and comment via the on-line network at a time
of their choice. The on-line programs record and retain the information
for agencies or others to read later.
On-line services are also used as a continuous communications
medium during program or project development. On the Central
Puget Sound RTA’s home page, users get agency history, project-specific
information, and a list of topics discussed in further detail on
later pages. The most recent newsletter is also available. When
a copy of the latest issue appears, it may be printed from the screen.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments uses a free subscription
service to keep interested parties informed in the Dallas-Fort Worth
area. Subscribers can receive a monthly newsletter and updates on
website postings, GIS activities, and census data releases.
Do they have special uses?
On-line services can focus on specific interests. For example,
the Washington State DOT offers a home page about bicycling that
includes books, bicycling clubs, and calendars of events. It also
offers bicycling information from other States, as well as E-mail
addresses for subscriptions to bicycle newsletters. Lastly, it lists
the on-line links into special sections of the Internet Bicycle
Archives.
On-line services give access to vast databases. The library
of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission/Association of Bay
Area Governments in Oakland, California, links systems of databases
covering literature in over 400 subject areas, in 21 million volumes,
in over 10,000 participating libraries. The library is also linked
to on-line catalogs of materials in libraries at the University
of California campuses, California State University, and Stanford
University.
On-line services help develop a mailing list. The Washington
State DOT offers a mailing list option. A user follows a home page
instruction to insert his/her name into the program, thereby automatically
joining the mailing list. (See Mailing
Lists.)
Larger commercial services offer “conversation rooms”
for discussion of specific subjects. In this use, an on-line
service allows several paying subscribers to participate simultaneously
in an electronic conversation.
For local people, these services offer an added degree of privacy.
People who are uncomfortable speaking in front of groups can quietly
compose a message or carefully word a concern. They also converse
one-on-one with other concerned people. Records of their participation
are kept only if the user identifies him/herself.
Agencies offer surveys or preference questionnaires via on-line
services. A comment form encourages participants to review issues
and write personal opinions. The Transportation Research Center
at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas offers a comment form that
can be transmitted by E-mail. On-line services can also be used
to administer public opinion surveys. With the rise of Internet
usage, a standard public opinion survey may be augmented by some
set of participants responding via a website or E-mail. (See Public
Opinion Surveys).
Quick community reaction can also be solicited on a website.
For example, the West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc (WEACT) posts
a poll question dealing with environmental quality and/or environmental
justice on its home page. Users can submit their opinion as well
as review current poll results.
On-line services help reduce trips to meetings and agency offices.
In a study of the potential municipal use of on-line services, the
Claremont Colleges New Liberal Arts Clinic Program suggested that
such services could reduce vehicle trips by providing an alternative
means of conducting business with government. Community people could
use on-line services to participate in a two-way public discussion
or to petition an elected official without arranging for childcare
or even worrying about proper attire.
Who participates? And how?
Computer-oriented people are likely to participate, but
attracting local people with the greatest stake in a project or
interest in a program is difficult if they are not computer literate.
Agencies also need to consider how information can be made available
to people with disabilities and people who first language is not
English. (See Ethnic,
Minority, and Low Income Groups; People
with Disabilities.) As computer use continues to increase and
on-line services become more common in public libraries and through
organizations, these limitations become less pronounced. However,
everyone does not need a computer to communicate. Wireless cellular
phone service, for example, offers the capability to connect to
on-line services and receive voice, text, or image data. Other types
of portable devices are emerging to allow a wider range of people
to participate. The magnitude of the acceptance and accessibility
to on-line services will be dependent on a number of factors including
cost, convenience, social acceptability, and useful information.
Usage is limited to those who have access to a computer with
connections to the service and the time and inclination to participate.
Nominal computer skills are necessary, in addition to familiarity
with a keyboard, but these skills are becoming more common. However,
a computer purchase may be too expensive for many households. Public
computers are not generally available, although some public and
university libraries as well as offices of advocacy organizations
and neighborhood centers now make on-line services available. In
addition, some private services are beginning to appear.
People with a computer and a modem use on-line services right
from their home, whenever they want. A subscription to an on-line
service helps users reach most sources of information. On-line services
are also used from places of work, some public libraries, schools
or universities, and offices of organizations.
Agencies must publicize the availability of on-line materials.
As use of the Internet and on-line comment forums becomes more commonplace,
agencies need to inform people that documents are available at on-line
locations. Agencies publicize on-line connections, usually by providing
their website address, via mail, public information materials, advertisements,
or telephone. More advanced users of the Internet and on-line services
are able to use sophisticated search engines to seek out detailed
information or specialized websites, including agency websites.
Who leads their use?
Any public agency can take advantage of existing commercial
on-line services. These services connect an agency to its constituents
and tap into larger data-sharing resources. The design and development
of a successful on-line service begins by evaluating a public agency’s
hardware and software capabilities and determining the information
management objectives. Agencies may have to hire outside information
management consultants to design, set up, and troubleshoot an on-line
system.
Public agencies are developing their own websites. In addition,
public agencies and not-for-profit organizations often support community
web pages. Because of the usefulness of Internet-based communications,
many agencies and organizations have developed their own capabilities
to plan, design, develop, operate, and maintain on-line services.
These “web hosting” capabilities have been supported by
decreasing costs, increasing standardization of the technology,
and improving availability of skilled technicians. Many organizations
create an “internal” website, which is accessible only
by authorized individuals (usually employees) and an “external”
website, which contains information for the public, such as the
agency mission and organization, major plans and projects, key upcoming
events, recent newsworthy articles, a selection of archived data,
and the means for contacting the organization.
What are the costs to an agency?
Cost will vary depending on the requirements and complexity
of the website or on-line services. Developing a website requires
knowledge in public relations, communications, computer technology,
telecommunications, agency regulations/procedures, and planning/budgeting.
The website or on-line service costs may range from several hundred
dollars to several thousands of dollars for start-up and operations.
A careful analysis of requirements and the website design is necessary
to be able to estimate the life cycle costs. Public agencies may
provide agency staff for the development, operations, and maintenance
of these websites or contract for some or all of these services.
If an agency needs an outside contractor to design, set
up, and monitor system operation, costs depend on the extent of
help needed.
Costs to an agency may be shared with individuals who use
the services. A variety of pricing and cost recovery business models
are in use. Some models have both the agency and the users pay monthly
subscription fees. These fees are in the same general range as cable
television fees and vary with usage, like pay-per-view services
on television. In other models, access to websites and on-line services
are free, with the user bearing the cost to connect to the website.
A user’s cost typically is the expense of using their personal
equipment plus the subscription cost to an Internet Service Provider.
Other users may access the website through free services, such as
those available at public computer stations in government offices
or public libraries. Free, public kiosks may also provide access
to certain types of agency information.
Once an on-line service is running, other costs to an agency
are relatively low. Agencies incur costs to maintain public-access
websites or on-line services. Overall, on-line services are cost-efficient,
because many similar requests for information are handled at once,
or staff members are better positioned to understand and collect
input from the public. On-line services are less costly ways to
disseminate information than direct mail, although outreach is limited
to those who can receive them.
Website and on-line services need to conform to agency policies
and procedures. The use of web-based services or on-line services
requires special attention to agency policies and procedures for
receiving and transmitting information. Many times, the website
will receive only a limited amount of information, if any. While
a website that disseminates information is a value means of establishing
a common place where individuals can receive information, many agencies
restrict the placement of information by the public on a website
due to computer security risks and/or the complexity of tracking
and monitoring requests. The scope and scale of these restrictions
vary by agency.
Such on-line or website services are subject to the policies
of the sponsoring or host agency. With public involvement activities,
much of the information generated, organized, and captured in documents
or other electronic formats (e.g., video) is in the public domain.
As such, these materials qualify as fair use for which there is
usually no fee associated with the cost of accessing the materials.
For example, a public participant may access a project website through
a free public library computer station website in order to read
about a project or plan. The citizen may even copy the information
to electronic media or send it electronically to other interested
individuals, usually at no charge. In this case, there is not direct
cost to the citizen.
However, there may be circumstances in which copyrighted or
other proprietary materials, associated with a public involvement
activity, are made available to the public. A detailed technical
report, produced by an academic or private institution but not sponsored
by an agency, may be available as part of an on-line or website
service in order to provide a more complete perspective on the project
or plan. For example, a non-profit organization may produce a copyrighted
report on global warming and transportation. A project or plan website
may list this report in a “related reports” section to
inform the public participant of related materials or topics. Accessing
and copying of these materials are usually restricted to the conditions
and compensation associated with copyright or license laws and regulations.
Costs for these access privileges may range from a few dollars to
several hundred or more.
Agencies also need to consider how to archive electronic documents.
People may be interested and have the right to access past plans
and studies as well as “what’s new”. The volume of
information that is available electronically makes storage, cataloguing,
and retrieval important issues.
Because of the increasing need for information, many public
agencies are providing their public information in a variety of
languages (multi-language versions relevant to their communities)
as well as in different formats to enable individuals with disabilities
to have easier access the information through special equipment,
software (text-to-voice translators), and other devices. Care needs
to be taken to ensure that all materials offered in on-line or website
services comply with these requirements. Consequently, access to
non-conforming materials may be possible, but warnings or notices
may be required to alert the user.
How are on-line services organized?
On-line services include the following:
- A specific electronic address for an individual or agency becomes
a “mailbox” to receive information via electronic mail.
Note that not all agencies have an electronic mailbox, but instead
encourage communication via fax or written response mailed to
an agency address or point of contact. These restrictions are
imposed primarily to meet agency computer security requirements.
- A “home page”—a place for messages or an index
of an agency’s projects and programs —identifies the
agency, its location, its telephone numbers on- and off-line,
and a home page custodian for direct communication. Some home
pages offer recent news headlines, telephone directories, and
the time of the most recent update.
- The home page serves as a table of contents—a guide to
further pages with details on projects or programs. Users “click”
on a topic, and the requested detailed pages are opened, offering
maps, graphics, or more specific information about projects and
programs. This ability to click on desired topics and reach further
information is called hypertext.
- A connection to the Internet via modem and telephone lines or
wireless devices, along with appropriate software, is essential.
- Computers available to users must be equipped with platforms
using a mouse for “clicking” topics on the monitor screen.
As technologies advance, voice activated commands are becoming
available.
- Accessibility to disabled or visually impaired users. Increasingly,
agency websites and on-line services are conforming to the special
needs of the visually impaired by providing enhanced imagery and
special codes to improve readability. Federal agencies, for example,
are required to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act electronic and information technology accessibility standards
for website development and operations.
As a first step, agencies set a home page on local or regional
on-line services. To take further advantage of the technology,
they add ways for users to begin agency-to-user conversation forums.
Initial actions include informing the public of these opportunities
for communication. Once these services are integrated into an agency’s
range of techniques, they become a routine part of project planning
or program development and a reliable method for gaining public
input.
An agency fosters education and participation through greater
information sharing. Active use of on-line services helps agencies
better understand the public’s needs, monitor reactions, and
improve public awareness. The increasing use of discussion forums
by individuals and all levels of government to share information
suggests that government agencies may learn about themselves through
communication with each other and with their constituents.
On-line services give detailed information about agencies.
The Minnesota DOT maintains an on-line telephone directory that
lists departments and projects alphabetically. Important contact
people are named by agency. This service effectively brings the
DOT phone directory to the user’s living room, eliminating
the sometimes difficult and frustrating effort of getting an agency
operator to connect a caller with the right office and contact person.
On-line services give detailed information about construction
projects and their impacts. Many states, such as the North Carolina
DOT and Texas DOT, provide specific information about current road
conditions and construction projects. From a statewide map, users
choose projects in their area, obtaining details on project purpose,
dates of construction, lane openings, a corridor map, affected side
streets, frequencies of highway advisory radio channels, and construction-zone
safety tips. The service lists a telephone number for more information.
Armed with such data, a motorist can make choices on how to avoid
delays due to road construction.
Data and research on transportation are shared. Caltrans
worked with a private firm in an experimental program to provide
traffic counts by freeway entrance/exit for Southern California.
Caltrans also offers limited use of agency-developed software. The
University of Nevada at Las Vegas has a home page describing the
work of its Transportation Research Center. Users call up summary
information of research projects underway at the University of California
at Berkeley, whose research work, distributed via the California
State Government Network, includes executive summaries of projects
and results.
How are they used with other techniques?
On-line services supplement an agency’s conventional outreach
techniques such as preparing public information materials and
contacting individuals. (See Public
Information Materials.) They should not become the public’s
only means of participating. On-line services are evolving into
a primary method of communication, but they do not preclude or substitute
for techniques such as public meetings, personal interaction, and
mailings.
Electronic bulletin boards promote and facilitate information
exchange. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC)
has established an electronic bulletin board system with message
boards to explain its work, its methods, and its specific products
and services. The Council’s electronic menu offers messages
about the region’s transportation improvement plan, long-range
plan, and potential use of congestion management in developing its
travel models. NYMTC will continue to hold hearings and solicit
input in its forecasting and planning efforts through other traditional
methods.
What are the drawbacks?
Use of on-line services is limited due to access, expense, and
skill requirements. Although usage is growing, on-line services
and computers reach only a fraction of the total population. Some
people are always suspicious of machines, and some resist using
means of communication they consider cold and impersonal. Adjustment
to technological change is slow, and some social and economic barriers
will persist. Just as there are people who do not have cable television,
there will always be those without computers and on-line services.
Concerns about equity among participants should be kept in mind
when choosing this technique. For example, Agencies need to consider
how to make information available to people with disabilities and
people whose first language is not English. (See People
with Disabilities; Ethnic,
Minority, and Low-Income Groups.)
Participants in on-line services do not represent the entire
community. In particular, ethnic groups, minorities, disabled
people, the elderly, and other people traditionally underserved
by transportation often have limited access to these resources.
(See Ethnic,
Minority, and Low-income Groups; People
with Disabilities.) As computer use continues to increase in
the workplace and on-line services become more common and more available
in public places, such limitations may become less pronounced.
On-line services must be used in conjunction with other techniques
that allow people to obtain information quickly. They require people
to make a commitment to using a computer to obtain information.
Users cannot be reached as quickly as with a printed pamphlet, fact
sheet, report, or other materials delivered to the door. (See Public
Information Materials.)
On-line services cannot replace meetings, which allow participants
to interact with one another and focus on key points of discussion.
Even with the interaction on-line services provide, they lack the
dynamic face-to-face interplay that generates and airs ideas during
a meeting or focus group. (See Focus
Groups; Small Group
Techniques.)
Information overload is a potential problem. As on-line
services make communication easy and many people join in, the sheer
volume of information available becomes overwhelming. Agencies are
unlikely to receive individual comments unless they help people
focus on specific issues. Frequently, this involves communicating
through traditional public information materials and meetings.
Are on-line services flexible?
The format of a home page or bulletin board is modified and
adjusted as needed, while the essential characteristics of the
medium remain unchanged. Other specific on-line actions are also
changed frequently. The flexibility of the technology itself (e.g.,
round-the-clock availability, adjustable format or applications)
is one of its most attractive features. The NYMTC Transportation
Information Exchange established 5 bulletin boards and 13 explanatory
files, with the express belief that with time and user interaction,
more bulletin boards and issue-specific files would be added.
On-line information is changed as often as an agency wishes.
It should always carry the date when updated information was entered.
The Caltrans home page shows the date of the page’s latest
update and includes a listing of the information most recently added
to the page, with dates next to each item. Seeing how recently the
information was added and how recently the whole page was updated
adds credibility and a sense of immediacy. It also makes the on-line
service more of a here-and-now resource.
A home page can include information from outside an agency.
This is the concept of a “portal” in which “one-stop
shopping” for information is available to the user. The portal
manager collects and organizes similar information about a topic,
providing cross-references to other websites and frequent updates
of events and plans/projects. One service offered on the Caltrans
home page is San Francisco Bay Area Transit Information. It is operated
as a pubic service of the University of California, supported by
student volunteers working to improve campus on-line services.
When are they used most effectively?
On-line services are best used to improve and expand opportunities
for communication, to include dedicated or focused small groups,
to bridge great distances, and for providing busy people basic information
when they want it. King County Metro Transit in Seattle has
used them to give the riding public information about Metro’s
Rider-Link program. Integrating text, photographs, and video, they
give potential riders information about fares, schedules, routes,
and connections with other services. With this service, anyone in
the Seattle area can get transit information from a desktop computer.
In Lexington, Kentucky, the Metropolitan Planning Organization—Urban
County Government—puts its TIP and Americans with Disabilities
Act reports on electronic bulletin boards.
Over time on-line services strengthen public involvement programs
as a means of communication and information exchange. Their sustained
use increases as more people become accustomed to on-line services
and their advantages.
For further information:
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U.S. Department of Transportation
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