Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors CAV Outreach Plan

Minnesota Guidestar

Board of Directors

CAV Outreach Plan

Minnesota Department of Transportation

June 30, 2017

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors CAV Outreach Plan i SRF Consulting Group, Inc.

Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1

Purpose ................................................................................................................................................................ 1

Vision of the Outreach Plan ............................................................................................................................. 1

Goals .................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Objectives............................................................................................................................................................ 1

Goals and Strategies ............................................................................................................. 2

Goal #1: Increase the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors Membership and Participation ......... 2

Goal #2: Establish the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors as a CAV information forum ......... 3

Goal #3: Educate Policy Makers and Public ................................................................................................. 3

Outreach Material Information and Strategies ................................................................. 3

Update CAV and Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors Websites ...................................................... 4

Social Media ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Targeted Advertising ......................................................................................................................................... 5

Social Media Contact ......................................................................................................................................... 5

Presentations ....................................................................................................................................................... 5

Outreach and Educational Meetings ............................................................................................................... 6

Opportunities for Focused Outreach by the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors 6

APPENDIX A – Targeted Membership Base ....................................................................... 8

APPENDIX B - Membership/Participation One-Pager…………………………………………...10

APPENDIX C – Potential Opportunities for Conferences and Presentations .............. 11

APPENDIX D – Sample Strategies and Opportunities to Meet with Legislators ........ 12

APPENDIX E – Legislative One-Pager ............................................................................... 13

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors CAV Outreach Plan 1 SRF Consulting Group, Inc.

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors CAV Outreach

Plan

Introduction

Connected Automated Vehicles (CAV) have the potential to change areas of transportation that people care

most about: safety, mobility, and sustainability. The Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors is leading a

new initiative to identify connected and automated vehicle applications that are the most beneficial to the

State of Minnesota. This initiative will track how CAV is advancing in other parts of the nation and identify

elements that are relevant to Minnesota. Currently, some automated and connected vehicle technologies are

available in Minnesota, but are only a fraction of what will be available in the future.

This public outreach plan provides a framework to guide future stakeholder and public engagement efforts

regarding CAV. The plan is considered a living document and will be refined to reflect input received from

the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors, other stakeholders, and the public.

Purpose

The purpose of this Outreach Plan is to assist the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors as they transition

their focus to promote CAV across the State of Minnesota over the next 12-18 months.

Vision of the Outreach Plan

Attract new membership and partnerships that advance CAV and emerging technologies in Minnesota.

Goals

Gain broader stakeholder involvement through increased membership and participation with the

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors.

Establish Guidestar as a CAV information forum.

Educate and inform policy makers, specifically legislators, and the public on how the advancement of

CAV brings benefit to Minnesota.

Objectives

The objectives of this new focus are to:

Inform companies involved with development and delivery of CAV about the Minnesota Guidestar

Board of Directors and motivate them to engage and become active members or participants in

advancing development and utilization of CAV in Minnesota.

Provide information to Minnesota state and local agencies related to CAV and how this may impact

their agencies.


Establish a forum to broaden stakeholder involvement to enable and advance CAV across the State of

Minnesota.

Educate and inform policy makers, specifically legislators, elected officials, and the public on how the

advancement of CAV addresses societal challenges and enhances safety.

Goals and Strategies

Goal #1: Increase the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors Membership and

Participation

The advancement of CAV is happening at a rapid pace. Thus, the best way to stay abreast of these

advancements is to become active as a participant in the organization’s upcoming meetings, events, and

trainings.

To increase participation, each Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors meeting will have a theme or topic

of focused discussion, allowing current and potential participants and members to choose meetings targeted

to their individual or company interests. To further reduce the resource commitment of time and expense,

selected Minnesota Guidestar Board meetings will be available online to facilitate remote participation (i.e.,

Skype, webinar, etc.).

Potential new members and or participants to target include:

CAV technology companies

Automobile OEMs

Legislators

National, state, and local agencies

Law enforcement and EMS providers

Academia

Funding and advocacy groups

Specific individuals recommended for contact are included in Appendix A. It is recommended that the

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors consider this list and ask for commitment by individual board

members to make personal contact with those on the list.

This goal should be further pursued using the following materials and strategies detailed later in this plan:

Membership/Participation one-pager (Appendix B)

Inclusion of an invitation to participate during industry meetings and forums

Use of social media contacts

To be successful, the Minnesota Guidestar Board members must become active in seeking new participants

and potential members. To accomplish this, a list of potential conferences or presentations is included in

Appendix C for Board consideration and action.


Goal #2: Establish the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors as a CAV information

forum

Participation and membership in Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors will be enhanced by making this

organization the premier resource for CAV information in Minnesota. This can be accomplished through

the following activities detailed later in this plan:

Update the CAV content on MnDOT’s CAV website. There will be a link to the website on the

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors webpage

Develop and maintain email distribution lists

Keep participants and members informed through social media and email blasts

Goal #3: Educate Policy Makers and Public

Educate and inform policy makers, specifically legislators, elected officials, and the public on how the

advancement of CAV benefits society. This goal can be realized by use of the following suggested strategies

described later in this plan:

Use of social media

Arrange meetings and presentations with key legislators and elected officials

Appendix D contains a list of strategies and opportunities to meet with key legislators and elected officials

that should be reviewed by the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors, prioritized, incorporated into the

schedule, and assigned to specific board members or special board member task force(s). Appendix E of the

plan is a one-pager informational sheet for use by the Minnesota Guidestar Board members when meeting

with legislators.

Outreach Material Information and Strategies

The following reasons why Minnesota is a great environment for advancing CAV can be used while

developing outreach materials:

1. Minnesota supports CAV advancement and is “Open for Business”

2. Several world industry leaders in transportation are based in Minnesota (e.g., 3M)

3. Minnesota has several unique and safe testing environments with snow/ice/salt (MnROAD, 3M

Cottage Grove facility, private all-weather test facilities)

4. Minnesota law is conducive for AV testing if the vehicle is registered and has a responsible

driver in the driver seat

5. Minnesota has a very progressive ITS environment

6. Minnesota is a leader in multi-modal transportation, including transit and bicycles

Also, to be used while recruiting participants and/or new members for Guidestar:

1. Opportunity to share state of the practice with industry, government, and academia

2. Opportunity to shape the future direction of CAV in Minnesota (policy, legislative, technology)

3. Opportunity to network and develop partnership opportunities


4. Opportunities to identify CAV direction and strategies that can be implemented at the state and

local levels to address societal challenges and enhance safety

Update CAV and Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors Websites

The CAV content and/or weblink will be updated regularly to serve as a resource for Board members,

potential members/participants, and the public to learn more. Key information to make available on the

website is:

Historical record of CAV presentations

Links to other stakeholders, i.e., OEMs, technology-based companies, etc.

Updated copies of the One-pagers for use by Board members (Appendix B and E)

Guidestar Activities

o Meeting schedule, agenda, and minutes

o Guidestar meetings and webinar recordings

o Upcoming activities

Repository of CAV contacts and developments

Contact Us capabilities

Continued development and maintenance of email lists for:

o Guidestar Board of Director Members

o Other Guidestar participants and interested parties

Develop and post participant and membership applications on the Minnesota Guidestar Board of

Directors website

o Guidestar email list to become a participant or interested party of the Minnesota Guidestar

Board of Directors

o Minnesota Guidestar Board of Director member application. (This application will be used for

review only)

Social Media

It is recommended that the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors leverage member companies’ already existing social media channels and audiences rather than create new, separate Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors pages and accounts to share information about CAV technology broadly. It takes dedicated staff time and resources to be able to adequately maintain social media accounts. This typically requires each social media outlet to have three to four updates per week in order to stay relevant. At this time, there is not enough CAV specific content or staff resources to publish consistent updates and therefore does not warrant separate accounts.

To help further promote the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors with social media content, the organizations of current members need to like, comment, and share CAV posts with their networks. This will increase the visibility of Guidestar and the CAV initiative as more and more people will see each post. This should happen both organically (e.g., SRF sees the post and decides to share it), but also by targeting members with a call-to-action in email blasts and encouraging each member to have their corporate social media accounts share each post to help spread the word. Posting CAV specific social media content is a shared responsibility among the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors members.


It is recommended that CAV specific content should be published on one or more of member companies’ social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.) a minimum of once a month (12 times per calendar year). This enables CAV content to be shared on a consistent basis. Some months may have more than one update compared to others depending on upcoming events, member news, etc. It is recommended that the first social media post serve as an introduction to outline the purpose of the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors. It should direct users to the website for additional information. This introduction post sets the foundation and builds momentum for subsequent posts.

Targeted Advertising

While member organizations have a substantial social media following (see stats outlined below), using targeted advertising for CAV-focused posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter will help further inform and educate a broad, but specific, audience about the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors CAV initiative, goals, and objectives. Targeted ads can also be used to promote the organization’s upcoming events and drive traffic to the Guidestar and CAV website. It is recommended three of the twelve CAV posts use targeted ads with a specific call-to-action: the introduction (call-to-action: visit the website), an event (call-to-action: attend a presentation/participate in a webinar), and become a member (call-to-action: register now or email Guidestar for more information). Each ad should run at least one week and the allocated budget per each targeted ad should be $50. This enables the content to be shared with a wide audience (1,000+ people) without being too high of an expense. Depending on the success of the targeted ads and upcoming activities of the organization, additional posts may use ads and an increased budget per the discretion of the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors. Social media advertisement targeting reaches people based on their demographics (age, gender, race), geographic location, interests and behaviors. An example targeted audience for CAV-related social media posts are listed below. This will need to be refined based on the content and goal of each post.

Post #1 o Goal of post: introduce Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors o Demographics

Age: 22-65+

Gender: men and women

Work industry: architecture and engineering, business and financial operations, transportation and moving

o Location: living in Minnesota

Social Media Contact

The Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors member companies will need to coordinate with their social media coordinators to develop content, define the intended target audience, and schedule each post. Each member is encouraged to work with their company’s communications/marketing staff to post, share, and promote CAV content.

Presentations

Presentations at association meetings and conferences about CAV are a good way to inform specific

audiences and groups of Minnesota Guidestar Board of Director activities and to invite meeting participants


to join their efforts. To facilitate this activity, the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors will have several

PowerPoint slides along with one-pager information sheets Board members can use for these presentations

and opportunities.

Appendix C contains a listing of potential conferences and presentations that should be considered by the

Guidestar Board, prioritized and assigned to specific members for action.

Outreach and Educational Meetings

Outreach and educational sessions should be considered for key stakeholders, particularly with elected

officials and legislators about CAV. Outreach and educational sessions are intended for a smaller group to

dive deeper into the topic of CAV by allowing participants to share their unique insights in an open and

relaxed atmosphere. These conversations will be an important component in building positive working

relationships within the Minnesota community by understanding the wide interests and concerns of key

stakeholders.

Addressing potential concerns of stakeholders and educating them about CAV at the onset helps to

establish credibility, build community buy-in, showcases that the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors

values the community’s perspective, and ensures stakeholders are collaboratively involved as they advance

their vision.

Opportunities for Focused Outreach by the Minnesota Guidestar Board of

Directors

This plan for outreach contains many opportunities for focused CAV outreach by the Minnesota Guidestar

Board of Directors. To ensure these opportunities are realized, it is recommended the Board review the

contents of the plan, discuss and prioritize the activities, establish task forces or assign specific tasks to

Board members for completion. As previously stated, this plan is a living document that must remain

flexible as Minnesota Guidestar Board members move forward in advancing CAV and emerging

technologies in Minnesota.

A suggested time line and activities are shown in Figure 1. These strategies and time line should be updated

as determined by Minnesota Guidestar Board activity.


Schedule Activity or Action

Immediate

<6 weeks

Review, discuss,

and approve

Outreach Plan

Update Guidestar

and CAV Website

Establish Social

Media Outreach

Short Term

<6 months

Approve

Presentation

Schedule

Review and

Approve

Legislative

Outreach

Monthly CAV

published social

media or email

blast

Medium Term

6 Months to 1 Year

Presentations as

determined by

Minnesota

Guidestar Board

Members

Monthly CAV

published social

media or email

blast

Long Term

1-3 Years

Presentations as

determined by

Minnesota

Guidestar Board

Members

Meetings and

Presentations to

Legislators as

determined by

Minnesota

Guidestar Board

Members

Monthly CAV

published social

media or email

blast

Figure 1 – CAV Outreach Schedule and Activities

This CAV Outreach Plan lays out a strategy for advancing CAV initiatives in Minnesota. The active

participation of the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors is essential in executing the action items

identified in this document. This Outreach Plan is a living document that will evolve as CAV takes a more

prominent role in Minnesota’s transportation landscape.


APPENDIX A – Targeted Membership Base

Increasing membership in the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors has been identified as a key need.

Potential members to be contacted are indicated with a checkmark in the table below.

Key Area Stakeholders Membership

Technology

OEMs Ford Motor Company √

Toyota √

Tesla √

OTTO (Truck) √

EasyMile and Olli (Bus) √

Academia U of Minnesota (Max Donath)

Consultants Add to existing strong base √

Vendors 3M

Street Smart Rental (Mike Granger)

Controller Vendors (Econolite, Siemens, Peek) √

Others √ Key Area Stakeholders Membership

Standards and

Guidelines

MnDOT Ray Starr

Local Public Agencies Add to existing membership √

FHWA Jim McCarthy

DPS Donna Berger √

DVS Tom Henderson and Dawn Olson √ Key Area Stakeholders Membership

Policy and Law

MnDOT Tara Kalar And Scott Peterson √

DVS Tom Henderson and Dawn Olson √

Academia Frank Douma (U of M) √

Legislature

TBD – Legislative Champion (s) Cal Bahr Minnesota

Representative Dist. 31B √

State Patrol Colonel Matt Langer Key Area Stakeholders Membership

Funding and

Advocacy

MnDOT Jodi Martinson & Sue Mulvihill

FHWA Arlene Kocher

DPS (TZD Program) Donna Berger √

Met Council Nick Thompson

P3 Opportunities TBD √

Philanthropy McKnight Foundation √

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Gail Wienholzer


Others (TBD) √

Others

Identify groups that want to solve societal challenges

using AV/CV √ Key Area Stakeholders Membership

Operators

MnDOT

Met Transit Brian Lamb and Gary Nyberg √

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

(MVTA) √

Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) √

Minnesota Trucking Association Tom Sorel and John Hausladen √

Ride Share Companies Uber / Lyft √

American Transp. Research Institute Dan Murray

Local Companies Caterpillar √

Polaris √

Land O'Lakes √

Toro √

Wayne Transport √

New Flyer √

Schneider Transport √

Others (TBD) √

Disabled Community Self-Driving US – John Doan √

Bike and Ped MN Nice Ride – Bill Dossett √ Key Area Stakeholders Membership

Enforcement State Patrol Colonel Matt Langer

County and Cities TBD √


APPENDIX B – Membership / Participation One-Pager

MINNESOTA GUIDESTAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors is an association of numerous public, private, and

academic partners that conduct Intelligent Transportation Systems ITS research, operational tests

and deployment projects. Its public/private representation allows a wide range of stakeholders, from

researchers and manufacturers to state agency staff and health care industry representatives, to

provide input on the strategic direction it provides.

The Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors is focusing on Connected Automated Vehicles and

emerging technology to advance our understanding of when, how and what we need to do to adapt

and stay current on emerging technology as it becomes mainstream.

ON THE LEADING EDGE

Participating in the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors events and becoming a board member

or participant member of this unique organization provides you with:

Knowledge of the latest news, trends, and best practices within the industry.

Access to key decision makers on enabling advancement of emerging technologies.

Opportunity to meet with lawmakers to inform and establish open dialog to initiate legislation that

does not inhibit but rather enables these emerging technologies.

New business opportunities in Minnesota.

Connections with a diverse network and develop partnership opportunities.

Expertise of leaders who are at the forefront of advancing and integrating this technology.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE

CAV technology companies

Legislators

National, state, and local agencies

OEMs

Academia

Funding and advocacy groups

DIVERSE NETWORK

The Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors connects you with local and regional business contacts

within the CAV industry. Attend an upcoming event or become a member to expand your

professional network and learn more about this game-changing technology.

TO BECOME A MEMBER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors and its participating members,

visit the website: www.dot.state.mn.us/guidestar.


APPENDIX C – Potential Opportunities for Conferences and

Presentations

The following is a listing of conferences that offer an opportunity for presentations or contact with

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors members to reach out to various groups to inform them of CAV

activities and opportunities that exist in Minnesota. It is recommended the board consider these

opportunities, prioritize the list, and ask for members to volunteer to make these contacts and presentations.

Priority Conference Responsibility

Minnesota Transportation Conference

Toward Zero Deaths Conference

CTS Conference

MN Transportation Alliance

Minnesota County Engineers Association

NACE (National Association of County Engineers)

City Engineers of Minnesota Conference

TRB

NCITE

ITE National

ITE International

ITS America

ITS World Congress

AMC (Association of Minnesota Counties)

Minnesota Sheriff’s Association

AAA

Consumer Electronics Show?

Automakers Groups?

Technology Company Associations?


APPENDIX D – Sample Strategies and Opportunities to Meet with

Legislators

The following is a listing of possible strategies and opportunities to meet with legislators that should be

considered by the Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors, prioritized, and assigned to a special task force

or individual(s) for implementation.

Priority Strategy Responsibility Due Date

Social media posting to Legislators with call to action to become aware of CAV activities in Minnesota

One-on-one meeting with Legislators by individual board members

Targeted focus group meetings with specific legislators

Letter or phone call campaign by board members and active participants to call legislators to action


APPENDIX E – Legislative One-Pager

This one-pager can be used to inform legislators of the Guidestar Board, Guidestar’s Connected Automated

Vehicle activities, and how CAV may influence transportation in Minnesota. This should also include a

specific ask or request of the legislators. The Guidestar Board should consider, discuss, and formalize this

ask to ensure a consistent and appropriate message to legislators.

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors

The Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors is an association of numerous public, private and

academic partners that conduct Intelligent Transportation Systems ITS research, operational tests

and deployment projects. Its public/private representation allows a wide range of stakeholders, from

researchers and manufacturers to state agency staff and health care industry representatives, to

provide input on the strategic direction it provides.

The Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors is focusing on Connected Automated Vehicles and

emerging technology to advance our understanding of when, how and what we need to do to adapt

and stay current on emerging technology as it becomes mainstream.

What is a Connected and Automated Vehicle?

Connected Vehicles communicate with

other vehicles, wireless devices, and

infrastructure such as traffic signals and

work zones. They provide warning messages

to prevent collisions as well as improve

vehicle efficiency and commute times.

Autonomous Vehicles are vehicles that use

sensors and video to drive themselves.

Often called "self-driving" vehicles they can

partially or entirely remove the need for a

driver to control the system.

Connected/Autonomous Vehicles – A vehicle that can drive itself, but also can communicate

with other vehicles, infrastructure, and wireless devices (e.g., pedestrians).


What types of vehicles?

Commercial/Personal Vehicles – Technology is being tested and implemented around the world

in personal vehicles, buses, trucks, and other vehicles that use roadways.

Truck Platoons – Truck platoons involve multiple trucks closely spaced for fuel efficiency. Platoon

vehicles use technology to communicate with each other. Testing of autonomous trucks within a

platoon is also occurring.

Autonomous Delivery Vehicles – Small,

unmanned, vehicles that can deliver

goods. These vehicles operate on public

roadways and sidewalks.

When are They Coming? ●● Some Level 4 and 5 AVs – fully

driverless vehicles – will be on the road

within five years.

●● There will be a mix of autonomous

and driver-operated vehicles on the

road for at least 30 years and perhaps

forever.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi2q8XK46fWAhUk0IMKHVxBAkoQjRwIBw&url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/13novdec2013/01.cfm&psig=AFQjCNE07ZOpb-ggjOPqJRmMdHodn-qkmA&ust=1505585049545411

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjxx7Ww46fWAhUD6YMKHdotDscQjRwIBw&url=http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/03/23/520848983/hungry-call-your-neighborhood-delivery-robot&psig=AFQjCNHMoO916YwF9qyms8C4Y0rjdT8YgQ&ust=1505584996150518


Why is This Important to Minnesota?

Safety – Each year, approximately 400 people are killed on Minnesota roadways. Human factors

such as distracted driving, drunk driving, speed, and failure to yield contribute to a majority of

crashes. Autonomous and connected vehicles will reduce/eliminate many of these contributing

factors.

Economy – Minnesota has several companies advancing these technologies. Allowing for the safe

testing and implementation will retain these jobs and companies in Minnesota.

Mobility – Citizens who are unable to drive, such as the disabled and elderly, will have more

mobility opportunities.

Environment – Vehicles, especially truck platoons, will be more efficient and use less fuel.

Traffic Mobility – Vehicles will be able to communicate with each other and infrastructure,

reducing delay at signal systems, reducing congestion, and improving fuel efficiency.

Winter Weather – Most tests are occurring in warm weather climates. Testing and validating in cold

and winter weather conditions will be vital when developing regulation.

National Policy/Regulation – Experience with testing these technologies in Minnesota will

improve our influence on national policy and regulation.

Minnesota Statutes – Minnesota laws never contemplated autonomous vehicles. Changes to driver

licensing and registration, insurance, and traffic laws will be required.

Where Can I learn More?

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/guidestar/

States should begin planning now to deal with the traffic safety issues presented when autonomous and driver-operated vehicles share the roads.

Legislative Request or Ask

To be determined by Guidestar Board.

How can CAV improve transportation and provide an advantage to society?

Identify/share societal benefits CAV provides Minnesota with Legislators and Elected Officials.

Obtain knowledge to become a leader in moving enabling legislation through the system.

Enable deployment of emerging technologies to address societal problems in home district/county/city.

Provide opportunities to create new jobs and business in my district/county/city.

Provide the latest information to enable you to initiate legislation or ordinance that does not inhibit but rather

advances new technology in transportation.

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/guidestar/

Documents

Minnesota Guidestar Board of Directors CAV Outreach Plan