IV. Invitations
Who Should Be Invited
The participants attending the Pedestrian Safety Road Show should represent those members of the community who are (or should be) concerned about pedestrian issues. This list might include:
- City and/or county traffic engineers and planners
- Local safety coalitions (e.g. local MADD Chapter, local Safe Kids Coalition, AAA, etc.)
- Law enforcement representatives (e.g., traffic, public relations)
- Metropolitan Planning Organization staff
- Business leaders/organizations (e.g. Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Merchants Assoc., Insurance associations/companies)
- Local activist groups (e.g. environmental groups, alternative transportation groups, etc.)
- Decision-makers (mayors and county executives)
- Health community
- Fire/EMS organizations
- Local media outlets (e.g. local news reporter for print or electronic media)
- School officials and PTA representatives
- Youth groups/community service groups/recreation organizations
- Senior citizen organizations/agencies
- Colleges and universities
- Builders and developers
There may be some State officials that you want to invite. An important one is the State's Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator. (If you are not already in contact with your State Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator, contact the Pedestrian Federation of America (303-463-6622) for a listing or check in this website under Roadshow Schedule.) Another important State participant would be a representative from the your Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
List those individuals you know from the above groups. Invite the ones whom you believe either will become involved in an ongoing effort, or need to be there (because they are in a decision-making or need-to-know position). There may be some people who care about the issue but indicate that they are not likely to be able to take an active role. Since space is limited at the seminar, you may want to eliminate anyone who will not be able to work on this issue. You should promise to keep them informed about your progress.
Key Points to Mention
The invitation should include these points:
- The reason for the Pedestrian Safety Road Show
- A description of the Pedestrian Safety Road Show
- The date and time for the event
- The location of the event
- Who you are
- Why they are being invited
- How to RSVP
Sample Flyer (WordPerfect 5.0 self-extracting file or HTML form for printing)
The flyer is a sample of one that you might design to invite people to participate in the Pedestrian Safety Road Show. It includes the key points listed above. Feel free to edit the sample or to create your own invitation.
The flyer is designed to be printed on one side of a sheet of 8½" x 11" paper. This sheet can then be folded in half, addressed, and mailed.
Follow-Up
It will probably be necessary to follow-up with some of the people you have invited to ensure that you get full participation in the Road Show. When you follow up, be sure to emphasize that they are representing an important element in the community's pedestrian safety campaign. If they do not attend, their interests may not be represented and their insights will be lost.
Each group on the list above will respond to different aspects of the pedestrian safety and walkability issue. School groups will focus on the child safety issue, while business owners will respond more to the economic benefits of increasing pedestrian traffic. Be sure that each person invited understands why his or her constituency group is an important part of a community pedestrian program.