Social media can be defined as:
[T]he use of electronic and Internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other human beings in more efficient ways.
People using the internet not only to share information, but also opinions and experiences that may be relevant to that information. The most common form of social media is blogs, which are a convenient to provide information and allow for participation or social interaction. Many other forms of social media have arisen since, but all focus not only on the sharing of news or information, but also the opportunity for people to comment and share ideas or experiences. Other services make it possible for people to share videos, pictures, and other media, such as YouTube, Flickr, or Twitter. Utilizing these services allow agencies to share their information and news with the public in a way that encourages participation and empowers users to be a part of the system.
Some examples of Social Media…
AASHTO uses their YouTube channel to raise visibility of transportation issues within the United States. These issues range from congestion pricing, deteriorating infrastructure, or even reauthorization. Their videos inform the public about and encourage audience participation. One example is IToldThePresident.Org, a website that asks people to submit their videos telling the new administration what improvements they would like to see in transportation.
@BayBridgeInfo is the official conduit for news and information about the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. This includes closures for construction and maintenance and the design of the new span.
@BikePortland is the Twitter profile for BikePortland.org. They use Twitter to broadcast bicycling news in and around Portland, issues concerning cycling, and any news stories that feature ubran cycling. They also use it as a platform to promote their blog posts and engage their followers in a dialog about biking in the Pacific Northwest.
Bike Portland uses their Flickr stream to share photos of their events and other cycling related issues around Portland.
@caltrain is a Twitter account set up by Caltrain riders to broadcast service alerts and other updates about the Caltrain system. This Twitter account was established to fulfill a need not met by Caltrain, namely convenient and timely updates. The service relies on Caltrain riders to share updates. More information can be found here.
@ctatweet republishes CTA Alerts without requiring them to sing up for the system, as well as allow CTA riders to post their own news about specific lines. CTA Tweet is a user-driven service that fills a need that CTA does not provide solutions for.
@DB_Info provides followers information about services disruptions for Deutsche Bahn lines. They also provide updates about promotions and other changes to services.
@DCMetroGreen is an unofficial Twitter feed for the Washington DC Metro Green line. More information can be found at Metrotweet.
The Department for Transport uses their Flickr stream to highlight initiatives of the agency, as well as activities of Transport Minister Sadiq Khan.
@FreeLATraffic uses an RSS feed from Greater Los Angeles Sigalert to automatically broadcast in Twitter. This way followers receive updates about Los Angeles traffic as part of their Twitter feed.
