The best way
of learning about anything is by doing. - Richard
Branson
We live in an age of rapid change. The one thing we know is
that the future will be very different from the past.
At COMPASS, much of our energy is devoted to trying to
decipher what those changes may be and what they will mean to the future of the
Treasure Valley and the transportation system that supports it. Our next
transportation plan – Communities in
Motion 2050 – will delve deep into those changes. We’ll kick off that planning
process this fall by asking you about changes you foresee in your life. Stay
tuned for your chance to tell us how you see your world changing…or not.
While at COMPASS our focus is on planning for future change,
our members are looking at ways to adapt to change today. They are looking at
issues such as…
What
would happen if we removed some parking spots to make room for pick up/drop off
zones?
How
about if we provide new ways to get to and from your bus stop?
What
changes do we need to make today to be ready for autonomous vehicles tomorrow?
While we can see how new ideas work in other areas, that’s
not the same as testing them here. Each place is unique. What worked – or didn’t
work – somewhere else is not guaranteed to have the same result here.
That’s where pilot programs come in. Pilots give us the
chance to try something on for size and to learn from the process. When done
well, a pilot program can provide real, measureable results to help us know if or
how a new program should continue. Was it well received? Where were the
conflicts? Were there unintended consequences? Did the program work as
anticipated? Did the program take more or less time and resources than
anticipated? If we’re going to keep the program going, what should change?
While we certainly hope that any pilot program “works,” the
true measure of success of a pilot program is not whether the program itself
“worked” or not, but rather if it provided us with knowledge and tools to best
implement new programs – or choose to not implement them – when we are ready to
move beyond the “pilot” stage.
To help ensure pilot programs in the region are successful, COMPASS
will be hosting Lisa Nisenson, Vice
President of The Wantman Group, on August 5 and 6 as part of the 2019 COMPASS
education series to share her insights into developing and
implementing pilot programs that provide measureable results.
I hope you’ll join us in helping the Treasure Valley be
prepared for the future. Follow the link above for more details and
registration information. See you there.
