How AI is transforming transport engagement – for the better!

Four years ago, I found myself in a village hall in Surrey, facilitating a public exhibition for an infrastructure project. It was a damp day, tensions were high, and then – bam! A resident stormed in and dumped a bucket of mud over our beautifully prepared plans.

At that moment I realised the way we communicate transport changes to the public was broken.

Fast forward to today, and I’m thrilled to say things have changed. Technology, and more recently, AI, has revolutionised how we engage with communities, making conversations more productive and less… well, muddy.

At ECF, we specialise in communication and engagement, not technology. But what we do best is finding the right tools and applying them to the right contexts. AI has the power to transform how we engage with citizens in three key ways:

Shaping Proposals – AI allows individuals to give meaningful feedback, which further shapes projects as they evolve.
Creating Accessible Content – AI helps produce clear, digestible information, making it easier for people to understand and engage with proposals.
Understanding Communities – AI-powered tools help analyse large amounts of feedback, ensuring we truly listen to diverse perspectives.

So, what does this look like in practice? Let’s take Hello Lamp Post, an AI-powered assistant that enables 24/7 engagement in multiple languages. By simply scanning a QR code, people can have real-time, human-like conversations about transport projects. We’ve used it successfully across Newham to engage communities that otherwise wouldn’t participate.

Or consider Digital Urban, which brings projects to life through digital twins and immersive experiences. Their “Hub Station Train Set” lets users design a station in a game-like environment – fun and educational!

Then there’s Beta Streets, a simple yet powerful street design tool that allows anyone to visualise changes to their local environment.

And Dembrane, which turns hours of community workshop discussions into structured insights, fast. No bias and no waiting weeks for reports.

These tools are just the beginning. AI is changing the game in transport engagement, making the process more inclusive, effective, and less confrontational.

At ECF, we’re committed to using the best engagement tools to ensure transport projects work for everyone. Because, let’s face it, no one wants to go back to the days of mudslinging!

Let’s get this right – together.