By Katie Hodge Big Sky Public Relations Chief Experience and Equal Opportunity Officer Public meetings for transportation projects matter and are often undervalued. These events are among the few moments when engineers, agencies, elected officials, business owners, residents, and travelers come together in the same conversation. We shape exceptional community projects through opportunities for collective dialogue, collaboration, and learning when we connect neighbor to neighb

By Stephanie Sampson Big Sky Public Relations Senior Account Executive It usually starts quietly. A few spray-painted markings on the pavement. Survey flags fluttering in the wind. Someone at the coffee shop mentions they saw DOT trucks parked along the highway again. Then one morning, the cones arrive. Traffic slows. Tempers flare. Social media fills with photos and questions: Why now? How long? Why wasn’t anyone told? For transportation agencies, construction season is inev

By Kristine Fife Big Sky Public Relations Account Director Local media remain one of the most effective ways for sharing information with the community. When it comes to transportation and road work projects, trust matters. Closures, detours, and construction delays directly affect people’s daily routines, how they get to work, school and home. The goal of working with the media on these projects is simple: be clear, be credible, and be helpful. When information is communicat

By Sloane Stinson Big Sky Public Relations Project and Marketing Manager Public Involvement is a key component of any successful infrastructure project, but as winter approaches, engagement efforts face unique challenges that can limit public participation. With the time, effort, people power, and dedication required to bring a complex infrastructure project from concept to completion these days, progress can’t slow down due to winter weather, shorter days, holiday schedules,

By Becca MacLean Big Sky Public Relations Account Manager As 2026 begins, we encourage our readers to ensure that public agency projects or initiatives are designed to support effective public communication throughout the project's lifecycle. In my work, I treat public communication and educational outreach as part of the infrastructure of a public agency project, whether it be an engineering plan, development project, active construction, or funding effort. Infrastructure a

By Becca MacLean Big Sky Public Relations Account Manager As fall arrives, it offers an opportunity to reset. Children go back to school, projects kick off, new schedules ensue. It’s a perfect time to not only begin fresh and clarify personal matters, but also as public relations professionals, it’s a great time to brush up on communication practices. In our world, over communication is always key. Our top tips for revisiting communications tactics this fall are below. 1) Res

By Sloane Stinson Bridge Street-Bigfork Project Communication Manager A community isn’t just a place on a map—it’s a living, breathing force, made up of people, places, and moments that shape who we are and how we connect. Growing up in a small, rural town in northern Ontario, I’ve always believed in the power of community, but I came to understand it in a whole new way through my experience working on the Bridge Street-Bigfork project with the Montana Department of Transport