Pop-up Engagement

Summer and fall offer prime opportunities to engage community members at local events, discuss transportation safety, and pinpoint areas of concern. Pop-up outreach will be paired with an online interactive comment map, providing residents with multiple, flexible ways to share their top safety concerns and priority locations.

The Safety Action Plan team presented at the Autumn Fest on September 13, 9 am – 4 pm on Main Street.

Black Hills State University Pop-up was held September 29 from 12:15-1:30pm in the Student Union.

Online Comment Map

We asked community members to share local knowledge and identify locations where they feel unsafe walking, biking, or driving. The public comment map closed on October 20. Public input received will help to identify priority locations and viable safety strategies.

Visit the Map

Advisory Committee

An Advisory Committee has been established to serve as the leadership group to provide oversight of the plan’s development and its implementation, monitor the progress over the years, and make plan adjustments as needed. Advisory Committee members and stakeholders will act as ambassadors, helping connect city staff with the community and increase engagement.  The following city departments and other organizations are represented on the committee:

      • City Departments:
          – Police
          – Parks
          – Engineering
          – Public Works
          – Planning
          – Fire
        • Planning Commission
        • City Council
        • Federal Highway Administration
        • South Dakota Department of Transportation
        • Northern Hills Training Center
        • Spearfish Ambulance
        • Black Hills State University
        • Biking Community
        • K-12 Public School District
        • Prairie Hills Transit

​Focus Group Meetings

In addition to connecting broadly with community members at Spearfish events, focus groups or targeted outreach can be effective at getting input from key interest groups. The Safety Action Plan team held eight focus group meetings both in-person and virtually. Audiences engaged included:

      • Northern Hills Training Center (disability advocates)
      • Senior Center members
      • High School Students
      • University staff and Student Senate
      • Emergency Responders
      • Biking Community
      • Mothers with young children
      • Transit drivers

City Council Updates

In addition to other public engagement efforts, the Safety Action Plan team will provide regular updates to elected officials during City Council Study Sessions. The first presentation on September 10th covered the project goals, an introduction to the consultant, SRF, and progress to date. The second update will be presented at the October 29 city council study session. Study Session meetings are held in the Council Chamber of City Hall and are open to the public. Meeting agendas can be found on the city’s website here.