The rise of digitized records and advances in text analysis methods is transforming the way researchers and policymakers understand governance and decision-making. A recent study published in Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science explores how these innovations can change the study of technology adoption in transportation system. Using California’s transit agencies as a case study, the authors—Shih-Hung Chiu, Tianyu Han, Alison E. Post, Ishana Ratan, and Kenichi Soga—evaluate the potential of digitized meeting minutes and videos to uncover insights into local government decision-making processes. The researchers drew on Firmograph’s collection of digitized meeting minutes to conduct their analysis, as well as agency websites.
Text-as-Data: An Emerging Opportunity
Public records like meeting minutes and video recordings, increasingly available online, offer unprecedented access to information on governance processes. Unlike traditional methods like surveys, these records provide a granular, real-time view of decision-making and public debates. The study highlights how these data sources can complement existing methods by offering broader and less biased coverage.
In the context of California transit agencies, the study compares three data sources: traditional surveys, meeting minutes, and meeting video recordings. It examines their availability, representativeness, and the depth of insights they provide about technology adoption—specifically the rollout of Transit Signal Priority (TSP) systems, which modify traffic signal timing or phasing when transit vehicles are present to improve the speed and efficiency of public transit.
Surveys vs. Meeting Minutes vs. Meeting Recordings: Availability and Representativeness
While the survey response rate was only 22.5%, a significantly higher proportion of agencies in our sample regularly published meeting records—76% published meeting minutes, and 56% published meeting recordings. Another key finding is the notable difference in representation between survey responses and digitized meeting records. Larger transit agencies were far more likely to respond to a 2022 Caltrans survey, with respondents averaging 141.2 vehicles operating in maximum service (VOMS), compared to the state average of 75.4 VOMS, as illustrated in Figure 1. This disparity highlights a potential bias in survey data, limiting its ability to fully capture the perspectives of smaller agencies.
Figure 1. Agency characteristics by 2022 survey response status
In contrast, the study found that meeting minutes and video recordings provide a more balanced dataset. Agencies publishing meeting minutes are similar in size to those not publishing, making them more representative of the broader population of transit agencies. Similarly, the agencies posting video recordings are comparable to those not posting in terms of key characteristics like population served, revenue, VOMS, and service area, showing in Figure 2 and 3.
Figure 2. Agency characteristics by agencies publishing meeting minutes
Figure 3. Agency characteristics by video publication status
Beyond their representativeness, meeting records provide unique, qualitative insights into the nuances of public decision-making processes. For example, while surveys categorize agency actions into predefined stages (e.g., “piloting” or “fully adopted”), meeting records explain the complexities of implementation, such as intergovernmental collaboration and the need for policy alignment.
A Case Study: The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
The Santa Clara VTA serves as a compelling case study for the complementary use of these data sources. The agency’s meeting minutes and recordings provided detailed insights into its phased rollout of TSP systems, including corridor-specific plans and the rationale for adoption. Meeting recordings captured discussions about challenges like gaining municipal support and overcoming institutional barriers, which were absent from survey data.
These records also illuminate the role of public engagement in technology adoption. VTA recordings documented supportive comments from community members and highlighted the efforts of agency officials to educate stakeholders about TSP’s benefits. This underscores the value of recordings as a resource for understanding public sentiment and advocacy in real-world decision-making.
Insights and Implications
The study suggests that surveys, digitized board meeting minutes, and meeting recordings offer different, and potentially complementary insights into the technology adoption process. Surveys can provide structured, comparable data on internal processes, but they often flatten nuanced information and suffer from response bias. In contrast, meeting records and recordings offer a richer, more granular view of public debates, implementation challenges, and collaboration efforts. Table 1 lists some examples.
Table 1. Type of Information about TSP Adoption Available from Each Data Source
| Survey | Meeting Minutes | Meeting Recordings | |
| Stage of Tech Adoption Process? | Piloting | *No information | *Piloting, with 17% of core network covered*Expanding corridor by corridor through negotiations with cities |
| Where did the agency and public learn about TSP systems? | N/A | *Clear VTA officials giving presentations on TSP but content unclear | *Full content of presentations by VTA officials informing cities and public about TSP |
| Who is involved in discussions regarding TSP adoption? | N/A | *List of agencies and citizens who attended meeting | *Transcripts of comments made by agency representatives and interested citizens (often including background) |
| Who promoted TSP and what rationale did they cite? | N/A | * Clear VTA officials giving presentations on TSP but content unclear | *VTA officials clearly advocate for adoption in presentations, arguing would improve speed and reliability of transit |
| Who opposed TSP and what rationale did they cite? | N/A | *No information | *Lack of opposition in full transcripts indicates that public and agencies did not push back against TSP (at least in public) |
| What difficulties arise with implementation | N/A | *No information | *Detailed discussion of barriers to implementation, such as need for cities to invest in complementary systems to gain full benefits of TSP |
Note: N/A means “not applicable” because the survey did not cover this topic.
How can researchers leverage the respective strengths of these different information sources, while also acknowledging their limitations? The study suggests that close readings of meeting transcriptions—possibly in conjunction with interviews—can be highly beneficial at the initial stages of a project. The widespread availability of meeting recordings makes them an accessible and unbiased resource, enabling researchers to refine survey designs and develop more effective study frameworks. For instance, in the authors’ 2022 survey, respondents were asked to identify their agency’s stage in the adoption process using predefined options like “Not at all,” “Considering,” or “Using Systemwide.” However, analysis of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) transcripts revealed rollout scenarios that didn’t fit neatly into these categories. Instead, planners described progress in terms of technology coverage percentages, such as 17% of the system being covered at a given point.
By utilizing these resources alongside traditional methods, researchers and transit agencies can better understand and navigate the complexities of technology adoption.