The Reach and Influence of DOT Twitter Accounts: A Case Study in Florida

Over the last decade, social networks have emerged as an important tool which helps communicate vital information on to the public. Especially the involvement of federal, state and other regional agencies in the social media can enable us to determine new and fast ways to provide sufficient information to the public in the case of emergencies. This paper evaluates the influence of state DOT Twitter accounts and suggests GIS-based approaches to understand the spatial reach of the disseminated information. This helps DOT accounts determine efficient ways to disseminate information to the public. Results are presented with a case study application set on the District 3 of the State of Florida, as identified by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Accessibility, reach, quality and influence of the FDOT District 3 Twitter account are analyzed, and several future research directions are identified.