Client: Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI)
Research partner: Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
Project period: April to June 2024
DMC focus: Community engagement, transportation equity, multilingual outreach, quantitative and qualitative research, and workforce access strategy
Deo Mwano Consultancy coordinated a Transportation Equity Study with Volpe on behalf of ARMI. Interviews, surveys and listening sessions examined Manchester residents’ transportation experiences and Millyard access, emphasizing underserved communities and informing workforce planning.
The challenge
ARMI sought feedback on Millyard access, parking and commuting. The communities DMC was asked to reach included people of color, non English speakers, lower income residents, senior citizens, people living in public, subsidized or transitional housing, and workers relying on temporary staffing agencies.
Early engagement revealed that many residents had little or no connection to the Millyard. Questions limited to Millyard parking would miss the transportation realities of people who could be recruited for future jobs there. DMC broadened the inquiry to residents’ everyday travel, commuting patterns, barriers and needs.
DMC responsibility
DMC developed and carried out the community engagement strategy, supported survey development and distribution, conducted interviews and listening sessions, and analyzed quantitative and qualitative findings. The team adapted the research to early community feedback and translated the evidence into recommendations for ARMI and its partners.
Research reach
| Engagement measure | Reported reach |
|---|---|
| In person interviews | 183 |
| Online survey responses | 304 across a 23 question survey |
| Community listening sessions | 3 |
| Total reported resident engagement | 487 through interviews and survey responses |
DMC community engagement and research approach
Meet residents in their everyday settings
DMC conducted interviews in neighborhoods, parks, stores, restaurants, laundromats, housing communities, staffing agencies and public gathering spaces. Researchers visited at different times and on different days, using translators when needed. This approach created participation opportunities beyond an online survey.
Work through community organizations and local partners
Engagement locations and outreach channels included the Granite YMCA, Boys and Girls Club of Manchester, Families in Transition, Manchester Housing Authority communities and Food for Children at Beech Street School. DMC also engaged workers awaiting daily assignments at Complete Labor and Staffing and Workpath Staffing.
Local businesses helped connect the study with residents and customers. Examples included Don Quijote Restaurant, Saigon Asian Market, Glow Hair Braiding, Lifestylez Barber Shop and Union Street Laundromat. Educational and public locations included Southern New Hampshire University and the Manchester Transit Terminal.
Use multilingual communication and multiple outreach channels
DMC launched a study webpage with information, a survey link, contact details and a downloadable flyer. Deo Mwano introduced the study through video announcements in English, Spanish and French. Outreach also used social media, Manchester Ink Link, partner email lists, flyers, QR codes and community events. Spanish language interviews took place in community settings where needed.
Combine measurable patterns with lived experience
The 183 interviews and 304 survey responses provided complementary perspectives. The survey used forced choice and open ended questions, while three listening sessions created room for deeper discussion. DMC analyzed the information in aggregate and compared experiences across locations.
Adapt the research to what residents were saying
When residents reported limited familiarity with the Millyard, DMC expanded its questions to capture broader transportation experiences. This made the findings more useful for understanding the communities ARMI hoped to reach through future workforce opportunities.
What neighborhood comparison revealed
Downtown and Center City interviews showed greater reliance on walking and public transportation. Residents engaged in other areas more frequently depended on personal vehicles. Within neighborhoods, circumstances also differed: housing location, access to services, work assignments and family responsibilities influenced how people traveled.
The location based analysis helped identify differences that a single citywide average could obscure. It supported consideration of transportation options suited to different neighborhoods and workers.
Key research findings
The following figures come from the in person interview findings. They describe the people interviewed rather than a statistically representative estimate for all Manchester residents.
| Interview finding | Reported percentage |
|---|---|
| Primarily used a personal vehicle | 64% |
| Primarily walked | 13% |
| Primarily used public transportation | 10% |
| Had never used Manchester public transportation | 83% |
| Public transit users who rated it effective | 97% of transit users interviewed |
Personal vehicles were central to daily life for many interviewees. Among those primarily using a personal vehicle, 90% emphasized its importance. At the same time, current transit users often found the service effective for specific trips such as grocery shopping, medical appointments or school.
Expanded routes and schedules were identified by 27% of interviewees as a factor that could encourage greater transit use. The findings pointed to different needs among residents who already used transit, those relying on cars and those with limited awareness of available options.
From community insight to action
DMC recommended involving the residents targeted for future employment in the design of transportation solutions. Planning needed to account for income, caregiving responsibilities, work schedules and neighborhood geography.
Recommendations included considering expanded transit routes and service schedules, offering multiple transportation options, and providing parking near the Millyard or centralized parking connected to employee shuttles. For a centralized parking model, DMC recommended shuttles every 15 to 30 minutes, particularly during morning and late afternoon or early evening commuting periods.
Delivered value and strategic impact
DMC delivered community evidence and recommendations that connected transportation planning with access to employment. The work brought underserved residents into the research, documented neighborhood differences and identified practical considerations for Millyard commuting.
The assessment gave ARMI and its partners a basis for considering how future workers would reach new opportunities. Its documented contribution was research, analysis and planning recommendations; transit changes and employment gains were not reported as completed project outcomes.
DMC capability demonstrated
This engagement demonstrates DMC’s ability to conduct community research, use multilingual and neighborhood outreach, adapt questions to emerging findings, and connect quantitative data with residents’ lived experiences. The work shows how DMC turns community input into practical guidance for workforce and infrastructure planning.