New research from Open Point has found that engagement challenges are contributing to project delays, increased costs, and legal and compliance risks across the transportation sector. At the same time, organizations face growing pressure to deliver complex projects while maintaining public trust and demonstrating accountability.

The State of Engagement 2026: Transportation Industry Report, based on a survey of 314 engagement professionals, reveals a sector that recognizes the value of engagement but is often held back by late engagement, fragmented processes, and disconnected data.

Nearly half (49%) of respondents say stakeholder engagement challenges have delayed projects, while the same proportion report that these challenges have directly increased project costs. More than two in five (41%) have experienced legal or compliance risks linked to engagement issues.

Engagement happening too late

More than one-third (35%) of transportation engagement professionals identify late engagement as their biggest challenge, while nearly one-third (32%) say they struggle to reach the right stakeholders at the right time.

When communities and stakeholders are engaged after key decisions are made, opportunities to identify and address concerns early can be missed. The research suggests that the consequences extend beyond engagement itself, affecting approvals, project timelines, costs, and risk.

The findings point not to a lack of commitment to engagement, but to the fragmented processes and disconnected information many teams are working across. Around one-quarter of respondents rely on multiple disconnected systems, another quarter use a centralized platform, and the remainder depend on manual processes or a combination of both.

Demonstrating impact remains a challenge

Nearly one-third (30%) of transportation engagement professionals say they struggle to demonstrate the impact of their engagement activities.

Without a clear view of feedback and engagement history across projects, organizations can find it difficult to show how community and stakeholder input informed decisions, measure outcomes, or provide evidence as regulatory and accountability expectations grow.

A sector ready for new approaches

Despite these challenges, the research points to a sector open to new ways of working, with 78% of respondents saying they believe a centralized engagement system can reduce organizational risk while improving operational efficiency.

Meanwhile 88% feel positive about the role AI could play in their work, seeing opportunities to analyze large datasets, predict risks early and translate content to improve accessibility.

Cath Brands, Chief Growth Officer, Open Point, said: “This research shows that too many teams are exposed to risks as a result of trying to manage an increasingly complex stakeholder engagement environment using fragmented processes. It’s making it hard for them to see the full picture and demonstrate impact. By centralizing engagement, teams can identify issues earlier, make better-informed decisions and show how stakeholder input shaped the outcome. That’s when engagement becomes an integral part of successful project delivery.”