“When the force of public opinion gathers”: From online advocacy to policy engagement on pedestrian safety

Pedestrian safety has emerged as a critical policy issue in Taiwan, where persistent road fatalities and car-centric planning have fueled public concern. This study examines how third-sector advocacy has evolved from online mobilization to real-world policy engagement, influencing transportation governance. Drawing on qualitative interviews with advocates, policymakers, and planners, the research explores how social media platforms enable advocacy coalitions to build visibility, mobilize public discourse, and press for institutional change. The study employs the Advocacy Coalition Framework and the Multiple Streams Approach to analyze how shared beliefs, policy learning, and political opportunity shape the trajectory of advocacy. Findings show that online advocacy catalyzed issue salience and participatory pressure, leading to partial policy responses such as painted sidewalks. However, incremental gains remain constrained by institutional fragmentation, stakeholder resistance, and the absence of structural reform. The study contributes to existing literature on participatory transport governance by demonstrating how hybrid advocacy models, linking digital and real-world engagement, can influence policy processes while facing persistent limits to institutionalization.