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OCR for page 115
Section 4 - Public Participation
.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES F ROM THE NCHRP 8~32 INTERACTIVE DATABASE
CONCERNING INNOVATIVE METHODS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
ABOVE THE PROJECT LEVEL
4-1. 2020 Florida Transportation Plan Public
Involvement Process.
Florida Growth Management Conflict Resolution
Consortium.
Florida.
4-2. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Public
Participation Handbook
Balog, J. N.; A. N. &hawarz; J. E. Rimmer, and M. M.
Hood. (Project ACTION, National Easter Seal Society,
Federal Transit Administration, Ketron, Inc.~. 1993.
This handbook includes information regarding each of
the public participation requirements of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990. They are: outreach;
consultation with individuals with disabilities; opportunity
for public comment; plans in accessible formats; public
hearing; summary of significant issues raised during the
public comment period; and an ongoing mechanism for
the participation of individuals with disabilities. Each is
discussed in a separate section. In addition, other
important features of a public participation process are
included: use of the media; surveys of riders and
service providers; performance monitoring; and
planning the public participation process schedule.
Each of these is also discussed in a separate section.
4-3. Can Road Builders Join the Public in
Influencing Transportation Policy? A Minnesota
Case Study.
Johns, R. C. and F. J. Corrigan. Transportation
Research Record 1400. 1993, Pp 41~7.
Tremendous changes are occurring in the formulation
of transportation policy. The Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) is
revolutionizing approaches to transportation programs,
funding, and decision-making authority. These new
policies, which emerged and survived against more
traditional approaches, are indicators of long-term
changes and forces that are affecting transportation in
American society. Transportation constituency groups
in particular have been affected, with new groups being
formed that represent the public's growing influence.
This change has been suggested by researchers
calling for new coalitions and demonstrated by
increased public leadership in transportation projects
and the emergence of new voices and groups in
transportation policy debates. One constituency group,
The Minnesota TransportationAlliance,is examinedto
see how these forces have affected traditional
transportation advocacy groups. The Alliance, formerly
~5
called Minnesota Good Roads, is transforming itself
from a road builder organization to a broad-based
public education and catalyst organization. It is
attempting to bring together road builder groups and
public representatives in a new coalition that will
strengthen the position of transportation in its
competition for attention and resources with other
public issues. Whether or not it is successful remains
to be seen, but its broad-based coalition and
participation mechanisms may make it much more
prepared for transportation challenges of the 1 990s
than are groups that are clinging to old traditions or
making only small incremental changes.
Minnesota.
4-4. Can the Community Involvement Process be
an Asset to Project Execution in Major Roadway
Developments? A Case Study of a Delaware
Experience.
Alvarez, J. J.; R. Harbeson, Jr., and W. F. Kerr.
Transportation Research Record 1262. 1990, Pp
169-180.
After almost 30 years of controversy, the Delaware
Division of Highways has begun construction of
Delaware Route 1, the major, 47-mile component of a
new north-south limited access highway system
connecting Wilmington to Dover and points south. The
controversy was resolved through a thorough,
proactive effort to involve citizens in project planning
and design. The process was structured so that the
community involvement effort drove the engineering
design work. It consisted of a series of cycles of
thorough public discussion that commenced before
any design work was completed and was repeated
before each major decision point was reached. The
process was interactive, incorporating stages of
problem definition, conceptual solutions, multiple
alternative solutions, and refined alternatives and finally
selected an alternative. The process met all state and
federal guidelines and regulations regarding public
participation. Fast resolution of project location and
design approval, about 5.S years from commencing
location study to construction, resulted from the effort.
This experience suggests that a proactive approach to
citizen involvement could benefit highway and transit
agencies fed ng ever more challenging political
environments. The experience also reveals a
tangential problem in project review procedures of
federal agencies, such as the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency,
OCR for page 116
Project Bibliography - NCHRP 8-32 (1)
that demand detailed review of project plans after
public discussion has occurred.
Delaware.
4-5. Citizen Participation IJsing a Soft Systems
Perspective.
Khisty, C. J. Transportation Research Record 1400.
1 993.
Rational intervention in human activity systems such as
transportation planning can be achieved through
effective citizens' participation. Soft systems
methodology provides one such framework and is an
inquiring system used to tackle ill-structured problem
situations in planning. It enables its users to learn their
way to taking action and to improve a problem-ridden
situation. This methodology marks a paradigm shift in
dealing with complex planning problems. A soft system
methodology, formulated by researchers at the
University of Lancaster, United Kingdom, is described
and this methodology is applied in a case study to
demonstrate how it can be used in citizens'
participation as applied to transportation planning. This
methodology has proved to be effective and easy to
use.
Illinois.
4-6. Citizens Action Plan.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
4-7. Collaborative Transportation Planning.
Guidelines for Implementing ISTEA and the BAAS
Program for Community Problem Solving. Apr 1993,
Working Paper.
"The original version of this paper was written bv
Marcelle E. DuPraw and William R. Potapchuk of the
Program for Community Problem Solving at the request
of the Business Transportation Council (BTC). The
BTC is a volunteer group established to communicate
the business community's perspectives on
transportation issues to the federal government and to
strengthen the working relationship between the federal
government and the business sector. The paper was
conceived as an effort to help the Council understand
how collaborative planning models could be used to
bring business leaders and other stakeholders together
to develop regional transportation plans under the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Act of 1991
(ISTEA). Subsequent discussions about the ideas
contained in this paper with a broad range of parties
holding stakes in transportation planning led the
authors to believe that publishing a slightly revised
version of it in partnership with a diverse set of
transportation stakeholders would facilitate broader
discussion of its content. We believe such discussion
is crucial if the ideas this paper contains are to be
useful. We are very pleased to publish this monograph
jointly with the Business Transportation Council, the
Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP), and the
National Association of Regional Councils (NARC).
STPP is a network of diverse organizations and
coalitions whose goal is to develop a national
transportation policy that better serves the
environmental, social and economic interests of the
nation. NARC promotes understanding of
multi-purpose regional councils, represents its
members ninth Congress and the federal government,
provides technical assistance and educational services,
and fosters the exchange of information through its
publications. The Program for Communitv Problem
Solving (PC PS) assists communities all over the
country in developing more collaborative ways of
making controversial decisions and building a civic
culture that nurtures collaborative decision making.U
Quotedfrom the Foreward.
4-8. Community Involvement Manual.
Federal Aviation Administration. Springfield, VA.
National Technical Information Service, Aug
1 990,FM-EE-90-03.
"Aviation noise remains one of the most serious
constraints to expansion and improvement of the air
transportation system. If the national system is to keep
pace with the growing demand for air travel, a number
of technical and policy issues must be resolved at the
national and community levels. In recent years,
communities near airports have become increasingly
concerned about noise and more willing to get involved
in this and other airport planning issues. Community
involvement can be a very useful tool in developing
acceptable approaches to the capacity and
environmental issues facing airports. Experience
shows that involving the community in the planning
process can produce better plans. Further, plans
developed with appropriate community involvement are
more likely to be acceptable and, thus, more likely to be
successful. The Community Involvement Manual is
written for planning professionals and others dealing
with airport development and the concerns of airport
communities. Community involvement is a broad and
evolving area of study. This document is not a textbook
addressing all aspects of this topic. The manual is
designed to provide practical guidelines for involving the
common ty in a variety of aviation planning situations.
Consultation with public affairs professionals through
the FAA's Headquarters, Regional, and Technical and
Aeronautical Center Public Affairs staff is encouraged.
These professionals can help to identify the need for
community involvement and to develop a successful
program. Since planning and community involvement
situations will vary with different airports, communities,
issues, and points in the planning process, this manual
outlines a process for identifying community
involvement needs, evaluating techniques to meet
these needs and designing a workable program."
~6
OCR for page 117
Section 4 - Public Participation
Quoted from the Introduction.
4-9. Consumers and Users.
Hayes, Sandra Echols; Cal Pipal; Delaine Eastin, and
Kirk P. Brown. Transportation Research Record 1243:
Future of Statewide Transportation Planning. 1989,
Pp32.
4-10. Customer-Based Quality in Transportation.
Stein-Hudson, Kathleen. (Howard/Stein-Hudson
Associates, Inc., Boston, MA)., In Progress; NCHRP
Project 20-24~1 0~.
The American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (MSHTO) and its member
departments are committed to continually improving the
quality of their organizations and activities - a process
often referred to as Total Quality Management (TQ M).
For example, AASHTO, along with the Federal
Highway Administration and industry representatives,
has become party to a National Quality Initiative and
signed a National Policy on the Quality of Highways.
Many organizational efforts on quality begin with
concerns about products and employees. However, in
recent years, American businesses have been more
successful when they took a broader approach and
focused on"customer-based"quality. Quality
achievements in products and by employees are
necessary and commendable, but a quality-oriented
program must be firmly grounded in "customer-based"
quality. All efforts to improve product development and
employee performance could fail unless there is a clear
understanding of the needs, desires, and expectations
of the customer. Therefore, research should be
undertaken to determine the following: (1 ) what the
"transportation customer" needs, desires, and expects;
(2) the components and indicators of quality as
discerned by the customer; (3) transportation program
objectives and performance measures for the
movement of both people and goods; and (4)
strategies for improving product development and
employee efforts.
4-11. Customer Communications: The Media and
the Messages.
Stringfellow, William G. (Colorado Department of
Transportation). Presented to the Annual Meeting of
the Transportation Research Board, Jan 1995.
Colorado.
4-12. Department of Transportation Public
Involvement Programs: Hatton Canyon Freeway
Project.
California State Assembly Committee. (Sacramento,
CA). 1989.
Califomia.
4-13. Designing the Public Involvement Plan.
Schwartz, Marcy S. (CH2M Hill). Presented to the
Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board,
Jan 1 995.
4-14. Determining Appropriate Levels of Public
Participation in the Environmental Assessment
Process.
Driedger, T. (Athabasca University). Transportation and
National Prosperity - Proceedings of the 1993 Annual
Conference of the Transportation Association of
Canada, Volume 4, Sep 19 1993, Ottawa, Ontario.
Each project undergoing an environmental assessment
has its own unique set of circumstances. Thus the
approach to public participation suitable for one
situation may not be suitable for another. When
developing solutions for environmentally sensitive
projects, the degree of public participation can vary
widely. At one extreme there is little or no public
participation. In this situation the proponent determines
the "best" solution to a problem and submits this
solution for an environmental assessment (command
approach). At the other extreme, the proponent works
with the public to develop a mutually acceptable
solution, in effect it is joint decision making (consensus
approach). This paper examines: 1 ) the options along
the spectrum, 2) the situational variables which
influence the selection of a particular approach to
public participation, and 3) the implications different
levels of participation have for a proponent. It also
presents a mapping chart to help determine the level of
participation appropriate for any given set of variables.
References are made to two projects: 1) the proposal
by Transport Canada to construct additional runways at
Lester B. Pearson International Airport and 2) the
activities of the Siting Task force established by the
Department of Energy, Mines and Resources to
examine locations for storing low level radioactive
waste.
4-15. Developing Customer Focus in Statewide
Transportation Planning Process.
Kroeter, J. Errett; Lawrence F. Cunningham, and
Clifford E. Young. (University of Colorado, Denver3.
Presented to the Annual Meeting of the Transportation
Research Board, Jan 1995.
4-16. A Fair Say: Public Participation in
Transportation Decislons.
Hathaway, J. Surface Transportation Policy Project
Res Guide. May 1992, Pp 4.
This paper identifies the public participation
requirements which affect transportation planning
under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act of 1991.
4-17. FHWA/FTA Interim Policy on Public
Involvement. FHWA/FrA Questions and Answers
~7
OCR for page 118
Project Bibliography - NCHRP 8-32 (1 )
on Public Involvement in Transporation
Dec ision making.
Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit
Administration.
"Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena's Strategic
Plan establishes the objective of putting people first in
all of the Department's endeavors. Consistent with this
objective, it is the policy of the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) to aggressively support proactive
public involvement at all stages of planning and project
development. State departments of transportation,
metropolitan planning organizations, and transportation
providers are required to develop, with the public,
effective involvement processes which are
custom-tailored to local conditions. The performance
standards for these proactive public involvement
processes include early and continuous involvement;
reasonable public availability of technical and other
information; collaborative input on alternatives,
evaluation criteria and mitigation needs; open public
meetings where matters related to Federal-aid highway
and transit programs are being considered; and open
access to the deasiomnaking process prior to closure.
... This guidance responds to questions raised during
the eight regional FHWA1FTA outreach meetings on
the planning regulations (23 CFR 450) as well as at
other meetings where the planning regulations have
been discussed."
4-18. Finding the Balance between the Public
Participation Process and Progress: A Dilemma.
Butler, Gal F. (Dowling Colleg, Oakdale, NY).
Submitted to Transportation Planning Methods
Applications Conference, Apr 171995, Seattle,
Washington.
4-19. Focus Groups with Internal and External
Customers.
Finn, Deborah Wathen and P. Redeker. (New Jersey
Transit Corporation). Presented to the Annual Meeting
of the Transportation Research Board, Jan 1995.
New Jersey.
4-20. Geographic Information System
Environment for Transportation Management
Systems.
Johnson, Brad H. and Michael J. Demetsky.
Transporta don Research Record 1429: Multimodal
Priority Setting and Application of Geographic
Information Systems. May 1994, Pp 67-73.
The management systems that are required of states
by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
of 1991 have a common element in their need for a
well-established data base. In this regard,
computerized geographic information systems (GlSs)
are emerging as efficient and effective tools for
managing transportation information resources. These
systems integrate geographic (or spatial) information
displayed on maps, such as roadway alignment, with
attribute (or tabular) information characterizing features,
such as composition and age. The development of a
prototype transportation management GIS data base
for pavement management is described to illustrate the
use of a GIS framework for transportation
management systems. The data base that was
developed covered two counties in Virginia, and the
representation of the roadway system in these two
jurisdictions established the reference for the pavement
attnbute data. The same geographic data base could
be used for other management systems, although it
would need to include slight additions for safety and
bridge management and additional faalities for
congestion, ~ntermodal, and public transportation
management.
Virginia.
4-21. How I Turned a Critical Public into Useful
Consultants.
Johnson, Peter T. Harvard Business Review. Jan
1993, Pp 56-66.
4-22. Implementation of Citizen Advisory
Committees as 8 Means to Provide Interactive
Public Dialogue in the Development of an
Environmental Impact Statement.
Kusha, Siamak (Ayres Associates, Waukesha, Wl) and
Brian Bliesner (Wisconsin Department of
Transportation). Submitted to Transportation Planning
Methods Applications Conference, Apr 17 1 99S,
Seattle, Washington.
Wisconsin.
4-23. Improving the Effectiveness of Public
Meetings and Hearings.
U. S. Department of Transportation. Jan 1991,
Publication No. FHWA-HI-91-006.
"During the past few years, effective interaction
between transportation agencies and the public has
become a significant factor in determining the
parameters within which any highway project can be
designed and constructed. Whereas a roadway
proposal's viability once depended almost wholly on
engineering and design criteria, the highway planning
process today closely reflects a new set of values
based on a combination of changing fiscal conditions
and increasing environmental and social awareness.
Accordingly, highway and transportation agencies
throughout the country have attempted to develop
techniques and programs that are designed to both
facilitate community outreach and effectively utilize
community input. The result, to date, is a compendium
of public involvement processes and activities that
reflects not only a conscientious approach to a new
OCR for page 119
Section 4 - Public Participation
and difficult challenge but also a considerable amount
of experimentation and creativity. Not surprisingly, the
most innovative -- and effective -- community
involvement activities that have been documented are
those that relate to public meetings,and hearings. As
the cornerstone of public participation efforts in virtually
every state, the meeting/hearing component has been
given the greatest amount of attention, analysis, and
evaluation. It is for this reason that our guidebook, and
the workshops to which it is a companion, focus
specifically on the development and implementation of
creative and realistic approaches to the preparation,
conduct, and follow-up of meetings and hearings.
Designed to serve as a "state of the art" report and
introduction to a variety of techniques and processes,
the guidebook is based on the practical community
involvement experience of its authors, in combination
with a review of public meeting and hearing materials
developed by a cross-section of state highway and
transportation departments. For the most part, the
guidebook does not deal with the theoretical aspects of
commun ty involvement. Instead, it attempts to relate
theviability and effectiveness of a public participation
program to such basic meeting and hearing elements
as appropriateness of notification procedures; format;
exhibits; handouts; presentations; and meeting
conductor or hearing officer. In line with its practical
orientation, the book focuses on relevancy and the
need to treat each project, each agency, and each
community as a unique entity with special resources
and unavoidable constraints. It therefore functions
literally as a"sampler" of community involvement
techniques that are presented for consideration without
recommendation or disavowal. Intended as a
mechanism for the sharing of expenences, the
guidebook will hopefully meet its objective by being of
value to community involvement practitioners with
diversified needs and interests." Quoted from the
Introduction.
4-24. Increasing Public Participation in Rural
Areas.
Casteel, David B. and Joe P. Clark. (Texas Department
of Transportation, Abilene, TX). Presented to
Transportation Planning Methods Applications
Conference, Apr 17 1995, Seattle, Washington.
The Abilene District of the Texas Department of
Transportation consists of 1 3 counties composing
11,855 square miles of land; 3,629 centerline miles of
highway; and a population of 242,400 persons.
Approximately 120,000 persons IIVQ within the urban
area of Abilene which comprises less than four percent
(40/o) of the land area of the District Planning for
transportation improvements in the urban area is the
shared responsibility of the Abilene Metropolitan
Planning Organization and the District, while planning
for the remaining rural areas is the sole responsibility of
the District. The Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act of 1991 placed greater emphasis on
encouraging public input and participation in
transportation planning. In 1994, the Abilene District
initiated a systematic, proactive, public participation
plan for the rural areas of the District. This plan utilized
the basics of marketing and salesmanship and included
county maintenance supervisors and area engineers as
the first line contacts for project development. The plan
relied heavily on mailouts, news releases, public
surveys, and personal contacts with key City and
County officials. Implementing the systematic plan,
where contacts were at the local level, resulted in
significant increases in public participation in the
planning for transportation improvements in the rural
areas of the District. Compared to 1993 numbers,
attendance at public meetings to discuss transportation
improvements increased over 275 percent (275%) with
an excess of 140 persons attending informal and
formal planning sessions. Written comments received
in the District increased more than 200 percent (200%)
over 1993 numbers, partially attributable to a simple
transportation improvement request form made
available at all District offices and mailed to City and
County officials. Projects proposed by the public
exceeded available planning allocations by more than
250 percent (250%~. This paper discusses the
methods used to increase public participation in uch a
vast sparsely populated area. Also discussed in the
paper are aspects associated with accountability to the
public for rejection or modification of their proposed
projects and education of local office District employees
in planning fundamentals.
Texas.
4-25. Innovations in Public Involvement for
Transportation Planning.
Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit
Administration. (Washington, DC). Jan 1994.
Federal regulations to implement the Intermoda
Surface Transportation and Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of
1991 call for proactive public involvement processes
that respond not only to the requirements of ISTEA but
also to those related Federal acts, such as the Clean
Air Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. This
notebook contains a set of ~ 4 leaflets, each briefly
describing a different technique of public involvement
suited to both Metropolitan and statewide planning. It
was prepared to support the public involvement
processes required by the ISTEA and is intended to
serve as a guide for transportation planners, citizens,
public officials, and transportation providers. The
notebook introduces agencies to some practical
techniques of public involvement that can be used in a
variety of situations. Each leaflet outlines the
fundamentals of a technique along with its advantages
or drawbacks, its potential applications and uses, its
~9
OCR for page 120
Project Bibliography - NCHRP 8-32 (1 )
-
utility to agendes and citizens, and its resource
requirements. Examples of how these techniques are
being applied across the country are included in this
guidebook, along with telephone numbers for agencies
where the technique is being used.
4-26. Involving Citizens in MPO Transportation
Planning Under ISTEA
Hoover, Julie. (Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade &
Douglas, Inc., Jew York, NY). Jun 5 1995.
"The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
of 1991 (ISTEA) and its accompanying Final Rule on
Metropolitan Planning offer new mandates for public
involvement in the transportation planning activities of
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs).
Experience also suggests that effective Citizen
participation can greatly benefit MPOs by increasing
implementation prospects, reducing the risk of project
delays and litigation, facilitating deasionmaking,
improving planning, and enhancing the legitimacy of
their planning processes. The purpose of this report is
to help MPOs by gathering information about citizen
participation in regional transportation planning and
drawing lessons from it. Many of the reported
techniques; principles, and trends are also applicable to
statewide planning and project development. The
participatory planning of the 1 970's had numerous,
broad-ranging legacies. In all of the case study
regions, there is a strong sense that citizen participation
is important and an atmosphere of openness and
responsiveness still prevails. Five of the six case study
regions retain some or all of the planning approaches
and participation mechanisms employed in the 1 970's.
Here are the major - and still valid - findings of the 1977
case study research: (1) Sponsors of effective public
involvement programs developed individualistic,
creative processes tailored to local circumstances. It
was difficult to generalize and draw standardized
guidelines from the cases. (2) The only common
ingredients in the most effective programs were
attitudinal characteristics such as openness,
responsiveness, and commitment. (3) Sponsors of
successful. programs were willing to alter traditional
planning processes and to accept new types of
planning outputs. These might include policy planning,
sub-area studies, and vision processes. (4) MPOs
recognized that it is necessary to use tailored
approaches for specialgroups such as minorities and
persons of low income, as well as for
supra-neighborhood groups such as theChamber of
Commerce or the League of Women Voters. (5)
Approaches based on involving the general public (in
addition to community leaders and interest groups) are
necessary." Quoted from the Introduction and Major
Findings.
4-27. The Ithaca Model: Practical Experience in
Community-Based Planning.
Boyd, David S. and Amy G. Groniund.
(Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council).
Presented to the Annual Meeting of the Transportation
Research Board, Jan 1995.
New Yorl<.
4-28. Minnesota'. ISTEA Area Transportation
Partnerships: A Substate, Multicounty Geographic
Basis for Making Transportation Investment
Decision.
Lowe, Robert, Jr., and Jon A. Bloom. (Minnesota
Department of Transportation). Presented to the
Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board,
Jan 1 995.
Minnesota.
4-29. Planning for Public Involvement.
Bell-Stromberg, Janet. (Jefferson County, Colorado,
Planning Department). Presented to the Annual
Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Jan
1 995.
Colorado.
4-30. Post-lSTEA Public Involvement.
Hoover, Julie. (Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade &
Douglas, Inc., New York, NY).
ISTEA and subsequent Final Rules regarding
metropolitan planning, statewide planning, and
management and monitoring systems call for increased
citizen participation in transportation planning and
programming. This paper reviews progress to date
based on a survey of all 50 states and knowledge of
over 100 MPOs. While some very good examples of
participatory planning can be found, many states and
MPOs seem to be responding to the ISTEA
requirements in a fairly perfunctory manner. Examples
of good practice and suggestions for improvement are
offered. The purpose of this paper is fivefold: to
summarize the recent history of public involvement, to
gently prod those states and MPOs who are not
embracing citizen participation wholeheartedly into
doing so, to communicate information about successful
participation so practitioners might benefit, to document
the current state~f-practice for those who have
interest, and to identify courses of action for public
involvement advocates. Over the past three decades,
the importance attributed to public involvement
generally has tended to rise and fall rather significantly.
In the 60s and early yes, the major goal of citizen
movements in transportation was to stop highway
projects in urban areas, an effort that was highly
successful overall. By 1973, proposed highway
projects were being blocked by citizens in all but one of
the 55 largest Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas
(SMSAs). With the slowdown in urban highway
construction, citizen attention turned to alternative
120
OCR for page 121
Section 4 - Public Participation
means of addressing urban transportation problems
and to process. Dramatic shifts in public sentiment led
to public acquisition of bus companies in many areas,
New Start" heavy--and later~light rail systems, and
subsidization of transit service. There was also growing
interest in Transportation System Management (TS M),
paratransit, and, eventually, high occupancy vehicle
(HOV) faalities. Transportation planning became more
focused on the short term, and there was an increasing
emphasis on communly and environmental factors and
a strengthening of the role of citizens.
4-31 . Public Involvement, 1 9g2-lJlay 1993:
Community Outreach, Public Information and
Media Coverage.
Regional Transit Project. (Seattle, WA). 1993.
Washington.
4-32. Public Involvement, 1992-May 1993: Public
Information Materials.
Regional Transit Project. (Seattle, WA). 1993.
Washington.
4-33. Public Involvement at the Planning Level: A
Case Study of the University of Maryland Eastern
Shore Access Road.
Rahman, M. A. Transportation Research Record
1400. 1993, Pp 48-52.
Perhaps the most visible aspect of the Maryland State
Highway Administration's commitment to quality in
citizen participation is in the administration's forward
thinking in the project planning process and in its
efforts to assemble locally appropriate and
environmentally sensitive solutions to the transportation
needs of the state. This is accomplished by the special
attention given to public participation and involvement
in every aspect of the project planning and
development process. Maryland State Highway
Administration's public involvement program is
highlighted, and the implementation of the program and
its positive aspects are described using a case study of
the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Access
Road.
Maryland.
4-34. Public Involvement in Statewide
Transportation Planning.
Lindquist, Kathy. (Washington State Department of
Transportation, Olympia, WA). Presented to
Transportation Planning Methods Applications
Conference, Apr 17 1995, Seattle, Washington.
The Washington State Department of Transportation's
ublic Involvement Program for the Statewide
Multimodal Transportation Plan is designed to provide
Citizens early, continuous and meaningful involvement
in the planning process. The goal is to achieve the
agency's mission through soliating the public's
it
evolvement by using both qualitative and quantitative
techniques that meet both department and public
needs. Beginning with the "Policy Plan for Washington
State" in 1988, WSDOT instituted a process of
involving Citizens early in decision making for its
planning efforts. In July of 1994, the Department
began implementation of a Public Involvement Program
for the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan. The
Public Involvement Program includes the specific
identification of objectives to be achieved, the
audiences to be reached and the methods that will be
used to accomplish the objectives. A brochure was
developed to actively solicit ideas from the public on
how best to involve them in the planning process. The
Public Involvement Program was designed to meet the
needs identified from citizens with appropriate
opportunities that will increase the public's knowledge
and incentive to participate in developing the State
Transportation Plan. The Public Involvement Program
is being monitored to ensure it is meeting the
objectives. The Public Involvement Program included
articles in agency and stakeholder newsletters, wide
distribution of the Public Review Draft of the Statewide
Multimodal Plan, outreach to citizens, and a diverse
media program. During September and October 1994,
presentations were made to organizations throughout
the state in addition to twenty-one regional forums. A
1-800 comment line was created along with an opinion
survey in the Plan to give citizens and opportunity to
comment. In addition displays were held at malls and
fairs. A video was developed for statewide distribution
and was also used as part of a cable TV program to
discuss the modal choices. The Final Plan will be
widely diseminated in the Summer of 1995 with
additional public involvement opportunities including
focus groups, newspaper and cable access coverage
and surveys.
Washington.
4-35. The Public Involvement Process.
Exter, J. O. (Provincial Administration, Pretoria, South
Africa). Submitted to Transportation Planning Methods
Applications Conference, Apr 17 199S, Seattle,
Washington.
4-36. Public Involvement Process for Identifying
Problems and Alternative Solutions for the Year
2010 Transportation Plan.
De-Corla Souza, P.; H. Salverda, and D. Beckwith.
Transportation Research RQCOnd 1 167. 1988, Pp
1 1 -20.
The objectives of the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council
of Governments (TMACOG) for public involvement in
development of its Year 2010 Transportation Plan
were (a) to assist system planners in obtaining a better
understanding of the system users' problems, (b) to
allow as many solution options as possible to surface,
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Project Bibliography - NCHRP 8-32 (1 )
(c) to obtain the assistance of the public groups in plan
evaluation so that the plan would truly meet their
needs, and (d) to build a broad base of ownership and
understanding of the plan and attract a broad base of
support for individual projects on the plan. With these
objectives in mind, the Long-Range Plan Task Force
was established and became the body responsible for
developing and implementing an innovative public
involvement process. A series of five public meetings
were held at scattered locations throughout the
TMACO(3 region, culminating in a"Charrette," an
intensive brainstorming session held over a short period
of time. The purpose of the five pre-Charrette public
meetings was to identify the transportation issues,
problems, and needs within each geographic subarea,
to assure that adequate information on subarea
problems would be available at the Charrette, and to
generate interest and excitement about the Charrette.
The Charrette itself, which had more than 100 people
participating within thematic subgroups, was intended
to unlock the creativity of the participants by focusing
their attention intensively over a period of 24 hours on
solutions to transportation problems facing the Toledo
area. The spirit of cooperation and trust fostered by
the Charrette was maintained by the Long-Range Plan
Task Force through its subgroups as they refined the
ideas from the Charrette and developed plan
alternatives for testing and evaluation. The most
important outcome of the Charrette was the fact that
over 100 community leaders have a better
understanding of their stake in transportation planning
and have ownership of the Year 2010 Transportation
Plan.
Ohio.
4-37. Public Participation Can be Key to a
Project's Success.
Hardeman, A. American Consulting Engineer. 1993,
4~3), Pp 28-30.
Particularly in the environmental field, and increasingly
in the transportation arena, agencies and engineering
consultants are finding that successful completion of a
project means working with the community on a
meaningful basis: opening a dialogue, listening to
issues and concerns, and negotiating everything from
details to the need for the project itself. While this
process, commonly called public participation,
sometimes lengthens the early planning stages of a
project as issues are being communicated and
concerns negotiated, a successful public participation
program can shorten the overall schedule of a
controversial project. When the process involves the
public, negotiation techniques are used to resolve
controversial issues.
4-38. Redefining Public Involvement.
Unsworth, D. J. Joumal of Management in
Engineenng. Jul 1994, 10~4), Pp 13-15.
The Montana Department of Transportation (M DOT)
and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
recently teamed up to consider new ways to involve the
public in the project development process. The idea
was to involve and inform the public before the final
stages of project development, a situation that was
occurring frequently. The author states that devising a
public involvement plan early in the project
development schedule, making frequent informal
contacts with interested individuals and groups, and
concentrating on clear communications will help avoid
conflict at the eleventh hour. M DOT developed a
simple handbook, which outlined their public
involvement program, provided the statement of
purpose, and highlighted the goals, procedures, and
advice.
Montana.
4-39. The Use of Urban Visualisation Models to
Aid Public Participation in the Planning Process.
Day, A. (Bath University, U.K.~. Informing Technologies
for Construction, Civil Engineering and Transport.
Proceedings of the SERC Sponsored Conference, Sep
1993, London, U.K. Pp 141-9.
A detailed three-dimensional computer model of the
City of Bath is currently nearing completion in the
Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture (CASA) at
Bath University. The immediate requirement for the
model came from the Sty planning department to be
used in the assessment of the visual impact of
proposed new buildings on the city's conservation area.
However, it is clear that this is only one way in which
the model can be used and applications in other areas
are being developed. It is being used as the
user-interface to a database of property related
information where it offers an intuitive method of
navigation which is particularly appropriate for
non-expert users. This paper discusses how such
urban models can be used to increase the public
debate on matters of planning and design and
highlights the problems encountered when using large
3D model in this way.
4-40. Why Should There Be Public Involvement?
Schwartz, Marcy S. (CH2M Hill). Presented to the
Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board,
Jan 1 995.
4-41. Wisconsin Public Participation Process for
MetropolItan Planning and Programming.
Guidelines for Metropolitan Planning
OrganIzatIons and Communities in Developing 8
Public PartIcipation Process.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Nov 1993.
The purpose of this document is to provide
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOS) with
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Section 4 - Public Participation
options, ideas, guidance, resources, and support in
thedevelopment of their public involvement processes.
Under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act (ISTEA) of 1991, governments are directed to
solicit more public involvement than ever before, both
from a vv der range of publics and at more points in the
planning process. In addition, each MPO must develop
a strategy for their public participation process. DUG to
the increased significance of long range planning in
transportation decision making under the ISTEA, there
is heightened interest in transportation planning by
organized interest groups, many of whom actively
lobbied for the ISTEA. This raised level of interest
means there will be a general need to build public
invoh~ement processes which really work. Congress
made it clear in the ISTEA that it is serious about more
public involvement and that public involvement has a
key role in implementing the new flexibility under the
ISTEA. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation
(Wis DOT) can provide guidance on the process, but it
is ultimately up to the MPOs to open and implement
their transportation planning processes in creative and
effective ways. Development of the process will not
eliminate conflict, but allows it to surface early enough
in the process so that alternatives can be explored in a
spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation.
Wisconsin.
4-42. Working Wish New Partners: Transportation
Decisions With the Public.
Hathaway, J. and L. Wormser. Transportation
Research Record 1400. 1993, Pp 36~0.
Public participation is essential to ensuring that
transportation systems serve community goals.
Innovative use of a broad array of public relations and
communications strategies can help to build public
understanding and support for projects and techniques
that improve transportation efficiency. Polls, opinion
surveys, focus groups, alternative dispute resolution,
and media campaigns may helpfully supplement more
traditional public hearings, workshops, advisory
committees, and task forces.
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/2Y
Representative terms from entire chapter:
public participation
