Innovations in Public Involvement for Transportation Planning

Book excerpt: Public involvement in transportation planning has a new emphasis since Congress passed the Federal intermodal Surface Transportation Act of 1991 (ISTEA). Federal regulations to implement ISTEA call for proactive public involvement processes. They must respond not only to the requirements of ISTEA but also those of related Federal acts, such as the Clean Air Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. This set of notebook pages has been prepared to introduce agencies to some practical techniques of public Involvement that can be used in a variety of situations. It is geared to the needs of State agencies and metropolitan planning organizations (MPO's), particularly some smaller MPO's with less extensive public involvement experience. It is intended for use both by public involvement specialists and the others who have public involvement responsibilities. It is not the whole answer to public involvement but a starting point to stimulate responsiveness to ISTEA. Techniques should always be tailored to local conditions and should be as creative and fresh as possible to attract public interest.