[3] Reach Out for Full Participation
Reach out to local communities, policy makers, businesses and individuals
with information, technical assistance and on-going opportunities to assist
CDTC and its members in making transportation-related decisions. Build partnerships among all transportation
stakeholders so that transportation investments achieve multiple community
objectives.
Expected Benefits
An open public process makes transportation responsive. If the parameters of performance that have
been chosen are indeed important to people, then a more responsive process will
show benefits across the board. The
benefits of an inclusive process will be seen in implementation successes that
are not possible otherwise.
Implications
The implications of a transportation-planning process driven by public
involvement are potentially far-reaching.
Increases in funding to transportation will not occur without public
support. Adapting the capital program
and planning process to be more flexible -- to change in response to feedback
-- will involve institutional adjustments that present the largest barriers to
success.
Actions
1) Emphasize public participation in transportation planning, programming and implementation.
"The
planning and design process will not bear fruit if we cannot bring people --
municipal officials and developers, engineers and planners, the community at
large and the body politic -- together to effect real choice."[1]
Transportation planning, programming, and project
implementation must have a high level of meaningful
public participation. A public
involvement orientation leads one away from "engineering" solutions
and towards problem-solving that integrates community values, goals, and
desires. An ongoing, inclusive dialogue
about fundamental transportation decisions that impact everyone's lives is
required. Traditionally
underrepresented communities, such as the mobility-impaired, low income,
minorities and senior citizens, deserve special outreach efforts.
The use of innovative public participation
techniques, such as focus groups, visual preference surveys, and model building
early on in the process are important components of redefining a successful
project in the eyes of developers, designers, and the affected public. In essence, "we must change the
instructions given to traffic engineers.
We must give traffic engineers and the other technicians involved in the
shaping of our communities better guidance as to what their goals should
be. Their objective should be the
creation of an acceptable environment."[2]
Integration with community desires, "human scale" engineering
(as opposed to design for auto accommodation), and customer satisfaction should
be measures of success.
The Capital Region's transportation planning process has benefited from
the participation by business, developers, and freight service providers in New Visions to date. The practice must be continued and expanded
as the New Visions Regional
Transportation Plan is implemented. The
exchange of ideas between different stakeholders in task force settings has
been very valuable, and that dialogue must continue through other forums and
mechanisms. Effective public
participation is the backbone of effective planning. Public participation is effective when it is frequent, informed,
early in the process (before decisions are final), and constructive. This is accomplished by having regular
opportunities for participation, coupled with educational materials and funding
structures that allow "non-professionals" to participate as full
partners.