Innovations in Public Involvement for Transportation Planning

Innovations in
U.S. Department Public Involvement
of Transportation for

Federal Highway Transportation
Administration Planning

January 1994

Innovations in Public Involvement
for Transportation Planning

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the
Department of Transportation in the interest of information
exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for
its content or use thereof.

The contents of this report reflect the views of the contractor,
who is responsible for the accuracy of the data presented herein.
The contents do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the
Department of Transportation.

This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or
regulation.

The United States Government does not endorse products or
manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein only
because they are considered essential to the object of this
document.

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administrationþ

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Innovations in Public Involvement
for Transportation Planning
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Technique A: Charrette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Technique B: Visioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Technique C: Brainstorming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Technique D: Citizens' Advisory Committee. . . . . . . . . . . D-1

Technique E: Transportation Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Technique F: Focus Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-1

Technique G: Collaborative Task Force. . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1

Technique H: Media Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-1

Technique I: Facilitation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Technique J: Citizen Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-1

Technique K: Telephone Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K-1

Technique L: Video Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L-1

Technique M: Public Meetings/Hearings. . . . . . . . . . . . . M-1

Technique N: Americans with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . N-1

INTRODUCTION

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.

In these brief leaflets, certain familiar and established techniques
are included for several reasons. First, they may be useful in areas
where they have not yet been tried. Furthermore, even though they are
familiar, some of these techniques are being used in innovative ways
to fulfill the objectives of ISTEA. The more traditional approaches
are supplemented by newer, less familiar techniques that may provide
unique approaches to involving the public. Agencies tiny want to
combine techniques to achieve the maximum impact in encouraging
involvement of the public.

Arranged in a random order, each of these leaflets outlines the
fundamentals of a technique, along with its advantages or drawbacks,
its potential applications and special uses, its utility to agencies
and citizens, and its resource requirements. There are examples of
how these techniques are being applied across the country, along with
telephone numbers for agencies where the technique is being used.

Page 1
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet A

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CHARRETTE
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

What's a charrette?

A charrette is a meeting to resolve a problem or issue. Within a
specified time limit, participants work together intensely to reach
a resolution. The sponsoring agency usually sets the goals and time
limit and announces them ahead of time. The charrette leader's
responsibility is to bring out all points of view from concerned
citizens as well as agency representatives and experts.

Here are the usual components of a charrette:

definition of issues to be resolved
analysis of the problem and alternative approaches to
solutions
assignment of small groups to clarify issues
use of staff support people to find supporting data
development of proposals to respond to issues
development of alternative solutions
presentation and analysis of final proposal(s)
consensus and final resolution of approach to be taken.

Why is it useful?

A charrette is problem-oriented. The breadth of background of
participants will assure full discussion of issues,
interrelationships, and impacts. Its time limits challenge people
to rapidly, openly, and honestly examine the problem and help
potential adversaries reach consensus on an appropriate - solution.
For example, charrettes were used to formulate alternatives to a
controversial highway project in Knoxville, Tennessee, and a
downtown plan for Jacksonville, Florida, by guiding business and
civic leaders and neighborhood people to a recommended solution.

A charrette produces visible results. It is often used early in a
planning process to provide useful ideas and perspectives from
concerned interest groups. In mid-process, a charrette can help
resolve sticky issues. Late in the process, it A useful in
resolving an impasse between groups.

How does it relate to ISTEA?

A charrette can support the goals of ISTEA by expanding ISTEA's
basic concept of giving citizens a reasonable opportunity to
comment on transportation planning and programming. It provides a
special, intensive occasion dedicated to hearing comments from
citizens and working with them. It encourages public comment by
being interactive and responsive. It focuses on the generation of
fresh ideas and approaches. It is intended to bring public comment
into the planning process early, rather than at the end.

A charrette can enlarge the degree of public involvement in
transportation, reducing feelings of alienation from government.
It offers citizens interaction with public agencies and allows for
questions to be asked before decisions are made. It supplements,
but does not replace, other kinds of public involvement.

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CHARRETTE, continued
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Does a charrette
have special uses?

A charrette calls attention to an issue. It can dramatize:
the need for public attention to resolve an issue;
a deliberately participatory problem-solving process:
a public agency's openness to suggestions;
a search for all possible approaches to a question;
a democratically-derived consensus.

A charrette can generate alternative solutions to a problem. The
setting encourages openness and creativity. All suggestions from
the group-however outrageous-should be examined to encourage
thinking about better approaches. In New Hampshire's Community
Stewardship Program, for instance, volunteer experts are invited by
towns to help assess strengths and weaknesses of town planning.

Who participates?
and how?

Any citizen can participate in a charrette. A wide range of
people with differing interests should attend. Traditional
participants represent organized groups, but individuals with any
stake in the issue should be encouraged to attend.

How citizens participate depends on the charrette leader. An
experienced leader assumes that a range of views is heard. The
leader invites citizens to take a stance and present Their points
of view. All participants are assured an opportunity to speak out,
and the leader should encourage even the most reticent participant
to speak up without fear of rebuke or ridicule. The open, free-
wheeling charrette format encourages enthusiasm and responses.

How do agencies
use the output?

A charrette sharpens agency understanding of the perspectives of
interest groups. Early in project formulation, a charrette offers
a glimpse of potentially competing demands and can be a barometer
of the potential for consensus. Thus it helps generate
alternatives and identify issues. In Minnesota and Alabama, for
example, State agencies respond to the needs of individual towns by
providing experts for weekend charrettes.

Who leads a charrette?

A leader experienced in charrette techniques is a must.
To avoid chaos, a high level of discipline is required in a
charrette. The charrette leader should be familiar with group
dynamics and the substantive issues the group will face. The leader
tailors the setting, background materials, and issues to the
goal of the charrette and elicits participation from all group
members within the allotted time. One or two staff people should be
available for support to the leader and to supply data and
information.

A steering committee usually makes arrangements for the charrette.
It may be composed of representatives of Federal and State
transportation or other agencies, consultants, affected
municipalities, and citizen groups. The steering committee should
agree upon the leader of the charrette.

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

What does a
charrette cost?

A charrette involves significant resolves. The chief items are
sufficient space and background materials and an experienced leader.
Graphics must be used so that participants can quickly comprehend the
problem and envision alternative solutions. Background materials must
be available at the start of the charrette so that no time is lost in
investigating the problem. If the preparatory work leading to a
charrette is done in-house, it can be time-consuming. If done by a
specialist, it can be expensive.

Staffing should include:

a leader experienced in the charrette technique;
staffers who understand the derivation and use of the data;
staffers who have worked on the problem;
staffers who have worked with applicable policy.

Material can include:

large maps;
overlays to allow sketching on maps;
boards to display applicable data;
large newsprint pads and markers to record ideas;
photographs of sites;
handouts of basic goals/time limits/meeting ground rules;
printed background information with background data.

How is it
organized?

Organization can be a significant task. Depending on the issue's
complexity and the intended length of the event, this work includes:
obtaining agreement on the process;
obtaining agreement on timing;
determining potential participants;
finding an experienced charrette leader;
managing special funding, if required;
seeking out resource people;
sending out invitations and background material well in
advance;
finding an appropriate space for meeting;
handling required publicity;
setting up space to encourage informal discussion;
portraying issues clearly in both verbal and graphic form.

Is it flexible?
A minimum of two hours is essential for a charrette focused on a
modest problem. However, many charrettes are day-long events.

A charrette can occur at any time in the planning process, but
preparation is crucial Advance work can take a month or more,
depending on the issue to be discussed. Charrette materials are
flexible and should be tailored to the focus of the meeting.

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

How does it relate
to other techniques?

A charrette can be combined effectively with other techniques.
When matched with a citizen advisory committee, it can focus on
solving a specific problem. Paired with the visioning process,
it is an attractive means of eliciting ideas. A charrette can
also focus on a single issue raised during a brainstorming session.
In Portland, Maine, a two-day charrette on the long-range plan
followed a transportation fair.

What are its
drawbacks?

A charrette is a one-time event. Thus, the invitation list and timing
must be thoroughly considered and discussed to maximize through broad-
based participation. Goals must be made clear so the expectations of
the charrette do not exceed possible results. The depth of analysis
from a single short session can be disappointing. Follow-up work must
be carefully considered both before and during the charrette.

When is it most effective?

A charrette can resolve an impasse. During such a use, neutral
participants should be involved to bring fresh ideas for
consideration. When a problem is immediate, a charrette can be
effective because people are vitally interested in the outcome. For
maximum effect, a charrette should have the approval of elected
officials, agency heads, and citizens' groups.
A charrette is also useful:
early in the project;
following a brainstorming session;
when focus on a single issue is required;
when a range of potential solutions is needed.

FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION

American Institute of Architects' Regional/Urban Assistance Team
(R/UDAT), (202) 626-7358
American Society of Landscape Architects, Community Assistance Team,
(202) 686-2752
Minnesota Design Team, Minnesota Department of Trade & Economic
Development, (612) 297-1291
New Hampshire Community Stewardship Program, (603) 271-2155
Portland, Maine, Area Comprehensive Transportation Committee,
(207) 724-9891
Urban Land Institute's Panel Advisory Service, (202) 624-7133

FOR MORE
COPIES

Federal Highway Administration
Office of Environment & Planning
(HEP-32)
400 7th Street SW
Washington, TX: 20590
(202) 366-2065

Federal Transit Administration
Office of Planning
(TGM-20)
400 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366-2360

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet B

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VISIONING
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

What's visioning?

Visioning leads to a goals statement. Typically it consists of a
series of meetings focused on long-range issues. Visioning result in
a long-range plan. With a 20- or 30-year horizon, visioning also sets
a strategy for achieving the goals. Visioning has been used to set
a long-range statewide transportation plan in Ohio, a statewide
comprehensive plan in New Jersey, and a regional land-use and
transportation plan in the Seattle region. It has been used by die
governor of Georgia, acting as "Chief Planner," to create long-range
goals for the State. Central Oklahoma 2020 is a visioning project for
a regional plan.

Priorities and performance standards can be a part of visioning.
Priorities are set to distinguish essential goals. Performance
standards allow an evaluation of progress toward goals over time. In
Jacksonville, Florida, a community report card is used to determine
priorities; each target for the future is evaluated annually. In
Minnesota a statewide report card was used to evaluate the current
status and set up goals and milestones for the future. Oregon
established benchmarks to measure progress toward its long-term goals.

Why is it useful?

Visioning offers the widest possible participation for developing a
long-range plan. It is democratic in its search for disparate
opinions from all stakeholders and directly involves a cross-section
of citizens from a State or region in setting a long-term policy
agenda. It looks for common ground among participants in exploring
and advocating strategies for the future. It can bring in often-
overlooked issues about quality of life. It helps formulate policy
direction on public investments and government programs.

Visioning is an integrated approach to policy-making. With overall
goals in view, it helps avoid piecemeal and reactionary approaches to
addressing problems. It accounts for the relationship between issues,
and how one problem's solution may generate other problems or have an
impact on another level of government It is cooperative, with multi-
agency involvement, frequently with joint inter-agency leadership.

How does it relate
to ISTEA

Visioning significantly expands ISTEA's basic concept of giving
citizens a reasonable opportunity to comment on transportation plan-
ning and programming. It goes beyond the merely reasonable by
maximizing concern for public input and by offering multiple
opportunities for such input. Its ultimate product is an integral
part of the State or regional policy guidance contemplated by ISTEA.

Visioning enlarges the degree of public involvement in transportation,
particularly for long-range plans for a State or region. It expands
the political process by soliciting citizen help in setting
generalized priorities. Similarly, it assists in establishing the
general approaches to improvement programs.

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VISIONING, continued
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Does visioning
have special uses?

Visioning uses participation as a source of ideas in the
establishment of long-range policy. It draws upon deeply-held
feelings about overall directions of public agencies to solicit
opinions about the future. After open consideration of many options,
it generates a single, integrated vision for the future based on the
consideration of many people with diverse viewpoints. When completed,
it presents a democratically-derived consensus.

Visioning dramatizes the development of policies to get people
involved in specific topics such as transportation infrastructure.
In Ohio, the Access Ohio program was designed to establish goals
and objectives for development of transportation projects and
programs. Other States that have used visioning to establish long-
range goals include Kansas, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Iowa, Oregon,
and Minnesota.

Who participates?
and how?

Invitations to participate can be given to all citizens or to a
representative panel. A broad distribution of information is
essential. This information must be simply presented, attractive,
and tendered important and timely. It should also include clear
goals of participation and show how comments will be used in the
process.

Citizens participate through meetings and surveys. A typical
method of involving citizens is through a questionnaire format,
seeking comments on present issues and future possibilities. A
report card filled in with citizens' opinions was used in
Jacksonville, Florida. In Minnesota opinions were elicited through
small or large public meetings at locations distributed
equitably throughout the State. In the Research Triangle region of
North Carolina, participants drew pictures of their vision of the
region's future and of transit opportunities in words and pictures
on wall-sized sheets of paper.

How do agencies
use the output?

Visioning helps agencies determine policy. Through wide-spread
public participation, agencies become aware of issues and problems,
different points of view, and competing demands. Drafting responses
to comments aids in sharpening overall policy and assists in
focusing priorities among goals, plans, or programs. Visioning can
also help surface and resolve conflicts among competing priorities.
A chief governmental official can lead visioning. in several
States the governor has made visioning a cornerstone of State
policy planning for infrastructure investments and State
operational departments. The governors of Oregon, Texas, Iowa,
Minnesota, Georgia, Florida, and New Jersey have fostered visioning
for their States.

Agencies have also led visioning projects. Statewide agencies are
leading new visioning projects in Maine and Hawaii. Regional
agencies are leading visioning projects in Jacksonville,
Indianapolis, and Seattle.

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Visioning costs can vary. The chief items are staff time and
materials sufficient to set up and carry out the program. Staff
people should include a leader committed to the process, a community
participation specialist who is well versed in the applicable
policies, and staffers who can interpret and integrate participants'
opinions from surveys and meetings. Meeting materials are minimal but
can include large maps and newsprint pads and markers to record ideas.

If forecasts of information are developed or if alternative scenarios
are to be fleshed out, research and preparation time can be extensive.

How is it
organized?

A specific time period is scheduled to develop the vision
Statement.
The schedule incorporates sufficient time for framing issues,
eliciting comments through surveys or meetings, and recording
statements from participants and integrating them into draft and final
documents.

Visioning staff members are typically assigned from existing agencies
that are familiar with issues and essential contacts to be maintained.

In Minnesota and New Jersey, staff was assigned from the State
planning office; in Jacksonville, Florida, from the Community
Council/Chamber of Commerce; in Ohio, from the Ohio Department of
Transportation.

Is it flexible?

Visioning can be extremely flexible in terms of scheduling and staff
commitments. Scheduling can take weeks or months. Staff can be
temporarily or permanently assigned to the project.

Preparation for visioning is crucial and touches on many complex
issues. Advance work is essential to give time for staff to prepare
the overall program, agendas, mailing lists, questionnaires, and
methods of presentation and follow-up. The visioning program should
be carefully scheduled to maximize citizen input and response time
prior to selecting final policies.

How does it relate
to other
techniques?

The visioning process involves using many techniques of public
involvement. In the Seattle area, the visioning process on regional
growth and mobility futures included the most extensive regional
public involvement effort ever conducted in the area: symposiums,
workshops, newspaper tabloid inserts, public hearings, open houses,
surveys, and community meetings.

Visioning leads toward other public Involvement techniques. As a
policy umbrella, it can precede establishment of a citizen advisory
committee and guide its work in reviewing individual projects or
programs. It can lead to brainstorm sessions or charrettes to solve
individual problems. Visioning can be the basis for public evaluation
and implementation; it led to performance monitoring of State agency
activities in Oregon, Minnesota, Iowa, and Texas, followed by reports
to the public.

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

What are its
drawbacks?

Time and staff requirements are significant
to maintain contact with the numerous citizen participants and carry
the program forward. The numbers of participants varies from 100
community leaders in Jacksonville to an estimated 10,000 citizens in
Minnesota. Iistering to participants can consume several months'
time. Full-time effort is required of staff when the process is in
motion.

The staff needs patience to deal with so many diverse views and
individuals, time and schedule requirements, and complex issues and
interrelationships. Finally, visioning is a one-time event and
remains on a generalized policy level; there is a substantial risk
that the resulting document will not satisfy all interest groups.

When is it most
effective?

Visioning is of maximum use at an early point in the estab-
lishment or revision of policies or goals. Used in this way, it
demonstrates openness to new ideas or concepts that may be
suggested by the public. For maximum effect, a visioning project
should have the active support of elected officials, agency heads,
and citizen groups.

Visioning is useful

to set the stage for short-range planning activities;
to set new directions in policy;
to review existing policy;
When integration between issues is required;
when a wide variety of ideas should be heard; and
when a range of potential solutions is needed.

FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION

Iowa Department of Management (Futures Agenda), State Capitol
Building, Des Moines, IA 50319, (515) 281-3322
Jacksonville Community Council (Quality Indicators for Progress),
Jacksonville, FL, (904) 356-0800
Minnesota Planning (Minnesota Milestones), 658 Cedar Street, St.
Paul, MN 55155, (612) 296-3985
Ohio Department of Transportation (Access Ohio), 25 South Front
St., Columbus, OH 43216, (614) 466-7170
Oregon Progress Board (Oregon Shines/Oregon Benchmarks), 775 Summer
Street, NE, Salem, OR 97310, (503) 373-1220
Puget Sound Regional Council (Vision 2020), 216 First Ave. South,
Seattle, WA 98104, (206) 464-7090

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet C

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BRAINSTORMING
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

What's brainstorming?

Brainstorming is a simple technique used in a meeting where
participants come together in a freethinking forum to generate
ideas. As now used, brainstorming is no longer an unstructured
method of eliciting ideas from a group. Used properly-either alone
or in conjunction with other techniques--brainstorming can be a
highly effective method of moving participants out of conflict and
toward consensus. For example, the Cape Cod Commission in
Massachusetts used brainstorming to develop goals and objectives to
guide transportation planning.

Brainstorming has these task components:

generating as many solutions to a problem as possible;
listing every idea presented without comment or
evaluation;
grouping and evaluating ideas to reach consensus; and
prioritizing ideas.
Experience suggests that each of these tasks can be further
subdivided to improve under-standing of the overall process and its
results. For example, ideas may need clarification for the group
to grasp and evaluate, or the role of brainstorming in issue
resolution may need to be explained. As a basic means of involving
citizens, it has few peers if carried out successfully.

Why is it useful?

Brainstorming brings ideas to bear on a problem. The
freethinking atmosphere encourages fresh thinking. Creativity is
enhanced when individuals are encouraged to bring up ideas that
might initially appear to be outrageous. Even imperfectly
developed thoughts may jog the thinking of other participants. In
Atlanta, a brainstorming effort produced future options in the
Vision 2020 process.

Problems are defined better as questions arise. Alternatives
appear in a new or different perspective. Novel approaches to an
issue can occur during the process. Brainstorming gives
participants a sense of progress and accomplishment and helps them
move onto more difficult tasks.

Brainstorming can help reduce conflict. It may help participants
see other points of view and possibly change their perspective on
problems. It may not be useful in resolving deeply felt conflicts
but could help set the stage for a different technique if an
impasse has been reached. Civility of each participant is
required.
Brainstorming is democratic. All participants have an equal status
and an equal opportunity to participate. No one person's ideas
dominate a brainstorming session. Brainstorming heightens the
awareness of community and sensitizes individuals to the behavior
of the group and its participants. It helps mold participants into
a working group.

How does it relate
to ISTEA?

Brainstorming could be a part of nearly any program, especially if
used as input to early planning stages. It effectively enables
both the general public and organized groups to participate in
developing specific elements of plans and programs. In statewide
planning, the large geographic scale requires a coordinated series
of brainstorming meetings.

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BRAINSTORMING, continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Does brainstorming have special uses?

Brainstorming demonstrates openness in the approach being taken to
uncover new ideas. It demonstrates a commitment working with community
participants. It can lead to further study of unexplored ideas. It
helps find common ground for consensus about a solution.
Brainstorming has been used by the Connecticut Department of
Transportation in exploring multi-modal alternatives in an interstate
bridge reconstruction project in New Haven.

Brainstorming is a technique that is easily understood. No special
training is required for participants to express their ideas.
Expectations on all sides are for open and frank exposition or points
of view. Argumentative behavior is discouraged. Creativity is
appreciated.

Who participates?
and how?

Any citizen can participate in a brainstorming session. It is useful
to encourage participants from diverse backgrounds and interests in
the issue to be discussed. Providing background information to
participants bolsters the ability of each to participate. Information
should be distributed in advance of the brainstorming session, if
possible. Large groups can be divided into smaller subsets to promote
full participation.

Citizens participate by bringing their ideas to the table. All ideas
should be duly noted and recorded to reassure participants that their
comments are being adequately considered. The participants can record
ideas on newsprint or butcher paper or the agency can supply staff to
record their ideas. Citizens can prioritize their ideas by using
strips of colored adhesive half-inch dots (found in office supply
stores). About seven dots per person works well. Working
individually, participants use dots to indicate their preferences.
The dots can be divided among seven good ideas or concentrated on one
idea that is very important. The sheets of paper with dots are an
effective display of the prioritization and help to identify the
group's top priorities. Participation is furthered when notes of the
meeting and subsequent events can be distributed to the participants.

How do agencies
use the output?

Brainstorming helps agencies develop projects and programs and can
be useful in developing policy as well. Through brain-storming,
agencies become aware of issues, problem, and detailed solutions that
might not otherwise come to light. New ideas can assist the agencies
in crafting compromise positions and in setting priorities by using
input provided directly by stakeholders. For example, Shelburne,
Vermont, and Flathead County, Montana, used brainstorming sessions to
clarify and prioritize issues for new area plans.

Who leads a
brainstorming
session?

Brainstorming needs a facilitator or moderator, who may be found
within the group itself, the agency staff, or an outside firm. S/he
must be sensitive to group dynamics and be able to draw statements and
positions from participants in an affable way. S/he must assure that
all participants are heard and that civility is maintained. An agency
staff person may be needed to assist groups that have difficulties
with the process.

C-2
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

What does
brainstorming
cost?

Brainstorming is inexpensive. The group leader can be an individual
an existing staff, but a person experienced in facilitating the
technique is preferable. Depending on the issue to be discussed or
the degree of anticipated conflict, an outside consultant would be a
desirable addition.

Material needs are minimal A quiet room is essential. Materials
should be on hand to provide necessary data and background
information. Although this information need not be overly detailed,
questions are certain to arise, and it is preferable to be able to
respond appropriately. Potential materials include
large newsprint or butcher paper, with markers to record
ideas;
boards to display applicable data;
large, easily visible maps;
overlays to allow sketching on maps;
adhesive dots for prioritization.

How is it
organized?

Careful management facilitates a brainstorming session best.
Agency staff work is needed to organize and implement a brainstorming
session. Staff needs are minimal but may include a facilitator and
probably an assistant for physical management of charts and recording
of ideas. Resource people are needed to be present for responses to
questions by participants.

Initial efforts include planning the brainstorming session. This
should include defining the precise issue for the session, determining
potential participants, determining the process and schedule to be
followed, and determining anticipated outcomes of the session so that
players will know the scope and stakes involved in the brainstorming
discussion. It is also important to detail for participants how the
agency expects to use the results of the session. Effective
brainstorming sessions should be small (six to ten people). If the
group is too small, however, participants are not stimulated to
generate ideas; if it is too large, the more vocal few many dominate
the meeting. At large meetings, participants are divided into table-
top groups.

A brainstorming session usually has a simple agenda:
introductions with brief outlines of individuals'
backgrounds;
discussion of brainstorming process, how it fits into
overall scheme;
generation of ideas, listed without evaluation or
criticism;
clarifying and explaining ideas, as required;
review, grouping, and elimination of redundant ideas;
prioritization;
presentation of each group's results by the moderator to the
larger group.

C-3
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

How does it relate
to other
techniques?

Brainstorming is always a stage of a larger process. It is
frequently used when an agency is starting a lengthy or complex under-
to other taking with a separate element for citizen involvement. It
can be part of a focus group-to open the discussion and introduce
participants; it can be part of a charrette-- to establish the points-
of-view of participants; it can be used in community advisory
committee--to establish a consensus on a project; it can be used in
public meetings. Brainstorming was used in conjunction with citizen
surveys to design a public involvement program for the Albany, New
York, area. In Pennsylvania, community members used brainstorming to
select representatives for a citizens' advisory committee.

What are the
drawbacks?

Facilitation of a brainstorming session call be dicey. A single
questioner can disrupt the group by continuously raising questions and
suspicions about the motivations of participants or sponsors.
Unassertive participants may be neglected without active solicitation
of their participation. Opponents may refuse to consider each others
ideas.

Unspoken attitudes may affect results. Individual participants who
feel diverted from more apparently purposeful tasks may become
impatient if they feel the process is a waste of time. People who
feel that they are being controlled or patronized may withdraw from
full participation. Agency staff members who feel that the process
is leading nowhere may not respond appropriately to questions from
participants.

FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION

Atlanta Regional Commission (Vision 2020), (404) 364-2500
Cape Cod Commission (Cape Cod Regional Plan), (508) 362-3828
Capital District Transportation Committee, Albany, New York
(citizen involvement program), (518) 458-2161
Connecticut Department of Transportation, Environmental Planning
Bureau (Q Bridge Study), (203) 594-2939
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Environmental
Quality, (717) 783-4580

FOR MORE
COPIES

Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration
Office of Environment & Planning Office of Planning
HEP-32) (TGM-20)
400 7th Street SW 400 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20590 Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366-2065 (202) 366-2360

C-4
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet D

þÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍþ
CITIZENS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

What's a Citizens'
Advisory
Committee?

A Citizens' Advisory Committee is a representative group of
stakeholders that meets regularly to discuss issues of common concern.

While Citizens' Advisory Committees (CAC's) have been used for many
years and the technique itself is not innovative, it can be used very
creatively. For example, a CAC was used in Louisiana to find
consensus on environmental issues for input to public agencies. In
Florida a CAC advised on designs for deployment of a traffic
information system.

Representation of agencies on a CAC is highly desirable as a means of
interaction between citizens and their government. For example, in
Portland, Maine, a thirty-five-member CAC developed a long-range
transportation plan with agency help. Because it can be used either
alone or in conjunction with other techniques, a CAC is widely used
to achieve a basic level of citizen input to transportation planning
and development.

A CAC has these basic features:
Interest groups from throughout the State or region are
represented.
Meetings are held regularly.
Comments and points of view of participants are recorded.

Consensus tan issues is sought but not required.
A CAC is assigned an important role in the process.

Why is it useful?

A CAC is a forum for hearing citizens' ideas. It is a place where
agencies can present goals and proposed programs. It provides a
continuing forum for bringing citizens' ideas directly into the
process and a known opportunity for citizens to participate. In the
San Francisco Bay area, special efforts have been made to include
representatives of disabled citizens and minorities, including
Spanish-speaking people.

A CAC molds participants into a working group. It is democratic and
representative of opposing points of view, with equal status for each
participant in presenting and deliberating views and in being heard.
It is a place for finding out stances of participants on issues. It
is a place where citizens can become educated on technical issues,
over several meetings if necessary. It gives a better understanding
of the effort and milestones of public agency progress. Its members
feel freer to ask agencies for assistance, for clarification of
points, and for follow-up on questions.

How does it relate
to ISTEA?

A CAC provides ongoing opportunities for citizen input. As an
established institution, a CAC expands ISTEA's basic concepts by
giving citizens periodic opportunities to comment on a process of
transportation Planning and programming. By providing multiple
opportunities to be heard, a CAC requires consideration of conflicting
stances-a democratic process of give-and-take. A CAC can meet ISTEA
requirements to bring Indian tribes or intermodal interests into the
planning process.

D-1
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

þÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍþ
CITIZENS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE, continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Does a CAC
have special uses?

A CAC demonstrates commitment to participation. its existence
demonstrates progress toward involving citizens in projects and
programs. It helps find common ground for consensus about a solution.

If consensus cannot be reached, a CAC provides a forum for identifying
positions, exploring them in depth and reporting the divergences of
opinion to the agencies.

A CAC is flexible. It can be part of regional or State planning or of
a single project, with citizen participants' assistance in
anticipating construction and identifying measures to reduce potential
disruption. It can be subdivided: in the St. Louis area, three CAC's
were formed to develop the regional long-range plan, and in Albany,
New York, eleven special-issue groups advise the Metropolitan Planning
Organization.

Who participates?
and how?

Representatives of citizens' groups or stakeholders are selected
to participate in a CAC. They are selected in one of two ways:
1) an agency carefully identifies all stakeholders, including the
general public; and 2) the public self-select the CAC memberships;
i.e., those who are interested attend. If membership is not fully
representative, the agency might encourage unrepresented groups to
attend or seek their input in some other way.

Diversity in viewpoints is a plus, to ensure full discussion. Though
no special training is required, attendees typically have a broad,
long-term view in discussing issues within a geographic area-not a
specific, single project. In many areas, such as San Francisco,
special efforts are being made to involve freight transporters.

Citizens participate by examining and discussing issues with others.
Mailings prior to the meeting help participants to understand issues
and to form questions. Major points of the discussion are typically
recorded; in some instances substantial detail on issues is desirable.
Through such a process a regional transit plan for the Seattle area
was prepared by a citizen sounding board of forty community
representatives who worked for more than a year with agency officials.

How do agencies
use the output?

A CAC helps to monitor citizen reactions to agency policy,
proposals, and progress. Observing interactions at the periodic
sessions of a CAC, agencies become aware of opinions and stances at
an early point in the process, often before they become solidified or
difficult to modify. Working with the CAC, an agency can craft
compromise positions through give-and-take and over a relatively short
period of time. For example, in Pennsylvania a CAC helped determine
the extent to which a highway project would affect a rapidly
developing area in the Pocono Mountains.

D-2
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Who leads a CAC

A CAC elects its own leader. Dynamic and firm citizen leadership
is effective in enlivening a CAC. In Chatham County-Savannah,
Georgia, a charismatic leader strengthened the CAC's role in planning.
Typically, CAC members select a leader who can deal with agencies in
an open and friendly manner and who is sensitive to group dynamics and
able to effectively lead the ion and draw opinions and positions from
participants.

What does a CAC cost?

A CAC requires support staff within an agency, and the work required
can be substantial. Meeting minutes must be taken. Background
information, minutes, and agendas must be sent out before meetings.
A site for the meeting must be selected. Agency representatives must
attend to provide resources for CAC questions and response
preparation. A CAC may want to sponsor a special meeting on
transportation's role in the community, as was done in Pittsburgh.
Additional assistance may be required in some instances. For example,
in Washington State a CAC led by a facilitator helped plan a highway
bypass on the Olympic peninsula.

Material needs are minimal, but a quiet meeting room is essential.
Written materials may be needed at hand to supplement or give depth
to the notes mailed prior to the meeting. In many cases, an agency
needs to carefully explain its position or analysis, requiring staff
and materials at hand.

How is it
organized?

A CAC must have limits on its size to encourage discussion. Either
the overall size is limited, or a large CAC is divided into subgroups.

This can limit the number of interests represented or limit the inter-
action between interests. Recognizing these limits, a CAC must
attempt to bring these interests, when known, to the table. This
becomes a task for a sponsoring agency.

A CAC usually has a board of directors, with a chairperson or
director, an assistant director to chair meetings in the absence of
the chairperson, and a secretary to record minutes (this person is
sometimes on an agency staff). Elected officers may serve for a year
or more.

Pre-meetings are managed by the elected officers with the assistance
of agency staff. Formal parliamentary procedures, if oriented toward
voting, are less useful than informal rules and consensus-building
techniques. Meetings are usually held on a regular basis.
Pre-meetings help to plan the regular sessions and to draft policy
goals. CAC officers and agency staff work together to bring
substantive issues before the larger group. Subcommittees may be
established to explore details of issues, with meetings held between
the regular sessions of the CAC.

A typical CAC agenda would cover the following items:
introductions, if attendees vary each time;
welcome to newcomers;
discussion of agenda, seeking potential changes;
discussion of items on agenda in order unless change is
requested;
presentations of information as necessary for
clarification; and
determination of whether a consensus on each issue exists.

D-3
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

How does it relate
to other
techniques?

An established CAC is the basis for many techniques of public
involvement. These other techniques can take place within a CAC
meeting. A CAC leader can use brainstorming to establish consensus
on a project. Facilitation by an outside specialist can be used
within a CAC to establish or resolve a particular or pressing problem.

A CAC can use the visioning technique to establish long-range policy
goals. A CAC should be able to consider the special issues of
Americans with disabilities. Video can be used to illustrate specific
points.

What are the
drawbacks?

A CAC can seem to be manipulated by an agency unless information
from governmental sources is fully shared. The CAC may feet it is
outclassed or overwhelmed by technical information if care is not
taken by agencies to explain essential facts or features. In such
cases, a CAC may become inactive.

A CAC is useful only on a regional scale. A statewide CAC can be
unwieldy because of the required number of people involved and because
of the traveling required of both staff and participants.

A CAC does not represent all points of view. By virtue of being
representative, it is never all-inclusive. A CAC's voice may be
skewed if it does not represent all stakeholders and the general
public. It may be difficult to represent minority interests.

Opponents may refuse to consider each other's ideas. People who feel
that they are being controlled or patronized may withdraw from full
participation. Agency staff members who feel that the process is
leading nowhere may not respond appropriately to questions from
participants,

FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION

Chatham County-Savannah, Georgia, (912) 236-9523
E-W Gateway Coordinating Council, St. Louis, Missouri, (314) 421-4220
Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Bay area,
(510) 464-7700
Phoenix, Arizona, Regional Transportation Authority, (602) 262-7242
Portland, Maine, Area Comprehensive Transportation Committee,
(207) 724-9891
SW Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission, Pittsburgh, (412) 391-
5590

Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration
Office of Environment & Planning Office of Planning
(HEP-32) (TGM-20)
400 7th street SW 400 7th street SW
Washington, DC 20590 Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366-2065 (202) 366-2360

D-4
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet E

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TRANSPORTATION FAIR
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

What's a
transportation
fair?

A transportation fair is an event used to interest citizens in
transportation and in specific press or programs. It is typically a
one-day event, heavily promoted to encourage people to see it.
Attractions such as futuristic vehicles can be used to bring people
to the fair, and noted personalities can also draw participants. New
Jersey Transit holds an annual fair in a transit terminal with a
festival aimed toward children--including participatory and
educational exhibits.

A transportation fair focuses on visual exhibits, such as exhibits,
videos, and maps or models of projects. A speaker or presenter is not
required, but could help focus the attention of viewers on the
purposes of the fair. A fair can gear individual displays toward a
desired message. Once prepared, exhibits can be used again at another
location and date.

A transportation fair has these basic features:
visual interest and excitement;
variety in exhibits: maps, photos, models, slide shows,
videos, fullsize vehicles, give-away items;
accessibility in a central location for the target
audience;

extensive publicity to attract participants;
attraction for a wide variety of people;
comments and points of view of participants can be
elicited-always on voluntary basis; and
not intended to be permanent.

Why is it useful?

A transportation fair presents information to the public.
Participants are encouraged to view the exhibits, ask questions,
consider the information, and give comments. In San Francisco, a
commuter mobile van travels from show to show to promote alternative
means of commuting.

A transportation fair creates interest and dramatizes a project or
program. Graphics help to present goals and messages in a
comprehensible and visually interesting way. Interactive audiovisual
and computer-based displays can dramatize programs and encourage
public comment.

A fair is a one-time event. With good publicity, it becomes a known
opportunity for citizens to participate in transportation planning.
The date and place can be chosen to fit within an agency schedule.
It can be held annually, as in Boston's World-Class Commuting Day.
A fair helps agencies or organizations understand public reactions at
a specific point in time.

A fair keeps participants informed, interested, and up-to-date.
Sharing information and discussing issues gives participants a status
report on projects and programs. At a fair, citizens can become
educated on technical issues and gain a better understanding of the
effort involved and milestones achieved.

E-1
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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TRANSPORTATION FAIR,continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

How does it relate
to ISTEA?

A fair is a non-traditional way to involve citizens. It is usually
fun ("infotainment") for attendees. In the Los Angeles area, fairs
have themes, such as a 50s sock hop or stage coach days, to attract
participants. A fair fits with ISTEA's requirement of giving citizens
an opportunity to comment on a project by offering a new way to learn
and respond. A fair presentation can circulate over a large geographic
area as an effective way to stimulate interest and gather informal
input for statewide planning.

Does a
transportation fair
have special uses?

A fair provides an opportunity for casual citizen input. As an
informal short-term event, it can be held in central locations where
transportation fair many people pass by, such as a store downtown or
in a shopping mall. It asks participants to focus on a program's
components and details and offer advice and comment if they like. For
example, in Idaho, twelve transportation fairs were held in urban and
rural regions to talk about statewide transportation improvements.

A fair emphasizes specific, -positive points about a subject. It can
include exhibits of all types to highlight the wide variety of people,
organizations, and effort being used in a project or program. It
allows an agency or organization to point up salient, desirable points
about a project, while responding to potential drawbacks.

Who participates?
and how?

Fair attendees are self-selected. Following publicity, individuals
decide whether or not to attend--often based on the location and date
of the fair. Because a fair is not an invitational event, a
representative sample co Citizens groups or stakeholders cannot be
expected to attend. Despite this self-selection, a diversity in
viewpoints is usually represented.

Citizens participate through taking part in activities. Attendees
examine the presentations and ask questions about the exhibits. At
a typical fair, before attendees leave, they will be encouraged to
fill out questionnaires or response forms with their written comments.

These comments are collected and analyzed for input.
How do agencies
use transportation
fairs?

The principal output is improved citizen awareness. Written and oral
comments by citizens are collected at the fair and used as
transportation input to a project or program. This information may
be anecdotal but, with analysis, may be of use within the sponsoring
organization. As a special example, fairs were held in the Phoenix,
Arizona, area to help employers present alternative commuting ideas
and programs to employees and get their feedback.

Comments should be used in association with other citizen Input
Comments assist agencies in becoming aware of opinions and stances of
participants, often before they become solidified or difficult to
modify. Because they are made in a casual atmosphere, the comments
may be somewhat more conciliatory than would be the case in a
different setting.

E-2
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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TRANSPORTATION FAIR,continued
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Who leads a
transportation
fair?

Agencies or private groups can sponsor a fair. Public agencies can
hold a fair to detail a specific project and its impacts and to
demonstrate support for it Private transportation management groups
can hold a fair to attract now new members or explain a new program.
Representation of public officials at a transportation fair can be
productive, depending on the purpose of the fair. For example, in the
San Francisco area, employers sponsor fairs, with assistance from
public agencies.

A transportation fair requires no leader on the day of the event.
However, a fair can be set up to have specific times for presentations
or brief talks or to introduce featured attractions such as
celebrities who have agreed to appear at the fair. At such times,
there needs to be a moderator or person to make introductions.

What does a
transportation fair
cost?

A fair requires support staff within an agency, and the work
required can be substantial. Finding a site for the fair takes
advance preparation, usually on land or in buildings that are
privately owned.

Agency representatives must be altered to attend if needed to provide
a resource to or to explain technical issues.

Material needs are extensive. Graphics should be sufficiently large
and well-prepared to address principal issues. Photographs may be
required for orientation. Slide presentations may be desirable.
Substantial exhibition room is essential. Written materials may be
needed at hand to supplement the graphic presentation. There may be
take-away materials as souvenirs, including buttons, maps, brochures,
or imaginative graphics. For example, an annual transportation fair
for an employer in the Washington, D.C., region includes table-top
exhibits by employers, give-away items with emblazoned information,
and contests or drawings for seed money to start a vanpool.

How is it
organized?

A fair is managed by an existing organization. It may have a
chairperson or a director, depending on the extent or importance of
the event. It needs staff to manage the participating exhibitors,
oversee production of graphic or written materials, and make the
physical arrangements on the day of the event. In the Los Angeles
area, for example, fairs are sponsored by private firms and managed
by employer transportation coordinators within these firms.

Organizational meetings will be necessary to set policy and goals for
the fair, select the date and place, elicit exhibitors, and develop
publicity for wide public distribution. Specific assignment and
delegation of responsibilities need to be made to assure production
of exhibits on time.

E-3
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
TRANSPORTATION FAIR, continued
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
How does it relate
to other
techniques?

A fair can complement other involvement techniques.
Not a stand-alone approach, it can pair well with other techniques and
show products of citizen participation, such as the results of a
brainstorming session. It can be sponsored by a citizens' advisory
committee to show work in progress. With videos or fixed exhibitions,
it can display goals or accomplishments of a public agency.

A fair can be used to interest citizens in transportation, or to set
the stage for upcoming events, such as a complex, large-scale project.

It can be used to elicit candidates for membership in a Citizens'
Advisory Committee for a project or program. It also can be used to
present awards to individuals who have been motivated to improve
transportation services.

What are the
drawbacks?

A fair cannot replace other techniques. As a one-time event with
self-selected participants, it may not be representative of all
interests. It is temporary in intent and thus does not meet Federal
standards for continuing public involvement. It cannot replace a
public process that records statements in a more formal manner, where
citizens are certain that they are being heard by the appropriate
authorities.

A transportation fair does not bring public consensus. There is no
deliberation between potentially opposing groups. The principal
intent in a fair is to disseminate information, not to receive ideas.
Attempts by the sponsor to derive consensus from a fair may cause
problems; the sponsor becomes vulnerable to charges of not taking
citizen participation seriously.

Representative comments cannot be expected because a fair is not
likely to include all potential participants. In fact, comments from
participants are appreciated because they are to some extent
unexpected. In certain instances, there is little or no feedback that
will be directly useful to an agency. However unarticulated comments
do not mean that the fair was a failure; many participants do not view
writing comments as an essential element of their enjoyment of the
exhibits at the fair.

FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION

Washington, D.C., Council of Governments Ride-finders Network,
(202) 962-3327
Commuter Transportation Services, Los Angeles, (213) 380-7750
Rides (Commuter Services), San Francisco, California,
(415) 861-7665
Regional Public Transportation Authority, Phoenix, Arizona,
(602) 262-7242 New Jersey Transit, (201) 491-7079
Caravan for Commuters, Boston, Massachusetts, (617) 973-7189

FOR MORE
COPIES

Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration
Office of Environment & Planning Office of Planning
(HEP-32) (TGM-20)
400 7th Street SW 400 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20590 Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366-2065 (202) 366-2360

E-4

Leaflet F

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FOCUS GROUPS
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

What's a
focus group?

A focus group is a tool to gauge public opinion. Borrowed from
the marketing and advertising industry, it frankly regards
transportation as a product that can be improved and the public as
customers for that product. It is a way to identify customer
concerns, needs, wants, and expectations. it can inform sponsors of
the attitudes and values that customers hold and why. It can help
drive development of policies, programs, and services and the
allocation of resources. Focus groups have been used by
transportation officials in New York and Illinois as a way to
determine public opinions on HOV lane additions and rail transit
alternatives.

A focus group Is a small group discussion with professional
leadership. It is a meeting of a carefully selected group of
individuals convened to discuss and give opinions on a single
topic. Participants in a focus group are selected in two ways:
random selection is used to assure representation of all segments
of society; non-random selection helps elicit a particular position
or point of view. A combination of selection techniques could
result in a focus group of people well-versed in transportation
issues as well those who are solely consumers of transportation
services.

A focus group has these basic features:

a carefully crafted agenda, with five or six major
questions at most;
emphasis on gathering perspectives, insights, and
opinions of participants through conversation and
interaction;
identification of major points of agreement and
divergence of opinion;
minimal presentation of material to so context and
subject
gleaning, not shaping, opinions or perspectives;
eight to twelve participants; and
understanding that the participants' role is to give
personal insights and perspectives.

Why is it useful?

A focus group leader explores attitudes in depth through follow-up
questions. It offers an opportunity to get behind people's
expressed attitudes and assess policy directions and program
objectives. It is a chance to review allocation of resources. It
can help confirm or deny established goals. It can help set new
directions.

Informality encourages full participation. The small size of the
group lower barriers to speaking out. A focus group is a place for
people to speak out. A focus group is a place for people to speak
out without criticism of their comments. Spontaneity in responding
produces fresh information. Participants are not required to
prepare for the discussion. Many focus groups have found that
participants readily volunteer ideas and comments that have not
been recorded elsewhere. For example, focus groups were used in
Los Angeles to find out why commuters were not taking advantage of
free transit passes.

F-1

Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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FOCUS GROUPS, continued
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ

How does it relate
to ISTEA?

A focus group involves citizens in a non-traditional way. Citizens
may have difficulty responding to the abstract subject matter of
long-range planning not because they lack information but because
they do not see the relationship between their lives and
transportation planning. Similarly, citizens may not be aware of
the implications of the trade-offs made in formulating a
transportation improvement program (TIP). Focus groups can elicit
and explore attitudes and responses in depth as a basis for broader
participatory efforts under ISTEA.

A focus group supplements other forms of public involvement
required by ISTEA. It serves the narrowly defined need for direct
and informal opinion on a specific topic. For broad participation
from all citizens on the same or other topics, alternative forms of
involvement are needed.

Does a focus group
have a special uses?

A focus group provides citizen input from otherwise unrepresented
individuals. Residents from specific areas within an urban region
can be heard. Geographic-based opinions and issues can be more
readily defined and discerned. The Colorado Department of
Transportation used twenty regional focus groups for detailed
discussion of issues following a statewide citizen survey.

A focus group can be used to marshal expert opinion on a specific
plan. Project California used six focus groups of engineers,
systems analysts, regulatory officials, and other specialists to
evaluate guidelines for encouraging technological development,
including electric vehicles, IVHS, and the mass transit industry,
in the Golden State.

Focus groups can be used to compare opinions. In preparing
Chicago's Downtown Plan, opinions of Loop residents were compared
with those of suburbanites; results suggested new directions in
commuting and in aligning the proposed downtown light-rail line.
Focus groups can also compare opinions that are internal and
external to an organization.

Who participates?
and how?

Focus group members are selected by the sponsor. Depending on the
goals to be achieved, a focus group can be heterogeneous (with a
variety of people from different backgrounds within a single
geographic area) or homogeneous (with separate focus groups for
residents, businesses, and institutions, as in, for example,
Boston's Back Bay Transportation Strategies project). Members may
be randomly selected or invited from previously identified, non-
random groups.

Citizens participate by stating opinions. Individuals within the
group may react to others opinions or bring up their own ideas.
The facilitator of the group will guide discussion to cover all
agenda items and to assure that all individuals get a chance to
speak.

F-2
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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FOCUS GROUPS, continued
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

How do agencies
use the output?

A focus group produces opinions from citizens. For the
Massachusetts
Turnpike, focus groups helped identify user requests and needs for
park-and-ride lots. The output of the group meeting is always
recorded in written form for the sponsor's use. In addition to the
written document, some agencies use videotapes of the proceedings.
Some use mirrored oneway windows to observe the focus group in
process.

Focus group Information supplements other citizen input. A purpose
for the group should be clearly identified beforehand. Its agenda
should fit closely within the information needs of a larger project
or program. Opinions derived from the group should inform the larger
effort. For Chicago's Downtown Plan, the city used four focus groups-
---from in-town and the suburbs to find out what citizens liked and
didn't like about downtown Chicago.

A focus group is tailored to assess public reactions. Because it
typically deals with broad policy or program goals and impacts on the
community, it does not dwell on technical issues. It helps agencies
or organizations understand overall public reactions to programs or
policies at a single point in time. For example, in the San Francisco
area focus groups were used to obtain commuter perceptions about
ridesharing.

Who leads
a focus group?

A focus group needs a facilitator as leader. The facilitator is
essential to hold the group to the agenda and to elicit opinions from
each participant. In some cases, the facilitator is essential to keep
a single participant from dominating the proceedings of the group.
In other instances, opinions may be lost in a sea of anecdotes unless
the group is firmly led toward the agenda by the facilitator.

The facilitator needs guidance on the agenda and purpose of the focus
group. Sample questions for the group can be provided to the
facilitator to lead the group. The sponsor may want to be present at
the group in a nonparticipatory function or as an outside observer.
During a break in the discussion, the sponsor may confer with the
facilitator to assure that all agenda topics are being covered.

What does a focus
group cost?

A focus group is relatively inexpensive compared with the costs and
effort involved in administering a full opinion survey. It consumes
less time in both implementation and analysis. Extensive statistical
analysis is not required because it provides only qualitative
information. However, an outside firm is frequently chosen to provide
a neutral facilitator, who is paid for leading the group. Public
agencies tend not to pay participants, in contrast with private market
research organizations.

A focus group need not be time-consuming. The meetings are seldom
longer than two or three hours. For the participants' convenience,
it may be held after work hours. Schedules can be tailored to fit
needs of participants and the sponsoring agency. If required, a focus
group can be organized within a matter of weeks following a decision
to proceed. It takes a moderate to long amount of time to select,
invite, and confirm participants. The time required to prepare focus
group agendas and questions is not major if an experienced facilitator
is available to work with the sponsor.

F-3
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

How is it organized?

A focus group is integrated with a larger program. It is
used to inform executives and staff of public reactions to ongoing
work. Thus, it should grow from the needs of the larger work and
provide supplemental input and information to it. For example, in
Florida focus groups were used to define the preferences of commuters
and travel-related businesses for community real-time traffic
information.

Policy direction within an agency is required. The sponsoring agency
selects the agenda, participants, and facilitator and may designate
questions to be addressed by the participants. A site for the meeting
must be selected and may need to be on neutral ground if the sponsor
is not to be identified.

How does it relate to other techniques?

A focus group cannot replace other techniques of citizen
involvement, but it can provide input. It can be used to identify
concerns and issues prior to implementing a media strategy. It can
be used to refine requirements for transportation alternatives and can
be repeated at intervals to gauge changes in public opinion. It can
be used in conjunction with quantitative citizen surveys as a
qualitative supplement

What are the drawbacks?

A focus group provides solely qualitative responses. It is not
statistically representative of society at large. While it fits ISTEA
requirement of giving citizens an opportunity to comment on a project,
a focus group includes only a sample of citizens. As a one-time
event, it does not meet Federal standards for continuing public
involvement. It cannot replace a more formal process that records
each participant's comments and presents all of them to the
appropriate authorities.

A focus group brings no public consensus. Potentially opposing groups
do not deliberate important issues. The goal is to obtain opinions-
not disseminate information. Specific viewpoints of individuals or
the groups they represent are the principal product of a focus group
meeting. Thus the results should be used as a guideline for further
thinking and analysis.

FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION

Boston Transportation Department (Back Bay Transportation Strategies),
(617) 635-3086
Chicago City Planning Department (Downtown Plan), (312) 744-4142
Chicago Regional Transportation Authority (South Corridor Transit
Study), (312) 917-0700
New York Department of Transportation Region 10, (518) 360-6006
New Jersey Department of Transportation Long-range Plan, (609) 530-
2866
Colorado Department of Transportation Long-range Plan, (303) 757-9266

F-4
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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COLLABORATIVE TASK FORCE
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

What is a collaborative task force?

A collaborative task force is assigned a specific task with a time
limit to come to a conclusion and resolve a difficult issue, subject
to ratification by official decision-makers. To date it has been used
on a project level or for resolving issues within a project. A
collaborative task force is innovative in the extent of citizen
influence, decision-making, and self governance. Its discussions can
help agencies understand participants' qualitative values and
reactions to proposals. It can aid in development of policies,
programs, and services and in allocation of resources. A collaborative
task force was used to explore alternatives for the Charles River
crossing of Boston's proposed depressed Central Artery and to
recommend a preference to the State Highway Department.

A collaborative task force has a target date determined by the sponsor
to provide a framework for and guide scheduling. For example, in
Canada a task force of twenty-four interest groups met over an
extended period to plan a light-rail facility for Calgary, Alberta.
A task force's mission may be defined by the sponsor in broad terms,
but the group usually determines its own approach to problem-solving.
It is self-governing, and its work is usually based on a consensus
process rather than voting.

A collaborative task force has these basic features:

a sponsoring agency that is committed to the process;
a task force formed of representative interests;
emphasis on resolving an assigned issue through task force
consensus;
detailed presentations of material and technical assistance
for complete understanding of context and subject matter;
and
serial meetings to understand and deliberate the issues.

Why is it useful?

A collaborative task force helps resolve impasses through a
participatory process. Following a difficult process or unsettled
controversy, it is a means of involving citizens in solving a problem.

In Fort Worth, Texas, the controversial widening of a downtown
interstate freeway was the issue assigned to a collaborative task
force.
Decisions can be expected to have community support. Task force
members represent a broad cross-section of interests. This helps to
legitimate the process and decisions. The views expressed are
typically exhaustive. Often the group begins by making small and
specific decisions early in the process; later group decisions become
somewhat easier.

How does it relate
to ISTEA?

A collaborative task force gets citizens directly, involved in
developing plans and making decisions for official ratification. It
provides community-based support for both a planning process and the
substance of the discussion. It focuses on the generation of fresh
ideas, increasing depth of community involvement. Citizens
participate more fully and longer than in some other techniques. The
process is long enough to encourage reflection and deliberation by
individuals with the people they represent.

G-1
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet G

Does a collaborative task force have special uses?

A collaborative task force deals with high-profile issues that have
generated significant public or media attention and community
polarization. It can be used productively at any time in a complex
project or planning study, but because of time and cost commitments
it is often used to resolve an impasse.

It can bring together a wide range of opinions to assist in exploring
issues. The breadth of representation is accompanied by depth of
probing. In a collaborative task force, a great depth of discussion
is expected and can be accommodated. For example, in Maine a group
of fifty-eight citizens and agencies worked together to explore
Turnpike widening and alternative modes of transit in implementing an
initiative approved by the voters.

Who participates?
and how?

Participant groups are invited by the sponsor, with the groups
selecting their representatives. Representatives are selected from
affected interests, but the collaborative task force may want to add
new representatives to round out its membership.

A broad cross-section of interests is desirable and may include local
governments, transportation or environmental groups, civic or business
groups, and consumer organizations. Other citizens are involved
through outreach and participation programs, including open house
presentations or newsletters.

Citizens participate by engaging in the discussion. Members of the
group react to each others' opinions and bring up alternative ideas.
The facilitator guides discussion to cover all agenda items that the
group determines it wants to cover. Coaching and training of
participants in the process and in conflict resolution may be
necessary.

How do agencies use the output?

A collaborative task force helps resolve a difficult issue or
problem. Such a group should be used primarily when the agency can
commit to serious consideration of incorporating the group's decision
into ongoing work. Because of the important role of the collaborative
task force, the sponsor may agree to ratify its findings, if not too
costly or unimplementable. For example, the Connecticut Department
of Transportation formed a collaborative task force to deal with the
difficult issues of rebuilding an interstate highway bridge and its
approaches in downtown New Haven and agreed to accept the task force's
consensus recommendations among alternatives if technically feasible
and within the budget.

The sponsor sets broad limits on issues to be explored. A mission
statement for the task force should be clearly identified before it
begins its work. The schedule should reflect the complexity of the
issue and the time that may.be required to come to a resolution within
the task force.

The sponsor may want to observe the group in a non-participatory role
without assuming any leadership function. Representatives of the
sponsor can respond to questions from the group and provide technical
assistance while retaining a neutral position.

G-2
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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COLLABORATIVE TASK FORCE, continued
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Who leads a collaborative task force?

A collaborative task force needs a facilitator to maintain the
agenda and schedule and to assure that all participants are heard.
The facilitator assists participants in verbalizing or crafting
positions and in developing a constructive process for group decision-
making, problem solving, and conflict resolution.

The facilitator plays a special role in the task force. Feedback and
encouragement to the group are required to maintain progress in the
development of issues and steps toward resolution. The facilitator
needs to tell the group when the process is doing well and warm them
if a dead end or irresolvable conflict is approaching. S/he may need
to coach and instruct task force members in methods of conflict
resolution.

The facilitator must be viewed as neutral to the process but
supportive of the goals and outcomes determined by the group. The
chosen person may be from inside an agency but is typically an
outsider provided by the sponsor. The group should have the right to
dismiss the facilitator if s/he is not perceived to be serving its
interests.

What does a collaborative task force cost?

Significant resources are required. A facilitator experienced in
group processes and conflict resolution is mandatory. Staff technical
support is required. Graphics geared to lay people are necessary to
understand technical issues. Presentations by technical experts in
lay language are required for a full understanding of issues.
Modeling of anticipated impacts, structural and engineering issues,
and traffic simulations need to be explained. Each meeting can
consume several hours.

Specialized consultants may be needed to provide a neutral facilitator
or technical support for complex projects. Schedules can be tailored
to fit the needs of participants and the sponsor. Meetings may need
to be held in the evening to allow participants to attend without
interfering with daytime jobs. The time required for preparation is
substantial, because each meeting must be tailored to the agenda
determined by the group.

Policy support within an agency is required. Staff should follow the
course of discussions and respond to the need for information. A
neutral meeting site not associated with the agency or any stakeholder
must be selected. Staff work is essential for preparation of meeting
minutes, notices of upcoming meetings, correspondence, newletters,
press releases, or advertisements about outreaches events.

How does it relate to other techniques?

A collaborative task force acts as an umbrella and is able to take
on other techniques as supplements or use other techniques as needed.
Brainstorming or a charrette can be integral to a task forces's work
as it seeks solutions to difficult problems. Visioning may establish
a desirable goal to work towards. Facilitation is essential early in
the process, when goal setting may help the task force establish a
means to measure progress.

The task force can sponsor its own events to apprise the community of
issues and potential solutions. These events are useful ways to
elicit and review citizen comments and to find responses as
appropriate.

G-3
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

How is it organized?

The sponsor determines the interests to be represented on the task
force and selects a facilitator. Typically, a cross-section of
organizations are invited to participate, and each selects its
representative to the group. The task force can then identify
additional participants who may be essential for broad representation.

On two rapid transit lines in Boston, task forces were assembled for
the design of each individual station. The Federal Transit
Administration has a current project to develop collaborative
decision-making processes.

The sponsor sets an overall schedule, leaving detailed scheduling to
the task force itself. The sponsor provides technical support, either
from within the agency or from consultants familiar with the topic.
To retain neutrality, the technical staff should not be co-workers of
the facilitator.

The task force can determine the need for a chairperson. The group
develops its own norms or rules to guide the process over time. may
be explicit or implicit; in some instances they are prepared in
written form to remind participants of their expressed intent.

The task force monitors Its own progress. Where appropriate, the
facilitator reminds the group of the agenda and schedule and makes
suggestions to keep the work moving toward resolution.

What are the drawbacks?

The process is long and expensive To achieve a full understanding of
all the issues, an extensive number of meetings and presentations is
required. This long process demands patience, good will, and a
commitment of continued funding. Participants must make an extensive
commitment to the process. Staying with the program over a long
period of time may be difficult for many individuals. Similarly, the
agency commitment is critical; the process can be long and wrenching.

A high degree of facilitation skill is required to keep the task force
on course. Technical support is required to respond to task force
questions and prepare responses to unforeseen work that may be
requested.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Calgary, Alberta (Canada) (Light-rail study), (403) 268-1612
Connecticut Department of Transportation, Environmental Planning
Division (Q Bridge Study), (203) 594-2939
Federal Transit Administration Collaborative Decision Making, (202)
366-4060
Massachusetts Highway Department (Charles River Crossing Design
Review Committee), (617) 973-7000
Texas Department of Transportation (Ft. Worth study),
(871) 370-6542

G-4
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet H

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MEDIA STRATEGIES
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

What are media strategies?

Media strategies inform customers about projects and programs
through
newspapers, radio, TV and videos, billboards, posters and variable
message signs, mass mailings of brochures or newsletters, and
distribution of flyers. Working with the media, an agency takes an
active role in disseminating information. For example, the San
Francisco area's annual 'Beat the Backup" program during California
Rideshare Week promotes ridesharing in partnership with a full range
of the media.

Media strategies take a variety of forms. The simplest examples are
flyers about projects within a corridor (a targeted market area) or
variable message signs on highways that inform motorists (a targeted
market) of delays ahead or of alternate routes. Promotional brochures
can be used in a direct mail campaign or-as in Portland, Maine--
through a full-size newspaper supplement explaining the regional
transportation plan. Briefing reporters and editorial boards of both
newspaper and broadcast media with in-depth background on a project
or program prepares them to analyze the agency's approach and report
on aspects of an issue in an even-handed way. In New Jersey, media
executives were briefed on HOV lane Proposals at the outset of
planning for the project.

Why are they useful?

The agency can proactively frame the message, rather than allowing
the media to do it. Framing the message takes thought and attention
about all aspects of a program or process. Media strategies should
routinely be incorporated into any project that needs public focus,
consensus, and understanding for it to move forward. In Idaho, the
Department of Transportation uses video to introduce programs to the
public and to provide news stories accompanying press releases for the
media.

Effective media strategies deliver a uniform message to alleviate the
spread of misinformation that often becomes a barrier to understanding
or implementation. Strategies can be styled to meet varying levels
of interest. For Seattle's regional transit plan, a detailed program
of media coverage was integrated with other forms of community
outreach.

How do they relate to ISTEA?

Better information enhances public understanding of a project or
program and is the basis of public involvement efforts. More people
participate when they have access to substantial and accurate
information. A well-informed public brings issues and concerns to the
table that are thoughtful and analytical. This can lead not only to
a better public participation process but also ultimately to a better
planning process.

H-1
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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MEDIA STRATEGIES, continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

Do media strategies have special uses?

Media coverage helps generate interest in a project or program. in any
program, the critical first step is to develop a central message
addressing such questions as: What is the plan or project? What does
the public need to know in order to participate effectively? Who is
the audience? When these questions have been addressed, the specific
media to carry the message can be defined-specifically the kinds of
media that will best serve the need of encouraging public
participation.

The media provide a wide dissemination of information. This includes
informing and educating the public via major articles and profiles on
TV and in print as well as eye-catching ads to supplement the more
formal required legal notices. Specific transit or highway projects
typically reach out to citizens along the affected corridor, to
interest groups, and to municipal officials. A media strategy for
these kinds of projects could involve many activities. For example,
in Washington, D.C., a media program to encourage ridesharing ranges
from mail banners and decals for shop windows to an education program
in elementary schools called "It's Cool to Pool."

Cable television is particularly useful as a tool for getting the word
out. It is much cheaper than paid network advertising and has a more
local flavor. Public access channels often videotape public meetings
and other forums and play them repeatedly over a period of time. In
addition, local cable channels have news programs, guest editorials,
and interviews where project issues can be highlighted.

Who participates? and how?

Stakeholders and agencies can cooperate in a media program on a
project or program. Citizens' advisory committees or other community
representatives can help identify the best way to get the word out.
As individuals directly affected by a particular project or program,
or through past experience, they may know the best way to reach the
public. Agencies can use citizens as part of a speakers' program that
sends representatives out to meetings of organizations such as Rotary
or Lions' Clubs and chambers of commerce to promote the project.

How do agencies use the output?

An agency can monitor reactions to the media plan. Random surveys
can test market penetration and determine whether the message is
meeting a targeted population.

A media plan can elicit community responses. Mass mailings can
include simple questionnaires to be returned to the agency. A
television presentation can suggest that reactions be mailed to the
agency. On two way talk shows, agency staff can interact with
community callers to answer questions directly. As programs and
projects evolve and progress, media activities can be adjusted to
reflect their status and to introduce new information.

The key is to put together a plan that informs and educates the public
by delivering the central message, no matter which type or types of
media strategies are identified.

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Who leads media strategies?

Media strategies are led by agency staff, either the staff members
most closely identified with the project or the public affairs
officer. The involvement of citizens is particularly important to a
successful media campaign. Citizen input and feedback help to "take
the pulse" of a program to be sure the media chosen are appropriate
and effective.

What do they cost?

Media strategies can be expensive and must be used carefully and
with
considerable efficiency. A minimum strategy would include a central
message, perhaps contained in a basic press kit with maps, fact
sheets, and other background information, supplemented by a media tour
of the project site. A more elaborate strategy is needed for more
complex projects. For example, in New Jersey a strategic media plan
was developed for outreach to print and electronic media to support
the long-range transportation plan.

Time involved can be substantial over the life of a project or
program. Some strategies are relatively low-cost. Briefings with
editorial boards of both print and electronic media, as well as
regular low-key contact with reporters and other media staff, are low-
cost ways to deliver a message. A public service announcement can be
a low-cost activity.

Costs rise with the kind of media used. A TV/radio or newspaper cam-
paign can be costly, involving air time and production/printing costs.

Costs vary by project and by how complex or long-term it is. There
are low, moderate, and high levels of investment for utilizing the
media. Depending on the needs of the project, a media strategy can
range from relatively simple placards or videos to a high-profile
media campaign involving radio and TV ads in prime time.

How are they organized?

Media strategies should be comprehensive. Strategies should be
evaluated as they are being assembled and after implementation. Ques-
tions to ask include

breadth of techniques to use-How many techniques are
appropriate?
effectiveness-How many people were reached and how did they
react to particular media?
ease of implementation-How easy or difficult is it for the
agency to implement the various elements? Is an outside
consultant needed.?
cost-What are the cost-effective benefits in view of
constrained resources?
How do they relate to other techniques?

Media strategies can be used in conjunction with other techniques.
For example, televising citizens' advisory committee meetings can
enhance the participation process by giving it a wider audience.
Results of brainstorming, visioning, charrettes, and citizen surveys
can be reported in the media. News stories can promote a telephone
hot line for answering questions. A visioning process in Atlanta
included televised town hall meetings, newspaper editorials, and a
six-newspaper survey of public opinion that produced 10,000 responses.

H-3
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Are they flexible?

Media strategies can be extremely flexible. A wide range of techniques
can be used, depending on the project, its budget, and the complexity
of the message. In Los Angeles, a commuter newsletter bulletin was
prepared for widespread distribution to inform commuters about ride
options and programs.

Preparation and monitoring is crucial Advance work is essential for
staff to prepare the overall program and central message and to
identify the targeted audience. In New York, for example, a range of
media has been designed to promote the new HOV lane on the Long Island
Expressway: a video on ridesharing for businesses to use at their
companies; posters in the workplace on car pools and van pools; local
cable channels for advertising spots; and variable message signs along
the corridor. All these target a specific audience-either residents
or employers in the corridor or daily expressway users.

What are their drawbacks?

Media outlets may outpace the agency by looking for a scoop and
framing the message without agency or citizen input. Public agencies
have little control over stories before publication or airing.
Agencies frequently spend valuable resources to explain a message or
to try to reshape public opinion rather than framing the message in
the first place.

Media strategies take a high level of continent sustained over time
to be successful. Strategic planning should start at the outset of
a project with the development of a detailed central message.

When are they most effective?

Media strategies should be developed early and sustained over time.
In this way, the public is well-informed and aware from the beginning,
thus enhancing the public participation process and creating greater
opportunity for successful implementation of the project or program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Regional Transit Authority, Seattle, Washington, (206) 684-1730
Idaho Department of Transportation, (208) 334-4444
New Jersey Department of Transportation, Communications, (609) 530-
4280 Washington, D.C., Council of Governments Ride-finders Network,
(202) 962-3327
Rides (Commuter Services), San Francisco, California,
(415) 861-7665

FOR MORE COPIES
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration
Office of Environment & Planning Office of Planning
(HEP-32) (TGM-20)
400 7th street SW 400 7th street SW
Washington, DC 20590 Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366-2065 (202) 366-2360

H-4
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet 1

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FACILITATION
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION
What's facilitation?

Facilitation is guidance of a group in a problem-solving process.
The group leader--a facilitator--is neutral in regard to the issues
or topics under discussion. The facilitator works with the group as
a whole and provides procedural help in moving toward a conclusion.
For example, facilitation of community meetings on the proposed
Monongahela Valley Expressway between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and
Morgantown, West Virginia, led to an agreement by the Pennsylvania
Turnpike Commission to divide the project into separate, more
manageable segments.

It is managed by the facilitator with the consent of the participants.
The goal of both the facilitator and the group is to arrive at a
collective decision through substantive discussions.

Facilitation leads toward empowerment and consensus. To the extent
that the group is representative of stakeholders, the conclusion will
be a position or a level of consensus that the group has jointly
achieved.

Facilitation has these basic features:
Group energies are focused or a task or a limited, issue.
Discussion is structured without controlling what is said.
Discussion is kept to the topic, with new issues identified
and reformulated as they arise.
There is equalized participation in discussion.
The facilitator probes for consensus or agreement on issues.

Why is it useful?

Facilitation brings out all points of view represented in the group.

In a small group, the facilitator can encourage discussion from all
participants. Sharing viewpoints stimulates discussion. Given a lack
of full expression of views, a facilitator can ask hypothetical
questions to get discussion moving.

Time may be saved through facilitation. Ongoing differences of
opinion or stalemate within a group challenge a neutral facilitator.
The application of facilitation skills may be useful to break the
stalemate and allow the group to move toward consensus. In Washington
State, completion of I-90 depended on facilitation of agreement
between the Department of Transportation and a neighborhood group
looking for mitigation of nighttime construction.

A facilitator works for an open process. S/he ensures that the group
is fully aware of the issues being presented prior to the discussion
of steps to be taken. The facilitator assures that education on
technical issues takes place as appropriate and seeks out the stances
of participants on those issues. S/he ensures that points are
clarified and elicits follow-up on questions. Opinions are respected
by the facilitator, who assures that all members of the group are
respectful of each other's views.

I-1
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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FACILITATION, continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION
How does it relate to ISTEA?

Facilitation aids citizen input in a variety of settings. As an
integral part of the process, it includes consideration of conflicting
goals, needs or interests--democratic process of give-and-take. For
example, the Maine Department of Transportation used professional
facilitator in its partnering plan to develop highway projects.

Does facilitation have special uses?

Facilitation indicates a commitment to action A facilitated meeting
takes on an importance that a regular meeting does not have. Its
designation indicates a commitment by the sponsor to offer a way of
overcoming a specific obstacle. Its existence demonstrates a
commitment to involving citizens in the decision-making process. It
demonstrates that the sponsor is open to taking public comment to
heart.

Facilitation Is flexible. It can be used at almost any time to assist
a group in surmounting an obstacle to collaborative decision-making.
It can be used to discuss either small or overarching issues. It can
be used for comprehensive planning issues or for project-level
decision-making. It can be used for policy review or detailed design.

Who participates? and how?

Representatives of citizens groups or shareholders are invited to
participate in a facilitated group. A widespread diversity in
viewpoints is expected to exist on issues. This diversity should be
represented to ensure full discussion.

No special training of participants is required. Many individuals
within the group may have a depth of interest in issues being
discussed. This interest may range from a broad, long-term view of
the issues within a geographic area to a specific and more short-term
view of issues surrounding a project or program.

Citizens participate by examining and discussing issues with others
in the group. Discussions are in as much depth as permitted by
available time. The facilitator helps the group work within the time
available to it. Typically, the major points of the discussion are
recorded by an individual assigned the task. The facilitator may not
be able to take minutes of the meeting; another individual should be
assigned the task.

How do agencies use the output?

Facilitation is aimed toward a product. The product may be
reactions
to agency policies or proposals or a consensus on an action to be
taken. For example, meetings to develop a regional transit plan for
Seattle were facilitated with professional assistance hired by an
agency.

Group consensus may be used as input to an agency's work. The
facilitator goal is to bring the group together on an action or issue
and find points of agreement. The facilitator may be able to craft
a compromise position through give-and-take and over a relatively
short period of time.

I-2
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

A neutral facilitator is selected by the sponsor to lead the group.
The facilitator must be accepted by the group as unbiased, construc-
tive, and fair. This person should be an experienced professional
familiar with assisting group discussions via group processes,
communication, and conflict resolution skills. The facilitator should
elicit both facts and opinions and help the group distinguish between
them. It is helpful if the facilitator is also intimately familiar
with the subject matter of the discussion.

The facilitator should not express a personal opinion in this role.
Neutrality should be maintained at all times. If an opinion is
requested, it can be given, but the facilitator should announce that
s/he is stepping out of the neutral role prior to offering the
opinion. At no time should the facilitator make a decision for the
group. The "what I'm hearing' technique brings discussion back to the
agenda and checks on whether people are in agreement.

A facilitator should be informal in leading the meeting. Humor is
helpful in providing a relaxed atmosphere. A positive attitude is
essential, as is uncritical recording of ideas from participants.

How is facilitation organized?

The sponsor determines the need for facilitation. An issue that is
divisive may call for facilitation. For example, the Virginia
Department of Transportation used a facilitator to work on resolving
potential conflicts with neighborhood organizations. The sponsor
selects a neutral person for the role, sometimes from within the
agency but more usually from an outside source.

The sponsor determines the agenda and schedule of the meeting. The
agenda may cover one or more issues to be discussed by the group. The
sponsor should meet with the facilitator to discuss the agenda and
approach to be taken within the meeting. A site must be selected,
typically in a space that participants perceive to be neutral.

The facilitator conducts the meeting. The sponsor should not attempt
to control the direction of the meeting once it is underway. The
facilitator conducts the meeting toward its stated goals. S/he may
add questions to elicit responses from individuals. The facilitator
should record participants' comments on a flip chart or butcher paper
without editorializing.

What does facilitation cost?

Facilitation requires agency support staff. Minutes of the meeting
must be taken. A site for the meeting must be selected. Agency rep-
resentatives typically attend to provide responses to participants
questions. In some instances, an agency needs to carefully explain
its position or analysis, requiring staff to be available.

Material needs are minimal, but a quiet meeting room is mandatory.
A flip chart is essential to write down participants' comments.
Background information must be prepared as appropriate so that
participants can quickly grasp the issues. Written materials dealing
with contextual issues may be needed at hand to supplement information
provided to the participants at the meeting.

I-3
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Facilitation is a supplement to other techniques. A facilitator can
assist an established citizens' advisory committee to progress toward
its goals. Facilitation is a requirement for a charrette or a focus
group and can also be used in brainstorming or visioning sessions.
It is typically used in a collaborative task force. Facilitation can
be used in ions associated with transportation fairs. Video can be
used to record facilitated proceedings. In Idaho, facilitator helped
with both focus groups and a citizens' advisory committee working on
the initial efforts in a regional long-range plan.

What are the drawbacks?

Facilitation must be done by a neutral person. A group may feel
manipulated by an agency unless the facilitator is perceived to be
impartial. In practice such a person may be difficult to find within
an agency and may need to be sought from outside-which raises the
expense of conducting a meeting. A respected community member may be
an appropriate choice. The facilitator should record participants'
comments on a flip chart or butcher paper without editorializing.

There is a limit on the number of interests that can be facilitated
in a meeting. The sponsor of the process must recognize these limits
in establishing the group.

Opponents may refuse to consider each other's ideas, despite the
presence of an experienced facilitator. People who feel they are
being controlled or patronized may withdraw from full participation.
Agency staff who feel that the process is leading nowhere may not
respond appropriately to questions from participants.

Time constraints work against facilitation. A short meeting may not
provide enough time for a full discussion of the issue at hand.
Participants may feel short-changed if insufficient time is allotted
to discussion of a controversial issue.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Idaho Department of Transportation, (208) 334-4444
Maine Department of Transportation, (207) 287-3131
Regional Transit Authority, Seattle, (206) 684-1730
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, (717) 939-9551
Virginia Department of Transportation, (804) 786-2935
Washington State Department of Transportation, (206) 440-4696

FOR MORE COPIES

I-4
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet J

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CITIZEN SURVEYS
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

What are citizens surveys?

Citizen surveys assess widespread public opinion. A survey is
administered to a sample group of citizens via a written questionnaire
or through interviews in person, by phone, or by electronic media.
The limited sample of citizens is considered representative of a
larger group.

Survey results show public reactions to agency actions and gather
information for use in the process. They can be formal
(scientifically assembled and administered) or informal. For example,
in a formal "trade-off" survey, citizens of Seattle were asked to say
how they would vote for 18 different combinations of elements in a
regional transit system. In an informal survey, the Ohio Department
of Transportation attached a questionnaire to its draft statewide
transportation plan, ACCESS OHIO, to solicit comments from reviewers
of the document. During preparation of Oregon's transportation plan,
citizen survey forms were made available in the draft of the Policy
Element and at public meetings.

Scientific survey give broadly applicable results. The Seattle formal
"trade-off" survey, for example, was based on a random sample of the
overall population carefully chosen to be statistically representative
of the larger population and to explain what the general population
prefers. Surveys that are informal tend to bring responses from a
self-selected group of people--those who are more personally
interested in specific transportation issues of the population at
large. However, informal surveys can be designed to reach a broader
group than those who attend public meetings.

Why are they useful?

Surveys portray citizen perceptions and preferences. They can
accurately report on what people know or want to know. They can test
whether a plan or plan element is acceptable to the public as it is
being developed. They can test the agency perception of what people
are thinking and reinforce decisions that have been made through
participatory programs. They can identify concerns before a public
vote is scheduled, as was done in the Seattle area.

Surveys can test whether opinions are changing, if repeated after an
interval of time. Results can be useful to the leaders of the process
or to elected officials and community leaders. Results can be used
to guide efforts to meet public concerns and develop effective
messages for public information and for a media strategy. They can
give meaningful clues as to the likely public acceptance of a plan,
program, or process.

Better information enhances an agency's understanding of not only
public concerns but also the process of public involvement. The
agency can respond to survey results by providing missing or
inadequate information that may not be getting through to the public
or that may be misinterpreted. This can add to the substantive
discussion of issues deemed important to respondents.

J-1
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

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CITIZEN SURVEYS, continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION
How do they relate to ISTEA?

Surveys do not replace other techniques of public involvement. They
provide a relatively accurate means of finding out what people think.
They supplement other techniques of involvement by providing
intelligence for the agency in preparing it to deal with issues that
are of concern to a sector of the population.

Do they have special uses?

Surveys can focus citizen thoughts about a service and provide a
context for an opinion. A citizen survey in Chicago found that public
attitudes about transit are not only a function of services received
but are also strongly affected by people's feelings about crime,
government in general, public civility, and the neighborhoods where
the trip begins or ends. Citizen surveys were distributed at Delaware
Department of Transportation's public "exhibits" of progress on a
highway project to determine what attendees thought of ideas under
discussion and to outline project issues to engage participants in
thinking about them.

Surveys can determine preferences of segments of the population. In
Utah the Wasatch Front Regional Council and the Utah Transit Authority
conducted a survey of over 2,000 individuals to determine
transportation preferences for disabled persons. Santa Barbara,
California, used a citizen survey in conjunction with the update of
its general plan to identify issues of particular concern to Hispanic
and African-American business people and community leaders. Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania, used a visual preference survey to determine
physical aspects and patterns that residents preferred and to show how
those values could be reflected in an overall plan for the area.

Who participates? and how?

Surveys directly involve a relatively small population of a state
or
region. In turn that population is involved only in a one-way
participatory effort, without the opportunity for give-and-take with
the sponsoring agency. For surveys with a randomized sample of the
population, chosen in a statistically valid way, this sample can be
stratified to include only people within a specific geographic area,
income group, or other category of people from whom information is
desired. Although it will never replicate the overall population
precisely, it remains statistically valid.

Respondents provide a composite view of the larger population. In a
scientific, statistically valid survey, these answers are expanded to
reflect what the population as a whole might have answered if they had
all been asked the survey questions. Informal surveys can never be
viewed as the basis for such an expansion. However, large informal
surveys can generally indicate the larger features of public opinion.
In an informal survey in Atlanta, nearly 1,500,000 people were reached
through an overall media strategy; over 10,000 people responded by
filling out questionnaires on the regional visioning program.

J-2
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Who leads a citizen survey?

Citizen surveys can be led by a trained agency staff. In many cases
it is appropriate to obtain outside help because of the complexity of
the survey. Outside professional survey takers can also help the
agency in moving expeditiously and in achieving the necessary levels
of accuracy to assure the public that the results are valid and
unbiased.

What do citizen surveys cost?

Informal citizen surveys am relatively inexpensive. They can be
prepared by agency staff and administered at meetings or as part of
a document. But they can be useful. An informal survey was taken by
the Albany, New York, metropolitan planning organization to solicit
comments on the structure of the citizen participation program; the
results showed that multiple techniques of public involvement in
planning would be the most appropriate course of action.

Scientific survey are expensive because of the complexity of drawing
a sample population or structuring the questions asked. Time may also
be a significant factor because of survey preparation and
administration. Collecting, transcribing, and summarizing data
becomes increasingly expensive as the number of questions or size of
the sample increases. A carefully selected sample reflecting many
types of interests within the larger population can take additional
time and money. Also, a survey cannot stand alone; it must be
accompanied by other public involvement techniques, each with its own
cost.

How are citizen surveys organized?

The agency ascertain the need for information and then determines the
most appropriate means of getting it. The agency may need opinions
-
about a planning effort or project that is getting underway. If so,
the agency then needs to determine whether formal or informal comments
are most appropriate. In part, this decision will turn on whether the
agency wants opinions relatively quickly from known participants (an
informal questionnaire), or whether there is a need for considered
opinions from groups that are not ordinarily informed or involved in
transportation processes a more formal questionnaire and sample
selection process).

The agency determines the types of questions to be asked. Opinions
could be elicited from those surveyed about the process.--its overall
approach, its progress to date, the direction it seems to be taking,
and potential next steps. Also, opinions could be directed toward
considering aspects of a project@ corridor characteristics,
alternatives under investigation, etc. Whether the questions are
asked of known participants or citizens unknown to the agency, it is
important to frame the questions in a clear, unambiguous manner.
Sometimes questions may need to be in languages other than English or
be accessible to per-sons with disabilities.

The agency establishes the survey questionnaire. Citizen surveys can
be taken in a variety of ways. The simplest method may be the
telephone interview. More elaborate methods, involving printed
questionnaires, need extensive preparation and thought to avoid
ambiguities or misunderstandings when received by a citizen
respondent.

J-3
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

How do they relate to other techniques?

Citizen surveys can supplement other techniques. For example,
results
of surveys can provide grist for discussion in citizens' advisory
committees, charrettes, or a brainstorming session. Survey results
can be a focus of a video production or a facilitated meeting. Sur-
veys usually produce quantitative results that can be counterbalanced
by the qualitative results obtainable from a focus group. Citizen
surveys should be conducted so as to be accessible and understandable
to Americans with disabilities.

What are the drawbacks?

Surveys are not interactive. The information in a questionnaire
should be neutral to allow respondents to make up their own minds
about a question or concern. Surveys can spread misinformation if
poorly or ambiguously drafted. Used in isolation, surveys produce
data, not a dialogue between citizens and an agency or between groups
of citizens.

A citizen survey may be difficult to undertake for some stakeholder
groups for certain topics. Some people may prefer one-on-one ions of
issues that affect them, while others may prefer surveys because they
do not have time to go to meetings.

When are they most effective?

Citizen surveys can be taken at almost any time during a process.
Used carefully and repeated over time, they can keep an agency well-
informed of changes in public knowledge of a planning effort and its
preferences within that knowledge. For example, the Seattle Regional
Transit Project surveyed voters in two "waves" about 18 months apart
to determine awareness of the project, overall support, and funding,
phasing, and location preferences.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Albany, New York, Metropolitan Planning Organization,
(518) 458-2161
Delaware Department of Transportation, (302) 739-4348
Ohio Department of Transportation, (614) 466-7170
Regional Transit Authority, Seattle, Washington, (206) 684-1730
Utah Department of Transportation, (801) 965-4359

FOR MORE COPIES

J-4
Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Leaflet K

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TELEPHONE TECHNIQUES
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION
What are telephone techniques?

The telephone offers a unique, two-way minimum for public
involvement. It can be used to obtain information and to give
opinions. Its use has entered a new era of potential applications to
community participation, going beyond question-and-answer techniques
toward the evolving new multi-media connections with television and
computers.

Telephones have long been used for community involvement. However,
innovations are available to expanding telephone use in citizen
participation. For example, Iowa City, Iowa, offers telephone contact
to an information TV channel, which includes bus routes and transit
information, a route finder to specific streets and points of
interest, transportation for the elderly and the disability community,
police radar locations, and a "towlist" of all license plate numbers
that have more than $15 in accumulated parking fees.

Potential telephone techniques for public involvement include

auto attendants series of tiered recordings leading an
inquirer to a recorded answer or the appropriate staff
person;
information bureau--a staff person responds orally to a
broad variety of standard queries, such as bus schedules
or meeting dates;
E-mail--a staff person responds to computer queries;
hotline or voice bulletin boards--a staff person or
recording answers questions about a specific project or
program;
FAX-on-demand-a recorded message provides a menu of
documents available by FAX and how to obtain them;
telethon--a telephone call-in for comments during a TV
program;
electronic town meeting-a telephone call-in combined with
a scheduled TV program, which shows results of public
calls;
interactive voice response system-information retrieval
from a main computer using telephones or terminals; and
interactive cable TV information-a series of information
boards or videos that can be called up. by phone to a TV
screen.

Why are they useful?

Telephone techniques are basically interactive. The telephone is
used
to initiate a conversation or a query, and a response of some kind is
made to advance the action. The responses can vary from prerecorded
messages to staff responses on specific topics. For example, a toll-
free hotline number was provided for public information during the
Washington, D.C., Bypass Study, which covered an area of 6,600 square
miles in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Telephone techniques reach out to a broad variety of people who might
not otherwise participate in transportation processes, including
people with disabilities. They are used in community surveys to reach
a statistically viable sample of the general population. When
combined with television, telephone techniques potentially open a new
audience for public involvement. For example, in Savannah-Chatham
County, Georgia, a local TV station presented a VISION 2020 program,
process, and critical issues, followed by an invitation to give
opinions by telephone; results were tabulated and shown later on the
same station like election night returns.

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TELEPHONE TECHNIQUES, continued
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

How do they relate to ISTEA?

Telephone techniques could be a part of nearly any program,
especially if used as input to early planning stages. They can be a
basic means of involving citizens, particularly if planned
comprehensively in conjunction with other techniques.

Do telephone techniques have special uses?

Agency use of telephones can cover many topics. An audiotext service
can be programmed to give answers to many pieces of information,
including times and dates of community meetings. For example, in
Virginia Beach, Virginia, a municipal telephone service is capable of
answering 700 commonly asked questions; after receiving information,
citizens can leave messages and respond to survey questions.

Agency use of telephones can cover a large geographic area and show
a desire to communicate with the general public. Telephones can be
available around the clock for messages. They can be programmed to
respond in more than one language. They can be used to poll citizen
opinions.

Telephone techniques are easily understood. Special training for
participants to get involved or express ideas is not required. For
example, to introduce new users to its municipal service telephone
information system, Colleyville, Texas, provides refrigerator magnets
as a telephone directory to three-digit subcategories for guidance
when calling about specific topics, including transportation.

Telephone techniques can combine several applications. For example,
in Diamond Bar, California, an aggressive telecommunications project
is being used to enhance public communications and to reduce vehicle
trips through combining an electronic bulletin board, optical imaging
technology, geographic information systems, electronic and voice mail,
and FAX systems.

A FAX-on-demand system can deliver documents in response to queries.
These documents can be works-in-progress or final results of a
process. They can cover costs through the use of a 900 number or a
credit card billing. For example, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the
State House of Representatives is exploring a FAX-on-demand system to
deliver copies of draft and final legislation in response to inquiries
and is already using a FAX-modem system to provide documents to its
members.

Who participates? and how?

Any citizen can participate in most telephone techniques--the
exception being the structured telephone survey, which requires
specific individuals as part of statistical sampling techniques. In
using the telephone, it is important for an agency to provide
background information to participants to bolster the ability to
understand the subject matter and this method of participation.
Agencies should make special efforts to accommodate people who do not
speak English.

Citizens participate by phoning their queries or ideas to an agency.
The agency is responsible for noting and recording ideas presented in
this way and should inform inquirers of how their comments are being
recorded and considered. Participation is further encouraged if
results of telephone interactions can be displayed and distributed to
the participants.

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Telephone survey results are especially useful in sampling public
opinion. They can demonstrate the degree of public support for an
agency's proposals and thus shape the results. They can show
potential political difficulties, becoming useful in developing
policy.

Hotlines the public to reach the right staff person to give out
information about a program. They help the agency receive and
disseminate accurate information. For example, Fort Collins,
Colorado, offers a pothole hotline in its City line telephone service
for citizens to report pothole locations. Fort Collins also offers
information on right-of-way permits, highway access, excavations and
construction activities, signal problems, bike lanes, and buses and
carpools as well as city council and neighborhood meeting dates and
subjects.

How are they organized?

Highly technical telephone techniques require outside assistance
from
specialized agencies or firms. The evolving relationships with cable
TV are likely to require expertise and specific programs or equipment.

Telephone techniques need a lead person within an agency-a person who
is vitally interested in trying new techniques for reaching people.
The Loveland, Colorado, interactive telephone/cable TV service was
initiated by the City Manager.

How do they relate to other techniques?

Telephone techniques can be part of a media strategy. They can
provide information about meetings or ongoing planning processes. For
example, nine cities in the Dayton, Ohio, area provide a community
calendar of upcoming events, accessible by phoning a local cable TV
station.

Citizen surveys can be made by phone. Telephone surveys or opinion
polls are frequently used to obtain information that is not otherwise
available to an agency. They are also used during a process when a
specific piece of information is required.

Results of telephone polls can be used in many other situations. They
can be part of a focus group--as an element for discussion; they can
be part of a charrette--to establish the points of view of the
community at large; they can be used in citizens' advisory charrette--
to deal with community feedback on a program or project.

Special efforts should be made to accommodate hearing disabilities.
Text telephones such as TDD (Telephone Devices for the Deaf) phones
are available with small screens and keyboards to aid people who have
hearing disabilities.

Telephone techniques should not be used in isolation from other
techniques such as public meetings or hearings. They can be
especially useful in obtaining citizen reactions after programs or
proposals have been adequately explained. They cannot replace face-
to-face encounters with other participants and agency staff.

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Costs of using telephone techniques vary, depending on the extent
of
a program. Simple answering devices are inexpensive, but not
interactive. Staff assignments may be necessary in nearly all other
techniques.

Telephone surveys can be inexpensive but in all cases involve a
sampling technique that should be statistically valid for subsequent
use and for credibility.

Basic interactive machines for cable TV use are becoming less expen-
sive, and some channels donate air time as a public service.
Producing a telethon or cable TV program may be expensive, depending
on the extent of information to be presented. live action and
animation are the most expensive portions of a presentation.

What are the drawbacks?

In recorded messages, participation Is strictly limited unless a
means of contacting staff or obtaining additional information is
offered to the general public. Information is frequently disseminated
without a means for people to offer opinions or to reach appropriate
staff people for further queries.

Telephone techniques may not be democratic, if a large part of the
population has no phone. This would reduce the possibility of all
participants having an equal status and an equal opportunity to
participate.

Telephones do not allow people to hear other opinions. A hotline
provides agency information only. In telephone surveys, the
participants must wait until the results are posted for them to
read. However, in electronic town meetings the results are posted
shortly after polling is completed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Colleyville, Texas, (817) 281-4044
Diamond Bar, California, (909) 396-5689
Fort Collins, Colorado, (303) 221-6522
Miami Valley Cable Council, Dayton, Ohio, (513) 438-8887
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, (717) 783-6430
Virginia Beach, Virginia, City-line, (804) 427-4068
Washington Bypass Study, Virginia Department of Transportation,
(807) 786-2935

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VIDEO TECHNIQUES
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

What are video techniques?

Video techniques use recorded visual and oral messages to present
information to the public, primarily via videotapes or laser disks.
Although video is a method of providing useful information in a medium
that many people now prefer, public agencies are just starting to tap
its potential use. In a recent example, videotapes were used by New
Jersey Department of Transportation as an introduction to each of the
regional forums held in preparation of its statewide transportation
plan.

Why are they useful?

A video may be worth a thousand words. An easily understood video
can be more useful to some people than reading or hearing about
transportation. With the nearly universal availability of TV and the
emphasis on visuals in today's society, videos have a role in
transportation that has not yet been fully explored.

Videotapes provide an additional medium for reaching citizens.
Although videotapes are widely used in this country for entertainment,
they can also be used for education and the dissemination of
information about transportation. They can be geared to a group or
an individual, depending on an agency's purposes. They can stimulate
by taking a dull subject and making it lively. They can describe the
steps in a process. For example, videotapes were prepared by the
Connecticut Department of Transportation to enhance public
understanding of incident management on an interstate highway. Videos
can be made available in local TV stations, at public libraries, and
at video stores or distributed door-to-door for special issues, as has
been done in recent political campaigns.

Videos can introduce citizens to meetings and hearings. Set to replay
endlessly, they present messages the same way each time without
variation. Because these repeated messages are "canned," they must
be presented in an informative, lively, and friendly manner. This may
be extremely important when used with, say, a formal public hearing.
For example, videotapes were used to introduce and describe an open
house public hearing process by Virginia Department of Transportation.

Videos can document a planning process. They can document the pro-
ceedings of a meeting or hearing or other events in the public
participation process. They can expose people, including agency staff
or managers, to a wide range of participants, thus helping viewers
understand others' concerns. Videos are frequently used to record
focus group proceedings for later replay and analysis of specific
remarks and reactions to comments.
Videos can illustrate different planning scenarios. They can help
people visualize a situation before, during, and after construction.
They can be used to simulate a trip on a transportation facility
before it is built. For example, a videotape was prepared by the New
York State Department of Transportation to illustrate the impacts of
HOV lanes and was shown to elected officials, the business community,
and the general public. A separate video was prepared to simulate the
experience of being in a car driving on both ten- and twelve-foot-wide
HOV lanes.

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VIDEO TECHNIQUES, continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

How do agencies use the output?

Videotapes reach a broad audience for participation. People who
cannot be reached in any other way may react to a videotape.
Videotapes are being used to provide viewers with information that can
be called into home TV sets. Currently, this technique tends to use
static displays, but in the near future TV presentations will include
live action as well as static and animated material on videotapes.

Videotapes can be used for dry runs of presentations. Presenters can
act out a presentation and review it on tape. Critiques can then be
made of the presentation in terms of voice modulation, posture, body
language, jargon, use of visual materials, etc.

Agencies can distribute videotapes over a large geographic area.
Videos can be recorded in more than one language. They can frequently
clarify a complex process to supplement an oral presentation. For
example, in Boston's Central Artery/-funnel project, videos have been
used to simulate driving through a tunnel and along a surface street
during the stages of phasing of the project. They have also been used
to update the community on construction staging plans and mitigative
proposals.

What do video techniques cost?

Costs of producing videotapes vary. Simple videos made inhouse are
inexpensive but may not be successful in reaching the audience with
the right message. The danger is that an amateur production will turn
people away from the agency's approach or goals simply because of the
appearance of the video. A more professional production may be
expensive initially, but reproduction of the tapes will be relatively
cheap.

Length can vary in accordance with the message to be delivered:
videotapes can be prepared with a brief message or with more
substantive content. For example, in Missoula, Montana, a four-minute
videotape was used to introduce people to the principal issue of a
meeting-the improvement of a single, complicated intersection.

A high level of staff expertise is needed to produce a video. Even
with donated video equipment, producing a video by an agency staff may
remain difficult. Outside assistance is probably required to produce
a videotape. Staff may be available to use videotapes to record
highway or transit right-of-way, but the skills are not generally
transferable into a video that will be credible and able to inform the
public on more complex issues.

Who develops these techniques?
Video usage requires a lead person within an agency-a person
interested in trying new techniques for involving the public in
transportation. This individual is frequently an existing staff
person or a staffer hired for the purpose. Using video techniques
frequently requires outside assistance from specialized agencies or
firms. Although personal recorders are widely used, videotapes to
portray public activities should be professionally and competently
produced using professional-quality equipment.

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Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration

Video techniques can be a part of almost any project or program as
a method of providing information. They can be used as input to early
planning stages. They can be a basic means of providing information
to citizens, especially if planned in conjunction with other
techniques.

How do they relate to other techniques?

Video techniques can be part of a media strategy. A video can be
released for use in television as camera-ready copy. An agency can
thus provide the news media with an accurate portrayal of a process
or project to be shown as part of regular programming. Videos are a
good means of providing information about meetings or ongoing planning
processes. For example, Seattle's Regional Transit Project used
videotapes to present 302 thirty-second advertising spots on five
local TV stations.

Videos might be able to reach people who would not otherwise
participate in transportation processes, including people with
disabilities. Special efforts should be made to accommodate hearing
disabilities. TDD (Telephone Devices for the Deaf) phones are
available with small screens and keyboards to aid people who are deaf
or have hearing disabilities.

A video is always part of a larger process and can be closely related
to other techniques. Because a videotape is a one-way device,
suitable for disseminating information, it has many potential
applications. It can be an element for discussion in a focus group
or charrette. It can record the points of view expressed at public
meetings and hearings. It can document positions established at
citizens' advisory charrettes. It can report on agency progress at
a transportation fair. A video should not be used in isolation from
other techniques. It cannot replace face-to-face encounters with
other participants and agency staff. In all video techniques it is
important that participants be fully informed that they are being
recorded.

Videotapes can substitute for field trips. A video can illustrate the
characteristics of a region or a corridor, alternative modes of
transportation, alignments and adjacent neighborhoods, potential
impacts, mitigating measures, and methods of participation in a
process.

How are they produced?

Videotapes can be produced in different ways, using materials such
as live action, computer images, graphics, maps, and charts. They can
be produced incrementally. Slide shows can be augmented with scripts.

Scripts can be recorded and slides shown at pre-determined intervals.
Finally, a finished script and storyboard (picture sequence) can be
developed and turned into a video. Special equipment and processes
are required to transfer computer information onto tapes, and the
level of quality can vary.

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Any citizen can participate in using videotapes. The only
requirements are a TV set and a playback machine. Simply watching the
videotape is all that is required. However, for improved
participation, it is important for an agency to provide background
information to participants to bolster the ability of understand the
subject matter and this method of participation. It is also important
to provide telephone contacts to permit access to agency personnel for
further information.

What are the drawbacks?

Videotapes are not two-way. Unless special provision is made for
a
citizen to respond, the viewer watches a message without being able
to give feedback. Watching a videotape, a citizen hears no opposing
views. Thus, a means of contacting staff or obtaining additional
information should be included in the videotape. Some cable TV
stations use interactive techniques including playing of a video and
allowing a response from viewers by telephone.

Video viewers are basically self-selected. Access is limited to
viewers with a playback machine. Special attention to the needs of
people with disabilities is needed. Interpreters may be needed to
make the information available to individuals with hearing
disabilities. Text must be sufficiently large so that people with
sight disabilities will be able to read it. For the blind, narration
should be sufficient to explain the material even though it cannot be
seen.

Video techniques are rapidly changing. They are currently used
principally for home rentals or for information in scheduled programs
at TV stations. In some localities, it is already feasible for
viewers to call in to view non-scheduled material to be seen
immediately or at a viewer-chosen hour on a specific channel.
Increasingly interactive techniques are being developed in the media.
For example, in a few years, it will be possible for agencies to
compose videotapes with information about specific processes to be
broadcast on TV, with citizens able to register opinions in a poll
immediately following the presentation of the video.

New Jersey Department of Transportation Long-Range Plan, (609) 530-
2866
New York Department of Transportation Region 10, (518) 360-6006
Central Artery/Tunnel Project, Boston, Massachusetts, (617) 951-
6448
Regional Transit Authority, Seattle, Washington, (206) 684-1730
Missoula, Montana, Department of Transportation, (406) 549-6491

FOR MORE COPIES

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PUBLIC MEETINGS/HEARINGS
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

How do meetings and hearing differ?

Public meetings present information to the public and obtain
informal input from citizens. Held throughout the planning process,
they can be tailored to specific issues or citizen groups and can be
informal or formal. Public meetings have been used for many years to
disseminate information, provide a setting for public discussion, and
get feedback from the community. Over 100 public meetings were used
to develop a subway extension in Boston. While the technique
itself is not innovative, some creative applications are being made.
For example, Delaware used a public "exhibits" in an informal open
house format with one-on-one discussions as a focal point of each
phase of a highway planning effort.

A public hearing is a more formal event than a public meeting. Held
prior to a decision point, a public hearing gathers citizen comments
and positions from all interested parties for public record and input
into decisions. Public hearings are Federally required for many
highway projects and may be held in transportation planning at the
discretion of the sponsoring organization. Public notices in a
general circulation newspaper cite the time, date, and place of a
hearing. The period between notice and hearing dates provides time
for preparing comments for submission to the agency. During this
period, the agency may accept questions and provide clarification. The
Georgia Department of Transportation increases the period of questions
and answers by an open house held in conjunction with a public
hearing.

Meetings and hearings have these basic features:

Anyone may attend, whether as an individual or as a
representative of specific interests.
Meetings may be held at appropriate intervals; hearings are
held near the end of a process or sub-process before a
decision.
Hearings require an official hearing officer; meetings do
not.
Citizen comments are recorded in written form as input to
an agency.

Why are they useful?

Meetings and hearings are forums for receiving citizen comments.
Both are widely used to achieve a basic level of citizen input to
transportation planning and project development and to exchange
information with a wide representation of citizens.

Public meetings are optional events and thus are tailored to agency
and community needs or expectations. Public hearings, by contrast,
are frequently used to fulfill regulatory requirements. Meetings and
hearings can, however, be linked. For example, Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (MPOs) in both Atlanta, Georgia, and Bridgeport,
Connecticut, held multiple meetings on a transportation improvement
program (TIP) at local public review meetings, followed by a public
hearing at the MPO level.

Public meetings are flexible and can be held as necessary. They can
be a part of MPO or Statewide planning or part of a single project.
There can be multiple sessions on a single topic: the Kentucky
Department of Transportation held community meetings on the State TIP
over a 3-month period. Meetings can be held in multiple locations,
as can hearings

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PUBLIC MEETINGS/HEARINGS, continued
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

How do they relate to ISTEA?

Public meetings provide for early, timely citizen input on each
occasion they are held. They can be scheduled at specific milestones
or phases within a participatory process. They bring a good oppor-
tunity to meet ISTEA goals by affording citizens time to speak and to
bring ideas into the process. The give-and-take of citizen and agency
questions and responses, along with interaction among citizens and
with staff, is part of the democratic process and is a desirable
attribute from a citizen viewpoint.

A public hearing Is a single opportunity for citizens to be heard.
Held at the end of a process without other opportunities for
involvement, it does not provide opportunity for early and continuing
involvement as described in the Metropolitan and Statewide Planning
Regulations. More frequent citizen input during the process is
desirable, preferable, and more satisfying to citizens as a means of
meeting participation requirements. For example, in Seattle, 700
community meetings and a series of forums, open houses, and hearings
were held to provide information and receive formal testimony on the
draft Regional Transit Plan.

Do they have special uses?

Each meeting or hearing facilitates participation. Scheduling these
opportunities demonstrates progress toward involving citizens in
projects and programs. They provide a place to identify positions and
report a consensus or divergence of opinion to the agency. In
Brisbane, California, a "Have Your Say Day" was held to obtain
citizens' ideas for the city's planning efforts.

Who participates? and how?

All citizens can participate in meetings or hearings. In some
instances, participation may be structured, either within larger
meetings or for geographic areas. Both the Baltimore and Washington,
D.C., Mpos provide time for formal public comment periods (15-20
minutes) at each of their meetings. In Portland, Maine, the MPO
received input from recognized neighborhood associations. Special
efforts were made to reach out to businesses by the New Orleans MPO,
by sponsoring two major conferences dealing with transportation issues
of interest to businesses. The Mobile, Alabama, MPO brought in
Chamber of Commerce representatives to review TIP projects and worked
with business and other representatives to forge a consensus.

How do agencies use the output?

Meetings and hearings help to monitor citizen reactions to agency
policy, proposals, and progress. By observing reactions at periodic
meetings or at a hearing, agencies and citizens are made aware of
opinions and stances. If public meetings are held early in the
process, these opinions may be analyzed and responded to before they
become solidified or difficult to modify. Public hearings provide
formal input to decisions.

Meetings can become a driving force for technical work. The MPO of
Dane County (Madison), Wisconsin, is devoting 1 year of a 3-year
process of developing alternative long-range plans to responding to
citizen input and comments brought up at a series of meetings
scheduled throughout the period.

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Who leads a public meeting or public hearing?

Meetings may be led by an agency staffer or by a citizen. In some
instances, it may be appropriate to hire a professional facilitator
to lead a meeting, especially if the issue to be discussed is highly
divisive or controversial. A "discussion document" helps prepare
citizens for participation if distributed prior to public meetings,
as is done in Los Angeles.

By contrast, hearings are led by a public hearing officer, who is an
agency representative. Agency staff help with information
dissemination, particularly when a public hearing is combined with an
open house. The Virginia Department of Transportation publishes a
step-by-step printed guide for the open house public hearing,
emphasizing that attendees can attend at a time of their own choosing
and can present comments either formally or informally, as desired.
Georgia Department of Transportation reports that proportionally more
citizens make comments at open forum public hearings.

What do they cost?

Resource and staff needs can be substantial depending on the type
of
meeting. Delaware's exhibit meetings were heavily staffed-16 to 18
professionals were stationed throughout the room to answer questions
aid to determine the concerns of the 300-500 people who attended each
event. In a meeting or hearing preceded by an open house, displays
of major elements of a plan or process are required for full
explanations to citizens. Sketch overlays, notepads, or comment
sheets are needed to record public comments at the meeting.

How are they organized?

An agency organizes a public meeting or hearing and prepares pre-
meeting materials, including meeting announcements and agendas,
displays, audio-visual materials, and any mailings or publicity that
may be necessary. The public should be made aware of the free access
to these materials. In San Diego, the MPO publishes an agenda and
monthly digest of its meetings for public distribution. Agencies
should consider the needs of people with disabilities and transit
access in selecting a convenient place and time.

The agency or citizens may want to set up ground rules for meetings.
These could include

recognizing the legitimacy of concerns of others;
accepting responsibility to come to a meeting prepared for
discussion;
listening carefully and sharing discussion time with
others;
encouraging everyone to participate; discussing with intent
to identify areas of agreement, to clarify differences, and
to search for common understanding; and
establishing a speaker's time limit.

For a public meeting, the agency provides meeting summaries in
written form, describing areas of agreement and disagreement.
All points of view must be clearly and fairly stated. A hearing
report is formally prepared, in many cases based on a
stenographic record. At Seattle meetings, an abbreviated summary
is read and agreed upon by members at the close of each meeting
of the Sounding Board for the Regional Transit Authority; longer,
more detailed summaries are sent after the meeting.

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PUBLIC MEETINGS/HEARINGS, continued
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION
How do they relate to other techniques?

A media strategy is always necessary for either a public meeting or
a public hearing to attract the widest possible audience. For
example, adequate advertising for public events should always include
more than a single newspaper advertisement. During a public meeting,
a brainstorming, visioning, or charrette technique may be used. A
facilitator may be appropriate. Special provisions need to be made
to comply with the needs of disabled people for access to the meeting.

Video or audio tapes of proceedings may be important for analytic or
other purposes.

An open house format is similar to a transportation fair, for either
a public meeting or a public hearing. Presentations, slide shows, and
one-on-one discussions continue throughout the event. Exhibits are
laid out as a series of stations: a reception area; a presentation
area for slide shows or short talks; areas for one-on-one discussions
between citizens and agency staff members, and displays of background
information, activities to date, work flow, anticipated next steps,
and an array of primary subject panels.

What are the drawbacks?

A public hearing is an insufficient level of public involvement when
held at the end of a process and not accompanied by any other
opportunities to participate. Citizens may feel that their concerns
cannot be addressed because they are heard too late and have no chance
of being integrated into the final decision. At open house public
hearings, although citizens may present views publicly, they are heard
primarily by the agency and not by other participants. Such hearings
in Delaware include time for speakers to talk in front of others who
may have conflicting viewpoints.

Public meetings do not always allay citizen doubts about agency
credibility. Although they improve the possibility of adequate
citizen participation, meetings must be frequent enough to demonstrate
agency concern about public involvement. Public meetings must be held
early in the process and reasonably frequently thereafter to dispel
citizen fears that they are perfunctory or that the agency is not
listening to their concerns. Large meetings or formal hearings may
intimidate citizens and restrain commenting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Atlanta Regional Commission, (404) 364-2500
Dane County, (Madison), Wisconsin, (608) 266-4137
Delaware Department of Transportation, (302) 739-4348
Georgia Department of Transportation, (404) 986-1360
New Orleans Metropolitan Planning Organization, (504) 568-6611
Regional Transit Authority, Seattle, Washington, (206) 684-6776

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AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
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INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

What does this mean?

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) stipulates
involving the community, particularly those with disabilities, in the
development and improvement of services. For example, in rail transit
planning, participation by the disability community is essential for
the key station plan. In highway planning, it is essential in the
development of access at sidewalks and ramps, street crossings, and
in parking or transit access facilities. Also, sites of public
involvement activities as well as the information presented must be
accessible to persons with disabilities.

ADA requires specific participation activities--particularly for
paratransit plans. These include:

outreach (developing contacts, mailing lists, and other
means of notification to participate);
consultation with individuals with disabilities;
opportunity
for public comment;
accessible formats;
public hearing;
summary of significant issues raised during public comment
period;
ongoing efforts to involve the disability community in
planning.

Why is it useful?

The disability community comprises many people. As much as 14% of
the population has hearing, vision, or mobility limitations. In
addition, many other Americans are temporarily disabled during part
of their lives-whether aged, infirm, or recuperating. In identifying
and consulting with the disability community, agencies find a wide
range of strikingly different needs. Ideas and input from people with
disabilities is insightful as to their needs in using the programs or
facilities that are being developed. Additionally, people with
disabilities participate as interested citizens.

How does it relate to ISTEA?

All events held for programs or projects with Federal aid and open
to the general public must be made accessible to everyone, including
the disability community. Special efforts must be made to comply with
both ISTEA and ADA in meeting the statutory requirements.

Who participates? and how?

People have disabilities in sight, hearing, or mobility. People
with
sight impairments include those with visual impairment or total
blindness. People with hearing impairments include those with partial
hearing impairment or total hearing loss. People with mobility and
self-care impairments include those in wheelchairs or on crutches,
some elderly, people with children, and the temporarily disabled such
as pregnant women or those recuperating from injuries. The Spokane,
Washington, Transit Authority solicited disability community
involvement through a 'Rider Alert' program. Orange County,
California, Transportation Authority scheduled one-on-one meetings
with representatives of individual groups to obtain input to its
planning effort. In Juneau, Alaska, public workshops were held to
discuss compliance with ADA's transportation requirements.

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AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES, continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION
Does it have special requirements?

Sign language interpreters may be required. They must be hired
early,
since they are in scarce supply. Two interpreters are necessary for
meetings longer than 1 hour, to provide a break for each other.
Public information for the meeting should include a notice that sign
language interpreters will be made available upon request, as was done
by the Sacramento and San Mateo County, California, Regional Transit
Districts and in the Johnson City, Tennessee, Transit System. An
individual who is both blind and deaf can be accommodated by a
deaf/blind interpreter, who will use sign language in direct contact
with that person's hands.

Listening assistance may be required, depending on the meeting place.
For example, small machines are available to amplify speakers' voices
via an FM transmitter and receiver system heard only by those with
hearing disabilities. It may be possible to rent or borrow them from
a State commission for the deaf. In Massachusetts, they are borrowed
from the Guild for the Hard of Hearing. Meeting rooms in newer
buildings may have an FM loop embedded in the floor to be used for
transmission. A State commission for the deaf may have Computer-Aided
Real Time (CART) reporting in which the reporter transcribes
proceedings onto a screen during the meeting. Cable television
stations at meetings may bring interpreters for deaf persons or may
provide interpretation or captioning in rebroadcasting.

A telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) is essential for com-
municating with people who are deaf or have communications impairment
over the telephone. Under ADA, all public agencies should have this
inexpensive, modem-like device connected with a telephone into which
messages are typed rather than spoken. A small LED screen on each
machine shows the message. In some machines the message may also be
recorded on paper tape.

Sight-impaired people may require materials in accessible format.
Prior to meetings, the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Bureau of
Transportation advertises the availability of its plan in large print,
tape, Braille, and computer diskette. The Delaware Administration for
Specialized Transportation certifies that plans are available in
accessible formats, either in large print or on cassette tape. For
people with sight impairments, documents are prepared with large print
(22 point) in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Meeting announcements are
prepared in large print in Wheeling, West Virginia. The Regional
Public Transportation Authority in Phoenix, Arizona, used large, bold
sans serif typeface in its questionnaire on a plan update. Whichever
formats are chosen, they must be usable by the person making the
request.

How do agencies use the output?
Agencies' efforts are not fully inclusive of everyone's ideas until
they include people with disabilities. This requires an expansive
approach to accommodate the population that is disabled, and that
would not otherwise be accommodated in transportation plans or
processes.

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Who leads the process?

Every State and MPO should make events accessible to people with
disabilities. Information on accessibility needs may be found from
State commissions dealing with disabilities, deafness, rehabilitation,
or blindness, as well as from local agencies or advocacy groups. Many
of these groups assist in doing outreach for transportation processes.

Each State has been asked to help people with disabilities through
formation of an Assistive Technology Partnership, which is federally
funded to provide information, research, and training on ways to
assist such people. In some cases, State agencies are a central focus
for assistance to individuals with disabilities. In Massachusetts,
for example, telephone tapes are provided to sight impaired people by
the Commission on the Blind, the Association on the Blind, and the
Vision Foundation. These three services receive information about
dates or events and transfer that information to an audio tape.

What does it cost?

Assistance need not be expensive, but it requires special care and
attention. Staff need education to be mindful of the special needs
that must be met in setting up public meetings and hearings. In some
cases, it may be appropriate to hire a staff person trained in dealing
with these special needs. In other instances, it may be possible to
use existing State or local agency services.

How is it organized?

An accessibility checklist for meetings and hearings:

1. Accessible meeting or hearing site:
Has the site been visited and viewed with disabilities in
mind?
Are primary entrances accessible (doorway widths, steps)?
Is there circulation space for wheelchairs throughout and
at front of meeting or hearing room?
Are microphones, if used, at wheelchair height?
Is there an amplification system to aid hearing?
Are drinking fountains, rest rooms, and public telephones
at wheelchair height?
Is the meeting site accessible by public
transit/paratransit?
Is there parking for persons with disabilities?
Is there signing for accessible route to meeting room?

2. Meeting materials and services:
Are meeting notices in alternative formats for deaf, hard
of hearing, blind, and visually impaired people?
Are published meeting materials available prior to meeting
in alternative media: large print, computer disk, taped, or
Braille?
Are sign language interpreters available if requested.)

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AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES, continued
þÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄþ
INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION

How does it relate to other techniques

All meetings or hearings must be accessible to comply with ADA, if
they are to be open to the general public. This includes most public
meetings or hearings, as well as charrettes, brainstorming sessions,
and visioning meetings. Citizens' advisory committees can serve the
interests of persons with disabilities with appropriate representation
of them. Many committees and focus groups where participation is by
agency selection of representatives may not need to be fully
accessible, but special arrangements need to be made for the
disability community or its representatives.

What are the drawbacks to involving

There are no drawbacks to involving the disabled community. The
process is not fully inclusive of all community interests until they
are represented. Efforts that relate only to people with disabilities
isolate them from other parties. The goal of public involvement
measures is to include everyone in the process. This can be done by
making community participation accessible and by promoting integration
of people with disabilities with many other citizens who want to have
a voice in transportation.

when is it more effective?

All events may attract people with disabilities. Special efforts
and
events are useful to attract people with disabilities and to encourage
their participation in the process. When the expertise of the
disability community is used to make the event accessible, it is
likely to be more effective.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Project ACTION, ADA Public Participation Handbook, (202) 347-3066,
(800) 659-NIAT (Voice/TTY)
RESNA Technical Assistance Project, Technical Assistance Personnel
Directory, (202) 857-1140
American Association for Advancement of Science, Barrier Free in
Brief, Voice/TDD, (202) 326-6630
Massachusetts Assistive Technology Partnership Center, Voice (617) 735
7820, TDD (617) 735-7301
Capitol Transit, Juneau, Alaska, (907) 789-6901

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