FHWA/FTA Questions and Answers on Public Involvement in Transportation Decisionmaking

[10] How do the public involvement requirements for project development and the NEPA process apply to public involvement for major transportation investment studies (MIS)?

An MPO's overall public involvement process should describe the approach to be used to involve the public in any MIS conducted in that metropolitan planning area, regardless of whether the lead agency for the MIS is the MPO itself, the State DOT, or the transit operator. At the start of the interagency consultation, the cooperating agencies need to tailor a specific public involvement strategy for the MIS. The strategy should engage the public in the consideration of the purpose and need for a major investment as well as in the development and evaluation of all alternatives. If the MIS incorporates development of a NEPA document, the public involvement strategy must comply with the public involvement provisions of 23 CFR Part 771 or 40 CFR Part 622.