PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT TECHNIQUES FOR TRANSPORTATION DECISION-MAKING

Chapter 3.
GETTING FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS

A. ESTABLISHING PLACES PEOPLE CAN FIND INFORMATION AND INTERACT

Giving people information about transportation projects and plans is a fundamental step toward getting their informed feedback. To "get the word out" to diverse stakeholders, agencies need to establish a variety of places where information is readily and conveniently available. Many agencies start by providing recorded, basic information around the clock and staffing phones during ordinary working hours to respond to questions and give more detail. Human contact is vitally important and should remain a staple in public involvement, even when an agency utilizes many other methods to reach people.

New places to give out information are crucial. Neighborhood locations are highly desirable but not always practical. Low-tech methods such as voice mail and answering machines are rela tively cost-effective and enhance an agency’s ability to communicate quickly with the general public.

New, "high-tech" technology, including the Internet, opens up exciting possibilities for reaching people with the information they need and offering them new ways to interact. FAX-on-demand services, modems, and on-line services reach people fast. Although, as yet, relatively few people obtain agency information this way because they do not understand or have access to computers or other equipment, agencies are beginning to capitalize on the technology’s potential usefulness in public involvement.

Offering people a variety of ways to get information increases the chances it will reach them. The following techniques supplement more conventional methods: