PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT TECHNIQUES FOR TRANSPORTATION DECISION-MAKING

Chapter 4.
USING SPECIAL TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE PARTICIPATION

C. FINDING NEW WAYS TO COMMUNICATE

Communication -- especially interactive communication -- is a major goal of public involvement. Face-to-face meetings are a traditional method of providing such contact, but changing technologies offer many new options for people to get information and provide input, comment, or support. New technologies -- largely based on electronics -- are accelerating and enhancing the communication process. They offer real-time methods of communication without relay, distribution, or recording delays. Computer or television interactive technologies can give people a stronger, more immediate sense of connection to the transportation planning and project development process.

Interactive technology does not replace traditional direct contact techniques. Rather, it needs to be well-integrated with them in an overall public involvement program. A majority of people still prefer to talk on the phone to a live voice or present their views in their own handwriting or face-to-face. People feel excluded or unable to participate if they have no ready access, and many find computers or televisions more impersonal and distancing than traditional means of communication. Some minority, ethnic, low-income, or poorly educated individuals feel particularly uncomfortable with new technology.

Yet, as new communication technologies become more and more prevalent, their potential for public involvement blossoms. People can participate in large meetings without leaving their living rooms -- via phone, modem, or FAX transmission lines. They save travel time and cost because electronic communica tions are able to span long distances. Participants with access to FAX machines can request transmission of documents or information or send comments to an agency. Specialized telephone services deliver pre-recorded answers to common inquiries. Interactive techniques can also be used in conjunction with traditional meetings -- by incorporating interactive displays, for instance, that show the steps in a process or describe a project. Or a computer technician at a public meeting can render concepts visually as they are discussed.

Several new techniques show promise for improving communication in public involvement, as follows: