As part of its research into effective public involvement and
environmental strategies for rural and small metropolitan areas, the Community
Transportation Association of America (CTAA) conducted a scan of the 274 MPOs
with planning responsibilities for urbanized areas under 200,000 population. In
this scan, which took place during January 2016, CTAA asked these MPOs about
the successful and potentially replicable strategies that were used to engage
with low-income and minority communities as part of these MPOs’ planning
activities.
CTAA found that MPOs’ effective stakeholder engagement
strategies fell largely into two categories of activity. This is in addition to
a number of information and outreach strategies for eliciting public
involvement in traditional meetings or hearings.
Half of the responding MPOs reported their staff carried out
a variety of strategies in which they engaged directly with community members,
such as through direct interviews, attendance at community meetings,
appearances at community events, etc. Half of the responding MPOs reported
various forms of using trusted intermediaries (e.g., advocacy groups, community
organizations, churches, schools) to host meetings, conduct focus groups, etc.
In a few instances, MPOs carried out more extensive activities to include
low-income or minority community participation in planning processes, such as
conducting day-long workshops or multi-day community charrettes.
Below are just a few of the practices reported by MPOs
responding to CTAA’s scan.
Use of Community Groups or Other Trusted Intermediaries
“We [The Gainesville-Hall MPO] recently updated our regional
transportation plan. Our region has a significant low-income Hispanic
population. One approach that worked well during our plan update was
identifying one influential person in the Hispanic community and utilizing that
person to gather others in the community for a meeting to seek input. A
short name for this would be a stakeholder meeting. What did not work was
online surveys in Spanish. We discovered afterwards that the majority of
the local Hispanic community did not own computers or had access to the
Internet.”
Contact:
Sam I. Baker, Senior Transportation Planner, Gainesville-Hall MetropolitanPlanning Organization, Gainesville GA, 770-297-2604; sbaker@hallcounty.org
“During the development of our 2040 Long Range Transportation
Plan, adopted in October 2105, the [Charlotte County – Punta Gorda] MPO
developed a series of Consensus Building Workshops to gauge public opinions on
the perceived of needs of the Community and then cost-feasible options to meet
those needs. To engage and improve participation we invited
representatives (using e-mail, phone or direct visit) from a number of
organizations who provide and represent EJ populations. These include
Habitat for Humanity, the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition, United Way of
Charlotte County, Florida, Catholic Charities and St. Vincent de Paul, our
local low income health clinic, AND our local Community Health Improvement
Program (CHIP) and its subcommittee “Access to Health Care”. All of these
groups sent representatives to our Workshops and provided input through a
remote voting tabulation software. They saw the needs and wants as expressed by
representatives from disciplines and backgrounds dissimilar to their own and
expanded their perspective on the MPO process, the structure under which the
process works and the difficulty in ranking and funding project
priorities. We (the MPO) in turn, when time permits, attend some of the
meeting and public involvement events held by these groups. This has led
to an integrated, coordinated and resource based exchange, with the MPO now a
partner in providing factual, timely and informative planning information to
the EJ community.”
Contact: Gene Klara,
MPO Planner, Charlotte County-Punta Gorda MPO, Port Charlotte FL, 941-883-3535; klara@ccmpo.com
“Creating new relationships within the community is the greatest success. We [East-West Gateway Council of Governments] invite staff members of community organizations that effectively represent the undeserved population to have a conversation. More often than not they have a constant working relationship with members of their community. A certain aspect of trust is developed between the organization and its publics. For example, we have found that organizations like Shepherd’s Center which specializes with the Senior Population, Paraquad which specializes with the disabled population, International Institute that works with the refugee populations and Catholic Urban Programs which serves the low income population have been very successful with connecting us with the people that we want to/need to hear from. We find that the more familiar the organization is within the community the greater response or inclusion we receive.
“Empowerment
is another aspect that we feel is a success.
Often times the underserved communities are used to information, plans
or decisions being forced upon them. It
is beneficial to invite the neighbors of the community to sit at the
planning/discussion table. Inclusion in
the conversation not only brings about the feeling of ownership but it creates
an atmosphere of COMMUNITY. They become
vested in the shaping or building of their communities. This in turn promotes empowerment of the
people, community and the cause.
“East-West
Gateway COG has a wealth of research information, database information,
demographics, income and economic opportunities information. However we also find the value of accessing
information from within the community from the people and by the people. It is definitely a success because it
provides opportunity to document the personal experiences; which gives us a
better understanding of the viewpoints, the history and sense of pride that is
shared throughout the neighborhoods. It
also shines light on the many barriers and difficulties, the “hidden circumstances
that are over overlooked or not discussed.
Often these facts and situations are not considered when gathering data.”
Contact: Roz Rodgers, Community Engagement Coordinator,
East-West Gateway Council of Governments (the MPO for the 8 counties of
Missouri and Illinois that include and surround St. Louis), St. Louis MO, 314-421-4220 ext 264; roz@ewgateway.org
“By far the most successful strategy we [the Community
Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS)] have employed has been to
hold focus-group types of meetings with specific stakeholder groups. Some of
these meetings have been conducted in conjunction with existing meetings or
events, and others have been meetings convened specifically to have a
discussion with us.
“To hold these meetings, we work closely with organizations
or agencies who have established relationships with the populations we are
reaching out to. The individuals in those agencies are able to assist us not
only in organizing meetings, but also in understanding cultural norms,
providing translators, and ensuring a sense of trust and comfort among
participants. Examples of a few types of meetings/focus groups we have held
include:
·
Discussions with refugees on transportation needs – one held
as part of an English language class for refugees and another as part of a
“leadership club” for young adult refugees.
·
Discussion with WIC recipients on transportation needs –
organized through and held at district health department office; provided child
care and healthy snacks for children.
·
Discussion with low income Latinos on transportation needs –
organized through, held at, and interpreter supplied by a local organization
who serves this demographic.”
Contact: Amy Luft,
Communication Coordinator,
Community Planning Association (COMPASS), Meridian
ID, 208-475-2229; aluft@compassidaho.org
MPO Staff Engages Directly with Community
“We [Fairbanks Metropolitan Area Transportation System] have
taken proactive steps to reach all demographics in our transportation planning
process. This year, we were able to get a table at the Farmer’s Market on a
Saturday, which exposed us to a varied demographic. We also had an interview on
“The Hawk Shop” (a local call-in television show) on a Sunday afternoon.”
Contact:
Donna Gardino, MPO Coordinator, Fairbanks Metropolitan Area TransportationSystem, Fairbanks AK, 907-459-6786; donna.gardino@fmats.us
“Our [North Front Range MPO] greatest success in reaching out
to low-income and minority community stakeholders has been through
partnerships. Our Mobility Councils provided good contacts for community
stakeholders and distributed the materials from our 2040 RTP outreach.
Additionally, we were able to attend open houses and community events in each
community we represent, allowing us to have more personalized conversations with
residents. “
Contact: Alex
Gordon, Transportation Planner, North Front Range MPO, Fort Collins CO, (970) 416-2023;
agordon@nfrmpo.org
“The newly-formed Albany Area MPO has found success
by going to where people are at – to their offices, to their committee
meetings, and finding community leaders who can help me make those connections.
I have learned that it is not enough to hold a public open house
meeting and expect stakeholders to come to us.
“As MPO staff, I have conducted stakeholder interviews with
people who work with, represent, or are members of transportation disadvantaged
groups. To find individuals to interview, I contacted public health
agencies, a seniors services advisory committee, a disability services advisory
committee, a human relations committee, local agency human relations
committees, the ‘welcome center’ at a nearby predominantly lower-income school,
and specifically Latino community groups. Having 45 – 60 minute
one-on-one conversations helped to build a foundation for future outreach and
helped me, as staff, to find ways to connect with low income or minority stakeholders.
I explained what an MPO is, what the MPO’s role in the community is, and openly
invited input on both community issues and specific transportation-related
issues.
“Two groups that have been actively engaged in the
transportation planning process so far are a regional Health Equity
Alliance
and a group of Latina women called Familias Activas who are working to
build a healthier community with organizational support from the Oregon State
University Extension Service. For outreach to both of these groups, I
attend their meetings. I also use interpretive services when attending
Familias Activas meetings. Most recently, I had the benefit of
simultaneous translation from Spanish to English, so that I was the one wearing
the headset and waiting for interpretation (not the Spanish-speaking
individuals). “
“We’re currently wrapping up a transportation needs
assessment for traditionally underserved populations for the Rogue Valley MPO.
Beyond mapping and analyzing a number of different factors, we put A LOT of
legwork into conducting a survey that ended up involving 39 different local
organizations that either work with or represent these target populations. We
experienced early outcomes as a result of the outreach survey and the mapping,
In two instances, we were able to identify existing gaps and barriers that were
within current and future transportation project areas which were not being
addressed through the project. We were able to inform the implementing
jurisdiction of the found issues that could be fixed by incorporating
revisions/improvements to their project plans – and they responded positively.
Again, these were immediate results from both the mapping analysis and from
having directly involved the community”
Contact:
Andrea Napoli, AICP, Senior Planner, Rogue Valley Council of Governments,
Central Point OR,
(541) 423-1369; anapoli@rvcog.org
Use of Workshops or Charrettes
“The Dover/Kent County MPO was recently involved in a
planning study to develop a land use/transportation plan for a corridor that is
the primary east-west route in Dover, Route 8. The corridor transforms
from a high-speed 2-lane rural route, to a 5-lane suburban section, back down
to a low-speed roadway through downtown. As it enters the downtown
region, the area lacks a definitive theme, from the land use and transportation
perspectives. There are a significant number of vacant, under-utilized,
and dilapidated properties, and the area has a rental property rate exceeding
80%. The area is predominantly low-income and minority.
“A primary objective of the study was to develop a master
plan so that as the corridor redevelops (there are some government incentives
in place), developers can be consistent with the overall vision to come from
the study. The other primary objective was to develop an aesthetic
gateway into the downtown. Beyond those 2 simple objectives, we wanted
the results of the study to be community-driven, so the residents could tell
the planners what they envision their area to look like in the future.
“To accomplish that, we decided to use a charrette
process. The 4-day charrette was held at the local community arts center,
which had just opened up, so it also provided the community an opportunity to
see the new facility even before the grand opening. The community arts
center is located in the heart of the community, within walking distance of
every home in the study area.
“The charrette process exceeded our expectations, as we had
great attendance, input, and participation throughout the entire
charrette. Food was provided each night by a local restaurant in the
community. We also had great participation from City agencies such as the
police department, City Council, and public works. Local businesses and
property owners were extensively involved as well, and would stop by the
community center during the day as the concepts were being developed and
refined.
“The charrette process provided us with great local input
from the residents and business owners, input that we likely would not have
been able to solicit through a "traditional" planning process.
The hands-on nature of the charrette process was ideal for soliciting local
input, which in turn led us to develop alternatives that addressed the
community needs that were identified by the participants.”
Contact: Rich
Vetter, P.E., AICP, Executive Director, Dover/Kent MPO, Dover DE, 302-387-6030; Rich.Vetter@doverkentmpo.org
DISCLAIMER: This scanning report was prepared as part of a contract between the Federal Highway Administration and the Community Transportation Association of America, "Developing and Advancing Effective Public Involvement and Environmental Justice Strategies for Rural and Small Communities" (DTFH6115C00023). Views or opinions expressed or implied in this document are the personal views of the author and the respondents in the field, and are not to be taken as official positions of FHWA, CTAA or any of the organizations identified in this document. This document is not an official statement of FHWA, is not to be taken as such, and publication of this document does not represent FHWA's approval or endorsement of any of the practices or activities cited above.
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