Introduction
Public participation is based on the belief that people whose lives are affected by planning and investment decisions have a right to be involved in the decision-making process and influence choices that are made. Directly engaging people in this process promotes successful problem solving by including diverse voices, new ideas, and giving the public a sense of ownership of the developed solutions.
Successful public participation educates the public and facilitates multiple ways of collecting useful feedback. This process should also establish a relationship between the public and staff conducting the engagement. To be successful, public participation efforts need to reach and engage diverse audiences. A variety of techniques are necessary to make public participation a success.
About
The Public Participation Plan (PPP) provides a framework that guides public involvement in MARC’s transportation planning projects. It specifies goals, strategies and techniques that encourage successful public participation.
MARC uses a range of public involvement strategies throughout the development of its core transportation plans. The PPP sets a consistent standard across different planning efforts but recognizes that strategies may vary by project. Early engagement and continuous participation are important goals that merit consideration in all transportation planning processes.
Our goal is to have significant and ongoing public participation in transportation planning processes. Education and outreach are essential parts of informing the public about how decisions are made at the metropolitan level, and MARC seeks to improve opportunities for residents to voice ideas, input and values regarding transportation.