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MARC Transportation Committees

MARC's transportation committees serve as an important component of the agency's public participation and community engagement framework. These committees provide a structured forum for local governments, transportation agencies, community organizations, advocates, technical experts, and other stakeholders to share perspectives, identify regional needs, evaluate transportation investments, and inform decision-making. 

While transportation committees do not replace broader public engagement activities, they provide an ongoing mechanism for dialogue, collaboration, and relationship-building that helps ensure transportation planning and programming are informed by regional and local perspectives. Transportation committees should promote accountability, access, trust, shared learning, and meaningful participation throughout planning and decision-making processes. 

View transportation committees

Role of Transportation Committees 

Transportation committees should be utilized to: 

  • Provide early input on transportation plans, policies, funding programs, and major initiatives before key decisions are made. 
  • Help identify stakeholders, communities, and interests that may be affected by transportation projects and should be engaged through additional outreach. 
  • Review and discuss regional transportation issues, trends, challenges, and opportunities. 
  • Offer technical expertise and local knowledge to inform project development and evaluation. 
  • Serve as a conduit between MARC and the organizations, jurisdictions, and communities represented by committee members. 
  • Provide recommendations that inform decision-making by advisory and policy bodies. 
  • Support regional collaboration by creating opportunities for dialogue among stakeholders from both Kansas and Missouri and across urban, suburban, and rural communities. 

Transportation committees should be engaged at the beginning of planning and project development processes whenever possible, rather than only receiving information after major decisions have been formulated. Multiple respondents emphasized that committees are most valuable when they help shape outcomes and identify issues early in the process

Continuous evaluation and adjustment will help ensure transportation committees remain a meaningful, trusted, and effective form of public engagement within MARC's transportation planning and programming processes. 

Best Practices

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Maintain Strong Member Onboarding 

New member onboarding is essential to effective participation and was one of the most frequently identified improvement opportunities. Committee members should receive: 

  • An overview of MARC's transportation planning and programming responsibilities. 
  • Information on committee structure, responsibilities, and decision-making authority. 
  • Transportation funding and project selection training. 
  • Key planning documents and priorities. 
  • Expectations regarding attendance, participation, and representation. 
  • Opportunities to connect with committee leadership and staff. 

MARC should provide onboarding materials in multiple formats, including written guides, recorded trainings, and orientation sessions. 

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Focus on Dialogue, Not Just Reporting 

Committee meetings should balance information sharing with meaningful discussion. While reporting and updates are necessary, committee engagement is strongest when members have opportunities to: 

  • Discuss emerging regional issues. 
  • Explore alternative approaches and solutions. 
  • Challenge assumptions and test ideas. 
  • Participate in collaborative problem-solving. 
  • Provide feedback before decisions are finalized. 

Meeting agendas should intentionally include time for discussion, questions, and member input rather than relying solely on presentations and status reports. Interactive tools, polling, small-group discussions, and facilitated exercises may be used to encourage broader participation. 

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Engage Committees Early and Clearly 

Committee members should understand why their input is being requested, the level of influence they have on a decision, and how their feedback will be used. When seeking committee input, MARC staff should: 

  • Identify the specific decision or recommendation under consideration. 
  • Explain the constraints and requirements that apply. 
  • Clearly state where committee recommendations will be forwarded. 
  • Report back on how member feedback influenced the outcome. 
  • Support Informed Participation 

Meaningful engagement requires members to have sufficient information and context. MARC should support committee members by providing: 

  • Meeting materials in advance. 
  • Executive summaries and key takeaways for complex topics. 
  • Background information on plans, funding programs, and decision-making processes. 
  • Training on transportation funding, project development, MPO processes, and committee roles. 
  • Regular updates on project outcomes and implementation progress. 

Providing members with context before meetings allows meeting time to be used for discussion and deliberation rather than information transfer alone. 

Expectations

For Committee Members and MARC Staff 

Effective committee engagement requires a shared commitment from both members and staff. 

Committee members are expected to: 

  • Attend meetings regularly. 
  • Review materials in advance. 
  • Participate constructively in discussions. 
  • Represent the interests and perspectives of their communities and organizations. 
  • Share information with the groups they represent. 
  • Raise questions, concerns, and recommendations openly during committee discussions. 

MARC staff are expected to: 

  • Facilitate inclusive and productive meetings. 
  • Provide timely and accessible information. 
  • Clearly communicate committee roles and decision-making authority. 
  • Create opportunities for dialogue and feedback. 
  • Support new member onboarding and training. 
  • Demonstrate how committee input informed decisions. 
  • Ensure committee engagement activities align with MARC's Community Engagement Principles. 
  • Evaluating Committee Effectiveness