Public Involvement & Interested Party Participation

What is the role of public involvement in developing transportation policies, programs, and projects?

Public involvement is integral to good transportation planning. Without meaningful public participation, there is a risk of making poor decisions, or decisions that have unintended negative consequences. With it, it is possible to make a lasting contribution to an area's quality of life. Public involvement is more than an agency requirement and more than a means of fulfilling a statutory obligation. Meaningful public participation is central to good decisionmaking.

The fundamental objective of public involvement programs is to ensure that the concerns and issues of everyone with a stake in transportation decisions are identified and addressed in the development of the policies, programs, and projects being proposed in their communities.

GUIDANCE

PUBLICATIONS

USEFUL LINKS

• A Citizen's Guide to Transportation Decisionmaking 
• Public Involvement Techniques for Transportation Decision-making 
• Revised Public Involvement Procedures for Transportation Plans and Programs 
• Transit at the Table 
• From the Margins to the Mainstream: A Guide to Transportation Opportunities in Your Community