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NYSDOT Public Involvement Manual

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NYSDOT Public Involvement Manual Public Involvement Manual Project Development Manual - Appendix 2 January 2004 New York State Department of Transportation Public Involvement Manual Project Development Manual - Appendix 2 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction .................................................................. 1 1.1 Why Public Involvement? .................................................... 1 1.2 NYSDOT Public Involvement Policy .......................................... 2 1.3 Using this Guide ........................................................... 2 2.0 Public Involvement Plan ........................................................ 4 2.1 Review current project information and previous PI activities ....................... 5 2.2 Context identification ....................................................... 5 Identify stakeholders ............................................. 6 Identify potential concerns ......................................... 7 Community impact assessment ...................................... 7 2.3 Plan PI objectives .......................................................... 9 Anticipated level of PI ............................................ 9 Structured decision making ........................................ 9 Effective communication methods .................................. 10 Public education and outreach ..................................... 11 2.4 List specific action steps ................................................... 12 Responsibilities ................................................. 12 Purpose and expected outcome ..................................... 13 Schedule ...................................................... 13 Resources ..................................................... 13 2.5 Implement, monitor and update PI Plan ........................................ 14 Implementation and monitoring .................................... 14 Documentation and updates ....................................... 15 3.0 Public Involvement for the Project Process ........................................ 16 3.1 Using Public Involvement effectively ......................................... 16 3.2 Project initiation .......................................................... 18 Planing and Programming ......................................... 18 Initial Project Proposal (IPP) ..................................... 20 3.3 Project scoping and design .................................................. 21 Overview of project development stages ............................. 21 Public involvement for scoping and design ........................... 24 Public involvement plan for simple projects .......................... 26 Public involvement plan for moderate and complex projects ............. 27 Additional PI techniques for moderate and complex projects ............. 27 3.4 Project construction ....................................................... 27 3.5 Operations and maintenance ................................................ 30 Public Involvement Manual TOC - 1 PDM Appendix 2 Appendix A - Public Involvement Techniques A1 Public Outreach and Feedback ................................................. A-1 A1.1 Communicating with the Public ......................................... A-1 Mailing list ................................................... A-1 Newsletters ................................................... A-2 Individual meetings and briefings .................................. A-3 Telephone hot lines ............................................. A-4 Internet and E-mail ............................................. A-5 Speakers bureaus .............................................. A-6 A1.2 Communicating with the Media ........................................ A-7 Basic Concepts ................................................ A-7 Role of Public Information Officer (PIO) ............................ A-8 News Releases ................................................ A-9 Additional Media Actions ....................................... A-9 Interviews .................................................... A-9 A2 Meetings and Hearings ...................................................... A-11 A2.1 Public Meetings ..................................................... A-11 Initial public information meeting ................................ A-11 Presentation format ............................................ A-12 Open house format ............................................ A-13 Non-traditional approaches ...................................... A-14 A2.2 Public Hearings ..................................................... A-15 Format ...................................................... A-15 Requirements ................................................ A-16 A2.3 Meeting Organization ................................................ A-17 Date, time and location ......................................... A-17 Physical layout ............................................... A-18 Meeting agenda ............................................... A-18 Brochure content .............................................. A-19 Meeting followup ............................................. A-19 A2.4 Communicating Effectively at Meetings .................................. A-20 Encouraging open dialogue ..................................... A-20 Managing the meeting ......................................... A-21 A2.5 Visual Aids ........................................................ A-23 Print materials ................................................ A-23 Electronic media slide presentations .............................. A-24 Visualization and simulation .................................... A-25 Public Involvement Manual TOC - 2 PDM Appendix 2 A3 Additional Outreach Techniques .............................................. A-28 A3.1 Citizen’s advisory committee .......................................... A-28 A3.2 Collaborative task force ............................................... A-29 A3.3 Charrettes and workshops ............................................. A-31 A4 Special Needs ............................................................. A-34 A4.1 Identification of Stakeholders with Special Needs .......................... A-34 A4.2 Communicating with Special Needs Stakeholders .......................... A-37 A4.3 Accommodating Special Needs in Project Development ..................... A-40 A5 Moving from Conflict to Consensus ............................................ A-41 A5.1 Understanding and resolving conflict .................................... A-41 Working with opposition ....................................... A-41 Structured decision-making ..................................... A-42 Communicating risk ........................................... A-43 Problem solving approach ...................................... A-44 Positions and interests ......................................... A-45 A5.2 Conflict resolution techniques .......................................... A-46 Facilitation .................................................. A-46 Mediation ................................................... A-47 Appendix B - Federal and New York State PI Regulations B1.1 Federal Regulations ................................................... B-1 B1.2 New York State Regulations ............................................ B-4 Appendix C - Public Involvement Plan Checklist Appendix D - Public Meeting Checklists Checklist for Public Meeting Location Checklist of Equipment and Supplies for Public Meeting Appendix E - Public Involvement References Public Involvement Manual TOC - 3 PDM Appendix 2 Public Involvement Manual Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Why Public Involvement? Why is Public Involvement (PI) necessary for transportation projects? The NYSDOT mission statement sets forth the need to serve the public good: “It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to ensure our customers -- those who live, work and travel in New York State -- have a safe, efficient, balanced and environmentally sound transportation system.” The traveling public expects and depends on highways, bridges, transit systems and airports for mobility. At the same time, transportation facilities affect the communities and the natural environment where they are located. Projects can impact the natural, cultural, and scenic resources of a community as well as its cohesion and economic viability. Effective public involvement can help make that impact positive. NYSDOT has the responsibility to plan, design, build and maintain this network of highways and bridges. Obtaining input from the full range of stakeholders affected by projects, and using that input is key to making transportation decisions that benefit society. The success of our mission depends on identifying and addressing stakeholder needs, in coordination with transportation partners - other government agencies, municipalities, community residents, special interest organizations and facility users. The benefits of meaningful public involvement include: C Better problem identification and solving - Effective public involvement fosters sound project development decisions. It promotes fuller exploration of the needs of both facility users and adjacent communities. It allows for better communication regarding project objectives, consideration of a full range of objectives and possible trade-offs. By communicating with stakeholders, NYSDOT gains a better understanding of their needs and desires. This helps to ensure that planning and engineering judgement are properly applied
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