Public Participation in Transportation Planning: How Does the Level of Engagement and Deliberation Affect Transportation Decisions in Virginia's Mpos?
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Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2013 Public Participation in Transportation Planning: How Does the Level of Engagement and Deliberation Affect Transportation Decisions in Virginia's MPOs? Unwanna Dabney Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3146 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Unwanna Nicole Bellinger Dabney, 2013 All Rights Reserved Public Participation in Transportation Planning: How Does the Level of Engagement and Deliberation Affect Transportation Decisions in Virginia’s MPOs? A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. by Unwanna Bellinger Dabney B.S., South Carolina State University, 1997 M.P.A., Old Dominion University, 2000 DIRECTOR: Blue Wooldridge, D.P.A. Professor, Public Policy and Administration L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia April, 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” As a long distance runner, I know that it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and support from others to cross the finish line of any race. This dissertation would not have been possible without the love and support of so many people. First, I must give thanks to God, for as I was reminded on the day of my dissertation defense, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”! My family deserves so much credit for making this dream come true. To my loving husband, Louis – You were the inspiration for this journey and you provided much needed support and assistance throughout the process. I know that I could not have done this without you and you have to know how grateful I am to have had you beside me every step of the way. You made sure I ate when I forgot to eat, you made sure I slept when I fought hard to stay awake. You have been my rock, and I love you for it! To my mother Doris, who kept pushing me to finish this journey and who was a cheerleader when I most needed cheering. You constantly looked for ways to help. You will be glad to know that the computer you gave me was used to conduct the data analysis for this study! To my big sister Kathy, who constantly encouraged me and even offered the assistance of your husband, Dr. Jackie (unbeknownst to him), as I wrote this dissertation! You are the best. To my little sister Monifa, - you have always been so supportive and encouraging in everything I do. Thanks for always being there for me and for offering those words of reassurance to finish this process when I most needed them. Also, thanks for letting me use the “Principal’s Office” to write during my visits! I must also acknowledge my nephews Jackie Jr., Jason, and Ayden for giving me a reason to strive to be a good example by proving that there is no substitute for hard work! You are the future and I know that you’ll grow to be talented and inspiring young men for future generations. To my father-in-law, Howard, thanks for so much support and particularly those FaceTime calls on Sunday evenings when you always caught me writing. I am especially thankful for the FaceTime searches for public administration and research methods books that Louis left in New York. I’m so glad you were willing to help. To the host of aunts, uncles, and cousins that continuously urged me to strive for greater heights – I appreciate all of your love and support. Thanks to Kennedy who stayed up with me as I studied and completed my course work, to Lizzy for keeping me company while I wrote when everyone else went to sleep, and to Paul, for always being proud of the woman I’ve become. I feel so blessed to have a circle of friends that are like family. Hope, thanks for being a wonderful best friend. You have been a blessing throughout my life and I couldn’t have gotten through this Ph.D. program without your love and support. Remember those comprehensive exams? I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend and sister like you, but I am so grateful that God allowed us to become so close. Thanks for always being there for me – you are a friend like no other! Jane and Carolyn, you ladies are more than friends, you are like family. Thanks for being my mentors, confidants, life coaches and everything in between! You two have helped me to grow into the woman I am today, and even when I didn’t see it, you’ve always recognized my personal and professional potential. I’ve ways said I want to be like you two when I grow up. I thank you for being my inspiration! ii I could not have completed this work without the constant support and guidance of my committee. Dr. Blue Wooldridge, you coached me continuously and provided the structure and order needed to help me complete the dissertation phase of my work. I really appreciate how you stuck with me through really tough times and helped me to accomplish this goal. I will be ever grateful to you. Dr. Damian Pitt, I am also grateful to you for stepping in and providing methodological guidance and assistance as I wrote my dissertation. You were absolutely wonderful to work with and consistently gave me feedback that improved my work. Also, thanks for introducing me to the concept of “three true outcomes” – I really appreciate it. To Dr. Lisa Abrams, Dr. Jason Arnold, and Dr. Jimmy Chen – I really appreciate you being willing to serve on my committee. You consistently offered valuable feedback to improve the quality of my work and helped me to really think about concepts beyond the constraints of my research topic. Also, thanks to Lisbeth Dannenbrink for helping me through the administrative parts of this process. Thanks to all of you at VCU for sticking with me through this journey, I truly appreciate all that you have done. I would also like to thank my editor, Sara Sullivan. I must thank my St. Philip’s Church family. Mother Phoebe, you are an inspiration and a wonderful role model for women in our parish. Thanks for providing spiritual guidance and support that have helped me grow as a Christian and a woman. To my special friend Murrieal, who consistently called and checked in on me while I was writing this dissertation. You constantly encouraged me to stay focused on the ultimate goal of my work. You are a true friend, and I am so blessed to have you in my life. To my fellow choir members, Green Team members, and the host of friends that I have made at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church – you have all been a wonderful blessing. I thank God for giving me such a supportive church family. I am grateful to my employers while I completed my course work and my dissertation, the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Special thanks to the Virginia Division of FHWA for being so responsive when I requested information during my data collection and analysis. I really appreciate your help. I am also appreciative to the MPOs of Virginia for going above and beyond in providing requested information as I completed my research and data collection. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the support I received from Siri who helped me with my research, Ben and Jerry who helped me through late nights, and Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Pitt Bull, and the cast of Glee who provided the playlist for this journey! Finally, this dissertation is dedicated to those who dare to dream big and MAKE IT REAL. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES.............................................................................................. vii LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................. ix ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1 Purpose of Study ....................................................................................................................... 4 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 5 Significance of Study ................................................................................................................ 5 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................................... 7 Organization of Study ............................................................................................................. 10 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................... 12 Public Involvement in Transportation .................................................................................... 12 Public Participation Design and Effectiveness ......................................................................