Public Involvement in Transportation Planning

Involving the Public

Citizens play an active role in the development of regional transportation programs. For example, public involvement activities, identified in the MPO's Public Involvement Process, are implemented preceding adoption of the region's long-range plan. Other public involvment components include:

•  Citizen surveys, printed in local publications and on this Web site, collect data and input from Central Oklahomans, on a variety of data points related to transportation issues.

•  A citizens advisory committee (CAC) provides recommendations to the policy committee on matters related to development of the intermodal and highway elements of the long range plan. The CAC includes representatives of various transportation modes, minority organizations, agencies that serve the elderly and persons with disabilities, businesses, local governments, environmental and other public interest groups, and private citizens.

•  The MPO maintains a mailing list of citizens and organizations that express an interest in the transportation planning process. Media releases and related materials concerning public involvement opportunities are mailed to those on the list, and featured on this Web site.

•  For the long range plan, subregional meetings are held with local government leaders to determine community priorities for improving both regional streets/highways and trails.

•  Planners hold public meetings throughout the region to acquaint area residents with the planning process and the multimodal facets of the proposed plan.

•  Draft summaries of transportation plans are distributed for public comment. These plans are publicized in the media, provided to all metro area public libraries and made available on ACOG's Internet site. Hard copies are also mailed to those who request it. Reviewers of the plan are encouraged to offer comment.

In addition, the MPO worked closely with local government staffs and officials and transportation planning agencies represented on the Intermodal Transportation Technical and Policy Committees. Stakeholders involved in goods movement within the OCARTS area by truck, rail and air are encouraged to provide input to the intermodal element of the Plan.

Citizens' advisory committees are formed from time to time in various program areas to encourage continual, first-hand involvement of citizens representing economic interest groups, public interest groups public officials and private citizens throughout the region.