Early, effective, and continuous public involvement brings diverse viewpoints and values into the decision-making process. Transportation agencies can increase meaningful public involvement in planning and project development by integrating virtual tools into their overall public involvement approach. Public involvement tools and practices have expanded and shifted dramatically over the past decade due to changes in communications, technology, and lifestyles. Transportation professionals cannot expect the public to come to the transportation agency's events; practitioners must reach them in their everyday lives–online, at home, and in chosen gathering spaces.
FHWA published a series of mini VPI documentaries in 2023 to explore transportation agencies' varied use of VPI tools and strategies:
- Florida's DOT's Hybrid Meeting Approach
- The Idaho Transportation Department's "Drive Idaho" Podcast
- MassDOT's VPI Committee and Trainings
- Missoula MPO's Use of All-in-One Tools to Reach the Public
- New Mexico Department of Transportation's Rural and Tribal Engagement
- NJTPA Engages Youth and Young Adults
RECENT WEBINARS. FHWA has been holding webinars on VPI topics:
- Accessible Virtual Public Involvement (VPI): State and MPO Tools & Practices. A presentation from Michigan Department of Transportation and the Greater Portland Council of Governments.
- The Evolution of VPI During the Pandemic: State Transportation Agency Practices and Lessons Learned. A five-part series exploring the changes of VPI approaches throughout COVID-19 Pandemic.
- The Evolution of VPI: MPO Perspectives. Strafford Regional Planning Commission and Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organizations discuss the changed approaches of VPI from the lens of MPOs.
- VPI with Planning and Environment Linkages. A presentation from Minnesota Department of Transportation, Colorado Department of Transportation and HDR.
- Engaging Traditionally Underserved Communities describes considerations and strategies for engaging traditionally underserved populations when using VPI tools; a discussion of public meetings and NEPA-required public hearings for underserved communities; and includes a questions and answer session.
- Public Involvement Management Application Innovations highlights VPI initiatives taken by several state DOTs (Iowa, Massachussetts, Maine).
- Iowa DOT's Public Involvement Management Application (PIMA)
CASE STUDIES. FHWA has developed video case studies that highlight how transportation agencies are using virtual public involvement tools and techniques. This video series features short conversations with professionals involved in virtual public involvement efforts at their respective agencies. Agencies and topics featured in the Case Studies video are listed below.
- Virginia DOT
- Institutionalizing VPI
- VPI Strategies for Planning, Project Development, and Environmental Review
- Alaska DOT & PF
- Virtual Meetings
- Social Media
- Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Videos
- Michigan DOT with Kari Martin
- Virtual Meetings
- Online Surveys
- Institutionalizing VPI
- Michigan DOT with Brad Sharlow
- Online Surveys
- Accessibility
- Telephone Town Halls
- Reaching Rural Communities
- Indianapolis MPO
- Online Surveys
- Do-it-Yourself Videos
- Online Meetings through Social Media
- Corvallis Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Virtual Open Houses
- Bilingual Resources
- Low-Cost VPI Strategies
- Georgia DOT
- Institutionalizing VPI
- VPI Strategies for Project Development and Environmental Review
- Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
- Using VPI to Engage with Diverse Communities
- Institutionalizing VPI
PEER EXCHANGE WORKSHOPS. FHWA has been hosting in-person and online peer exchange workshops to provide a forum for sharing VPI strategies and practices. These peer exchanges bring experienced and less-experienced peers together to present and discuss their approaches to using specific VPI strategies. Various topics have touched upon project visualizations, online meetings, engaging traditionally underserved populations, and crowdsourcing approaches. The FHWA typically provides workshop summary reports, recordings, and other resources for each event.
Page Updated October 2024