Public Engagement During Scoping Peer Exchange MnDOT June Engagement Meeting 6/7/18 Andrew Emanuele Community Planner
Customer Engagement Risk “If engagement during scoping is improved, then the customer needs can be understood to help design projects and built public trust.”
Public Engagement Risk Supports MnDOT’s WIG of earning customer trust through better engagement Peer Exchange one of several risk response strategies. Sponsored by FHWA Technology Transfer (T2) Funding
Key MnDOT Issues Variability statewide Staffing structure limitations Lack of documenting mechanism No specific guidance for engagement during scoping
Peer Exchange Overview June 12th and 13th (1.5 days) at CO Skype is available Four state DOTs Goal to gather national best practices
Exchange Highlights Peer Spotlights and Best Practices District/CO Perspectives Mentimeter Exercise and Report Out Lunch Keynote – Bill Goins, FedEx Facilitated Panel Discussions
Key Questions What does the process of public engagement during scoping look like? How is “successful” early public engagement defined? How is it measured? How is the level of early engagement determined (project size, cost, controversy, etc.)? How do you document public engagement and project commitments?
National Search Difficulty finding peers MnDOT assistance Literature review FHWA Division Offices Immature process nationally Lack of DOT similarity MnDOT assistance
Vermont - VTrans Small, centralized Mature process 1990’s design standards formalized engagement at all stages Engaging the Public Guidebook (2017) Outreach format for projects and plans Project Definition (Scoping) Process Guidebook (2017) Includes outreach process
Florida - FDOT Consultant reliant, very decentralized Efficient Transportation Decision-Making (ETDM) Process Designed to improve consistency Online screening tool Includes public portion Formal system for measuring success
Oregon - ODOT Extremely decentralized, urban vs. rural Very early outreach (pre-NEPA) Information catalogued online for use Community Engagement Liaisons Recruit underrepresented communities Meals and financial incentives
Illinois - IDOT Decentralized, Chicago dominated Engagement improvements ongoing Manuals to assist engineers creating Public Engagement Plans Public meeting “dry-runs”
Attendees Vermont, Florida, Oregon, Illinois MnDOT district staff (key audience) Skype Accessible MnDOT central office FHWA staff
Thank You!