Public Involvement

Public involvement is a critical aspect of any planning process. Good interaction with the public not only helps to more clearly define the objectives and outcomes of a given project, it can also result in a supportive constituency for the final recommendations and/or design plan. There are several important features of public involvement in the pedestrian and bicycle planning process:

1. Provide opportunities for ongoing participation, in all stages of the planning process.
2. Be inclusive. When in doubt, include people rather than leave them out, even if they may be opposed to the project.
3. Initiate participation early in the planning process.
4. Provide ways for the public to become actively involved through walkability audits, design charrettes, collecting survey data, or by simply providing frequent opportunities for public feedback. 
5. Include a wide variety of users, including people with disabilities, people of different ages (including children), and people with a variety of cultural backgrounds.
6. Respond promptly to requests for information, and make the process as accessible as possible to the public.

Public Involvement Techniques

One-on-one meetings with key individuals.Focus group meetings - selected groups of individuals that are chosen due to their particular interest in bicycle/pedestrian issues. Open Houses - informal meetings that enables participants to talk to project sponsors one-on-one. These meetings are usually drop -in style. Workshops and charrettes are meetings that are intended to get the public more actively involved in the design process. Smaller groups work together to brainstorm solutions for a particular project. Project newsletters and websites provide ways to give regular project updates to a wide audience. Websites can also be made interactive to enable people to provide their comments on-line. Media outreach - cultivate contacts with the media (radio, print and TV) to generate interest in the project. Special events - organize a bike ride or community walk with elected officials and citizens to highlight bicycle and pedestrian issues, and to allow more informal discussion of the issues.

Types of Planning Activities
 
Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning

At the state level, bicycle and pedestrian plans establish policies, goals, and actions for state agencies (i.e. within a state department of transportation and transit agencies) to accommodate and improve conditions for biking and walking. These plans often include design standards/guidance for local and regional governments, and typically address education and safety issues as well.

Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning

At the regional level, bicycle and pedestrian planning is usually carried out by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO's) or similar regional agencies. The main objectives of these planning projects are usually to coordinate between jurisdictions, develop planning and design guidance for local governments, establish regional priorities for funding, and to develop a unified regional approach to land use and transportation issues.

Local Planning

At the local level, bicycle and pedestrian plans often address critical gaps in the bicycle and/or pedestrian network, and may provide local cross section standards based on roadway type. They sometimes include zoning and subdivision code revisions that allow higher densities, mixed land uses, traditional neighborhood developments (TND's), establish when and where sidewalks should be installed during new development, and often address traffic calming techniques. Local pedestrian plans may include a specific list of pedestrian projects for inclusion in the local Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

Corridor Plans / Site Specific Studies

These studies focus on a specific roadway corridor or revitalization area, and may address a wider variety of transportation and community planning issues along with bicycle and pedestrian improvements. These plans can be used to direct future growth along the corridor, or may focus more on physical planning issues such as traffic calming, streetscape improvements, improvements to pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle flow, removing barriers to improve accessibility, or other types of improvements.