PART 2 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

PART 2 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Chapter 4 Introduction Before approving a long-range transportation plan, each metropolitan planning organization shall provide citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of transportation agency employees, freight shippers, providers of freight transportation services, private providers of transportation services, representatives of users of public transit, and other interested parties with a reasonable opportunity to comment on the long-range transportation plan 23 U.S.C. 34 (g)(4) Initiated under the mandate of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 99 (ISTEA) and strengthened in the provisions of the Transportation Equity Act for the 2st Century (TEA-2), public participation in the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) planning process is an integral part of regional transportation plans. This chapter provides a summary of the processes and comments obtained as a result of the public input process. It is necessary to establish a free exchange of information and allow for public input at all stages of the planning process. In order for the public input process to be effective, it must be proactive; it must provide complete information to the public; there must be timely public notices to ensure the public s awareness of the opportunities; the public must be allowed to provide input toward decisions; the process must begin early and be continuing; and the process must involve a broad cross-section of the public. In the Richmond region the public participation process includes the following measures for citizen input: A series of public meetings in member jurisdictions at the Plan s outset to identify local transportation problems, concerns, and priorities. A survey mail-out to transportation providers and user groups soliciting their input. A Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) which advises the MPO on issues, plans, studies, and other matters necessary and appropriate for citizen input. Resolutions of the CTAC are forwarded to the MPO for comment and/or action. A Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee (EDAC) which provides advice to the MPO on issues, plans, and studies which may affect the region s elderly and persons with disabilities. This includes special efforts to plan public transportation facilities and services that can be effectively utilized by the elderly and persons with disabilities. Resolutions approved by EDAC are presented to the MPO. Meeting Notices The MPO announces to the news media and interested citizens the dates, times, and locations of all MPO Technical Advisory Committee (TAC, CTAC, and EDAC) meetings. Copies of agendas are provided and are posted on the RRPDC s web site. All meetings are open to the public. Draft Document Review The MPO distributes drafts of the LRTP and TIP documents to area libraries and local government administration offices for citizen access and review. Public comment periods on these draft documents are at least two weeks in duration. Chapter 4 29

Web site (http://www.richmondregional.org) - The RRPDC maintains a web site that includes important information pertaining to MPO business and planning activities. The web site provides citizen access to major transportation documents, meeting notices, newsletters, regional data including socioeconomic data, as well as report summaries. Public Comment Periods The public is afforded the opportunity to make comments directly to the MPO, TAC, CTAC, EDAC, and the LRTP Advisory Task Force at the beginning of each meeting. Newsletter The RRPDC periodically publishes and distributes a regional newsletter with information on agency activities including the MPO. The current mailing list contains over 2,000 names and represents major corporations, transportation providers, transportation user groups, and the general public. Long-Range Transportation Plan Advisory Task Force The task force is made up of representatives of the TAC, and CTAC as well as major transportation providers and user groups, environmental advocates, and representatives from the community at large. The charge of the task force is to oversee the development of the long-range transportation plan including the Congestion Management System. Local Public Meetings In addition to the specially scheduled public input meetings developed for Long-Range Plan input, MPO staff responds to information requests and participates and provides information at various public meetings organized by local jurisdictions, agencies, civic and community organizations, and the Commonwealth. The MPO governing body is comprised, in part, of local government elected and appointed officials who are constantly receiving information from citizens concerning transportation issues. The primary mechanism for on-going public input to the Long-Range Transportation Plan is through the MPO s Long-Range Transportation Plan Advisory Task Force. The Advisory Task Force is composed of 4 voting members with nine from the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) (one from each of the MPO s nine government jurisdictions), four representatives from the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC), and one representative from the Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee (EDAC). Non-voting members include representatives from transportation and government agencies. A complete list of the LRTP Advisory Task Force members is provided on the back of the front cover. The LRTP Advisory Task Force held 3 meetings over an -month period to review staff progress, discuss transportation data and concepts, and develop the draft plan. Five public workshops were held at the beginning of the plan update process in June 2003 and a transportation survey/questionnaire was distributed to obtain direct public input on transportation issues and regional goals and objectives. Three public workshops were held in December 2003 to review proposed projects for the region and obtain public comment on regional transportation priorities. Three formal public meetings were held in March 2004 to allow final public comment on the draft Richmond Area MPO 2026 Long-Range Transportation Plan. 30 Chapter 4

Early Public Involvement Public involvement early in the plan development process must be documented, and the plan must be made readily available for public review and comment and for information purposes. Transportation Survey/Questionnaire A transportation survey/questionnaire was distributed between May 22, 2003 and June 27, 2003 in an effort to obtain direct public input on transportation issues and regional goals and objectives. The surveys were distributed at the public workshops and were placed in 4 local libraries throughout the Richmond region along with display boards bringing attention to the surveys. A list of the 4 local libraries is shown in Figure 4- below and the locations are shown on Map 4-. Copies of the surveys were also provided to local transportation providers, social service agencies, advocacy groups, area churches and places of worship, and professional organizations, when requested, and were available on the RRPDC web site. Approximately,255 paper copies of the surveys were distributed and approximately 287 surveys were returned via mail, hand delivery, public workshops, or completed at libraries in the region. Approximately 79 surveys were submitted online via the RRPDC web site. A total of 466 surveys were completed and returned to MPO staff. The transportation survey contains six sections and a comments/questions/suggestions area. A copy of the transportation survey and detailed statistics and results for each section of the survey are provided in Appendix A. It should be noted that this survey does not represent a scientific random sample and therefore, no statistical significance can be concluded from its results. However, the survey does reflect opinions and responses from interested and concerned citizens. Figure 4- Library Placement Locations for Surveys Chesterfield Bon Air Branch Chesterfield Central Library Chesterfield Clover Hill Branch Henrico Dumbarton Area Library Henrico Fairfield Area Library Henrico Tuckahoe Area Library New Kent/Charles City Heritage Library Hanover Pamunkey Regional Library Richard S. Gillis, Jr./Ashland Branch Hanover Pamunkey Regional Library Mechanicsville Branch Goochland Pamunkey Regional Library Goochland Branch Powhatan Library Richmond Main Library Richmond Broad Rock Branch Richmond East End Branch Chapter 4 3

Source: 64 60 Charles City New Kent 0 US Census, 2000 GRTC, 2003 Richmond Regional PDC, 2004 Map 4- Public Workshops and Survey Distribution Locations Goochland Powhatan Map Created by: Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, February 2004 Hanover Chesterfield Ashland Richmond Henrico Road Network Interstate Expressway Highway Charles City Jurisdicitional Boundary Outside the MPO Boundary New Kent Hanover 33 Ashland 95 Initial Public Workshops Ashland Library 2 Eastern Henrico Government Center 3 Mills Godwin High School 4 Richmond City Hall 5 Watkins Elementary School Mid-Term Public Workshops 6 Children's Museum of Richmond 7 Chesterfield County Administration Building 8 Short Pump Elementary School Final Public Meetings 9 Children's Museum of Richmond 0 Bon Air Library North Park Branch Library 2 522 9 250 64 Goochland Powhatan 60 288 5 5 8 3 Chesterfield 295 4 2 0 360 6 4 7 95 76 50 69 95 3 288 3 4 7 30 Richmond 95 30 8 2 895 295 360 Henrico Survey Locations Ashland Library 2 Bon Air Library 3 Broad Rock Library 4 Chesterfield Central Library 5 Clover Hill Library 6 Dumbarton Library 7 East End Library 8 Fairfield Library 9 Goochland Library 0 Heritage Library Mechanicsville Library 2 Powhatan Library 3 Richmond Main Library 4 Tuckahoe Library Miles 0 3 6 2 8 24

Early Public Workshops Five public workshops were conducted at the beginning of the plan update process in June 2003. Locations for the workshops were selected based on proximity to population and employment centers, accessibility for all local jurisdictions, and availability of facilities. Consideration was also given to conducting several of the workshops in locations more easily accessible to historically underserved populations, such as communities with high concentrations of low-income, minority, and transit dependent citizens. Locations of the workshops are listed below in Figure 4-2 and are shown graphically on Map 4-. Figure 4-2 June 2003 Public Workshop Locations June 5, 2003 June 0, 2003 June 6, 2003 Richmond City Hall Watkins Elementary School Ashland Library 900 E. Broad Street 50 Coalfield Road 20 S. Railroad Ave. Richmond, VA Midlothian, VA Ashland, VA June 7, 2003 June 8, 2003 Eastern Henrico Government Center Mills Godwin High School 3820 Nine Mile Road 20 Pump Road Richmond, VA Richmond, VA Each of the workshops were conducted between 4:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. Public workshop dates, times, and locations were advertised in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and in the Richmond Free Press newspapers two weeks prior to the first workshop. Over 840 notices for the public workshops were sent via mail and/or e-mail including notices to MPO committee members, local jurisdiction government staff, local transportation providers, social service agencies, local churches, area news media, advocacy groups, and interested citizens. In addition, the workshop locations, dates, and times were publicized on the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission (RRPDC) web site and at 4 local libraries (see Map 4-). RRPDC staff were on hand at each meeting to address questions regarding the LRTP development process and transportation projects within the region. Representatives from VDOT and local jurisdictions also attended the workshops. Presentation boards were used at the workshops to inform the public of the various goals, projects, and recommendations in the existing Richmond Area MPO 2023 LRTP document. Presentation boards were also used to educate the public on the LRTP update process. Those who attended were encouraged to complete a transportation survey and to fill out a separate comment form soliciting ideas on goals and visions for the region s transportation system. Approximately 40 people participated in the five initial public workshops. Comments received from participants are summarized in Appendix A. A breakdown of workshop participation is shown in Figure 4-3. Chapter 4 33

Figure 4-3 Public Workshop Participation (June 2003) Local Government Staff & Elected Officials 27.5% Citizens 52.5% 2 5 PDC Staff 2.5% 2 State Government 5.0% Federal Government 2.5% Mid-term Public Involvement A second series of public workshops was held in December 2003 to obtain direct public input on transportation system priorities. The locations of these workshops are provided in Figure 4-4 and are shown graphically on Map 4-. Figure 4-4 December 2003 Public Workshop Locations December 3, 2003 December 4, 2003 Children s Museum of Richmond Chesterfield County Administration Building Pavilion Room 5th Floor Conference Room 2626 W. Broad Street 990 Lori Road Richmond, VA Chesterfield, VA December 8, 2003 Short Pump Elementary School 3425 Pump Road Richmond, VA Each of the workshops were conducted between 4:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. Public workshop dates, times, and locations were advertised in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Richmond Free Press newspapers, two weeks prior to the first workshop and in the Richmond Voice newspaper one week before the first workshop. Meeting notices were aired on local government cable stations and WRVA radio also aired a short ad notifying the public of the workshops. Over 960 notices for the public workshops were sent via mail and/or e-mail including notices to MPO committee members, local jurisdiction government staff, local transportation providers, social service agencies, local churches, area news media, advocacy groups, and interested citizens. In addition, the workshop locations, dates, and times were also publicized on the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission (RRPDC) web site. RRPDC staff were on hand at each meeting to address questions regarding the LRTP development process and transportation projects within the region. Representatives from GRTC, Ridefinders, and Virginia High Speed Rail Development Committee were present at the workshop with display and informational materials. VDOT and local jurisdictions also attended the workshops. 34 Chapter 4

Presentation boards were used at the workshops to inform the public of the various tasks completed in the LRTP update process and describe the transportation projects being considered for inclusion in the LRTP. Those who attended were encouraged to complete a comment form soliciting input on transportation project priorities for the region. Approximately 5 people participated in the three public workshops held in December. Comments received from participants are summarized in Appendix B. A breakdown of the December 2003 workshop participation is shown in Figure 4-5. Figure 4-5 Public Workshop Participation (December 2003) Citizens 66% 34 6 Transportation Providers 2% 4 PDC Staff 8% 6 Local Government Staff & Elected Officials 2% State Government 2% Final Public Review Draft Plan Review The Richmond Area MPO Draft 2026 Long-Range Transportation Plan was made available for public review during a two week period from March to March 25, 2004. Copies of the draft Plan were placed at 4 local libraries (shown in Figure 4-) as well as at the nine local government administration offices, RideFinder s store (downtown), and the RRPDC office. A copy of the Draft Plan was also made available for review on the RRPDC web site. Copies of the Draft Plan were provided for review to the LRTP Advisory Task Force, EDAC, CTAC, and TAC members, as well as the MPO board members. The Draft Plan was reviewed and discussed at the regularly scheduled EDAC, CTAC, and TAC meetings in March 2004, and was unanimously recommended to be submitted to the MPO for adoption. Comments received from the public and MPO committee reviews are provided in Appendix C. Chapter 4 35

Final Public Review Meetings A final series of three public review meetings was held in March 2004 to allow public comment and review of the draft Long-Range Transportation Plan document. The locations of these meetings are provided in Figure 4-6 and are shown graphically on Map 4-. Each of the meetings were conducted between 5:30 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. An informational session with presentation boards and handouts was held between 5:30 P.M. and 6:30 P.M. to allow for individual attention to public comments and questions by RRPDC staff. A formal presentation followed by an opportunity for public comment and discussion was provided from 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Figure 4-6 March 2004 Public Meeting Locations March 22, 2004 March 24, 2004 March 25, 2004 North Park Branch Library Children s Museum of Richmond Bon Air Library 8508 Franconia Road Pavilion Room 903 Rattlesnake Road Richmond, VA 2626 W. Broad Street Richmond, VA Richmond, VA Public meeting dates, times, and locations were advertised in the Richmond Times- Dispatch, the Richmond Free Press and the Richmond Voice newspapers. The Richmond Times-Dispatch also published a short article notifying the public of the meetings. Over 900 notices for the public meetings were sent via mail and/or e-mail including notices to MPO committee members, local jurisdiction government staff, local transportation providers, social service agencies, local churches, area news media, advocacy groups, and interested citizens. In addition, the meeting locations, dates, and times were also publicized on the RRPDC web site. RRPDC staff were on hand at each meeting to address questions regarding the draft LRTP. Presentation boards and a slide presentation were used at the meetings to inform the public of the various components contained in the draft LRTP. Those who attended were encourage to complete a comment form soliciting input on the draft document. Approximately 24 people participated in the three public meetings held in March 2004. A breakdown of the March 2004 meeting participation is shown in Figure 4-7. Comments on the draft LRTP received from citizens and advocacy groups along with staff response to comments are contained in Appendix C. Figure 4-7 Public Meeting Participation (March 2004) Citizens 7% 7 4 Local Government Staff 4% State Government Staff 4% Federal Government Staff 4% PDC Staff 7% 36 Chapter 4