FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2008 |
For more information, Contact:
Bryan Davis, Transportation Planner
Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization
802.660.4071 x17
|
South Burlington, VT -
The Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO) will hold a public hearing at its meeting on Wed., September 17, 2008 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at its offices at 30 Kimball Avenue, Suite 102, South Burlington, to consider a proposed Public Participation Plan.
Under SAFETEA-LU, the federal funding bill for surface transportation, the CCMPO must adopt a separate, written plan that details the process for public participation in CCMPO projects and plans. The draft 2008 Public Participation Plan (PPP) updates the 2003 Public Involvement Plan to comply with the requirements of SAFETEA-LU and describes the CCMPO's policies and guidelines for providing opportunities for the public to be involved in projects and planning activities.
Major revisions from the 2003 Public Involvement Plan include:
- Goal and Objectives section: The five objectives were developed to guide the work of the CCMPO towards reaching the goal of describing "the policies for providing the public with thorough information on transportation planning services and project development in a convenient and timely manner, and identify opportunities for the public to participate in regional transportation planning and policy projects.
- SAFETEA-LU requires that "interested parties" in transportation issues and processes be identified, which has been done in the third bullet on page 2, as well as in Appendix C.
- Table 6 identifies specific evaluation criteria, performance goals, and methods to reach the goals for each public participation technique which will provide quantitative measurements of effectiveness. Borrowed extensively from Corpus Christi (TX) MPO.
In addition, 20 interviews were conducted with CCMPO staff, Board members, Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) members and other CCMPO partners to assess the effectiveness of current CCMPO public involvement efforts and to explore new methods to reach a broader audience. A summary of the interviews is included on page 23, and a more detailed analysis is included in Appendix D.
A copy of the proposed plan in enclosed and is also available for review on our website at http://www.ccmpo.org/about/public/. This starts a 45-day comment period required prior to adoption which will end on September 17, 2008. The MPO Board will take action on the Public Participation Plan at its October 15th meeting. Questions and written comments may be addressed to Bryan Davis at 660-4071, ext. 17 or Bryan Davis by September 17, 2008.
####
|
