Caltrans Updates Outreach Methods to Increase Public Involvement During Transportation PPP

Caltrans has released for public review and comment the latest Public Participation Plan (PPP), which discusses expanding the department’s web presence and using social media to achieve Caltrans’ goal of increasing public engagement and feedback.

“An involved and well-informed public can contribute valuable input during all stages of transportation decision-making,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Public feedback on this plan is necessary in creating a document that makes it easy to understand the transportation planning and programming process so more people can influence state, regional and local transportation decision-making.”

The PPP serves as a framework for educating and involving the public to help create a sustainable transportation system that will improve multimodal mobility, strengthen communities and enhance the quality of life. The primary purpose of the PPP is to foster meaningful and ongoing public involvement in the California Transportation Plan (CTP) and the Federal Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (FSTIP). Creating the CTP and the FSTIP involves early and continuous public feedback, and the PPP offers the following five principles to guide the department’s public engagement efforts:

• Clarify the transportation planning and programming processes.
• Convey the impact and relevance of transportation issues to the public.
• Explain how and when the public can influence State, regional and local transportation policies and projects.
• Engage a broad spectrum of California’s diverse population.
• Continually re-evaluate the effectiveness of the public participation process.

The PPP will ensure a comprehensive, meaningful and responsive public participation process that reflects community interests and values. Informing and educating the public about how transportation decisions occur in California will be at the forefront of CTP and FSTIP outreach activities. The PPP is updated every three to five years to reflect California’s transportation trends, challenges and opportunities.