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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25447.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25447.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25447.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25447.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25447.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25447.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25447.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25447.
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2019 N A T I O N A L C O O P E R A T I V E H I G H W A Y R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 905 Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development Bruce Brown Kate Gunby Jamie Strausz-Clark Anne Frugé Shaun Glaze Mackenzie Findlay Jordan Tuia Ian Hajnosz PRR, Inc. Seattle, WA Subscriber Categories Planning and Forecasting • Society Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state departments of transportation (DOTs) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transporta- tion results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to high- way authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 ini- tiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRB’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive com- mittee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, univer- sities, and industry; TRB’s relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of special- ists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the Federal Highway Administration. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&I’s recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Direc- tors and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Academies and TRB. The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs. Published research reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet by going to http://www.national-academies.org and then searching for TRB Printed in the United States of America NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 905 Project 08-105 ISSN 2572-3766 (Print) ISSN 2572-3774 (Online) ISBN 978-0-309-48020-8 Library of Congress Control Number 2019936629 © 2019 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FRA, FTA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, PHMSA, or TDC endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, non- governmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president. The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.national-academies.org. The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major programs of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to increase the benefits that transportation contributes to society by providing leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied committees, task forces, and panels annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Project 08-105 by PRR, Inc., in Seattle, Washington. The research team wishes to thank the Washington State Department of Transportation for allowing the team to test the survey tool on three of their projects. Bruce Brown, Ph.D., Director of Research at PRR, was the Lead Investigator. The other authors of this report are Kate Gunby, Ph.D. candidate, Associate Research Director at PRR, and Deputy Project Manager; Jamie Strausz-Clark, M.P.P., Vice President for Client Services at PRR, and Public Involvement Subject Matter Expert; Anne Frugé, Ph.D., Research Associate at PRR, and Investigator; Shaun Glaze, Ph.D. candidate, Research Associate at PRR, and Investigator; Mackenzie Findlay, Senior Research Project Coordinator at PRR, and Investigator; Jordan Tuia, B.A., Research Coordinator at PRR, and Investigator; and Ian Hajnosz, Research Intern, and Investigator. Kathy Schomer, M.A., and Lucie Saether, B.S., also contributed to this research while they were employed at PRR, Inc. CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 905 Christopher J. Hedges, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Lori L. Sundstrom, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs Ann M. Hartell, Senior Program Officer Jarrel McAfee, Senior Program Assistant Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Natalie Barnes, Associate Director of Publications Kami Cabral, Editor NCHRP PROJECT 08-105 PANEL Field of Transportation Planning—Area of Forecasting Mary E. “Rusty” Ennemoser, Florida DOT, Tallahassee (Chair) Dianne Kresich, Arizona DOT, Phoenix Carol M. Atkinson-Palombo, University of Connecticut, Storrs Scott Edward Hamwey, Massachusetts DOT, Boston Walter Jeffery Moore, Neel-Schaffer, Inc., Bowling Green, KY Kelby M. Wallace, Michigan DOT, Jackson Linsey R. Willis, Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), Walnut Creek, CA Jody McCullough, FHWA Liaison Lloyd Brown, AASHTO Liaison Jennifer L. Weeks, TRB Liaison

NCHRP Research Report 905 provides a field-validated and practitioner-ready toolkit to measure the effectiveness of a transportation agency’s public involvement activities. The report will be of interest to those who conduct public involvement activities in connection with transportation planning and project development. Those responsible for developing and maintaining a transportation agency’s performance management program will also find information relevant for tracking the effectiveness of public involvement programs. Public involvement programs provide transportation agencies and the public with a means for exchanging information about planning and project development activities. When effective, public involvement activities enable the public to participate in transportation decision making. Transportation professionals need to measure the impact of public involve- ment activities to ensure that they are successful and an efficient use of public resources. In addition, repeated measurement can track an agency’s performance over time, demonstrating ongoing commitment to public involvement and increasing overall accountability in the transportation decision-making process. NCHRP Research Report 905 presents a toolkit for measuring the effectiveness of public involvement activities. The toolkit is designed to collect feedback from the public on several indicators of effectiveness and to compare that feedback with the agency’s own perceptions. The combined responses can then be used to calculate scores for each indicator and an over- all effectiveness index. This allows for systematic comparison of the effectiveness of different public involvement strategies over time. The research was conducted by PRR, Inc., of Seattle, Washington. The research effort included a review of the research literature and current practice in evaluating public involve- ment efforts. The review shaped the development of a draft toolkit, which was then piloted at state DOT public involvement events conducted for a multimodal project, a road tolling project, and a long-range transportation plan. Using the results of the pilots, along with quantitative analyses and qualitative assessments by participants, the toolkit was revised and refined. This process also resulted in considerable insights for users to successfully implement the toolkit. The toolkit includes a survey instrument for use with the public (suitable for distribution in printed form or online), an electronic survey for transportation agency staff to enable the agency to score itself, a spreadsheet-based scoring tool for converting survey response data into an effectiveness index, and guidelines for using and scoring the survey. The survey instruments, scoring tool, and guidelines presentation are available at the TRB website (www.trb.org) by searching for “NCHRP Research Report 905”. Also available online on the same website are several appendices detailing the technical methods used to develop and refine the tool and a set of presentation slides summarizing the project. F O R E W O R D By Ann M. Hartell Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

1 Summary 5 Chapter 1 Background and Purpose 5 Background 7 Purpose 8 Chapter 2 Literature Review 8 Literature Review 10 Chapter 3 Developing the Survey and Securing Transportation Projects for Testing 10 Developing a Measure of Effective Public Involvement 12 Securing Transportation Projects for Survey Testing 14 Chapter 4 Testing and Revising the Measurement Tools 14 Testing the Survey with the Public 17 Testing the Agency Version of the Survey 19 Testing the Scoring Tool with Public Involvement Staff 20 Assessing the Agency Experience with the Survey Process and Summary Report 21 Chapter 5 Public Involvement Effectiveness Measurement Toolkit 21 Toolkit Contents 26 Chapter 6 Conclusions 28 References A-1 Appendix A Final Paper Version of the Survey for Use with the Public B-1 Appendix B Literature Review Variables C-1 Appendix C Review of Thirty-Six Articles That Include Frameworks or Tools D-1 Appendix D Example Frameworks and Tools E-1 Appendices E Through K* L-1 Appendix L Items Dropped to Reduce Length of Survey M-1 Appendix M Reports on Transportation Project Testing Results C O N T E N T S *Appendices E through K can be found on the TRB website (www.trb.org) by searching for NCHRP Research Report 905”.

N-1 Appendix N Online Version of the Survey for Use with the Public O-1 Appendix O Online Version of the Survey for Use by the Agency P-1 Appendix P Calculating the Geometric Mean Note: Photographs, figures, and tables in this report may have been converted from color to grayscale for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the web at www.trb.org) retains the color versions.

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Report 905: Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development provides a field-validated and practitioner-ready toolkit to measure the effectiveness of a transportation agency’s public involvement activities.

The toolkit is designed to collect feedback from the public on several indicators of effectiveness and to compare that feedback with the agency’s own perceptions. The combined responses can then be used to calculate scores for each indicator and an overall effectiveness index. This allows for systematic comparison of the effectiveness of different public involvement strategies over time.

Public involvement programs provide transportation agencies and the public with a means for exchanging information about planning and project development activities. When effective, public involvement activities enable the public to participate in transportation decision making. Transportation professionals need to measure the impact of public involvement activities to ensure that they are successful and an efficient use of public resources. In addition, repeated measurement can track an agency’s performance over time, demonstrating ongoing commitment to public involvement and increasing overall accountability in the transportation decision-making process.

The toolkit includes a series of online resources, including a survey instrument for use with the public (suitable for distribution in printed form or online), an electronic survey for transportation agency staff to enable the agency to score itself, a spreadsheet-based scoring tool for converting survey response data into an effectiveness index, and guidelines for using and scoring the survey. A set of presentation slides with speaker notes describing the project are also available.

The following appendices to NCHRP 905 are also available online:

Appendix E: Survey Used for Testing

Appendix F: Factor Analysis Results

Appendix G: Description of Factor Analysis and Principal Components Analysis

Appendix H: Principal Components Analysis Results

Appendix I: Convergent Validity Test Results

Appendix J: Reliability Analysis Results

Appendix K: Skipped Item Analysis Results

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