Citizens for Appropriate Transportation (CAT)
The Eisenhower
Transportation Corridor
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION –
LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER
All of us will live with the future design of the Eisenhower
Transportation Corridor for better or worse.
How much input will we have in the Illinois Department of
Transportation’s (IDOT) design for the future of the corridor?
The traditional approach to citizen participation in
corridor planning has two steps: (1) prepare the plan and (2) seek public
acceptance of the plan.
There are flaws in this approach. It assumes that presenting the plan to the
public is the same as getting the public’s consent. It assumes that citizens cannot make good
decisions because they lack the expertise.
It assumes that citizens will focus only on their own narrow interests.
PRINCIPLES
A good design for the Eisenhower Corridor must be based on
three principles:
1.
Address the needs for all transportation modes
2.
Add value to the adjacent communities
3.
Be compatible with the built and natural
environments.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
IDOT’s traditional criteria for roadway improvements are
safety, roadway capacity, and cost.
After IDOT has developed a solution that meets these criteria, they look
at how to avoid, mitigate, or minimize negative environmental impacts.
Informed citizens are more inclined to evaluate alternative
transportation solutions from a broader set of criteria that include (1)
community character, such as impact on property values, amount of property
acquisition, disruption to the community, traffic flow on local streets, good
design, and (2) environmental concerns, such as air pollution, noise, and
vibration. HOV lanes only deal with the
highway, ignoring the other transportation modes.
The broader approach results in better decisions and
solutions that are people and community friendly.
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
What are good guidelines for a citizen participation process?
·
Include a wide variety of people. Citizens possess everyday knowledge that can
help ensure that the problems are identified correctly, good solutions are
developed, and the final decision reflects all the important factors.
·
Let professionals and citizens learn from each
other. Sometimes citizens participate,
but come away thinking their participation is not valued. Recognize that the process is not just about
making a decision on the design of the Ike Corridor, but it is a learning
process as well. Recognize that data are
not always value-free.
·
Present information so that citizens can understand
the alternatives and the trade-offs.
·
Expect controversy because there are many different
views.
PARTICIPATION TECHNIQUES
There is no good substitute for face-to-face
communication. It builds relationships
and leads to a consensus that is constructed one step at a time. There are some good techniques that help the
process.
Using a wide variety of communication techniques, such as
meetings, workshops, open houses, and different media is valuable.
Outreach is essential.
A good policy is to meet anytime, anywhere, with anybody.
Computer technology plays an increasing role because
graphics software helps people visualize.
Photo simulation lets roadway designers add the proposed design to real
photographs. Computer animation can give
drivers and pedestrians a sense of what it will be like. Maps from a geographic information system can
illustrate design features.
We have a new Governor and IDOT Secretary. The approach they will take to corridor
planning is unknown at this time. The
Eisenhower Corridor is a great opportunity to do corridor planning the way it
should be done.
Rick Kuner – February 2003