Every four years, to meet federal anti-discrimination guidelines, Metro is required to update its public involvement plans for transportation projects that receive federal funding.
This cycle, what the agency is putting forth is more in-depth than ever.
When the time came to update the public involvement document, Metro staff saw an opportunity.
"We wanted to be in compliance, but we also knew we could do better than that," said Patty Unfred, manager of Metro's public engagement team. "We're already doing a lot of good work as an agency, in terms of outreach to more diverse communities. It made sense to pull that all together into one place."
As a result, Metro's Public Engagement Guide is now a comprehensive manual intended to serve as a public engagement resource for the entire agency, as well as other jurisdictions and community groups.
The guide attempts to demystify planning processes for the public, provide a basic-language representation of Metro and how it functions, and present information on public engagement best practices.
"It's not a step-by-step how-to for public engagement, because every audience is going to be different," Unfred said. "But the guide tries to ask the right questions to get people thinking about the particular effort they'll need to make."
While updating the guide, Metro conducted public outreach as part of its effort to best understand how to effectively reach out to different populations. Staff distributed a short survey that asked what actions Metro could take to ensure universal public access to planning and decision-making processes.
During the 45-day public comment period last summer, in which staff gathered feedback from the online survey and public outreach events, Metro received over 1,400 responses.
Chris Lopez, a community member who completed the survey, said he felt it was important to weigh in because he knows firsthand that public engagement works.
"I started as a lot of community activists do; I was a guy who had a problem with a decision," Lopez said with a laugh.
Today, Lopez is the president of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods. He volunteers trying to get people engaged through various channels.
"You give folks information, the opportunity to engage, a voice, and for those who use it, it works," Lopez said. "The key to engagement is good information. The guide is going to go a long way in getting that out there."
Staff at Metro analyzed the public outreach responses for themes, which they then added to the guide.
Additions to the guide as a result of public comment included information on how to reach youth populations, how to leverage relationships with public venues such as libraries, community centers and places of worship, and inclusion of a one-page "How to Get Involved With Metro" infographic.
Metro Council approved the updates to the Public Engagement Guide on Thursday, expressing unanimous support and approval of the effort.
Councilor Sam Chase voiced his gratitude for the tools provided in the guide to reach out to underserved communities.
Councilor Bob Stacey also appreciated the guide's comprehensiveness. "It's going to be a tool not only for us, but for our local government partners, to engage all communities in the work we're trying to do on their behalf," Stacey said.
Hard copies of the guide are available per request from Metro.