TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARDCommittee on Public Involvement in Transportation LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND SHARING BEST

PRACTICES

WHO WE ARETRB is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council—

a private, nonprofit institution that is the principal operating agency of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

We serve as an independent adviser to the United States government and others on scientific and technical questions.

GLOBAL ORGANIZATION

TRB Committee on Public Involvement in Transportation (ADA60)

Dedicated to the research and dissemination of information designed to improve the state of the public involvement practice in

transportation decision-making. Our mission is to enhance understanding, acceptance, and practice of

public involvement as an art and science in transportation policy implementation and all phases of the transportation process.

Committee Goals, Activities & Interests• Fostering research• Identifying best practices• Promoting use of new

technologies• Promulgating standards• Augmenting public involvement

skills of transportation professionals

• Annual Meeting Workshop• Joint Committees/Subcommittees • Meetings (virtual/in-person)• Presentation & Poster Sessions• Paper Calls/Paper Reviews• Communication Subcommittee• Education Subcommittee• Underserved communities

Research SubcommitteePromotes and supports research in the field of public involvement in

transportation. Members meet regularly via teleconference to identify industry trends and research needs, develop research problem statements for funding consideration, and related activities.

Over the past two years, the Research Subcommittee developed two research problem statements that were approved for funding by the

National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

John and Jane Public CompetitionCompetition looking for fresh and creative methods for communicating technical transportation issues with “John and Jane Q. Public” to share

with others within the profession.Co-sponsorship with TRB Planning & Environmental Group

BEST PRACTICESLearning and teaching – information and resource

sharing among practitionersPapers | Webinars | Presentations and more

• Update on the State of the Practice: Public Involvement in the 21st Century (TRB Committee on Public Involvement in Transportation)

• Emerging technologies: social media vs. traditional media• Quantifying public involvement: measuring its effectiveness• Reaching underserved communities/outreach with limited resources

RECENT FINDINGSpublic involvement is an ever-changing entity

• Electronic and traditional one-on-one can both work; flexibility is key• Outreach works best when targeted to the community involved• Important to convey complex information in visual format• Need more cultural sensitivity and training opportunities• Federal standards have not caught up with new technologies• More practitioners need to mirror the communities they work in• Training practitioners in how to educate agencies about public

involvement’s value, and how to implement outreach processes

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONget involved!

TRB ADA 60 Committee on Public Involvement Google Sitehttps://sites.google.com/site/trbcommitteeada60

LinkedIn Grouphttps://www.linkedin.com/groups/3761902

TRB Standing Committee Pagehttps://www.mytrb.org/CommitteeDetails.aspx?CMTID=1134