Public Involvement

by Paige Ellis

public meeting

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Riverside Campus in Austin, Texas hosted NHI training

The National Highway Institute (NHI) hosted the Public Involvement in the Transportation Decision-making Process training from March 22-24, 2016 at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Riverside Campus in Austin, Texas. This courseoffered methods to achieve successful public involvement participation in the transportation decision-making process. During the three days of training, the participants learned to:

• Describe U.S. DOT transportation decision-making processes, including those that trigger the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act (NEPA);

• Describe the relationship between public involvement and decision-making;

• Develop a public involvement plan with stakeholder assistance that includes attention to non-traditional populations asan evaluation component;

• Describe interest-based problem solving and the values that underlie it; and

• Identify ways to enhance public involvement plans.

This training course was taught by Hughes Collaboration public mediator, Mike Hughes, and Federal HighwaysAdministration (FHWA) Environmental Program Specialist, Keith Moore.

A link to TxDOT’s guidance for Public Involvement is located here.