Public Involvement

Inclusive, iterative, and continuous public involvement is integral to the success of any transportation project. Maintaining a two-way dialogue and engaging diverse interests from the planning through construction of a project is the foundation for public understanding and sound decision-making by all stakeholders. At PBS&J, our approach to creating successful public involvement plans uses both traditional and nontraditional public involvement tools and techniques, because we understand that “one size doesn’t fit all.” We seek to identify the various populations within a project area, with the understanding that a community’s history, values, and fabric provide the essentials for developing the right tools and techniques that build trust, and allow and encourage communication.

In creating successful public involvement programs that combine traditional and nontraditional outreach techniques, PBS&J has employed such techniques as one-on-one interviews, interpreters and translated materials, radio and television call-in shows and media releases, large print and Braille handouts, toll free and TTY telephone numbers, non-written visual displays, videos with multiple language tracks, focus groups, charrettes, after church and other community events, and citizen advisory and stakeholder groups.  Our professionals strive to design creative and innovative public involvement that recognizes the constraints and incorporates the abilities of differing populations to participate. In doing so, equity is assured, federal requirements are met, schedules are streamlined, and the public often becomes a project’s biggest supporter.

Capabilities:

• Charrettes
• Interpreters
• Media outreach 
• Newsletters
• Opinion surveys
• Public events
• Websites
• Workshops