摘要: |
Transportation projects that affect property access tend to be controversial. This is true whether the impacts are temporary, such as access impacts during construction, or permanent, such as the construction of a raised median. With median projects, typical public concerns relate to economic impacts on businesses, access for delivery vehicles, safety of U-turns, circuity of access, and neighborhood accessibility. Such concerns can escalate into active opposition where citizens are not kept adequately informed of project design decisions, or feel they have been excluded from the decision-making process. Agencies experienced with median projects find that techniques such as one on one briefings and open house meetings are more effective for addressing public concerns and less contentious than public hearings. This paper reviews the experiences of the Florida Department of Transportation in carrying out its statewide median program and provides strategies that other agencies may consider for involving the public in median projects. |