2018 FHWA/MnDOT Peer Exchange on Public Engagement
June 12-13, 2018
State Transportation Building - St. Paul, Minnesota
About the event
Department of Transportation representatives from Florida, Illinois, Oregon and Vermont joined MnDOT in St. Paul on June 12 and 13 for a Public Engagement Peer Exchange aimed at improving public engagement during the highway project development process.
The event was sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, Minnesota Division, and hosted by MnDOT as a way to address the jointly defined risk, "If customer engagement during scoping is improved, then the customer needs can be understood to help design projects and build public trust."
Several key issues were identified and addressed by all state participants, including:
- Determining what effective public engagement is, rather than "checking the box"
- Engaging with underrepresented populations (i.e., culture, age, income, "snow birds")
- Making broad generalizations based on small segments of the population
- Managing raised public and stakeholder expectations
- Encouraging public engagement during project selection
Workshop Videos
- Public Engagement panel discussion (June 13)
- District/CO perspectives discussion (June 13):
If you need these documents in an alternative format please contact Kjensmo Walker at kjensmo.walker@state.mn.us.
Conference materials
- Peer Exchange Agenda
- Peer State DOT One Pagers