Chapter 8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN 8.0 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN This chapter discusses the purpose, goals and elements of the Urban Ring Public Involvement Plan, as well as the Compact Communities Group and neighborhood briefings. The public outreach for the Urban Ring project was extensive during the MIS and DEIR/DEIS previous phases. The Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOT) committed to extending this civic engagement in the broadest sense possible. In addition to adding new media, such as website use and email “blast” announcements, EOT reached out to neighborhood groups, institutions, civic and business groups, the communities, schools and universities, hospitals and associations to present information on the project and gather public review and comments. EOT participated in more than 200 meetings and worked with the CAC and communities to send information back to stakeholders on a regular basis. The plan was strengthened by the public process and the dialogue that resulted from working with hundreds of interested people and groups. 8.1 Public Involvement Plan Purpose and Overview The Urban Ring Public Involvement Plan sought to interest and involve affected communities in the project. EOT’s view of successful public involvement is that it communicates information at many levels and in many venues. It involves listening as well as presenting. It presents timely responses and incorporates new ideas. It provides universal access for participants regardless of physical or economic status. It fosters dialogue and consensus and respects the positions and opinions of the participants. It results in a better project for the proponent and the community. EOT structured its approach to include both historic and new stakeholders. It met all NEPA and MEPA goals and requirements in the framework of an aggressive schedule. The plan combined traditional elements of public involvement ­ including a Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC), subcommittees and public and neighborhood meetings ­ with internet­based communication and computer­aided presentations. The public and agency participation programs were tightly integrated with technical schedule milestones to provide EOT with relevant input at the times needed in the RDEIR/DEIS process. The outreach depended to a great extent on the leadership and involvement of the CAC. The CAC members represent seven municipalities, major institutions, transportation facilities and dozens of neighborhoods along the approximately 25­mile corridor project. Their interest, participation in meetings, ability to represent their stakeholder group and to draw interested people and entities into the process has been essential to the outreach process. EOT and the project team have supported the CAC and provided communication tools and information that were timely and efficient, and the CAC members have been highly engaged and committed to the process. EOT and the project team have also been committed to reaching out to Environmental Justice (EJ) populations. The Urban Ring is projected to bring major benefits of improved accessibility and mobility to numerous EJ neighborhoods located throughout the study corridor, and the public process has focused on EJ population involvement in the RDEIR/DEIS process in accordance with state and federal guidelines. The team made every effort to ensure that meetings were fully accessible (providing CART or other interpretive services for events on request). In addition, more than 80 agency representatives were involved in the Urban Ring environmental process. The team has engaged these agencies at every level to maintain effective communication and resolve technical or other concerns. Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS Page 8­1 November 2008 Chapter 8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN EOT and the project team have employed the following public involvement strategies: • Provided CAC members, residents, institutions and businesses with simple, understandable materials explaining the project, so they could make informed decisions; • Listened to comments, ideas and requests for information and responded in a timely manner; • Depended on the CAC and its leaders to make progress in meetings and subcommittee meetings to advance the project and attend to important project details and decision making; • Provided summary minutes of CAC, neighborhood and public meetings, furnished copies in the reference sections of the libraries in the project area, and maintained electronic copies on the project web site (www.theUrbanRing.com). The team also mailed print copies to individuals or groups on request or an ongoing basis (some CAC members); • Established mechanisms for effective communication with resident and other interested parties in the project area, including developing project newsletters, holding neighborhood briefings, distributing project informational materials to the project mailing list, and regularly updating the project website with informational materials and schedule; • Used internet­based communication and information to facilitate communication and information gathering for people and institutions who prefer using email and website postings; and • Worked with EOT and other agency staff to ensure that opportunities were provided for public review and an open and effective dialogue. 8.2 Meetings and Briefings EOT undertook an extensive program of meetings and briefings to maximize opportunities for information sharing, input and feedback from the broadest possible range of stakeholders. Table 8­1 shows that 238 meetings were held as part of the Urban Ring REIR/DEIS project as of November 14, 2008. Table 8­1: Urban Ring RDEIR/DEIS Meeting Summary (as of November 14, 2008) Meeting Type Number of Meetings Citizens Advisory Committee Meetings 22 Citizens Advisory Subcommittee Meetings 35 Major Public Meetings 10 Community and Neighborhood Briefings 34 Legislative Briefings 10 Agency Coordination Meetings 66 Institutional, Business, and Advocacy Group Meetings
of November 14, 2008) TOTAL (as
61 238 Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS Page 8­2 November 2008 Chapter 8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN 8.2.1 Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) has been an essential forum for public involvement, and EOT has worked very closely with the CAC leadership and members. The CAC members represent municipalities, neighborhood groups, and abutting institutions in the Urban Ring corridor. The CAC comprises 27 members, five ex officio members (representing state agencies), and alternates for several of the member organizations. Table 8­2 provides a list of the CAC members and organizations. Table 8­2 CAC Members First Name Kelly Larry Kelley Peter John Paul Maureen Marzie Richard Elizabeth Vineet Sarah Aaron Deborah Monica Jeffrey Arthur Thomas Charlotte Stephen Aditi Susanne William Carrie Karen Daniel Wig Citizens Advisory Committee and Ex­Officio Members Last Name Brilliant Brophy Brown Cusato DePriest Ellis Flaherty Galazka Garver Gerlach Gupta Hamilton Henry Kuhn Lamboy Levine Mombourquette Nally Nelson Oakley Pain Rasmussen Richardson Russell Wepsic Wilson Zamore Ex­Officio Members Joseph Cosgrove Scott Darling Rick McCullough Lourenco Dantas Julia O'Brien Organization Fenway Alliance Northeastern University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Boston University City of Chelsea Department of Planning and Development City of Medford designee TranSComm ­ BU Medical Center City of Everett Office of Commerce and Economic Development Boston Redevelopment Authority Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston Transportation Department MASCO Fenway Community Development Corporation Harvard University City of Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development Brookline Planning & Community Development Brigham & Women's Hospital A Better City Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee Livable Streets Alliance University of Massachusetts Boston Cambridge Community Development Fenway Civic Association Conservation Law Foundation On the Move/MBTA Rider Oversight Committee Move Massachusetts STEP MBTA MBTA Mass. Turnpike Authority Massport Department of Conservation & Recreation Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS Page 8­3 November 2008 Chapter 8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN Meetings of the CAC and its subcommittees provided a focus for comprehensive involvement by stakeholders as well as the general public and other interested parties. All meetings of the CAC and the subcommittees were open meetings. Non­CAC members participated in these meetings and provided input as well as technical expertise. Summary notes were prepared and posted on the website for all CAC and subcommittee meetings. As in the previous phase of work, the CAC designated subcommittees that dealt with some issues (Traffic and Transportation; Alternatives and Variants; and Finance) in greater detail. This structure provided an effective forum for stakeholder participation and information dissemination, particularly for the Compact Communities. Work with the CAC and subcommittees included: • Consultation on meeting agenda formation; • Sending notices to members; • Providing meeting staffing and facilitation, as needed; and • Providing summary minutes. EOT presented to the CAC and its subcommittees at key technical milestones including: 1. Project baseline conditions/purpose and need; 2. Alternatives and variants; 3. Impacts and mitigation; and 4. Recommended alternative and implementation strategy. Technical status reports were provided to the CAC at all meetings. The team staffed and supported all of the CAC meetings. The CAC has met approximately monthly for the duration of the project. 8.2.2 Major Public Meetings EOT and the project team conducted three sets of major public meetings at key project milestones. Because of the wide geographic scope of the project, three or four public meetings were held at each milestone, in diverse and rotating locations throughout the corridor. Table 8­3 provides a summary of the date and location of the major public meetings during the RDEIR/DEIS process. Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS Page 8­4 November 2008 Chapter 8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN Table 8­3: Major Public Meetings
Milestone and Meeting Location Date Round One – Project Purpose and Potential Routing Chelsea – Williams Middle School Cambridge – Hotel at MIT Boston – Boston Water and Sewer Commission Round Two – Alternatives Analysis and Findings Everett – City Hall Boston (Fenway) – Fenway High School/Arts Academy Somerville – Somerville High School Round Three – Project Recommendations Chelsea – Williams Middle School Boston (Fenway) – Fenway High School/Arts Academy East Cambridge – Kennedy­Longfellow School Roxbury – Dudley Square Library Winter 2006 12/07/06 12/09/06 12/11/06 Spring 2007 4/4/07 4/9/07 4/17/07 June 2008 6/05/08 6/09/08 6/10/08 6/16/08 Meeting announcements were widely distributed and urged participants to request language or access accommodations in a timely manner. (Interpreters were scheduled if requests were made.) Summary notes of each meeting were posted on the project website and made available in the repositories. The team sought local media coverage in particular to reach those unable to participate in the meetings. Releases were also sent to local and regional cable television stations to encourage coverage. 8.2.3 Community and Neighborhood Meetings EOT conducted a thorough and extensive outreach process to community and neighborhood groups. EOT conferred with each corridor municipality, then confirmed that the lists were inclusive and up­to­date by sending each of the municipalities a list of community groups to solicit for Urban Ring project briefings. EOT identified more than 70 groups around the corridor. EOT sent letters to all of the groups making them aware of the project, its schedule and goals and requested an opportunity to brief the group as an agenda item at a regularly scheduled meeting. Because impacts of the project fall most directly on the Compact Communities, the project team targeted outreach to groups in these communities, including Environmental Justice (EJ) groups. A team member followed up on the letter with at least one phone call (although numerous calls were made in most cases). The outreach and calls resulted in scheduling over 30 community and neighborhood briefings. The team prepared a 10­15 minute PowerPoint presentation with handouts for regular meetings of a wide variety of key organizations, including neighborhood associations, community based organizations, civic associations and other groups. The presentation featured important project concerns relevant to the geographic area of the meeting. 8.2.4 Local and Elected Officials Briefings EOT provided briefings for elected officials and staff in the project corridor. The goal of the briefings was to update these officials on the project goals, schedule and outreach plans; invite them to share ideas, questions or concerns they may gather during the development of the variants and alternative; and invite them to participate in the process. EOT invited elected Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS Page 8­5 November 2008 Chapter 8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN officials representing districts in the project corridor and members of the Joint Committee on Transportation to these briefings. 8.2.5 Agency Coordination Meetings Because more than 80 agency officials are currently involved in the Urban Ring environmental process, timely interaction and coordination with these officials at all levels of government was essential. EOT invited these officials to general public meetings on the project, and it also scheduled periodic, separate agency coordination meetings. These included broad agency briefings, including a final agency briefing on October 30, 2008 to present project recommendations, benefits, and impacts. 8.2.6 Institutional, Business and Advocacy Group Meetings The Urban Ring corridor includes a wide array of educational, medical, and cultural institutions, as well as other major employers. It also affects a broad range of stakeholder and advocacy groups, such as open space, pedestrian, and bicycle groups. EOT reached out to these stakeholders and conducted numerous briefings and coordination meetings in order to allow for a free flow of information, input and feedback on findings and recommendations. 8.3 Public Involvement Tools EOT and the project team have made use of a variety of tools to maximize the scope and effectiveness of the Urban Ring public involvement process. The following is a summary of the principal tools that were employed in this effort. 8.3.1 Databases The project team updated the existing database from the DEIR phase. The database contained records for a variety of stakeholder types, including Compact Community members, municipalities, community organizations, neighborhood groups, institutions, agency officials and private citizens. The project team coded the database for sorting by subgroups, zip codes, etc. EOT sent a postcard to the 1,800 names and institutions on the old list, announcing the project startup and new website. The postcard invited those who prefer to receive electronic notices and information to register at www.theurbanring.com. The team used postal mail for those who express a preference for it. The database has been updated after every mailing, meeting or public event. Post cards were prepared and mailed for public meetings to ensure the widest possible notice, and the meetings were noticed on the website and in press releases to media in the Compact Communities. 8.3.2 Website The project website – www.theurbanring.com – went live in October 2006. The website includes several important features to enhance public involvement, including: (1) a CAC member section for posting information, notices, reports, upcoming meetings, documents for review and a calendar; (2) interactive pages for information signup (Keep Me Informed), a “Contact Us” 1
feature which allows individuals to e­mail questions to the project team , and a public comment 1
These questions are sometimes incorporated into the website’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS Page 8­6 November 2008 Chapter 8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN feature that allows individuals to post their thoughts on aspects of the project (Give Us Your Opinions); (3) Frequently Asked Questions and other information and documents; (4) maps and photos; and (5) reference materials. The team updates the website regularly and reviewed and responded to comments. The password protected CAC section of the website permitted easy exchange of documents between the CAC and project team, but for the most part, documents have been posted in the public access section of the website. Meetings are included on the calendar. Reference materials, maps and other project information are available for download. The team offered printed copies of these materials to anyone who preferred not to use the internet or did not have access to it. The team also responded for requests to accessible documents or materials in alternate languages as appropriate. The fact sheet was translated into Spanish and made available in large print as well. The Urban Ring website activity between September 2007 and November 12, 2008 is summarized in Table 8­4. The table shows that almost 8,000 visits were made to the project website since September 2007, with an average of approximately 550 per month. In addition, many of the visitors made more than one visit to the website. These results demonstrate that the project website has been both effective and useful as a communication and information dissemination tool. Table 8­4: Urban Ring RDEIR/DEIS Website Activity Summary (as of November 12, 2008) Website Activity Visits Sept­Dec 2007 Jan­Nov 12, 2008 Totals 1,582 7,879 1.35 Average Visits per Month 527 6,297 548
Visits per Visitor 1.32 1.37 543 8.3.3 Presentations Public presentations of materials in understandable and intuitive form have been a central element of the public involvement plan. EOT and the project team prepared and presented project information in PowerPoint format at most major meetings, including public meetings, meetings of the CAC and its subcommittees, agency briefings, neighborhood and advocacy group meetings, stakeholder coordination meetings, and others. These presentations made ample use of maps, plans, tables, and explanatory figures. This presentation format was designed to allow project visualization, and it enabled EOT and the project team to provide optimal project understanding for a maximum number of participants. 8.3.4 Written Materials The project team provided documents summarizing project meetings, activities and information on a regular basis. These materials included: • Summary Meeting Minutes: The team provided summary minutes of every outreach meeting: public meetings, neighborhood and community briefings and workshops, and agency briefings. These notes highlighted the presentation, key issues raised, and participants’ concerns. They were posted on the website and printed versions were available on request. • Newsletters/Fact Sheets: EOT prepared three summary fact sheets for website posting and printed distribution. The fact sheets were made available in Spanish and English. Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS Page 8­7 November 2008 Chapter 8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN These documents were scheduled around key milestones: (1) project baseline conditions and purpose and need; (2) alternatives analysis and preliminary findings; and (3) recommended alternative and implementation strategy. The text and graphics outlined the issues and options under review and described how questions and comments can be submitted to EOT’s Project Manager. Where necessary, glossaries were used to clarify abbreviations or define terms. The fact sheets are available in print as well as PDF formats for downloading from the project website. Print copies were distributed at public meetings and sent to community­based organizations, community centers, neighborhood groups and elected officials. • Reports: Project technical memos, reports and other data were provided to the CAC on the website and as printed matter, depending on preference. Announcements of the availability of these documents were made on the website and in all project meetings. EOT posted project reports on the website in downloadable segments and made printed copies available on request. As much as possible, EOT used plain language and provided executive summaries and glossaries for abbreviations or technical terms to make reports more accessible to the general public. The Urban Ring project distributed milestone documents to public libraries in the Urban Ring corridor, as well as to the State Transportation Library. Additional copies of key documents were made available in a printed form on request. 8.3.5 Media Outlets and Press Releases EOT distributed project press releases, information and meeting notices to a comprehensive list of regional media. This list includes daily and weekly newspapers in the seven communities in the Urban Ring corridor. 8.3.6 Email Notifications Email “blast” announcements were frequently used in order to provide notifications and/or informational materials to a wide audience in a rapid and convenient format. Email notifications were used for several kinds of communication: • CAC members and interested members of the public were notified via email of meetings; • CAC members and interested members of the public were provided with informational materials via email; • CAC members and interested members of the public were notified via email regarding the posting of new information on the website; and • People in the electronic database received emails about meetings, notices about postings on the website, copies of newsletters, and other information. Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS Page 8­8 November 2008