DRAFT Public Participation Plan December 2014
Document Purpose and Project Background The purpose of the METRO Red Line Implementation Plan Update (IPU) Public Involvement Plan is to outline tasks related to stakeholder engagement and public involvement that will be undertaken by the IPU Management Team throughout the course of the project. In 2013, the METRO Red Line, the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area s first bus rapid transit (BRT) line began service between the Mall of America and the Apple Valley Transit Station. The METRO Red Line was the outcome of years of planning by the Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority (DCRRA) and partnering agencies, MVTA and Metropolitan Council, to identify the best transit alternative to serve the needs of the growing southern suburbs of Bloomington, Eagan, Apple Valley, and Lakeville in Hennepin and Dakota County. Through the METRO Red Line IPU, DCRRA is reviewing and updating the 2010 Implementation Plan to reflect many changing circumstances in the corridor. Figure 1 shows the IPU study corridor. Purposefully engaging corridor stakeholders is a core component of the IPU. Metro Transit is currently planning the Orange Line BRT on I-35W and has a separate public engagement process for that project. However, because there is some overlap between the Red Line and Orange Line project areas, when appropriate, information about the Orange Line will be shared with stakeholders through the Red Line IPU process. The focus of this Public Involvement Plan is the Red Line IPU. Public Involvement Plan Objective The objective of the METRO Red Line IPU Public Involvement Plan is to carry out a purposeful and effective stakeholder engagement plan, so public input can be incorporated into and help shape the results of the plan. Purposeful and effective stakeholder engagement requires adhering to the following principles: Facilitate early, proactive and continuous participation of stakeholders, particularly those groups that are often underrepresented in public policy processes Facilitate a collaborative process to gather input on potential corridor improvements and prioritization of those improvements Provide technical and other project information to stakeholders in an easy to understand format an in a timely manner Provide open access to the decision-making process Respect and value each contributor Public Involvement Plan 1
Figure 1: Red Line Implementation Plan Project Area Public Involvement Plan 2
Dakota County Contacts The following Dakota County staff will be the consultant team s primary contacts for the public involvement process: Joe Morneau Senior Transit Specialist 952.891.7956 redlineplan@co.dakota.mn.us Project Committees The following committees will provide input and direction for the IPU: IPU Management Team IPU Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) IPU Steering Committee IPU Policy Makers Group These committees will facilitate discussion between the multiple local, regional, and state agencies that all have an interest in the study corridor. The structure, roles, and responsibilities of each group are described in this section. IPU Management Team The IPU Management Team is tasked with overall project administration and management. The IPU Management Team consists of Dakota County staff and staff from the following partner agencies: Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA). Metropolitan Council Metro Transit Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) IPU Management Team members will be actively involved in the day-to-day management of the project and guide the technical analysis process. They will serve as the first screen of deliverables before they are more widely shared. The IPU Management Team will also help coordinate among the partner agencies, the consultant team, and the other project committees. The IPU Management Team will meet up to two times per month throughout the duration of the project. The list of IPU Management Team members is included in Table 1. IPU Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) The IPU TAC consists of the IPU Management Team members in addition to representatives from the Cities of Bloomington, Eagan, Apple Valley, Burnsville, Farmington, Rosemount, and Lakeville and Hennepin County. The purpose of the IPU TAC is to provide technical input to the Public Involvement Plan 3
project. IPU TAC members will assist in the resolution of technical issues in their field and provide guidance to the steering committee on the technical feasibility of project recommendations. They will not be expected to review technical products; however, they will be expected to provide input on the outcomes and findings of the analysis. The IPU TAC will meet at least monthly for the duration of the project and more frequently if needed to address specific issues or concerns. The list of IPU TAC members is included in Table 1. The consultant team, with direction from the IPU Management Team, will provide IPU TAC meeting agendas and materials, and will provide a meeting summary to record the discussion. Additional technical experts that are not part of the IPU TAC will periodically be consulted regarding specific technical products (i.e. service planning, ridership forecasting, etc.). Partner agencies will provide input on technical experts within their organizations that should be engaged for these types of discussions. Steering Committee The IPU Steering Committee consists of senior staff from the project partner agencies. The purpose of the IPU Steering Committee is to make formal recommendations regarding potential project outcomes to the elected officials attending the Policy Advisory Workshops who in turn will make recommendations to the Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority. The IPU Steering Committee will meet up to six times at key points during the project. A list of IPU Steering Committee members is included in Table 1. The consultant team, with direction from the IPU Management Team, will provide IPU Steering Committee meeting agendas and materials, and will provide a meeting summary to record the discussion. Public Involvement Plan 4
Table 1: IPU Advisory Groups Name Agency IPU Management Team IPU TAC IPU Steering Committee Kristine Elwood Dakota County x x x Mark Krebsbach Dakota County x Joe Morneau Dakota County x x Arlene McCarthy Metropolitan Council x Cole Hiniker Metropolitan Council X x Bruce Dreyer Metropolitan Council x Pat Jones Metro Transit x x Christina Morrison Metro Transit x Claudius Toussaint Metro Transit x Beverley Miller MVTA x Jane Kansier MVTA x Jen Lehmann MVTA x Jon Solberg MnDOT x x x Tara Olds MnDOT X Kathy Bodmer Apple Valley x Bruce Nordquist Apple Valley x Dave Bennett Apple Valley x Tom Bowlin Bloomington X Kirk Roberts Bloomington X Tony Wippler Farmington x Jon Hohenstein Eagan x Russ Matthys Eagan x Dave Olson Lakeville x Zach Johnson Lakeville x Eric Zweber Rosemount X Joe Scala Hennepin County x Joseph Gladke Hennepin County x Lisa Freese Scott County x TBD Savage x Public Involvement Plan 5
IPU Policy Makers Workshops The IPU Policy Makers Group will participate in three workshops organized at key points during the IPU process. The IPU Policy Makers Group will be composed of elected officials (or their designated representative) from DCRRA, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, the Metropolitan Council, the MVTA Board and the cities within and near the corridor. The purpose of the workshops is to provide information to the elected officials in the corridor and to receive input and direction on policy issues that will guide and affect the project. There will be up to four workshops during the duration of the project. The consultant team, with direction from the IPU Management Team, will prepare materials, organize and facilitate discussion for the IPU Policy Makers Group. Project Decision Making Process The decision making process for the IPU is shown in Figure 2. The IPU Management Team, IPU TAC, general public, Policy Makers Workshops and other stakeholders will all provide input on the project to the IPU Steering Committee. The IPU Steering Committee, as well as other project partners in the corridor (i.e. MVTA, Hennepin County, MnDOT, and corridor cities) will make formal recommendations on potential transit improvement to DCRAA who in turn will make final recommendations to the Metropolitan Council. Figure 2: Red Line Implementation Plan Decision Making Process Public Involvement Plan 6
Potential Stakeholders The following stakeholder groups and organizations were identified as having an interest in the project. This list is meant to be illustrative and not exhaustive. As the IPU process progresses the IPU Management Team will continue to identify stakeholder groups in the corridor. Transit Riders MVTA customers Metro Transit customers Cities, Townships, and Counties Dakota County Hennepin County Scott County City of Apple Valley City of Burnsville City of Bloomington City of Eagan Eureka Township City of Farmington City of Lakeville City of Richfield City of Rosemount Regional and Local Agencies Dakota County Community Development Authority SmartLink Transit (Scott and Carver County) Community Action Partnership of Scott, Carver and Dakota Counties Dakota County Soil & Water Conservation District Metropolitan Council Minnesota Valley Transit Authority Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization Center for Urban and Regional Affairs Counties Transit Improvement Board State and Federal Agencies/Organizations Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Authority Minnesota Department of Transportation Minnesota Zoo Public Involvement Plan 7
Business, Church and Non-profit Organizations Dakota County Chamber of Commerce Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce Burnsville Chamber of Commerce Council of Churches Independent School District #196 and #191 Lakeville Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitor's Bureau Lakeville Lakeside Lions Club Lakeville Rotary Club Minneapolis Regional (Bloomington) Chamber of Commerce Partners in Higher Education La Asamblea Lincoln Place Residents Cortland Square Residents Low-income housing developments in the corridor Senior housing developments in the corridor Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing Blue Cross Blue Shield McKnight Foundation All Parks Alliance for Change Corridor mobile home community organizations Simon Properties (Twin Cities Premium Outlets) Mall of America The General Public Public Outreach Strategies A combination of different public outreach strategies will be used to communicate with stakeholders during the IPU process. The driving force behind the design of the public outreach strategies for the IPU is to build on existing professional, business and social networks. The consultant team s past project experience has shown that outreach efforts are most successful when they build off an existing foundation such as an established agency twitter feed or a scheduled monthly meeting for a business organization. This section describes each of the expected public outreach strategies. These strategies may be adjusted or modified as the IPU progresses. Public Involvement Plan 8
Electronic Communications Project Website An IPU website will be maintained at www.metrocouncil.org/redlineplanning. Content for the page will be prepared by the consultant team and the site will be maintained by Metropolitan Council. The website will include at least the following content: Corridor history and status IPU purpose Project maps and documents Frequently asked questions Notices for upcoming meetings Graphics and text summarizing the project goals, technical work, and project recommendations Contact information Mindmixer Mindmixer is an online engagement tool that gives community members an easy-to-use online space for collaborative conversation. Mindmixer includes software functionalities that can be used to engage participants at home as well as at public events. The Mindmixer website will be used to host one virtual public meeting. A link to the Mindmixer site will be maintained and promoted on the IPU s overall project website. More detail regarding the virtual open house is discussed in the Public Open Houses section. Social Media Many of the key stakeholders involved in the IPU maintain popular Facebook and Twitter accounts. The consultant team will work the communications staff from these organizations and communities to publicize project milestones, public meetings, and other opportunities to comment on the project. The consultant team will work with the following organizations, as well as any other interested stakeholders, to ensure the project is promoted via these existing social networks: Dakota County Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce MVTA Metro Transit Metropolitan Council City of Apple Valley City of Bloomington City of Burnsville City of Egan City of Lakeville City of Farmington Hennepin County Public Involvement Plan 9
Project Email Updates An email database of interested stakeholders will be compiled and maintained for the duration of the IPU process. This will include all project advisory group members, all identified stakeholder organizations, all individuals that sign-up for the list either at public meetings or via the project website, and any other organizations, media outlets and individuals that wish to be on the list. This email distribution list will be used to announce public meetings and to provide periodic project updates. The project also has an e-mail address, XXXXXXXX, where the public can submit questions and comments about the project. Comment [LH1]: The project email address is still in progress Print Communications Project Factsheets Project factsheets will be prepared throughout the IPU process. Project factsheets will summarize key themes and technical findings in plain language for the general public. Factsheets will be posted on the project website, distributed at local meetings and local events, sent to the email distribution list, and made available to project advisory group members for use through their own organizations and venues. Up to three project factsheets will be developed during the project. Newsletters Project newsletters will be prepared throughout the IPU process. Similar to the project factsheets, the newsletters will summarize the project s technical information and key findings in plain language and will be distributed to the public; however, the newsletters will include more information. Up to two newsletters will be developed during the project. Public Open Houses Traditional Open House Traditional public open houses will be held at key decision points in the IPU process. It is anticipated that there will be two rounds of public open houses during the project. The open houses will be held at locations within the study corridor. The consultant team will complete all preparation for meetings including announcements, agendas, information packets, presentation exhibits, electronic presentations (for example, PowerPoint), wayfinding signs, and public meeting summaries. Invitations to open houses will be mailed to residents and businesses onehalf mile east and west of Cedar Avenue from CSAH 70 to the Mall of America. The invitations will include statements in Spanish (and potentially Vietnamese and Somali) to notify residents who would like interpreters to contact project staff to ensure they are available at meetings. It is anticipated at this time that the public open houses will include a series of display boards (designed to be understandable as a self-guided tour) and may include a PowerPoint presentation. Meetings will be held on a weekday in the early evening to encourage people to stop by on their way home from work. Staff will be on hand to walk participants through the display boards and to answer questions. Public Involvement Plan 10
All public open house participants will be asked to sign-in and to provide contact information, so they can be added to the stakeholder email list. Interactive and participatory methods will be used to gather public feedback at the open houses. For example, participants may be given opportunities to recommend specific station locations, to participate in map exercises that help to identify corridor problems and opportunities, to state priorities through dot exercises, and to make notes on boards and/or corridor maps. Small group interactive discussions may be held at some meetings to address key issues or concerns. Throughout the IPU process, an effort will be made to keep all public outreach as interactive as possible. In addition, a short (one-page) survey may be provided at one or more of the open houses to further encourage public input and to get additional feedback on specific issues, alternatives and/or priorities. Comment cards will also be provided, so participants can leave open ended feedback. Virtual Open House The purpose of the virtual open house is to attract interested stakeholders who may not have time or feel comfortable attending a traditional public open house. There are multiple formats for holding a virtual open house. For example, virtual open houses can be held via webinar or online chat software. This gives participants the ability to view/listen to a presentation and then ask questions that can be answered in real time. Also, interactive website technology like Mindmixer can be used to hold an open house throughout the course of the project. For example, questions at an in-person meeting can be posted on the Mindmixer website giving stakeholders a longer period of opportunity to provide feedback. The project team will work together to determine what mix of technology will be used to hold a virtual open house for the project. The virtual open house technology will be publicized via social media and the project s email list. The consultant team will prepare all online meeting materials and facilitate discussion during the virtual open house if a webinar format is selected. Public Open House Summaries A summary of written comments, survey results, and attendance will be prepared for each public open house. These documents are typically 10-15 pages in length, depending on the number of written comments received at the open houses. Other Agency Meetings/Events As directed by DCRRA, the consultant team will participate in up to 20 other meetings. These agency meetings may include DCRRA, MVTA, Metropolitan Council, and city council meetings in the affected communities. They also may include meetings to reach out to neighborhood and business organizations, advocacy groups, and to population groups that are typically underrepresented in public processes and projects. These meetings may take the form of presentations to established groups or they may be informal discussions or one-on-one meetings. The consultant team will proactively identify opportunities for these meetings, particularly with under-represented populations. Public Involvement Plan 11
Press Releases/Media Relations Press releases will be used to give notice of public meetings and to report on project progress. All press releases will be released by the Dakota County communications department. The consultant team will coordinate press releases with the following community newspapers and organizations: Star Tribune Pioneer Press Sun Thisweek (covers local news in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Lakeville and Rosemount) Sun Current (covers local news in Bloomington) Dakota County Tribune Farmington Independent Minnesota Valley Transit Authority Rosemount Town Pages Additionally, selected radio stations and local cable television access channels will be contacted to promote public meetings and opportunity for public comment. Targeted outreach to under-represented populations A special effort will be made to identify people in the corridor that are often under-represented in public processes including people with disabilities, people who do not speak English or speak English as a second language, ethnic minority groups and organizations, immigrant groups, elderly individuals, etc. A review of 2010 Census data in the corridor revealed concentrations of minority populations near several existing and potential future METRO Red Line station locations. A significant proportion of the identified populations identify as Hispanic. Also, a review of past work done in the project area identified several groups who represent these communities including: La Asamblea: A group representing the Latino community Lincoln Place Residents: A transitional housing community for young adults Cortland Square Residents: A senior living community Strategies will be identified to reach out directly to these individuals and groups to more fully engage them in the IPU process. Early in the process, an outreach effort will be made to social service organizations, churches, and established ethnic organizations in the METRO Red Line study corridor to establish contacts and discuss effective communications strategies. This information will be used to further identify and refine strategies that will be used to reach identified population groups: Strategies that will be used to reach under-served populations include: Public Involvement Plan 12
Provide meeting notices in non-english language publications (at least Spanish and possibly Somali and Vietnamese) Ensure that news releases reach non-english language media outlets (print, radio, television) Translate meeting notices and project information Provide interpretation services and/or staff that are bi-lingual at public meetings (at least Spanish and possibly Somali and Vietnamese if requested) Attend meetings of established organizations or established events that serve specific cultural/ethnic groups or business communities Responding to Public Comments The consultant team will work with the IPU Management Team to ensure all public questions and comments regarding the IPU receive responses in a timely manner. The type of response given by the IPU Management Team will vary depending on how the comment was received. Some responses can be responded to with a quick email while others may require a formal letter or a one-on-one meeting with a stakeholder. Furthermore, suggestions or input gathered through surveys or public open houses may be responded to by tweaking or reconsidering potential transit service improvement strategies. The consultant team will maintain a document to track any comments received and will document how the IPU Management Team responded to the comment. Schedule The schedule in Figure 3 represents the tentative proposed work schedule and the approximate timeline for IPU Management Team, TAC, Steering Committee meetings, Policy Workshops, and public meetings. Public Involvement Plan 13
Figure 3: METRO Red Line Implementation Plan Proposed Work Schedule