Corridor Planning Design-Build Metropolitan Planning Organizations Ports and Railways Bridges and Tunnels Toll Agencies Airports Customer Success Story URS Engaging the public, and creating a spirit of mutual trust, confidence and true collaboration, are crucial elements to the ultimate success of any transportation planning initiative. The far-reaching outcome of these initiatives affect not only a confined community, but oftentimes the economic viability of an entire region. Much is at stake not only for the transportation planners, but also for the community as a whole. The IBM - Neighborhood America Public Comment Service is ideally suited to meet these public involvement challenges by providing innovative, web-based solutions specifically designed to help you make better decisions – decisions which represent the public’s real needs. Read the article, Public Involvement in Transportation, and learn how web-based systems can help make your next experience more constructive. Proven Solutions In Denton County, Texas, URS relies upon the IBM - Neighborhood America Public Comment Service to incorporate meaningful public involvement into its Alternatives Analysis for the Denton County Transportation Association. Throughout the life of the corridor planning project, the Public Comment Service will be used to manage communication and information between all stakeholders, while engaging public involvement. Rapid Transit Denver kicked off a comprehensive study to consider the positive as well as negative impacts of Light Rail Transit (LRT) from Denver to Golden, Colorado. With our system, the public has been free to share their own experiences regarding travel between the cities. The experiences of the impacted community members have helped to shape - and ultimately determine - the outcome of the project. When the Colorado Department of Transportation began planning for the US 36 corridor (between Denver and Boulder), Neighborhood America’s technology helped the agency promote active public involvement during the development of the Environmental Impact Statement. The system enabled citizens affected by the project to share suggestions on a variety of pertinent issues, including the commuter rail system, Park-n-Ride facilities, the impacted environment and safety concerns. These suggestions were taken into consideration during the early planning phases – which resulted in strategic decisions that met the real needs of the public. System Benefits Capture, analyze and report public comment electronically, and through traditional methods Maximize public outreach efforts, and provide easy access to information and resources Educate and inform citizens and stakeholder groups Identify issues and concerns early in the planning process Efficiently manage multi-jurisdictional projects with minimal staffing requirements Provide a convenient, online central repository of information to facilitate communication and the sharing of information between diverse groups such as engineers, contractors and government officials Minimize paperwork and the associated costs of copying, mailing and storing hard copies Create an institutional memory, or document of record, which supports learning and the sharing of Best Practices The IBM - Neighborhood America Public Comment Service is easy to implement, quick to deploy, and simple to use. For more information on this innovative, on demand solution, contact a sales representative.