Public Involvement Project Management – FDOT Roadway Design Projects

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Background

Over the course of two years working as a consultant to the Florida Department of Transportation with The Valerin Group I managed 24 public outreach projects. All of these projects included infrastructure in the design phase and public outreach with many legal requirements in the state of Florida. While each project’s requirements varied slightly depending on the infrastructure put in place, the outline below encapsulates a typical workflow for a roadway design public outreach project.

Initiating Phase

Public involvement projects of this nature are often associated with infrastructure that has either been in the works for years or is being fast-tracked to address a safety concern, changes to the local environment, or something to that effect. Smaller projects materialize through continuing service contracts, secured through the request for proposal (RFP) process once every few years. These projects are listed first below. Larger projects, listed second, are secured specifically through the RFP process in which, as a Public Involvement Specialist, I would partner with engineering teams as a sub-consultant.

A draft budget and scope are established during project initiation using predetermined values based on the type of project. These metrics are a combination of industry standards, often set by the Department of Transportation, with adjustments based on internal project experience.

Planning Phase

The planning phase typically begins after a project is awarded and includes the tasks below.

• Review previous project phase files
  • Project Development & Environment Study (PD&E)
• Plan development
  • Community Awareness Plan (CAP)
• External Stakeholder Identification
  • Elected officials, businesses, property owners, community leaders, etc.

Executing Phase

• Project Kickoff
  • Internal Stakeholder Communication
    • Project Engineers; Public Information Officers; FDOT District 5 Senior Staff
      
• Public Meeting/Hearing Planning
  • Coordinating meeting date and location
  • Creating the meeting schedule, checklist, and communication schedule.
    
• Establish External Stakeholder Communication
  • Door-to-door project introduction with business owners
  • One-on-one meeting coordination between the project team and significantly affected external stakeholders
    
• Public Meeting Production
  • Preparation, QC, Request for Approval, and Finalization of:
    • Property owner mailing list
    • All notifications
      • Newspaper Ads, Press Releases, FAR Ads, Letters to Elected and Appointed Officials.
  • Preparation of Draft Project Communication Items:
    • Display boards
    • Presentation
    • Handouts and administrative Items
    • Other meeting materials
      
• Public Meeting Notification and Finalization
  • Distribution of notifications
  • Finalize content and design of:
    • Display boards
    • Presentation
    • Handouts and administrative Items
    • Other meeting materials
      
• Public Meeting Final Details
  • Print/Plot all meeting materials
  • Coordinate and conduct meeting walkthrough with internal stakeholders
    
• Public Meeting/Hearing Execution
  • Meeting room setup
    • Tables, chairs, displays, roadside signage, etc.
  • Technology setup and coordination
    • Computers, audio/video, internet broadcast
  • Guest welcoming, coordination, and education.

Controlling Phase

Throughout a public engagement project for transportation design projects, there are scheduled milestones related to project performance, required internally, mandated by the client, often times the Department of Transportation, and required legally by the state. At each milestone, a review of the Community Awareness Plan, the Project Checklist, and an update with the team are held to ensure the project is on track and on budget.

Closing Phase

• Public Meeting Follow-Up
  • Coordinating and finalizing hearing transcripts with a court reporter
  • Document all public comments
  • Coordinate follow-up response language with internal project teams
  • Respond to comments
• Project Closure
  • Finalize project documents and Community Awareness Plan to be passed onto staff for the project’s next phase: Construction.

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Projects Managed

FDOT District 5 Design | Community Outreach Continuing Service Contract

Project Type	Key Date	Project Name
Hybrid Public Hearing	21.06.29	Conway Road (SR 15) at Simmons Road Intersection Improvements
Hybrid Public Hearing	21.06.15	Silver Star Road (SR 416) at Hansrob Road Median Modifications
Virtual Public Meeting	21.06.01	Orange Blossom Trail (US 441) from south of Holden Avenue to 34th Street Pedestrian Improvements
Hybrid Public Hearing	21.05.13	John Young Parkway (US 17-92 and State Road 600) and Pleasant Hill Road Intersection Improvements – New Quadrant Road
Hybrid Public Hearing	21.05.13	John Young Parkway (US 17-92) from east of Ham Brown Road to south of Portage Street Resurfacing
Hybrid Public Meeting	20.12.02	Barracuda Bridge Replacement Project
Virtual Public Meeting	20.09.17	SR 19/S Central Avenue from Golden Gem Drive to south of Palmetto Street Resurfacing
Direct Mail Campaign	20.08.05	SR 15A/N Spring Garden Ave from 500 Ft South of Plymouth Ave to CR 92 Resurfacing
Virtual Public Meeting	20.06.30	SR 527 (Orange Avenue) from SR 482 (Sand Lake Road/McCoy Road) to Prince Street Resurfacing
Pubic Meeting	20.03.01	Curry Ford Rd (SR 552) from Conway Road to Gaston Foster Road Intersection Improvements
Public Meeting	20.02.04	US 17-92 from Mandarin Ave to north of E Kentucky Avenue Drainage Construction

FDOT District 5 Design | Sub-Consultant Community Outreach

Project Type	Key Date	Project Name
Hybrid Public Meeting	21.09.23	South Sumter Trail SR 471 from SR 50 to CR 478
Hybrid Public Meeting	21.09.07	US 41 (S. Williams St) Pedestrian Crossing
Direct Mail Campaign	21.06.01	US 1 (SR 5) from Miller Cove Road to the Pineda Causeway Drainage Construction
Hybrid Public Meeting	21.01.07	US 441 from Northwest 20th Street to the US 301/US 441 Interchange Resurfacing and Intersection Improvements
Direct Mail Campaign	20.11.04	US 192 at McClain Traffic Signal Upgrade
Direct Mail Campaign	21.09.30	US 441 / SR 44 at CR 44C Eudora Rd Intersection Improvements
Direct Mail Campaign	20.07.23	SR 436 at SR 552 Traffic Signal Upgrade
Direct Mail Campaign	20.07.13	SR 500/US 441 from SR 429 Connector Road to Jones Avenue