Ohio Department of Transportation

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Public Involvement Process

Formal public meetings will continue to be held during Steps Five though Eight to ensure that the public’s opinions and voices are heard and that ultimately, the right Innerbelt Freeway is constructed for the people and economic vitality of Cleveland.

Public involvement is an important element of the Cleveland Innerbelt Plan. In general, public involvement is two-way communication between the project team and the public; it is not just a one-way public information campaign. Its purpose is to share, exchange, and solicit information and ideas in order to learn the best approach to a project. The goal for public involvement is the same for all projects: generating and using public input so that the project proceeds on time and meets the customer’s needs.

Basic principles of effective public involvement include:

Listening to one another;
Learning from one another; and
Sharing ideas in the decision-making process.

There is no single or right way to conduct public involvement. It is important that public involvement efforts be flexible, broad-based, and inclusive. This is best accomplished by developing a public involvement plan early in the project that identifies stakeholders and provides a variety of outreach methods and forums for input. In general, a successful public involvement effort is based on the following basic actions:

Begin early;
Carefully identify potential stakeholders;
Be flexible;
Identify the needs and desires of the interested and affected parties;
Develop trust and credibility among stakeholders;
Solicit information and ideas from affected stakeholders;
Openly share and exchange information and ideas related to the project or a particular design or alignment;
Ensure that all state and federal regulations relevant to the project are met;
Reach agreements cooperatively by discussing, consulting, coordinating, and negotiating issues and areas of disagreement related to the plan, program, or project; and
Improve or adapt the final delivered project to better meet the needs and desires of the public, agencies, individuals, and groups affected.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is committed to fostering public involvement in all of its projects. To assist in the development of public involvement plans and activities, ODOT has prepared a Public Involvement Guide (December 2002), which is intended for use by ODOT, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), consultants, and others involved in developing public involvement programs for any major project.

ODOT’s Public Involvement Guide provides information and recommendations to determine the best plan of action for creating and sustaining public involvement. It is a template for all projects. This guide is a road map that will assist in developing a comprehensive public involvement plan that identifies opportunities and encourages appropriate public input during critical stages of the project development. It also describes who should be involved; what regulatory steps must be addressed; and how and when public involvement should be incorporated into project development and delivery.

Cleveland Urban Core Projects