Long-Range Transportation Planning in Utah: Summary of Research Results from Interviews and Focus Groups

1. Long-Range TransportationPlanning in Utah: Summary of Research Results from Interviews and Focus Groups Final Report from Phase II Natural Resource and Environmental Policy Program ~ USU

2. Acknowledgements • Utah Department of Transportation • Individuals who participated in this study • Natural Resource and Environmental Policy Program • Institute for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism • Department of Environment and Society College of Natural Resources Utah State University

3. Research Methods • Face-to-Face Interviews • 17 Internal Participants(Utah Transportation Commissioners, UDOT Administrators, UDOT Public Involvement Coordinators) • 14 External Participants(State and Federal Government Representatives, MPOs, UTA, Land Developer) • Focus Groups • 4 Internal Focus Groups(Regional Maintenance Workers) • 5 External Focus Groups(Persons with Disabilities, Bicyclists, Utah DEQ, Environmental Groups, Low Income Representatives)

4. Research Methods • Question Sets • Protocols: • Internal / External • Interviews / Focus Groups • Main Content Areas: • UDOT’s Image and Relationships with Other Groups • Transportation Planning • Long-Range Transportation Plan • UDOT as an Organization

5. Research Methods • Data Analysis Techniques • Transcriptions • Entire team read raw transcripts • Development of thematic coding scheme • Sample coding of interviews • Coding refinement • Ensuring inter-rater reliability (all codes checked) • Production of master list of pages of text on which all codes are located (reference guide) • Interpretation, synthesis and write-up

6. Theme 1Challenges Involved in Comprehensive and Innovative Transportation Planning • Transportation Planning Context • Rapid population growth makes it hard to “stay ahead of the curve” • Suburban sprawl creates developments often distant from existing infrastructure • Diversifying transportation demands • Importance of the transportation system for the state’s economy and its future strategies • Compliance with environmental laws • Compliance with social justice, anti-discrimination, and disability laws

7. Theme 1Challenges Involved in Comprehensive and Innovative Transportation Planning • Difficulties in Transportation Planning • Lack of predictability of specific development locations puts transportation planners in reactive mode and forces compromises from strategic perspectives • Lack of flexibility due to restrictions on funding, timing, under-funded planning, long-term vs. short-term planning needs • Lack of appropriate sequencing to put various parts of the system in place

8. Theme 1Challenges Involved in Comprehensive and Innovative Transportation Planning • Separation of transportation and other planning functions • Between various transportation planning entities • Between transportation planning and land-use planning • Between transportation planning and natural resource planning • General recognition of need for and benefit of greater coordination

9. Theme 1Challenges Involved in Comprehensive and Innovative Transportation Planning • Interface Between Politics and Planning • Influence of the Governor’s transportation agenda • MPOs often have own lobbyists and agendas • Local community officials can sidestep the MPO planning process by lobbying independently for projects they did not get through the MPOs • Main Points • Politics can subvert the transportation planning process. • Prioritization of projects can be difficult.

10. Theme 1Challenges Involved in Comprehensive and Innovative Transportation Planning • Need for a Paradigm Shift • To create a good intermodal transportation system that provides travel alternatives and meets the needs of a diverse group of users • Provide more transportation alternatives for urban areas (in particular) • Promote mass transit for the Wasatch Front • Need a change in mindsets and behaviors of the public to demand and use alternative transportation

11. Theme 2 Coordination and Leadership in Transportation Planning and Partnerships • Importance and Challenges of Coordinating Transportation Planning • Funding and jurisdictional responsibilities differ from agency to agency • Need for improved integration between the various forms of transportation • Must serve the needs of diverse users and stakeholders • Efficient and equitable use of limited resources is seen as very important

12. Theme 2 Coordination and Leadership in Transportation Planning and Partnerships • How to Coordinate Transportation Planning ~ Structure • Create one transportation agency • Retain current transportation entities, but create an umbrella organization for coordinating purposes • One transportation entity takes the lead, but all entities continue to exist and operate in their defined areas of responsibility

13. Theme 2 Coordination and Leadership in Transportation Planning and Partnerships • How to Coordinate Transportation Planning ~ Function • Improve communication and information sharing • Build strong relationships with other entities • Improve cooperation and partnership arrangements • Engage in more cost sharing agreements Note: Most people favored these types of functional improvements over a structural reorganization of transportation agencies.

14. Theme 2 Coordination and Leadership in Transportation Planning and Partnerships • Leadership in Statewide Transportation Planning • Internal participants felt UDOT can and should play the role of transportation leader in Utah. [Reasons: department mandate; moving in the right direction to be able to do it; agency survival.] • External participants had more mixed opinions; some people felt another entity (e.g. advisory committee) should play the role of transportation leader in Utah. [Reasons: image of UDOT as roads department without a broad enough vision; poor customer service; bad move politically]

15. Theme 3 Engaging the Public in Transportation Planning • Challenges of Public Involvement • Public apathy and time constraints • Hard to get people involved in long-range planning • Designing effective public involvement forums • Perception that public input is ignored • Perception that decisions are made prior to public involvement • Legacy of mistrust that must be overcome

16. Theme 3 Engaging the Public in Transportation Planning • Effectiveness of Public Involvement • UDOT leadership perceived to be more open and collaborative in recent years • Addition of Public Involvement Coordinators • Use of smaller, more personal public involvement forums • Appointment of staff liaisons with other agencies • Context Sensitive Solution initiative • UDOT personnel attending the meetings of other groups and organizations

17. Theme 3 Engaging the Public in Transportation Planning • Recommendations for public involvement from the interviewees and focus group participants • Do it early and frequently; take it seriously • Be more proactive in soliciting input • Ensure feedback is representative of the public • Encourage members of the public to talk to each other • Less emphasis on public hearings ~ greater emphasis on small groups and electronic communication • Use input received from the public when making decisions or explain why it was not used

18. Theme 4UDOT’s Public Image and Its Relationship With Other Entities • Improvement in UDOT’s Public Image • Decentralization efforts have improved communication with local entities • UDOT is perceived as more open and inclusive • The 2002 Winter Olympics and UDOT’s coordination with other agencies was a big success • Use of new technology to keep the public informed of current construction is appreciated • Context Sensitive Solutions concept is well received by communities

19. Theme 4UDOT’s Public Image and Its Relationship With Other Entities • Continuing Challenges for UDOT’s Public Image • Often perceived as a “Roads Department” • Thought to be lacking the “big picture” view • The organizational culture seen as dominated by the “engineering mentality” • Perceived lack of concern for environmental issues • Some people say lawsuits are the only effective method for getting UDOT’s attention

20. Theme 4UDOT’s Public Image and Its Relationship With Other Entities • UDOT’s External Relationships • Relationships in good standing: Federal and State agencies, MPOs, UTA, cities and counties (i.e., others in the transportation or planning communities) • Relationships in need of improvement: Special interest groups and stakeholders such as persons with disabilities, bicyclists, low income citizens, and environmental groups (i.e. certain customer groups)

21. Theme 4UDOT’s Public Image and Its Relationship With Other Entities • Recommendations for improving public image and relationships (made by participants) • Sincere behavior that increases stakeholders’ trust in UDOT (e.g., follow-through, explanations, frequent contact) • Follow both the spirit and letter of laws such as ADA and NEPA and ensure that contractors comply • Build roads that do not create barriers for bicyclists and disabled people • Engage in open and honest communication

22. Theme 5Assessment of UDOT as an Organization • Understanding of UDOT’s Mission • External participants’ views: to plan, construct, and maintain state highways • Internal participants’ views: a comprehensive transportation provider, playing a key role in the statewide transportation system

23. Theme 5Assessment of UDOT as an Organization • Participants’ Perceptions of UDOT’s Leadership • Executive Leadership: Viewed positively both internally and externally, willing and able to institute change and tackle challenges • Transportation Commissioners: Views were mixed, some felt commissioners were responsive to public concerns, others felt there was too much political motivationin their decision-making process

24. Theme 5Assessment of UDOT as an Organization • Improvements in UDOT’s Organizational Structure and Function • Decentralized, regional decision-making viewed as appropriate and effective (helps build relationships, keeps UDOT in tune with local needs and the public) • Some centralization is deemed necessary, such as for specialized functions • Recognition of a need for better integration between UDOT’s internal Divisions • Use of technology: traffic information boards good; accounts/billings in need of updated technology

25. Theme 5Assessment of UDOT as an Organization • Perceptions of UDOT’s Organizational Culture • Road builders; too much emphasis on asphalt • Engineering mentality dominates UDOT • Need for better integration of the human component into project planning and UDOT’s management • Need to improve communication skills of the Department as a whole

26. Theme 5Assessment of UDOT as an Organization • Personnel Issues Internal Participants: • Agency stretched thin financially and employees work hard to do as much as they can with limited resources • Loss of well-trained employees to private sector and other agencies hurts UDOT • Concern with fairness issues in pay, training, advancement, and status External Participants: • Turn-over makes it hard to get consistent, reliable help • Lack of environmental expertise

27. Theme 6 Long-Range Transportation Plan • Process of Developing the Plan • Needs good inter-agency coordination • Involve the public in the process • Allow adequate time for effective review of the draft plan by both internal and external constituents • Use MPO and community long-range plans already in place when devising UDOT’s plan • Review other State Transportation Plans for good ideas (e.g. Georgia, Minnesota) • Solicit ideas from UDOT employees (not just planners) • Allow adequate time for the planning process

28. Theme 6 Long-Range Transportation Plan • Recommendations for Plan Content ~ Vision of the Plan • Promotes paradigm shift toward intermodal transportation system through policies, goals, and investment strategies that will make that happen • Serves as a master list of projects for the next 20 years and balances “preservation plan” with “capacity plan” • Helps UDOT manage its resources and employees more efficiently

29. Theme 6 Long-Range Transportation Plan • Recommendations for Plan Content ~ Framework for Thinking About Transportation Needs • Provides “direction” for addressing transportation concerns in Utah: tells people what to focus on; provides criteria and rationale for decision-making; lays out strategies for addressing transportation problems • Discussion document that articulates the various choices and trade-offs the public needs to make • Incorporate more explicit goals and objectives for how UDOT intends to engage in the on-going task of transportation planning and public involvement

30. Theme 6 Long-Range Transportation Plan • Recommendations for Plan Content ~ Specific Issues the Plan Should Address • Corridor Preservation • Project Prioritization • Project Sequencing • Air Quality and Water Quality • Transportation Funding • Other Issues: open space, view sheds, public land access considerations, wildlife mitigation corridors, sensitive species habitats, environmental justice concerns

31. Theme 6 Long-Range Transportation Plan • Anticipated Plan Outcomes • Serve as a guide to transportation decision making • Tool to encourage citizens to think more strategically about the state’s future transportation system and to engage them earlier in transportation planning • A “dynamic” plan that is flexible and adaptable • Incorporate an internal monitoring and evaluation strategy for the plan • Plan would allow for periodic review by external constituents