The Mid-America Regional Council received a grant from the Federal Transit Administration to update the Smart Moves Regional Transit Plan.
Part of this update includes using One KC Voice to conduct citizen
meetings.
The implications of the citizen's initiative light-rail proposal passed in Kansas City, Mo., makes this an ideal time to fully involve the public in shaping transit alternatives.
One KC Voice invited the public to attend public transit "engagements," or meetings designed to get input from citizens on public transit. A series of 25 community discussions were hosted around the region with the help of partner organizations. Each scripted, facilitated community discussion lasted about 90 minutes. Feedback was transcribed by a recorder.
One KC Voice hosted two identical technical workshops to help identify:
Citizens were asked to draw brainstormed and priority "corridors," or ideas of where public transit should travel, on maps. The input was turned into comprehensive maps by MARC's Transportation Department.
Several workshops were held during which the information from the public input process was shared.
The project will generate a final report for MARC's Transportation Department and the Federal Transit Administration that summarizes feedback, offers strategies and recommendations, and analyzes the effectiveness of public engagement activities.