Public Transportation and Public Input

Do you have transportation needs or ideas that you wish local government would consider. Wish there was bike access here, or rail access there, or parking somewhere else? They want to hear from you and they have an interactive map where you can plop down your input and get support from others. From their website:

Area residents have helped shape transportation in the area. In the past, residents have voiced to the Champaign Urbana Urbanized Area Transportation Study (CUUATS) the desire for a high-speed rail line to Chicago, more bike trails, and restructuring road corridors to help with traffic flow and safety, among other projects.

CUUATS needs public input to continue implementing innovative transportation projects. Residents of Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Tolono, Bondville, and Mahomet may post comments directly on the map web page. Public input shapes the content of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and people may suggest ideas for all modes of transportation: walking, driving, biking, taking the bus or train, or riding on an airplane. CUUATS staff will set up information tables at local events to explain the initiative to the public and collect feedback on transportation.
Rita Morocoima-Black, Director of Planning and Community Development, passes out water bottles and information packets

“It’s difficult to get people to come to meetings, so we like to set up information tables at popular public events around the region” explains Ashlee McLaughlin, a planner with CUUATS. “People seem to really appreciate that we come to their neighborhood. Once we explain the project, people are happy to provide input, good or bad.”

CUUATS completes an updated LRTP every five years. The plan helps secure transportation project funding from state and federal transportation agencies. The plan models proposed projects using a suite of models to predict and evaluate transportation conditions and impacts 25 years into the future. “It’s almost like our brochure for the funding agencies,” says McLaughlin. “When they have funding, or they are looking for places to invest in certain types of projects, the LRTP is the main document for seeing what our regional priorities are.”

Area residents can directly place their comments in the correlating location on the interactive map. People may also star or “like” other residents’ comments if they agree. The map’s web page includes a transportation survey to gauge current and future mobility trends in the area, as well. McLaughlin says the public will shape the 2045 plan by providing feedback.

“That’s the most exciting part for us because it’s a total unknown until we go out and talk to our fellow community members,” she comments. “We received over 2,000 comments on a variety of topics last time and we are continually working to improve our outreach methods.”

More information at the link, including upcoming area events where they'll be looking for more public input.