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DRAFT
December 2014
Public Participation Plan
Public Involvement Plan 1
Document Purpose and Project Background
The purpose of the METRO Red Line Implementation Plan Update (IPU) Public Involvement
Plan is to outline tasks related to stakeholder engagement and public involvement that will be
undertaken by the IPU Management Team throughout the course of the project.
In 2013, the METRO Red Line, the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area’s first bus rapid transit (BRT)
line began service between the Mall of America and the Apple Valley Transit Station. The
METRO Red Line was the outcome of years of planning by the Dakota County Regional
Railroad Authority (DCRRA) and partnering agencies, MVTA and Metropolitan Council, to
identify the best transit alternative to serve the needs of the growing southern suburbs of
Bloomington, Eagan, Apple Valley, and Lakeville in Hennepin and Dakota County.
Through the METRO Red Line IPU, DCRRA is reviewing and updating the 2010 Implementation
Plan to reflect many changing circumstances in the corridor. Figure 1 shows the IPU study
corridor. Purposefully engaging corridor stakeholders is a core component of the IPU.
Metro Transit is currently planning the Orange Line BRT on I-35W and has a separate public
engagement process for that project. However, because there is some overlap between the Red
Line and Orange Line project areas, when appropriate, information about the Orange Line will
be shared with stakeholders through the Red Line IPU process. The focus of this Public
Involvement Plan is the Red Line IPU.
Public Involvement Plan Objective
The objective of the METRO Red Line IPU Public Involvement Plan is to carry out a purposeful
and effective stakeholder engagement plan, so public input can be incorporated into and help
shape the results of the plan.
Purposeful and effective stakeholder engagement requires adhering to the following principles:
Facilitate early, proactive and continuous participation of stakeholders,
particularly those groups that are often underrepresented in public policy
processes
Facilitate a collaborative process to gather input on potential corridor
improvements and prioritization of those improvements
Provide technical and other project information to stakeholders in an easy to
understand format an in a timely manner
Provide open access to the decision-making process
Respect and value each contributor
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Figure 1: Red Line Implementation Plan Project Area
Public Involvement Plan 3
Dakota County Contacts
The following Dakota County staff will be the consultant team’s primary contacts for the public
involvement process:
Joe Morneau
Senior Transit Specialist
952.891.7956
Project Committees
The following committees will provide input and direction for the IPU:
IPU Management Team
IPU Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
IPU Steering Committee
IPU Policy Makers Group
These committees will facilitate discussion between the multiple local, regional, and state
agencies that all have an interest in the study corridor. The structure, roles, and responsibilities
of each group are described in this section.
IPU Management Team The IPU Management Team is tasked with overall project administration and management. The
IPU Management Team consists of Dakota County staff and staff from the following partner
agencies:
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA).
Metropolitan Council
Metro Transit
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)
IPU Management Team members will be actively involved in the day-to-day management of the
project and guide the technical analysis process. They will serve as the first screen of
deliverables before they are more widely shared. The IPU Management Team will also help
coordinate among the partner agencies, the consultant team, and the other project committees.
The IPU Management Team will meet up to two times per month throughout the duration of the
project. The list of IPU Management Team members is included in Table 1.
IPU Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) The IPU TAC consists of the IPU Management Team members in addition to representatives
from the Cities of Bloomington, Eagan, Apple Valley, Burnsville, Farmington, Rosemount, and
Lakeville and Hennepin County. The purpose of the IPU TAC is to provide technical input to the
Public Involvement Plan 4
project. IPU TAC members will assist in the resolution of technical issues in their field and
provide guidance to the steering committee on the technical feasibility of project
recommendations. They will not be expected to review technical products; however, they will be
expected to provide input on the outcomes and findings of the analysis. The IPU TAC will meet
at least monthly for the duration of the project and more frequently if needed to address specific
issues or concerns. The list of IPU TAC members is included in Table 1.
The consultant team, with direction from the IPU Management Team, will provide IPU TAC
meeting agendas and materials, and will provide a meeting summary to record the discussion.
Additional technical experts that are not part of the IPU TAC will periodically be consulted
regarding specific technical products (i.e. service planning, ridership forecasting, etc.). Partner
agencies will provide input on technical experts within their organizations that should be
engaged for these types of discussions.
Steering Committee The IPU Steering Committee consists of senior staff from the project partner agencies. The
purpose of the IPU Steering Committee is to make formal recommendations regarding potential
project outcomes to the elected officials attending the Policy Advisory Workshops who in turn
will make recommendations to the Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority. The IPU
Steering Committee will meet up to six times at key points during the project. A list of IPU
Steering Committee members is included in Table 1.
The consultant team, with direction from the IPU Management Team, will provide IPU Steering
Committee meeting agendas and materials, and will provide a meeting summary to record the
discussion.
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Table 1: IPU Advisory Groups
Name Agency
IPU
Management
Team IPU TAC
IPU Steering
Committee
Kristine Elwood Dakota County x x x
Mark Krebsbach Dakota County x
Joe Morneau Dakota County x x
Arlene McCarthy Metropolitan Council x
Cole Hiniker Metropolitan Council X x
Bruce Dreyer Metropolitan Council x
Pat Jones Metro Transit x x
Christina Morrison Metro Transit x
Claudius Toussaint Metro Transit x
Beverley Miller MVTA x
Jane Kansier MVTA x
Jen Lehmann MVTA x
Jon Solberg MnDOT x x x
Tara Olds MnDOT X
Kathy Bodmer Apple Valley x
Bruce Nordquist Apple Valley x
Dave Bennett Apple Valley x
Tom Bowlin Bloomington X
Kirk Roberts Bloomington X
Tony Wippler Farmington x
Jon Hohenstein Eagan x
Russ Matthys Eagan x
Dave Olson Lakeville x
Zach Johnson Lakeville x
Eric Zweber Rosemount X
Joe Scala Hennepin County x
Joseph Gladke Hennepin County x
Lisa Freese Scott County x
TBD Savage x
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IPU Policy Makers Workshops The IPU Policy Makers Group will participate in three workshops organized at key points during
the IPU process. The IPU Policy Makers Group will be composed of elected officials (or their
designated representative) from DCRRA, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, the
Metropolitan Council, the MVTA Board and the cities within and near the corridor. The purpose
of the workshops is to provide information to the elected officials in the corridor and to receive
input and direction on policy issues that will guide and affect the project. There will be up to four
workshops during the duration of the project.
The consultant team, with direction from the IPU Management Team, will prepare materials,
organize and facilitate discussion for the IPU Policy Makers Group.
Project Decision Making Process
The decision making process for the IPU is shown in Figure 2. The IPU Management Team,
IPU TAC, general public, Policy Makers Workshops and other stakeholders will all provide input
on the project to the IPU Steering Committee. The IPU Steering Committee, as well as other
project partners in the corridor (i.e. MVTA, Hennepin County, MnDOT, and corridor cities) will
make formal recommendations on potential transit improvement to DCRAA who in turn will
make final recommendations to the Metropolitan Council.
Figure 2: Red Line Implementation Plan Decision Making Process
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Potential Stakeholders
The following stakeholder groups and organizations were identified as having an interest in the
project. This list is meant to be illustrative and not exhaustive. As the IPU process progresses
the IPU Management Team will continue to identify stakeholder groups in the corridor.
Transit Riders
MVTA customers
Metro Transit customers
Cities, Townships, and Counties
Dakota County
Hennepin County
Scott County
City of Apple Valley
City of Burnsville
City of Bloomington
City of Eagan
Eureka Township
City of Farmington
City of Lakeville
City of Richfield
City of Rosemount
Regional and Local Agencies
Dakota County Community Development Authority
SmartLink Transit (Scott and Carver County)
Community Action Partnership of Scott, Carver and Dakota Counties
Dakota County Soil & Water Conservation District
Metropolitan Council
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization
Center for Urban and Regional Affairs
Counties Transit Improvement Board
State and Federal Agencies/Organizations
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Transit Authority
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Minnesota Zoo
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Business, Church and Non-profit Organizations
Dakota County Chamber of Commerce
Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce
Burnsville Chamber of Commerce
Council of Churches
Independent School District #196 and #191
Lakeville Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitor's Bureau
Lakeville Lakeside Lions Club
Lakeville Rotary Club
Minneapolis Regional (Bloomington) Chamber of Commerce
Partners in Higher Education
La Asamblea
Lincoln Place Residents
Cortland Square Residents
Low-income housing developments in the corridor
Senior housing developments in the corridor
Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing
Blue Cross Blue Shield
McKnight Foundation
All Parks Alliance for Change
Corridor mobile home community organizations
Simon Properties (Twin Cities Premium Outlets)
Mall of America
The General Public
Public Outreach Strategies
A combination of different public outreach strategies will be used to communicate with
stakeholders during the IPU process. The driving force behind the design of the public outreach
strategies for the IPU is to build on existing professional, business and social networks. The
consultant team’s past project experience has shown that outreach efforts are most successful
when they build off an existing foundation – such as an established agency twitter feed or a
scheduled monthly meeting for a business organization.
This section describes each of the expected public outreach strategies. These strategies may
be adjusted or modified as the IPU progresses.
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Electronic Communications
Project Website An IPU website will be maintained at www.metrocouncil.org/RedLinePlanning. Content for the
page will be prepared by the consultant team and the site will be maintained by Metropolitan
Council. The website will include at least the following content:
Corridor history and status
IPU purpose
Project maps and documents
Frequently asked questions
Notices for upcoming meetings
Graphics and text summarizing the project goals, technical work, and project
recommendations
Contact information
Mindmixer
Mindmixer is an online engagement tool that gives community members an easy-to-use online
space for collaborative conversation. Mindmixer includes software functionalities that can be
used to engage participants at home as well as at public events. The Mindmixer website will be
used to host one virtual public meeting. A link to the Mindmixer site will be maintained and
promoted on the IPU’s overall project website. More detail regarding the virtual open house is
discussed in the ‘Public Open Houses’ section.
Social Media Many of the key stakeholders involved in the IPU maintain popular Facebook and Twitter
accounts. The consultant team will work the communications staff from these organizations and
communities to publicize project milestones, public meetings, and other opportunities to
comment on the project. The consultant team will work with the following organizations, as well
as any other interested stakeholders, to ensure the project is promoted via these existing social
networks:
Dakota County
Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce
MVTA
Metro Transit
Metropolitan Council
City of Apple Valley
City of Bloomington
City of Burnsville
City of Egan
City of Lakeville
City of Farmington
Hennepin County
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Project Email Updates An email database of interested stakeholders will be compiled and maintained for the duration
of the IPU process. This will include all project advisory group members, all identified
stakeholder organizations, all individuals that sign-up for the list either at public meetings or via
the project website, and any other organizations, media outlets and individuals that wish to be
on the list. This email distribution list will be used to announce public meetings and to provide
periodic project updates. The project also has an e-mail address, XXXXXXXX, where the public
can submit questions and comments about the project.
Print Communications
Project Factsheets Project factsheets will be prepared throughout the IPU process. Project factsheets will
summarize key themes and technical findings in plain language for the general public.
Factsheets will be posted on the project website, distributed at local meetings and local events,
sent to the email distribution list, and made available to project advisory group members for use
through their own organizations and venues. Up to three project factsheets will be developed
during the project.
Newsletters Project newsletters will be prepared throughout the IPU process. Similar to the project
factsheets, the newsletters will summarize the project’s technical information and key findings in
plain language and will be distributed to the public; however, the newsletters will include more
information. Up to two newsletters will be developed during the project.
Public Open Houses
Traditional Open House Traditional public open houses will be held at key decision points in the IPU process. It is
anticipated that there will be two rounds of public open houses during the project. The open
houses will be held at locations within the study corridor. The consultant team will complete all
preparation for meetings including announcements, agendas, information packets, presentation
exhibits, electronic presentations (for example, PowerPoint), wayfinding signs, and public
meeting summaries. Invitations to open houses will be mailed to residents and businesses one-
half mile east and west of Cedar Avenue from CSAH 70 to the Mall of America. The invitations
will include statements in Spanish (and potentially Vietnamese and Somali) to notify residents
who would like interpreters to contact project staff to ensure they are available at meetings.
It is anticipated at this time that the public open houses will include a series of display boards
(designed to be understandable as a self-guided tour) and may include a PowerPoint
presentation. Meetings will be held on a weekday in the early evening to encourage people to
stop by on their way home from work. Staff will be on hand to walk participants through the
display boards and to answer questions.
Comment [LH1]: The project email address is still in progress
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All public open house participants will be asked to sign-in and to provide contact information, so
they can be added to the stakeholder email list. Interactive and participatory methods will be
used to gather public feedback at the open houses. For example, participants may be given
opportunities to recommend specific station locations, to participate in map exercises that help
to identify corridor problems and opportunities, to state priorities through “dot” exercises, and to
make notes on boards and/or corridor maps. Small group interactive discussions may be held at
some meetings to address key issues or concerns. Throughout the IPU process, an effort will be
made to keep all public outreach as interactive as possible. In addition, a short (one-page)
survey may be provided at one or more of the open houses to further encourage public input
and to get additional feedback on specific issues, alternatives and/or priorities. Comment cards
will also be provided, so participants can leave open ended feedback.
Virtual Open House The purpose of the virtual open house is to attract interested stakeholders who may not have
time or feel comfortable attending a traditional public open house. There are multiple formats for
holding a virtual open house. For example, virtual open houses can be held via webinar or
online chat software. This gives participants the ability to view/listen to a presentation and then
ask questions that can be answered in real time. Also, interactive website technology like
Mindmixer can be used to hold an “open house” throughout the course of the project. For
example, questions at an in-person meeting can be posted on the Mindmixer website giving
stakeholders a longer period of opportunity to provide feedback.
The project team will work together to determine what mix of technology will be used to hold a
virtual open house for the project. The virtual open house technology will be publicized via
social media and the project’s email list. The consultant team will prepare all online meeting
materials and facilitate discussion during the virtual open house if a webinar format is selected.
Public Open House Summaries A summary of written comments, survey results, and attendance will be prepared for each
public open house. These documents are typically 10-15 pages in length, depending on the
number of written comments received at the open houses.
Other Agency Meetings/Events As directed by DCRRA, the consultant team will participate in up to 20 other meetings. These
agency meetings may include DCRRA, MVTA, Metropolitan Council, and city council meetings
in the affected communities. They also may include meetings to reach out to neighborhood and
business organizations, advocacy groups, and to population groups that are typically under-
represented in public processes and projects. These meetings may take the form of
presentations to established groups or they may be informal discussions or one-on-one
meetings. The consultant team will proactively identify opportunities for these meetings,
particularly with under-represented populations.
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Press Releases/Media Relations Press releases will be used to give notice of public meetings and to report on project progress.
All press releases will be released by the Dakota County communications department. The
consultant team will coordinate press releases with the following community newspapers and
organizations:
Star Tribune
Pioneer Press
Sun Thisweek (covers local news in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Lakeville
and Rosemount)
Sun Current (covers local news in Bloomington)
Dakota County Tribune
Farmington Independent
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
Rosemount Town Pages
Additionally, selected radio stations and local cable television access channels will be contacted
to promote public meetings and opportunity for public comment.
Targeted outreach to under-represented populations
A special effort will be made to identify people in the corridor that are often under-represented in
public processes including people with disabilities, people who do not speak English or speak
English as a second language, ethnic minority groups and organizations, immigrant groups,
elderly individuals, etc. A review of 2010 Census data in the corridor revealed concentrations of
minority populations near several existing and potential future METRO Red Line station
locations. A significant proportion of the identified populations identify as Hispanic. Also, a
review of past work done in the project area identified several groups who represent these
communities including:
La Asamblea: A group representing the Latino community
Lincoln Place Residents: A transitional housing community for young adults
Cortland Square Residents: A senior living community
Strategies will be identified to reach out directly to these individuals and groups to more fully
engage them in the IPU process. Early in the process, an outreach effort will be made to social
service organizations, churches, and established ethnic organizations in the METRO Red Line
study corridor to establish contacts and discuss effective communications strategies. This
information will be used to further identify and refine strategies that will be used to reach
identified population groups:
Strategies that will be used to reach under-served populations include:
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Provide meeting notices in non-English language publications (at least Spanish
and possibly Somali and Vietnamese)
Ensure that news releases reach non-English language media outlets (print,
radio, television)
Translate meeting notices and project information
Provide interpretation services and/or staff that are bi-lingual at public meetings
(at least Spanish and possibly Somali and Vietnamese if requested)
Attend meetings of established organizations or established events that serve
specific cultural/ethnic groups or business communities
Responding to Public Comments
The consultant team will work with the IPU Management Team to ensure all public questions
and comments regarding the IPU receive responses in a timely manner. The type of response
given by the IPU Management Team will vary depending on how the comment was received.
Some responses can be responded to with a quick email while others may require a formal
letter or a one-on-one meeting with a stakeholder. Furthermore, suggestions or input gathered
through surveys or public open houses may be responded to by tweaking or reconsidering
potential transit service improvement strategies. The consultant team will maintain a document
to track any comments received and will document how the IPU Management Team responded
to the comment.
Schedule
The schedule in Figure 3 represents the tentative proposed work schedule and the approximate
timeline for IPU Management Team, TAC, Steering Committee meetings, Policy Workshops,
and public meetings.
Figure 3: METRO Red Line Implementation Plan Proposed Work Schedule
