How important is it for a neighborhood or the larger community to embrace a proposed bike-walk project and how do we best engage the public? If I live on a street with a proposed project, do I have the right to object to the placement of an important city-wide bicycle connection? Do I have the right to deny the construction of a sidewalk across my property? As the implementation of BWTC projects hits high gear these questions are being played out across the grant area.

The process of bringing a new project to completion is no small feat. It includes notifying the public; conveying policies, timelines, safety standards, and design options; and facilitating productive interaction in a sometimes emotionally-charged atmosphere. In Minneapolis, for approximately twenty projects underway, Public Work staff and consultants estimate spending 160 to 320 hours of prep time to host 10-12 public meetings, 30-40 neighborhood organization meetings and 4 bicycle working group tours, and to process 250-400 comments received online and by phone. To date.

Today -- a few thoughts along the learning curve of public engagement.

• Clear Vision from Leadership
The critical piece in a good public process is political and professional leadership unified behind a common vision of the importance of the project to the whole community. This is established in city council meetings, city departmental meetings, and through civic engagement at a higher level (comprehensive planning, budgeting, neighborhood planning).The primary question is, "Does this project fit in our city goals and priorities?"

• Clear Question to the Public
Once vision and leadership are clear, Public Works staff can invite citizens to engage in a joint problem-solving mission: "Help us make this the best project possible." In the public meetings I have attended, the neighborhood and user perspectives have opened up new layers of information: "Most cyclists use a cut-through to avoid that dangerous intersection." "A safer crossing will be critical with the new daycare center on the corner." "Most of the parking issues are with absentee landlords." "Excessive speeding is worst west of the park."

• The Hard Work of Social Change
For many, the driving force (pun intended) is that streets are for cars. As we move toward a "Complete Streets" perspective, we are recognizing the variety of road users and their needs. Many who attend public meetings come to express strong viewpoints ranging from, "We need more bicycle projects" or "This road is impossible to cross" to "Why are we spending money on this?" It's important to take all feedback, but also keep the energy focused on design issues. Change inevitably causes some controversy - the hard work of social change is recognizing when, where and how to bring about that change in a meaningful way for all road users. Some of the messages at public meetings take program staff as well as engineers back to the drawing board.

• Taking a Pulse
More than once I have heard resistance: "These projects will only be used for a few months of the year." So we must convey loud and clear that our work is about creating a safe, accessible transportation network for all users, all year, to all destinations. Hence, we have begun much stronger messaging and professional development around year-round bicycling and walking transportation.