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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 01-16-24; 12-7 - Information Item - Memorandum Regarding Short Range Transit Plan and Transportation Multimodal Plan Kick Offs 1 ORANGE ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION SERVICES COUNTY C-AROLINA rue`�iic rnnrrsi+1e MEMORANDUM TO: Orange Board of County Commissioners FROM: Nishith Trivedi, Transportation Director DATE: January 16, 2024 SUBJECT: Plan Kick Offs ATTACHMENT: SRTP PIP Orange County Transportation Services has kicked off two local planning processes simultaneously: Short Range Transit Plan and Transportation Multimodal Plan. This memo identifies how the OUTBoard participates in the planning process. Short Range Transit Plan: Nelson/Nygaard is the firm selected for this project. They present the attached Public Involvement Plans (PIP) demonstrating their public planning process. County staff will also implement the department's PIP in collaboration with the consultant's PIP. Formal comments from the OUTBoard will be gathered during the two phases of the public engagement period: February/March and August/September. Staff will also request formal action on the plan at the conclusion of the process. Transportation Multimodal Plan County selected WSP for the project. As this project is a consolidation of all approve transportation related plans, policies and programs, public engagement is limited to one event during end of the planning process. Staff will use the department's PIP to coordinate and collaborate with the consultant to ensure maximum public outreach. Formal action from the Board of County Commissioners will be requested after the final plan is completed. Orange County Transportation welcomes comments from the public throughout the respective planning processes. Staff will compile them during the public engagement portion and submit them to the consultant for inclusion in the plans. Please forward any questions, comments or concerns to me at ntrivedi _orangecountync.gov. ORANGE SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Public Engagement Plan Draft — November 2023 NELSON NYGAARD DRAFT - Placeholder Image, awaiting photos of Orange County public transit Jl�, . + - jj �; 13 •fl' � J: • ,r _ 3 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Table of Contents Page 1 Introduction.................................................................................................................... 1-1 ProjectOverview..........................................................................................................................................1-1 Collaboration and Responsibilities.......................................................................................................1-2 2 Target Populations and Project Area Demographics................................................ 2-1 TargetPopulations......................................................................................................................................2-1 Outreach Area Demographic Profile....................................................................................................2-1 Environmental Justice Populations and Communities of Concern ..........................................2-2 Limited English Proficiency Populations.............................................................................................2-5 3 Public Engagement Plan................................................................................................ 3-1 Overview.........................................................................................................................................................3-1 EngagementGoals......................................................................................................................................3-1 Level of Public Participation....................................................................................................................3-2 OutreachMethods......................................................................................................................................3-2 DataCollection Tools.................................................................................................................................3-3 CommunicationTools................................................................................................................................3-4 Communication of Results.......................................................................................................................3-5 SuccessMeasures........................................................................................................................................3-6 Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 4 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN 1 INTRODUCTION This Public Engagement Plan (PEP) outlines the goals, tools, and timeline for public engagement activities for the Orange County Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) update. This PEP summarizes the goals, needs, and requirements for public participation; identifies project stakeholders; and outlines public participation methods, tools, communication strategies, and performance measures. PROJECT OVERVIEW The Orange County SRTP will identify gaps and opportunities for transit service in Orange County, develop and refine strategies to address these gaps, and create an implementation plan that maximizes public benefits out of limited funding. Project Purpose The Orange County SRTP will build upon the 2018 Short Range Transit Plan and the 2022 Orange County Transit Plan Update. The SRTP will be conducted in collaboration with stakeholders, transit riders, and the public, with recognition that partnerships with the regions' other transit providers are crucial to the success of transit in Orange County. Ultimately, this project seeks to ensure members of the public and other stakeholders have a clear understanding of how their input factors into plan update recommendations. Project Parameters The project team will work with the public to identify opportunities and challenges with existing transit services in Orange County. This process aims to build trust by incorporating public and stakeholder feedback into the final plan. During the engagement process the public will be able to comment on the specific route change proposals and timing of those changes. Engagement Timeline ■ Phase 1 — Needs Assessment Feedback: February through March 2024 ■ Phase 2— Plan Recommendations Review: August through September of 2024 During Phase 1, the project team will get feedback on existing service needs and concerns. The project team will also create and distribute messaging about how route and service changes support Orange Transit Plans goals and objectives. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 1-1 5 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN During Phase 2, the project team will present how Phase 1 feedback was used to develop strategies and inform potential route and service changes. The project team will also get feedback on the draft SRTP, including specific routes and service level changes, phasing of projects, and network impacts. Messaging will include how the SRTPs support the Transit Plan goals and objectives. COLLABORATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES Public Participation Partners (P3) will be the lead consultant for the community engagement activities associated with the Orange County Short Range Transit Plans. P3 will work closely with Nelson\Nygaard, the prime consultant for the overall study, to ensure engagement efforts are closely coordinated with technical activities. Within this structure, Nelson\Nygaard will primarily be responsible for setting the overall goals and desired outcomes from each of the individual engagement phases as well as preparing technical content. P3 will be responsible for designing and planning engagement activities, arranging meetings and logistics support (identifying venues, printing materials, setting up and taking down events) and staffing and facilitation of individual events. At least one staff member from P3 will be present per individual event, as dictated by the public engagement budget. P3 will schedule and arrange the details for each event and be responsible for bringing all materials. Orange County will help to facilitate contact with local partners and stakeholders to request their help in sharing information about the project. Orange County will also support by staffing events throughout the engagement process. One Orange County representative will be expected to staff each of the individual events. An Orange County SRTP Core Technical Team (CTT) will be developed to help guide the project. The CTT will meet monthly to provide input on the strategy and materials for each public engagement phase. In addition to Orange County, and consulting team staff, the CTT will include the following partners: ■ Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro (DCHC) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) ■ Burlington-Graham MPO (BGMPO) ■ Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization (TARPO) ■ North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Division 7 ■ Town of Chapel Hill ■ Town of Hillsborough ■ Town of Carrboro ■ Town of Mebane Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 1-2 6 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN 2 TARGET POPULATIONS AND PROJECT AREA DEMOGRAPHICS TARGET POPULATIONS Target populations include Orange County residents and transit riders, as well as populations and communities represented through the project CTT. Additional target populations the project aims to reach include: ■ Colleges ■ High school students ■ Residents with disabilities ■ Healthcare community ■ Affordable housing and retirement communities ■ Environmental Justice Communities of Concern The primary audience for the Orange County SRTP will be current and potential transit riders. Transit riders tend to disproportionately include historically disadvantaged populations, including individuals with low incomes, racial minorities, individuals with disabilities and non-native English-speaking individuals. OUTREACH AREA DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE The project outreach area is Orange County. According to the US Census American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2016-2020), Orange County is home to 146,354 residents. The average annualized growth from 2006 to 2020 in Orange County was 1.2 percent. This is higher than the State of North Carolina (NC), which had a 1.1 percent annual growth rate. A total of 75.2 percent of Orange County's population is White, compared to 67.6 percent in NC. African Americans make up 11.2 percent of Orange County population, compared to 21.4 percent in NC. Asian populations make up 0.5 percent of Orange County, compared to 3 percent in NC. Hispanic or Latino populations make up 8.5 percent of Orange County, compared to 9.5 percent in NC (See Table 1 - Race/Ethnicity Comparisons). In total, minority populations within the project area make up 30.6 percent of the total Orange County population, compared to 37.4 percent in NC. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 2-1 7 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Table 1 — Race/ Ethnicity Comparisons Total White Black/ American Asian Native Two . .. Population African Indian/ Hawaiian/ More Latino American Alaska Pacific Races Native Island Orange 146,354 75.2% 11.2% 0.5% 7.9% 0.0% 3.6% 8.5% County North 10,386,227 67.6% 21.4% 1.2% 3.0% 1.0% 3.6% 9.5% Carolina The median age of residents in Orange County is 35.1 years, with 14.1 percent aged 65 years or older, compared to 16.3 percent in NC. Approximately 52 percent of Orange County residents identify as female, and 48 percent identify as male. Over 8 percent (8.4) of Orange County residents are disabled, compared to 13.4 in NC. Households in Orange County have a median income of$74,803, compared to $56,642 median income in NC. Of Orange County population for whom poverty status is determined, approximately 12.4 percent of residents live below the poverty line, compared to 14 percent in North Carolina. Approximately 4.8 percent of households in Orange County report having no vehicle compared to 5.6 percent in NC. Public transportation commuters account for 7.1 percent of Orange County's residents compared to 1.0 percent in NC. A total of 7.8 percent of Orange County residents commute by walking or bicycle compared to 2.1 in North Carolina. In terms of language, 5.1 percent of residents in Orange County speak English less than very well. Spanish (2.4 percent) is the primary language of persons who speak English less than very well in Orange County. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES OF CONCERN Title VI and Environmental Justice considerations were determined by comparing Orange County DSA demographics to those of NC. Title VI and Environmental Justice populations within Orange County DSA were identified using the U.S. Census Bureau's 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Communities of Concern are defined as a particular geographic area (US Census Block) where the percentage of the population (minority, low-income, Hispanic, zero-car, limited English proficiency, or elderly) is greater than the county threshold for that same population. Minority Populations The following thresholds have been established federally for minority populations: ■ Any Block Group where 50 percent or more of the population is a minority, or "majority minority," is considered to have a notable Environmental Justice (EJ) presence. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 2-2 8 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN ■ Any Block Group with a minority population at least ten percentage points higher than the County average would also have a notable EJ presence. Minority populations include all races that are non-White and Hispanic populations that are also White. Orange County meets the federal threshold for having an EJ presence. Of the 121 Census Tract Block Groups that make up Orange County, 27 Block Groups meet the EJ threshold. The presence of minority populations in Orange County are shown in Figure 1 —Percent of Minority Populations in Orange County. Populations Living Below Poverty Level The following thresholds have been established for Poverty: ■ Any Block Group where the percentage of the population in any of the poverty categories— Below Poverty Level, Very Poor, or Near Poor—equals or exceeds 25 percent of the total population of that Block Group. ■ Any Block Group where the percentage of the population in any of the poverty categories— Below Poverty Level, Very Poor, or Near Poor— exceeds the County average by five percentage points or more. Orange County meets the federal threshold for having an EJ presence for populations living below poverty level. Of the 121 block groups that make up Orange County, 49 Block Groups were identified as exceeding the County average by five percentage points or more, indicating a notable EJ presence in those Block Groups. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 2-3 9 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Figure 1 — Percent of Minority Populations in Orange County l N (Legend 0-10 l�f 11-20 Dal-30 31-40 -41-50 - 51-60 - 61-70 7. -71-80 - 81-90 J tan � } f 0 1.75 3.5 7 Miles Orange County Short Lange Transit Plans PERCENT OF MINORITY POPULATIONS IN ORANGE COUNT'S Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 10 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Outreach Efforts for EJ Populations and Communities of Concern Orange County meets federal thresholds for EJ populations. Considerations will be made to ensure EJ populations are notified and aware of project public engagement opportunities. Outreach efforts will focus on outreach to and discussions with community partners, stakeholder groups, local organizations, and other community groups that serve senior, lower income and minority residents. Hardcopies of all information will be provided upon request to participants and distributed to community partners for those who do not have access to reliable internet. Additionally, the timing and format of outreach efforts will be held in consideration of public transit schedules and locations and childcare needs. LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY POPULATIONS Federal guidelines state that special accommodations are required if: ■ a language group that speaks English less than very well in the outreach area has 1,000 adults ■ or a language group that speaks English less than very well in the outreach area makes up 5 percent of the aggregate population (with at least 50 adults) Orange County meets the federal threshold for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) accommodations for Spanish-speaking individuals. The highest percentage of LEP individuals (2.4 percent) speak Spanish with 2,791 adults. This is followed by Asian/Pacific languages at 1.9 percent. This is compared to 4.7 percent of North Carolina residents with a primary language other than English, where 3.2 percent speak Spanish as a primary language and 0.8 percent speak an Asian/Pacific language. The presence of LEP Spanish speaking populations in Orange County are shown in Figure 2—Percent of LEP Spanish Populations in Orange County. Outreach Efforts for LEP Populations To ensure that LEP populations are proportionately represented and included in the public engagement process, all public-facing materials including informational handouts, surveys, etc., will be available in English and Spanish at an 8t"-grade reading level standard or lower. All media, particularly advertising and promotion will be provided in non-English publications as well. Public facing project materials will be translated into additional languages as requested. Meeting notices will include contact information to request language interpretation or other special accommodations. At least one meeting will be focused on Spanish-speaking residents and advertised heavily by working with community partners. Other interpretation services will be offered as necessary using County services. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 2-5 11 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Figure 2 — Percent of LEP Spanish Populations in Orange County lu Legend Sp k S pa nA Sp 0-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 �21-25 - 25-30 31-35 - 36-40 -41-45 I - 46-50 - 51-55 -� - 56-60 L.rhan 0 175 3.5 7 Miles Orange County Short Range Transit Plans PERCENT OF SPANISH SPEAKING POPULATIONS IN ORANGE COUNTY Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 12 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN 3 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN OVERVIEW Public awareness, education, and engagement are components of a successful Public Engagement Plan. Proactive and responsive public engagement efforts will be conducted throughout the Orange County Short Range Transit Plan update. Nelson\Nygaard and Public Participation Partners recommend using a combination of virtual and in-person activities, such as stakeholder meetings, popup events, and online and print surveys. ENGAGEMENT GOALS The Orange County Short Range Transit Plan development process is designed to be transparent, equitable, inclusive, and accessible. Our team recognizes the importance of public engagement as an integral part of the planning process to ensure recommendations and investments reflect and respond to community needs and interests. The engagement process will incorporate public engagement policies and guidelines including the Orange County Transportation Services Public Involvement Plan. The goal of the Orange County Short Range Transit Plan public engagement is to provide residents and stakeholders with: ■ Information about the Orange County Short Range Transit Plan, including current investment priorities ■ Opportunities to share input and take part in prioritizing and reevaluating transit service investments and identifying areas for improvements and expansion ■ A clear understanding of how their input factors into plan update recommendations The following core actions to ensure our process is effective and transparent: ■ Establish early and continuous public participation opportunities that provide timely information to all interested parties. ■ Provide multiple methods for public input to gain an understanding of the values and needs of residents. ■ Provide reasonable public access to information to enhance the public's knowledge and ability to participate in the development of the design. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 3-1 13 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN ■ Promote an open, inclusive, and transparent public involvement process by providing clear and consistent information that is easy to understand and disseminated in multiple formats based on audience needs. ■ Implement measures for seeking input from and considering the needs of those traditionally underserved by existing transportation systems as defined in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), such as low income, minority, disabled, and non-English speaking individuals. ■ Build trust by closing the loop to ensure all participants receive follow-up information about outcomes. LEVEL OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION In accordance with the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Engagement, the public's role in the engagement process for the Orange County SRTP update project is "Consult." The public, including transit riders, county stakeholders, and other county residents, will be informed of the Short-Range Transit planning process and previous planning efforts. The public will provide their ideas, concerns, and recommendations for the plan that may be incorporated into the update. Recommendations will be developed based on the feedback collected and presented to the group as a final summary to increase transparency and assist the public with understanding the impact their participation had. OUTREACH METHODS P3 and Nelson\Nygaard will develop detailed phase outreach plans to guide the engagement activities associated with each project phase. The engagement plans for each phase will include strategies and methods tailored to capture content needed to advise technical decisions. P3 will collaborate with Nelson\Nygaard to develop these plans and each plan will create a diversity of opportunities for people to provide feedback and input. Prior to developing tactical plans for each phase of engagement, the P3 and Nelson\Nygaard team will review previous engagement efforts carried out as part of previous planning processes. We will review each plan with the goal of building on the successes achieved by previous efforts. In some cases, we may replicate previous efforts or adapt strategies and tactics to meet the needs of the Orange County SRTP. Pop-Up Events Pop-up events will be held at bus stop shelters, transit stations, and other major destinations. At each pop-up event project staff will invite participants to learn more about the project and fill out surveys. Events will include translated materials and language interpretation services to ensure that the engagement is equitable to all in the county. These pop-up events will feature a table and presentation boards displaying information about the Orange County SRTP process. Flyers or handouts will be available for the public to take home with them, and those flyers will include the Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 3-2 14 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN project website and pertinent information about ongoing or upcoming engagement opportunities. Paper comment forms will be available for those that prefer to share comments on hardcopies. Polling Boards Unstaffed polling boards will be placed at bus stop shelters and transit stations to collect feedback. These standalone boards, placed in transit stations and shelters, would provide project information, and allow passersby to provide structured input on their preferences related to a question, image, or set of questions and images using stickers. Polls can take different forms and allow customization. The polling station board would include a brief overview of the project, translated handouts or FAQ sheets, a QR code linking to the project website, short polling questions, and stickers to provide a response to the polling questions. The polling station boards can be advertised via social media. Meeting in a Box A meeting in a box tool can be developed for community stakeholders to use to host and facilitate small group discussions with their community groups to educate their members on key elements of the SRTP process and to obtain input in a comfortable setting. Small Group Meetings Small group meetings can be an effective strategy, especially when ideas or changes are being previewed before being released to a wider audience. These meetings provide an opportunity for the project team to meet with stakeholders to share initial thoughts and obtain feedback from a small group of participants. With this feedback, the project team can then update plans accordingly before releasing updated plans to the public. Meetings may be structured as "focus group" style meetings where individuals are brought together to share their opinions and ideas about specific changes. Other small group meetings include making presentations to existing groups as part of scheduled activities (i.e., neighborhood planning meetings). Small group meetings may be conducted with residents of a particular area, transit riders, and/or stakeholder groups. DATA COLLECTION TOOLS In addition to engagement activities, participants will be provided with multiple options to provide input throughout the project, including web-based surveys and paper comment forms during each phase of engagement. Members of the project team can also take notes regarding participant comments which can be entered into an engagement summary report. Title VI demographic data will be collected through voluntary responses to survey questions. Online surveys will be used to collect feedback from residents, transit riders and stakeholders during each phase of engagement. The surveys will remain live for three to four weeks to allow ample time for participants to share their feedback. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 3-3 15 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Paper comment forms will be created with each web-based survey to allow those without reliable access to technology or those that prefer hard copies to participate. These paper comment forms will include the same questions as the online survey and will be translated into Spanish, and other languages by request. They will be left in frequented locations, distributed to agency, business, and organization partners, and mailed or emailed to County residents that request them to ensure that all can participate in the process. COMMUNICATION TOOLS Communications and advertisements are fundamental to a successful public engagement plan. Although some of the activities (pop-up events, polling stations) are designed to engage people as part of their everyday activities, in other cases the team will need to encourage participation through advertisements. The following strategy includes both digital and traditional engagement methods that can be used throughout the project. Project Website A new standalone project website will be developed to provide access to information and materials about the Orange County SRTP project. Project information may include project updates, announcements, educational videos and presentations, promotional videos on project milestones and upcoming events, online survey links, project area maps, links to social media, public comment and meeting summaries, the project schedule, and upcoming opportunities for public participation. Documents and information will be translated in Spanish and other languages as needed and the website will be promoted in printed and electronic materials and social media posts. Social Media and Email Nelson\Nygaard and P3 will work with Orange County partners and local municipalities to promote project activities, events, and engagement opportunities via email and social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and NextDoor. These advertisements will provide the public with project updates and opportunities for participation. The consultant team will provide a media kit of advertising content and graphics to the partners. Agency partners will post the materials on existing social media accounts and distribute them via GovDelivery email. Transit Advertisements and Materials One of the best ways to reach transit riders is by posting advertisements inside transit vehicles. Printed materials such as flyers, door hangers, posters, and brochures will be developed for display on buses and in transit stations. Advertisements and materials will be created in both English and Spanish and other languages as requested and will include a QR code or website link to complete online surveys. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 3-4 16 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Digital Ads Digital monitor ads will be developed in addition to printed materials for display on bus and station monitors. These ads will be used to advertise project surveys and will include a QR code to take the survey and a link to the project website to learn more. Digital ads can also be shared with agencies and community partners to display on lobby monitors. All ads will be created in both English and Spanish and other languages as requested. Press Releases and Community Notices Press releases can be an effective way to increase awareness of the project. The consultant team will collaborate with Orange County staff to identify the appropriate timing and need for press release. As deemed appropriate, the consultant team will develop press release content and Orange County will be responsible for distributing press release notifications to local media outlets, with a specific focus on media outlets that serve minority populations. All community notices will be posted on the department website and are issued in accordance with County Public Notice policy. Community notification will be conducted in accordance with Title VI and related county processes. Direct Stakeholder Outreach Outreach to local businesses, organizations, and groups will be conducted by the consultant team to leverage their existing communication channels and disseminate project information to Orange County residents. The list of specific stakeholders will be determined based on the targeted audiences and will be contacted regularly to be kept informed throughout the process. A script will be created for all outreach to ensure that the language is consistent throughout the process. This outreach will assist in making community connections, targeting, and reaching underrepresented populations, and broadening the reach of outreach activities. COMMUNICATION OF RESULTS The Nelson\Nygaard team will create public engagement summaries following each round of engagement. Each summary will list public outreach and engagement activities, results from public input, and an evaluation of engagement activities. This includes but is not limited to the following: ■ Public Engagement Event Summaries and Participation Numbers ■ Notification Methods ■ Underrepresented Groups and LEP Outreach Efforts ■ Public Comments Summaries will be shared with participants from each phase of engagement, including those that subscribe to project updates via email. They will also be included on the project website. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 3-5 17 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN During this process, all feedback will be collected, not solely feedback related to the SRTP. The project team will ensure that feedback collected is directed to the appropriate staff members. SUCCESS MEASURES A successful Orange County SRTP engagement process involves engaging individuals that represent Orange County's population. This means that the demographic makeup of participants in each round of engagement should mirror, or be as close as possible to, the demographic makeup of the county. P3 and Nelson\Nygaard will measure success in engaging individuals that represent Orange County through voluntary demographic survey questions. Additionally, data on participation numbers at events, communication method response numbers, analytics on online survey participation will be collected and continuously monitored to analyze the success of engagement activities. During this project, the following metrics will be used to measure success: ■ Engage 1 percent of residents within the study area (1,464 residents) through all outreach methods. ■ Match demographic representation in surveys with the study area demographics within 5% of each demographic category, including race, limited English proficiency, age, and income. Demographic Analysis Following each engagement activity, a Demographic Analysis will be conducted to review the demographics of those that participated. Additional data on participation, communication, and online analytics will be used to understand the number and type of people who participated in the event. Collected information from individual events will be combined into a summary report that compares individuals participating in the Orange County SRTP activities with Orange County's overall demographic profile. This comparison will also show the effectiveness of communications and outreach approaches in reaching a substantial proportion of the population. These comparisons and data will be used to draft recommendations for outreach in future project phases to encourage participation and gather feedback from a more representative proportion of the project area population. The team will collect data on how the participant heard about the opportunity through questions asking about communication methods (for example: "How did you hear about this opportunity?"). These questions will also be voluntary responses, but the data collected will assist the project team with determining what methods of engagement and communication are working and which are less effective. These evaluations of success will be conducted after each phase of engagement to ensure that project engagement goals are being met and the process stays on course. Success measures allow for an adaptation of engagement approaches as needed to ensure those that are underrepresented Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 3-6 18 ORANGE COUNTY Public Engagement Plan SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN in one phase of engagement have opportunities to become informed and involved in future phases of the project. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 3-7