Successful transport decision-making - Osmose

Overcoming barriers
Communication
Public opinion on the project was divided.
In the end, a significant number of residents
supported the chosen solution.
There was only one realistic solution, so it was not
possible to present the residents with a choice.
Even though there was only one solution, using the
opinion poll to demonstrate that the option had public
support was important in helping to gain the
necessary official approval for the scheme.
Management
There were technical problems with the level of
understanding of traffic movements associated with
the project.
The political willingness to complete the project
helped solutions for technical and other problems to
be found.
Legal
The laws regarding the Environmental Impact
Assessment were interpreted in different ways.
Communication with the Ministry of the Environment
helped to clarify the regulations.
Managing resources: costs
The plans to build a section of ring road through a busy district of Brno
were approved in the 1990s. The City of Brno needed to find funds for
the €27m construction work.
Most of the costs were paid by the state through the Directorate of
Highways and Motorways of the Ministry of Transport. The City of Brno
financed only some minor aspects of the plans.
The construction of the city ring road was acknowledged to be a priority
issue for Brno, so getting the funding was easy. However, it has since
got harder for transport projects to get money from the Czech state
authorities. Most still rely on central funding, although some are given
EU money.
See also:
Institutional/financial/legal barriers
Engaging large groups
The Institute of City Development of the Municipality of Brno decided to
carry out an opinion poll to find out people's views on the new ring road
proposals. The main, though unofficial, aim was to show that most
people supported the option favoured by the authorities.
The poll was carried out in cooperation with the Municipality of Brno-
Nord in September 1991. An external consultant helped design it. The
poll was accompanied by an exhibition and public discussions.
The poll showed 60% of residents in favour of the new proposal,
therefore backing up the authorities' plans.
Experience in Brno showed:
That project leaders need to know something of public opinion on
an issue before they carry out any opinion poll. Otherwise, the
results can slow the decision process down or even cause it to fail;
and
It is important to decide who to poll - only those directly affected, or
also those indirectly affected.
Vol 1 -
Special interest groups
Two main groups of residents lobbied the authoritiesabout the
proposals to build a new stretch of ring road, and played a significant
part in the decision-making process. The views of the residents
depended on where they lived.
Supporters and opponents of the scheme organised themselves
without the help of any formal associations - such groups were only just
beginning in the Czech Republic in 1991. The larger residents' group
was in favour of the new proposals, while the smaller group opposed
them. However, the smaller one played a very active role. It was called
the Consortium of Independent Solvers, and included three engineers.
As they were able to suggest a number of alternative solutions, they
took part in developing environmental impact studies.
The City of Brno also carried out an opinion poll that showed that most
people were in favour of the new proposal. This was a great help in
pushing it forward.
See also:
Opponents
Marketing strategy
The Municipality of Brno-Nord and the local authority made great efforts
to involve the public in the plan to extend the ring road. However, the
municipality also wanted to promote the proposal as the only realistic
option.
Residents got information about the scheme from the local newspaper
and an exhibition run by the municipality. The official notice board also
displayed details.
Most residents were in favour of the option promoted by the
municipality. However, communication with opponents should have
been better: They should have been made to feel part of the project,
not enemies of it.
See also:
Engagement strategy
Communication barriers
Vol 2 -
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