Results from a statewide survey on current public involvement practices of Florida’s metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are described. Of Florida’s 26 MPOs, 25 responded to the six-page electronic survey. Overall, the most commonly used techniques were newsletters and pub- lic meetings, followed closely by brochures, individual and small-group briefings, and newspaper advertisements in general circulation publica- tions. Although public meetings and hearings were widely used, many MPOs identified them as their least-effective public involvement tech- nique and emphasized the importance of “going to the public, rather than asking people to come to you.” Most respondents indicated that they would rate the public’s response to their public involvement process as favorable or better, but nearly as many said that they would rate the pub- lic’s response to their process as fair. Florida MPOs believed that the greatest challenges they face in the public involvement process include poor attendance at meetings (60%), lack of adequate resources (i.e., staff or funding) (56%), lack of public understanding of the transportation planning process (48%), and difficulty involving people in the early planning process (44%). Despite such challenges, MPOs responding to the survey acknowledged the benefits of an effective public involvement process, including improved relationships with affected citizens and inter- ested parties (76%), improved public understanding of the transportation planning process (72%), improved public trust–credibility of the agency (60%), better projects–more effective transportation solutions (44%), and fewer adverse impacts on the community or the environment (44%). Public involvement has long been a staple of the transportation decision-making processes of metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and state transportation agencies. In the late 1960s, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was one of many state transportation agencies that began providing more opportunities for public input in transportation decisions—primarily in response to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and a growing emphasis in federal and state law to consider the effects of transportation actions on the human environment. During the 1980s and 1990s, the process evolved to include pub- lic participation in the development of the state transportation plan and in the annual work program process. In 1993, FHWA and FTA jointly issued regulations (23 C.F.R., Part 450) that guided the development of statewide and metropolitan plans and programs and included significant public participation requirements. A number of other federal rules and regulations required public access to the transportation decision-making process, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, various state statutes required the opportunity for pub- lic comment during the transportation project development process and other transportation-related decision-making processes. Today, Florida’s new efficient transportation decision making (ETDM) initiative places increased emphasis on public involvement in the transportation decision-making process, from planning to construction and all phases in between. The process also requires MPOs to conduct a preliminary screening evaluation of the potential community impacts of transportation plans earlier in the long-range transportation planning process—an effort that typically requires some level of public involvement. Although public involvement is now a routine part of transporta- tion planning and project development, the current state of the prac- tice is not well documented. In Florida, public involvement is carried out by FDOT district offices and MPOs on the basis of each agency’s own internal guidelines by using a variety of techniques adapted to local conditions and project requirements. General guid- ance and some training are provided by the FDOT Central Office. However, more information is needed on the current state of the prac- tice in Florida, as well as on issues faced by transportation agencies when attempting to involve the public and ongoing training needs of transportation agencies. To fill this information gap, FDOT provided a grant to the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive assessment of current public involvement practices and processes in Florida. The assessment addressed public involvement practices at all phases of transportation decision making and included MPOs, the FDOT Central Office, and FDOT district offices—including each func- tional area within the district and its role in public involvement. This paper addresses results of the statewide survey on the current pub- lic involvement practices of Florida’s 26 MPOs as well as issues in current practice and lessons learned. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the study were as follows: • Determine current public involvement practices of Florida’s 26 MPOs during all phases of transportation decision making, • Identify MPO public involvement best practices and lessons learned, and • Identify ongoing challenges and training needs at the MPO level. Public Involvement Practices and Perspectives of Florida’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations Christina Hopes, Jeff Kramer, and Kristine Williams College of Engineering, Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CUT100, Tampa, FL 33620-5375. 100 Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1981, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2006, pp. 100–108.