Community Engagement
Our public involvement processes, your rights as a citizen, and how you can get involved.
What is the Public Participation Plan?
The Public Participation Plan is a comprehensive document developed by AAMPO staff as a guide for engaging the public in the transportation planning process. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) are legally required to have a Public Participation Plan. This plan was drafted, made available for public comment for 45 days, and adopted by AAMPO’s Transportation Policy Board. It is reviewed at least every three years and updated accordingly. Federal and state requirements can be found in the appendix of the document.
2025 Public Participation PlanPlan de Participación Pública de 2025
Guiding Principles of the Public Participation Plan
The Comprehensive, Cooperative, and Continuous (3Cs) mandated planning process for MPOs is the foundation for public participation and transportation planning. This process seeks to ensure effective and inclusive decision-making.
To effectively use this plan, the public should be aware of AAMPO’s approach to public and stakeholder participation, as well as understand the process we follow.
Throughout the transportation planning process, AAMPO aims to help the community understand their role—including what feedback is needed, how it will be used, and how it will be shared publicly. Additionally, AAMPO will inform and engage with community members who have been traditionally underserved to help them overcome barriers to public participation.
The transportation we use every day connects us to family and friends, healthcare, leisure, and essential services. Transportation affects our daily lives by determining how we get to work, school, and other important places, and how goods and services reach us. Transportation is about how we move around, which in turn affects our time, health, and overall quality of life. Public participation in transportation planning is important because it allows individuals to influence decisions that directly impact their lives.
By participating in the transportation planning process, you help ensure transportation systems are accessible, equitable, and efficient for yourself and your community. Caring about transportation planning helps shape a better future for everyone.
Not sure where to start? Below are five ways to get involved now.
- Follow @alamoareampo on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
- Sign up to receive our bi-weekly e-newsletter, AAMPO AveNEWS, here or on our website, alamoareampo.org/news.
- Sign up for our next Street Skills class by filling out this form or on our website, alamoareampo.org/streetskills.
- Attend the next Transportation Policy Board (TPB), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) or Active Transportation Advisory Committee (ATAC) meeting. Learn more details about how to attend a meeting at alamoareampo.org/committees.
- Contact us by calling (210) 227-8651, e-mailing aampo@alamoareampo.org, or writing via U.S. Postal Service or visiting us at 825 South Saint Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX 78205, to get more information or express your opinions, desires, or concerns.
Goals are set for the Public Participation Plan to establish a clear, inclusive, and effective framework that encourages community engagement, collaboration, and meaningful input in shaping transportation planning decisions.
- Engage and inform
Ensure the community is well-informed about transportation planning activities, projects, and opportunities for involvement. - Encourage participation from all community members, including traditionally underserved groups
Actively engage a diverse range of community members, with a focus on reaching and involving traditionally underserved populations. - Facilitate ongoing two-way dialogue
Create opportunities for meaningful continuous interactions with the public to foster mutual understanding and collaboration. - Collaborate with other transportation agencies
Maintain strong relationships with local, regional, and state transportation agencies to align efforts and share resources for more cohesive planning. - Continuous assessment and improvement
Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of public participation strategies and make improvements based on feedback and outcomes.
Federal transportation law states that an MPO will...
provide citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of public transportation employees, freight shippers, providers of freight transportation services, private providers of transportation, representatives of users of public transportation, representatives of users of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities, representatives of the disabled, and other interested parties with a reasonable opportunity to comment on the transportation plan.
The MPO's public participation process must also adhere to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Title VI
As a recipient of federal funding, AAMPO continues to take strides to inform and engage underserved communities. The Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance.
View AAMPO's 2025 Title VI PlanView AAMPO's Title VI Populations Map
AAMPO Title VI and Related Statutes Nondiscrimination Statement:
The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, as a recipient of federal financial assistance and under Title Vl of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes, ensures that no person shall on the grounds of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any Agency programs or activities.
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
In August 2000, Executive Order 13166 “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency” was issued directing federal agencies to:
- Publish guidance on how their recipients can provide access to LEP persons
- Improve the language accessibility of their own programs
- Break down the language barriers by implementing standards of language assistance across federal agencies and amongst all recipients of federal financial assistance
- The Executive Order covers all federal and federally assisted programs and activities.
Who must comply?
All programs and actives of entities that receive assistance from the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) must comply with Executive Order 13166. Therefore, AAMPO is required to take reasonable steps to ensure that Limited English Proficient (LEP) persons have meaningful access to programs, services and/or information provided and address the needs of the growing populations of individuals for whom English is not their primary language.
Who is a LEP person?
Persons who do not speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English may be considered Limited English Proficient (LEP). These individuals may be entitled to language assistance with respect to a particular type of service, benefit, or encounter.
Texas Public Information Act
Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, gives you the right to access government records and an officer for public information, and the officer’s agent, may not ask why they are being requested. All government information is presumed to be available to the public. Certain exceptions may apply to the disclosure of the information.
Governmental bodies shall promptly release requested information that is not confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision, or information for which an exception to disclosure has not been sought.
Rights & Responsibilities of the Public Information Act
Learn about your rights as a requestor of public information, the responsibilities of governmental bodies, and the procedures to obtain information by clicking on the link below.
Public Information ActLey de Información Pública
To request information from AAMPO, please submit your request by one of the following methods:
- By Mail/In-Person:
-
825 South Saint Mary's Street
San Antonio, TX 78205 - By E-mail:
- aampo@alamoareampo.org
- By Phone:
- (210) 227-8651
- By Fax:
- (210) 227-9321
For additional information, please visit the Texas Open Government website.