Public involvement services

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Olszak is coordinating and facilitating the five Design Advisory Teams (DATs) during final design of the PA Route 51 to I-376 segment of the Mon/Fayette Expressway. Each DAT is a composed of design professionals and community members who have been nominated by local leaders to represent broad community interests. This facilitation process is providing a forum for discussion among community stakeholder DAT members and appropriate PTC representatives or their delegates. The primary focal points are to develop a thorough understanding of community concerns and interests, develop and evaluate solutions (offer designers clearer insights into how the project can best serve the community) and compromise of opposing views when necessary. The role of the Olszak facilitators is to keep the DATs on time, on task, and productive. A structured process is being utilized to ensure that session objectives are accomplished. DAT members are encouraged to contact their facilitators between meetings with questions, ideas, concerns and information needs. Olszak's approach to DAT facilitation relies on a team of two pre-assigned facilitators working with each DAT. The facilitation team is matched to each DAT team based upon each facilitator's knowledge of the community, fit with the community and special interest in the DAT region.

As a component of the Mon/Fayette Expressway project, Olszak Management Consulting, Inc. developed and implemented a research design to evaluate the Design Advisory Team approach. The documentation and data collection efforts focused on DAT activities and spanned twenty-four months of design work. Surveys of designers, meeting facilitators, community stakeholders, and project leaders yielded strong evidence of satisfaction with both processes and outcomes. Cost savings resulting from community involvement were clearly demonstrated. Click here to download a copy of the full 268 page report.

Olszak is leading the public involvement and public relations efforts for the Allegheny County Comprehensive Plan—known as Allegheny Places. Specific responsibilities include the management and organization of the school outreach program, facilitation of the Public Participation Resource Panel, and coordination of eight public meetings scheduled for information dissemination and public input gathering. The public participation plan is designed to give ownership of the Comprehensive Plan to the people of Allegheny County. The public is being engaged through an interactive project website, targeted email blasts and surveys. Olszak is managing public involvement program data through various databases that tracks, summarizes and analyzes public input.

As part of an overall communications strategy, Olszak is managing the grassroots outreach program for Duquesne Light Company, an electricity supplier to Allegheny and Beaver counties, to educate their customers about the over $500 million investment the Company is making to upgrade its aging infrastructure. Olszak is responsible for scheduling meetings with community groups, giving the presentations, and providing follow-up as necessary.

During environmental studies, Olszak had specific responsibility for public and local officials’ meetings, contact with special interest stakeholders for the entire study area, answering inquiries and concerns from the general public and managing the project Contact Log. Olszak developed and has managed on-going the database of stakeholder contact information, which contains over 5,500 entries that have been classified by stakeholder group and serves as the foundation for all mailings and stakeholder identification efforts. Olszak has also written and designed project newsletters, fact sheets and public website. Recently, Olszak planned and managed public information sessions throughout the project area to renew public interest in the project and coordination and implementation of all activities surrounding the public hearings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Presently, Olszak is assisting in the preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Study for the Pennsylvania Project.

Olszak is supporting the development of the long-range transportation plan for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Olszak is responsible for conducting outreach to the diverse stakeholders of western Pennsylvania during the public involvement phases of the project. Specifically, Olszak organized, managed, and facilitated regional focus groups among various general public stakeholder groups, including young adults, environmental interests, bicyclists, the deaf/hard of hearing community, and motorcycle enthusiasts during the information gathering phase. Worked with various PennDOT district offices and regional planning agencies to identify a group of stakeholders to target and invite to various sessions being held across the state during March 2005. Managed the contacts database and confirmed over 400 individuals to participate in the various sessions. The sessions were structured to engage the diverse group of stakeholders in validating the plan’s draft vision and goals, making important choices about future transportation services priorities and trade-offs, and identifying projects of statewide significance.

Olszak is coordinating the public involvement on the purpose and need study for the Route 422 Kittanning to Indiana Improvement Project. Olszak is facilitating the exchange of information, feedback provision, and communication between the community and the project team through managing the selection and facilitation of Community Advisory Committee, County Collaborative Committee, and special interest meetings with key stakeholders (i.e. state legislators, county commissioners, planning and economic development officials, and business representatives). We are managing other community involvement activities including identifying stakeholders and managing mailing lists, website development and maintenance, public officials and public meetings, media relations, and gathering public comments.

Olszak is leading the public involvement during final design for the S.R. 30 and S.R. 981 Improvements Project located in Unity Township, the Latrobe area in Westmoreland County. Given the complexity of the project issues, public feedback is being sought through meetings with local stakeholders during project briefings, public officials’ meetings, general public meetings, meetings with individual property owners, and other special purpose meetings. Olszak is responsible for meaningfully incorporating the community into the decision making process through facilitating communication by identifying all stakeholders, updating and maintaining a project specific database, designing and maintaining an interactive website and producing one newsletter before construction.

Olszak is coordinating the public involvement on the purpose and need study for the S.R. 68: I-80 to Main Street Project in Clarion. This includes facilitating the exchange of information, feedback provision, and communication between the community and the decision makers through managing a community advisory committee, public officials’ meetings, and general public meetings. Olszak is responsible for identifying project stakeholders, developing a project specific database, designing and maintaining an interactive website and producing two newsletters during the life of the project.

Public Involvement coordinator for traffic and engineering studies for the Interstate 99 interchange with Plank Road in Altoona, including formation of a community advisory committee, facilitation of public officials’ briefings, public and special interest meetings, and development of project website and newsletter. Project includes coordination with two other consulting teams, working on adjacent roadway projects.

Olszak developed and implemented the community outreach plan for this multi-agency study investigating the need for reliable transit service for Cranberry Township in southwestern Butler County. Alternatives examined service within the community, between Cranberry and surrounding communities as well as commuter service to Pittsburgh. Public involvement activities included meeting with existing community groups, conducting public officials’ and general public meetings, newsletters and a study website. Over 800 people were engaged during the first nine months of the study.

Olszak provided meeting coordination, including Airport tenants, municipal officials and the Airport Authority, during an environmental assessment for conversion of a runway into a taxiway at Allegheny County Airport.

Assisted Parsons Brinckerhoff in the preparation of an environmental justice (EJ) plan that addresses how to incorporate EJ principles into transportation planning and programming processes of both PennDOT’s Office of Planning and Programming and its planning partners, the MPOs and RPOs. Olszak was primarily responsible for the public involvement guidance portion of the document.

Led the public involvement effort to develop and refine transit and highway solutions, linking downtown Pittsburgh and the Airport. Study partners included the Port Authority of Allegheny County, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, PENNDOT, Allegheny County, and City of Pittsburgh. Olszak coordinated over 100 meetings, reaching over 1600 people, including agencies, public officials, general public, municipal, and community groups. This fast track study was completed in less than 12 months.

Olszak worked with Gannett Fleming to assess effectiveness of pilot programs, specifically, current marketing, and public outreach and education efforts through surveys, personal interviews and on site visits. Recommended program adjustments based on public input and research results. Published a marketing toolkit for use in pilot programs, as well as expanded program areas, as applicable.