"FROM VISION TO REALITY VIA PUBLIC CONSULTATION" - THE DUBLIN TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE

The Dublin Transportation Initiative is Europe's most advanced study for establishing regional transport policy. In addition to developing a twenty year transport strategy for Dublin and its surrounding area the study has derived a 1994 to 1997 Investment and Implementation Programme which forms the basis for Ireland's submission to the European Community for funding under the Operational Programme for Peripherality. The Dublin Transportation Initiative differs from conventional transport studies in two ways. Firstly, the Dublin Transportation Initiative is establishing a framework for an ongoing transportation planning process in the region and secondly, innovative and widespread public consultation is being used to both develop a consensus of support for the strategy and allow the strategy to be responsive to the public's aspirations. These two aspects are discussed in this paper. Special attention is given to the consultation programme, including the novel approaches to using the local media. For the covering abstract see IRRD 863439.