Volusia County has a diverse population of almost 500,000 residents. With five institutions of higher education, there is an engaged and youthful population as well as a significant number of senior citizens. A successful outreach program will include activities that involve representatives from all walk's of our community – from business leaders to retirees, urbanites and rural farmers.

Public outreach efforts include a need to both educate and solicit input from various members of the public.  Since these efforts target people with various levels of education, interest, background, goals and desires, socio-economic status and available time, more than one strategy is being employed.

1. Make Your Mark in 2035

Make Your Mark in 2035 is an interactive planning activity that reinforces the concepts of long range planning, limited financial resources, compromising, negotiation and building consensus. Preparation for the planning activity involves a brief presentation about transportation funding, project costs, transportation networks and planning strategies and impacted populations. Participants are gathered into groups and provided with a map of the county and a limited amount of funding for projects. The group must select the projects that they would like to be built with the available funding. The Make Your Mark activity requires participants to reach consensus regarding transportation projects and enlightens them on funding decisions that elected officials are faced with every budget cycle. Make Your Mark acts to break down social and economic barriers and encourages cooperation and collaboration among its participants.

2. Survey / Interview

Survey #2 - Please share your thoughts with us by taking a short survey. The responses you provide will influence the future of transportation in our community.

3. Internet - Website

The Internet continues to provide greater opportunity to reach a broad audience with informative, interactive experiences that can achieve the goals of informing as well as collecting input from citizens.  This site along with links to other planning sites provides a broad range of information to assist in making informed decisions regarding the future of our community.

4. Brochure / Newsletter

A brochure or handout is being developed to notify the public that the Volusia TPO is engaged in a public outreach effort to seek input in developing the 2035 LRTP. The brochure will include information about the TPO, long range planning, transportation and land-use, the Make Your Mark activity, survey and website.  In addition, we anticipate developing two newsletters for distribution to the general public.