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Speak up for better transportation planning in your area!
1) Identify a potential solution
- Refine your idea.
- Look to other citizen-led transportation initiatives for inspiration.
- Explain the value of your solution. How will it help health, safety and air quality? If possible, find statistics that support your argument.
2) Contact the elected official and any related organizations
- Contact your municipal councillor. * Find out if any similar projects are underway. For general questions on transportation (funding of public transit, highway projects, etc.) communicate with your MNA. Be sure to include your name and address in the message. This obliges them to respond.
- Ask whether other citizens have made similar demands.
- If your project involves other organizations, e.g., the transit organization, submit your proposal on their website (in the complaints or comments section) or contact their customer service department (and don't forget to follow up afterwards).
- For projects or issues related to cycling, you can also send comments to Vélo Québec, which will then pass them on to the relevant officials.
3) Find allies
- Rally citizens, neighbours or colleagues who support your idea. You can also create a neighbourhood committee to tackle bigger issues.
- Do some research to see whether any environmental groups already champion your cause (e.g., CRE-Montreal, Éco-quartier).
- If it is a local project, circulate a petition. Pass it around your neighbourhood, post it in local businesses, share it with people who use the same transportation systems as you.
- You can also publish a letter or opinion piece in your neighbourhood paper to raise awareness of your project.
4) Present your proposal to the city or borough
- Find out when the council meets for your neighbourhood, city or borough. Attend the next meeting.
- Before the meeting begins, sign up for the question period, so that you can present your project.
- Prepare the points that you want to cover in advance (benefits of the project, level of community support, the proposed solutions, etc.).
- Make sure that the council responds to your request, or gives a date by which it will respond.
- Follow up on your request by maintaining a presence at your municipal or borough council. Encourage other concerned citizens to take turns attending meetings.
- If the response is slow, or if your request is refused, don't despair: find new allies and stay alert to what others are doing on this issue.
