WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
With such a wide range of capabilities and techniques possible, visualization provides the design
team (i.e., transportation staff, advisory groups, community leaders, and environmental resource
agencies) with a valuable resource. The design team can review the visualization to ensure that
they are in consensus with the improvement as planned. This is a valuable check in determining
if the proposed improvement the design team anticipated is what is being provided.
Once consensus has been reached, the information can be shared with the public to convey, in an
understandable way, what the improvement alternative entails. A typical public involvement
workshop is shown in Figure 11. Consensus for the project can be sought and obtained, and the
proposed improvement can proceed through design to construction. Visualization can
contribute to significant time savings throughout this process.
Visualizations that are accepted by project stakeholders, the public, and those living and working
adjacent to the project can also be effective in conveying the design intent to potential bidders as
well as to the construction contractor. These individuals often do not participate in the project
development process.