In the United States transportation planners and decision-makers are progressively turning to local taxes to finance transportation improvements. These measures, such as an increase in the sales tax or gas tax, offer the opportunity to pay for critical projects which might not be afforded otherwise. Typically the tax increases are proposed as ballot initiatives and require voter approval. Unfortunately, the public does not always agree with the projects that have been chosen for the proposals. Experience has shown that success at the ballot is more likely when there is ample public participation when deciding which taxes should be increased and which project(s) should receive the funding. The traditional approach to public participation is the "town hall meeting." This dissertation introduces an innovative approach that uses today's information and communication technologies to involve a greater number of people. In the approach, an optimization tool is used to help the participants analyze the decision; and online discussion tools are used to help them deliberate over the issues. These tools are presented in the context of a case study in which members of the public were invited to analyze and discuss a transportation investment decision for the Seattle, Washington metropolitan area. The case study occurred over the Internet for a 31 day period and involved 133 participants.
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