The confluence of views from PAC members and the general public led some of the former to reconsider their positions. People who were committed to six-lane bridges, for example, accepted eight lanes as long as two lanes could be used by buses and bicycles. Subsequent steps were a mix of public participation and conflict resolution strategies. Eventually, decisions were developed and recommended by the PAC, endorsed by the general public, and accepted by the city council. Plans were revised several times throughout the process to address concerns raised by both the PAC and the general public.
Construction is now underway.
In retrospect, it is clear that the PAC process of developing recommendations required considerable persuasion and negotiation activities, in addition to the education function of the open houses and publications for the general public. Keeping the PAC membership stable and engaged, and dealing with the relationship between the PAC and the city Streets and Transportation Department and the three technical consulting groups required mediation expertise. The traditional culture of the Department hampered creativity and responsiveness in both the public participation and conflict resolution processes. All in all, in this progressive process of two different types of public consultation, the representative PAC helped the various consultants to create generally acceptable engineering, architectural, and landscaping solutions to technical issues, but was prevented from acting on the basis of narrow self-interest by the input of the general public throughout the public participation process. Acknowledgements Desmond M. Connor is a consulting sociologist with 25 years experience in public participation, mostly in Canada.