It can be used to obtain information and to give opinions. Telephones have long been used for community involvement. However, innovations are available for expanding telephone use. Telephone techniques are basically interactive. The telephone is used to initiate a conversation or a query, and a response of some kind is made to advance the action.
Responses can vary from pre-recorded messages to staff responses on specific topics.
For example, a toll-free hotline number was provided for public information during the Washington, D.C., Bypass Study, which covered an area of 6,600 square miles in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Telephone techniques reach out to a broad variety of people who might not otherwise participate in transportation processes, including people with disabilities. They are used in community surveys to reach a statistically viable sample of the general population. When combined with television, telephone techniques potentially open a new audiencefor public involvement. Agency use of telephones can cover many topics.