7b: Public Outreach Approach NTPAW 2009 Skills Awards 7b: Public Outreach Approach I-70 Online Public Meeting/Hearing
Issue I-70 is crumbling and congested – more than 50 years old Needs to be rebuilt and widened MoDOT wants to be ready if funding becomes available Had just 12 months to get feedback on environmental impact statement Challenge: Engaging people across a 200-mile corridor
What are we proposing?
Public Involvement Goals Help the public understand the environmental impact and how truck-only lanes fit with previous I-70 studies. Gather meaningful public input on the truck-only lanes strategy. Create sustainable support for the recommendations.
Public Involvement Activities Freight stakeholder interviews and presentations: OOIDA, Motor Carriers, Petroleum Marketers, Farm Bureau, Scenic Mo, Sierra Club, Highway Patrol … many others Two advisory groups Public meetings, April 2008 Online public meeting & listening sessions, September 2008 Public hearings, physical & online, March 2009
On-Line Public Meeting www.improvei70.org Participate any day, any time Free access via public libraries Comment and question link on each page Q&A link on each page Survey at conclusion 525 participants 87 surveys submitted
On-Line Public Hearing www.improvei70.org Participate any day, any time Free access via public libraries Comment and question link on each page Q&A link on each page 339 participants, 168 comments
10-minute Video and Simulation Click here to view Add video clip of interchange operations… More than 11,000 viewings.
What We Heard Support for separating cars and trucks Questions about need for improvements/preference for investment in rail, etc. Questions about enforcement (primarily from truckers) Support for improving I-70 quickly What happens in urban transition areas? How will we pay for it?