Transportation
OTIA III Oregon Bridge Delivery ProgramOregon Statewide
Client: Oregon Department of Transportation
Enacted by the 2003 Oregon Legislature, the third Oregon Transportation Investment Act allocates $1.3 billion to repair or replace hundreds of aging state highway bridges. The program, the largest in ODOT’s modern history, will span 10 years and has dual goals of addressing the state’s aging and deteriorating bridges and providing economic stimulus through employment and training. JLA provided overall management of public involvement and information activities and established protocols and standards to guide contractor work throughout the multi-stage program. JLA developed contract language, templates, and a tracking and reporting system for public involvement activities. OTIA III essentially triples the amount of ODOT construction work being conducted in each region of the state. As each “bundle” of bridges moves into construction, JLA is conducting public outreach and notification to ensure that the traveling public is well-informed and delays are kept to a minimum.
Sterling Highway Milepost 45-60 Supplemental EISKenai Peninsula, Alaska
Client: Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
JLA was brought in to help resolve a decades-long dispute over potential improvements to a section of Alaska’s scenic Sterling Highway south of Anchorage. We implemented a public involvement program to gather stakeholder input for the selection of a preferred alternative that would improve safety and traffic flow on a 15-mile stretch of the corridor. JLA helped form an Agency Coordinating Committee, consisting of several local decision-making agencies, and a Stakeholder Sounding Board forum which provided stakeholders an opportunity to constructively share their ideas and concerns regarding the highway’s future. The issues addressed along Sterling Highway included improving traffic flow and safety along sharp turns, reducing seasonal tourist traffic backups, and addressing environmental constrictions such as the Kenai River, sensitive wildlife habitat and Native lands.
Sellwood Bridge EISMultnomah County, Oregon
Clients: Multnomah County
JLA provided strategy and public involvement management to develop a locally-supported preferred alternative to rehabilitate or repair a key Willamette River crossing in southeast Portland. This project has experienced intense community interest. Key issues included funding, bike/pedestrian interests and balancing neighborhood livability with commuter mobility and capacity. Public involvement program included stakeholder interviews, media relations, public open houses and hearings, project website, online polling and public information design and distribution.
The project’s interactive "Build Your Own Bridge" program was nationally recognized in 2007 by the Transportation Research Board for its innovative and interactive means of communicating technical information to the general public. JLA produced outreach materials including a neighborhood-based newsletter, community banner and project website generating widespread public awareness and project support.
Wilsonville to Beaverton Commuter Rail StudyWashington County, Oregon
Client: Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation
JLA designed the public involvement strategy to explore alternatives for providing commuter transit service from Wilsonville to Beaverton in this environmental assessment study. The fast-track process included two series of public gatherings and a variety of other outreach tools that successfully increased public awareness, identified broad consensus, and provided substantive and productive public input to the refinement, evaluation and selection of options. The project resulted in the decision to establish passenger rail service from Wilsonville to Beaverton on a 14.7-mile dedicated corridor. This will be one of the few suburb-to-suburb commuter rail lines in the country.