5/27/2011
ITD debuts online meeting forum in early June to improve public's access to information
BOISE - In the first online public meeting offered by the Idaho Transportation Department, residents will be able to conveniently learn about improvements to Eagle Road and ask questions in a format that fits their schedules.
The online public meeting is part of a transportation department strategy to use new technology to share information. The department is using Facebook, Twitter, Constant Contact e-mails and traditional webpages to provide construction updates and promote highway safety, among other topics.
"Increasingly, people are getting news and information in a format that meets their schedules and needs," said Jeff Stratten, public information officer for the department. "Offering this meeting online allows them to conveniently learn about the project when they have time, as opposed to having one opportunity to attend a meeting."
The department will consider using online meetings for other projects after evaluating how well it worked. It will assess comments from those who attended a question-and-answer session, the ease of the registration process and navigation, and the number of attendees who can participate in a meeting.
The online meeting will be in addition to a traditional open house being held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 2, at the Boise First Community Center on Eagle Road.
People can sign up to participate in a live question-and-answer session with Wade Christiansen, who is the project manager for the Eagle Road improvements. Registration is required to participate in the online meetings. To register, go to:
http://www.itd.idaho.gov/Projects/d3/eagle-road-improvement
The registration links are toward the bottom of the page.
There will be four online question-and-answer sessions:
Monday, June 6: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday, June 7: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
In addition to asking Christiansen questions, people will be able to watch a video explaining proposed improvements to Eagle Road, view the display boards that will be at the traditional meeting and view maps that also will be at the June 2 meeting. The display boards and maps will be accompanied by verbal descriptions. The online meeting page, located at www.itd.idaho.gov/projects/d3/eagle-road-improvement/meeting/, will be live on Friday, June 3.
The proposed improvements include repaving the roadway, building raised medians and repairing pedestrian ramps that do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Public comments will help the department finalize the plans.
Other departments of transportation are using online public meetings. Among them are Missouri, Florida, Utah and Minnesota.
The Missouri department started offering online meetings in 2008. That year, 962 people participated in them. In 2009, there were 11,301 participants. The number more than doubled in 2010, to 26,387.
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