Excellence in Transportation Award:
Public Participation
Winner: District 2 Corridor Studies

Participants:
 RBCI
ITD District 2
KMP Planning
Kay Lynn Brown (RBCI)
Kate Nice (RBCI)
Rosemary B. Curtain (RBCI)
Ken Helm (ITD District 2)
Mike Pepper (KMP Planning)

The District 2 Corridor Studies are a candidate for the Excellence in Transportation Award because of the seamless, district-wide approach to public involvement.

District 2 leadership envisioned a district-wide corridor planning effort that would result in potential projects for every ITD-managed highway for the next 10 years. The district encompasses five Idaho counties and 17 state and U.S. highways. It includes both urban areas (i.e., Moscow and Lewiston) and rural, unincorporated cities with very few residents (i.e., Headquarters and Bovill). A seamless and comprehensive public involvement effort was essential for meeting the diverse needs of the district.

The project was accomplished in 16 months and involved all 39 cities and five counties in the district. It resulted in district-wide support and awareness of the corridor plan. Much of the success can be attributed to the excellent coordination between multiple engineering firms and public involvement firms, and the commitment to involving the public at every stage of the study.

This award application describes the creative strategy behind the successful public involvement effort:

  • A corridor map, logo and color scheme that helped local residents and agencies visually identify the studies and meetings in their areas.
  • Online surveys, in-person meetings and maintenance interviews that allowed stakeholders to participate in many ways.
  • A district-wide database that included contacts from every city, county and state organization.
  • An innovative and integrated approach to public meetings.
  • Involvement of local media in the planning process.

Public Participation | District 2 Corridor Studies Page 1 of 5
2. Visual Displays: Describe the usage and incorporation of creative, new or original visual displays into the project’s public outreach efforts.
The District 2 corridor plans were divided among five studies: U.S. 95 (north), U.S. 95 (south), U.S. 12, Idaho 8 and Low Volume/Narrow Roadways. (The Low Volume study included 14 state highways in the district.) ITD used visual displays to show the relationship between the five studies and help people identify the studies in their area. For example, an Orofino resident would need information about the U.S. 12 study and the Low Volume study.

The creative visual displays included:

  • A study logo and color scheme that tied all five studies together. Each study was identified with its own color. The study logo appeared on all communication materials.
  • A corridor map that showed all highways in the study. The highways were color-coded and easy to identify. The corridor map appeared in all communication materials and on the website.
  • Brochures, newsletters and display boards. Open house locations were also color-coded to help people identify studies and meetings in their areas.

Published 5-6-2011