The project is currently in the alternatives development and screening phase. This phase of the project is described below.

What does alternatives development mean?

The alternatives development phase is a time when ideas gathered from the community, ODOT and ideas coming out of the US 97 and US 20 Refinement Plan are considered. ODOT engineers and transportation analysts study the alternatives and refine them to avoid duplicate ideas and to ensure the ideas are feasible from an engineering and traffic operations standpoint. The result is a preliminary range of alternatives, including a do nothing option (No Build Alternative) that can move into the alternatives screening phase.

How does ODOT get input from the public during the alternatives development phase?

The alternatives development phase is an important time to share your ideas. ODOT has also incorporated comments received during the public scoping period into the alternatives development phase. In addition, ODOT is holding focus group meetings with various community stakeholders to ensure all possible alternatives are identified. ODOT has met or will meet with the following stakeholders:

• Emergency Service Providers
• Area Mobile Home Parks
• Boyd Acres Neighborhood Association
• Hunnell United Neighbors
• Nels Anderson Area Businesses
• Robal Road and Cooley Road Area Retail Businesses
• Empire Avenue Area Businesses
• Clausen Drive Businesses

If you would like ODOT to come talk with your community group, please contact the project management team at info@US97Solutions.org.

Review a summary of focus groups that have been held to date.139 kb

You can find meeting notes from all focus groups held to date in the Document Library under Alternatives Screening and Development.

What does alternatives screening mean?

During the alternatives screening phase (now to summer 2008), the preliminary range of alternatives (or transportation solutions) including a do nothing option (No Build Alternative) will be compared against screening criteria. The goal is to narrow down the preliminary range alternatives to a smaller set that are the most promising solutions for the project. The smaller set of most promising alternatives, including the No Build Alternative, will undergo detailed study in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

The screening criteria include the project’s purpose and need, as well as the project’s goals and objectives.219 kb

ODOT has conducted extensive public outreach to ensure that the project’s purpose and need, goals and objectives reflect community concerns and the transportation needs for the project. Alternatives are first screened against the purpose and need for the project. Alternatives that do not meet the project’s purpose and need will be withdrawn from further study. Alternatives that do meet the project’s purpose and need will be forwarded to the next step in the alternatives screening process. Maps of the alternatives forwarded to the next step are posted on the right side of this web page and in the website document library. They will also be posted at the next public open house.

Alternatives that did meet the project’s purpose and need are then compared to the project’s goals and objectives to see how well the alternatives perform against the goals and objectives. Some of the goals and objectives consider impacts to the environment and community. Therefore, during this time environmental fieldwork will be completed to verify existing environmental conditions in the study area. ODOT will complete a screening matrix to show how each alternative performed against the purpose and need and goals and objectives. Based on the results, ODOT has summarized the Top Three Advantages & Challenges 35 kb
for each alternative.

How does ODOT get input from the public during the alternatives screening phase?

ODOT values your input on this project. ODOT will continue to gather input from the public on the alternatives through public open houses, online surveys (when available), focus groups, and comments submitted through this website. You may also contact ODOT directly by email or phone to submit comments.