I49-Connector Project: Community Involvement

DESIGN FOR I-49 CONNECTOR MOVING FORWARD

In response to public input and concerns expressed during the June and July Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) committee meetings, the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have requested that the design team further study the space separating the two major bridge structures proposed within the core area of the project. The information gained as a result of the bridge structure separation study may have an impact on the design components and activities that have been discussed during the CSS committee meetings and work groups.

When the study is completed, public feedback on the impacts analysis will be documented and incorporated into the final round of CSS meetings (expected to take place in spring/early summer 2008) and the project’s CSS Design Report. The results of the analysis and all public input will be used to determine the width separating the bridge structures that will be used in the development of both preliminary plans and in establishing the required right-of-way for the project.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD) have established an
extensive community involvement program for the I-49 Connector project.
Public input is a vital part of the design and mitigation development process.
The public is invited to participate in the development of the project by contacting
the project team with suggestions/questions regarding the project through
this website. (Contact Us) Currently there are three work group/committees
in place that are tasked with developing Context Sensitive Solution (CSS)
guidelines throughout the I-49 Connector corridor.

WORK GROUP/COMMITTEES:

Three work groups/committees are scheduled to meet once a month over a five month period in order to discuss and reach consensus on the CSS Design Guideline Report.

(1) Community Work Group
This working group is composed of citizens of the Lafayette community
interested in and affected by the project, such as city officials, neighborhood
leaders, business owners, and residents. This includes special
involvement leaders of the Sterling Grove Historic District and the
St. Genevieve Church and School. This group also involves representatives
from LaDOTD, LCG, University of Louisiana (UL), State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and HNTB.

(2) Technical Advisory Committee
The Technical Advisory Committee staff includes representatives from
LaDOTD, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG), and HNTB. This committee will review the design
concepts resulting from CSS efforts and provide input regarding engineering,
construction, cost, and safety standards. The Committee will be asked for their
design ideas and assistance in order to arrive at high-quality, efficient
design solutions.

(3) Executive Committee
The purpose of the Executive Committee is to bring together key leaders
and decision-makers involved in the project to coordinate the various parallel
efforts and goals of the project. This Committee will consider and make
decisions on the various elements for inclusion in the CSS Design Guideline
Report. The Committee will include members of LaDOTD, FHWA, LCG, MPO,
and HNTB.

HOW WILL DECISIONS BE MADE?

These three work group/committees will meet independently of one another up
to once a month from April 2007 to December 2007 to discuss specific
themes throughout the I-49 Connector Corridor (structural enhancements,
urban design, landscape architecture, land-use coordination, etc.). In each round
of monthly meetings, the Community Work Group will meet first. The input and
and results from the Community Work Group meeting will then be reviewed and
discussed at the Technical Advisory Committee's meeting. Each group will act as
a filter, allowing decisions to pass to the next group based on their feasibility. The following graphic shows the committee process used to build consensus
and develop CSS concepts for the CSS Design Guideline Report. The Executive
Committee will have the ultimate responsibility in the decision-making process
for the CSS Design Guideline Report. The following is a diagram of the
committee process. (Click on image below to enlarge.)

WHAT IS THE CSS DESIGN GUIDELINE REPORT?

The CSS Design Guideline Report will be the culmination of years of work
performed by LaDOTD, FHWA, LCG, the Community Design Workshop (CDW), and each of the I-49 Connector Workshop Committees. It will be a technical
document that provides baseline aesthetic and landscape design criteria
for the design of the I-49 Connector. The design criteria set in this document
will be the basis for future PS&E documents. This guideline document will
ensure the design intent is carried out consistently through multiple
consultants, contractors, and phases of construction.

WHAT ELEMENTS WILL BE IN THE CSS DESIGN GUIDELINE REPORT?

Click here to view a detailed listing of the elements to be included in the CSS
Design Guideline Report.

WORK GROUP/COMMITTEE SCHEDULE:
updated August 13, 2007

A general schedule of upcoming meetings is shown below. More detailed
information will be posted as it becomes available, so remember to check
back frequently for the latest times and locations.

TBA
- Community Work Group and Technical Advisory Committee

TBA
- Area of corridor between Taft St. and the Lafayette Regional Airport

WORKSHOP SUMMARIES:
updated July 18, 2007

Below are the summaries, presentations, newspaper articles, and other
material from the workshops as they happen.

Friday, July 27, 2007 (Technical Advisory Committee) - Meeting Notes.

Thursday, July 26, 2007 (Community Work Group) - Meeting Notes.

Please note that both the Community Work Group meeting and Technical
Advisory Committee meeting used similar versions of the following presentation: PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 1 (8,658 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 2 (7,041 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 3 (10,696 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 4 (9,252 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 5 (10,403 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 6 (8,616 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 7 (8,578 KB); and PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 8 (8,831 KB).

Friday, June 29, 2007 (Technical Advisory Committee) - Meeting Notes.

Thursday, May 17, 2007 - Meeting Notes; PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 1 (4,377 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 2 (3,012 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 3 (2,295 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 4 (4,897 KB).

Thursday, April 19, 2007 - Meeting Notes; PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 1 (2,680 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 2 (2,566 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 3 (6,552 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 4 (9,241 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 5 (6,934 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 6 (6,096 KB); PowerPoint Presentation PDF Part 7 (753 KB).