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Public Involvement

Public Involvement is a critical part of a successful transportation project. A proactive approach to informing, educating, and involving the public helps to promote a productive atmosphere which leads to transportation improvements which meet both the community’s needs and desires.

A Public Involvement Plan has been prepared in order to develop and document the methods used to reach those affected by this project. It identifies the concerned public, ways in which the public will be notified about the progress of the project, and the project's scheduled public outreach activities.

Please visit this website often to get the most up-to-date information on the Gulf Coast Parkway study. All Public Meetings will be advertised on this website, in addition to updated project information. If you have any questions or comments about this project, please submit them to the Project Manager, Rosemary Woods. If you go to the "Contact" page, you can obtain her contact information. Or better yet, use the option provided on that page to submit your comments or questions directly to her!

SCOPING MEETING

A scoping meeting was held for the Gulf Coast Parkway project on November 14, 2007 at the Springfield Community Center. This meeting was attended by representatives from federal and state agencies, local municipalities, and the public. The purpose of the meeting was to further define the scope of issues that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will need to analyze and address before submission to the Federal Highway Administration. The EIS is a full disclosure environmental report that describes the impacts on the environment as a result of a proposed action, in this case the construction of a new roadway.

At the meeting, a presentation was given by Rosemary Woods from PBS&J, the engineering firm originally hired by Opportunity Florida to conduct the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study and prepare the EIS. The presentation focused on the history of the project and those environmental issues/concerns that had already been identified by federal and state agencies from the Environmental Technical Advisory Team (ETAT). After the presentation, there was a public comment period. The meeting was concluded in an “open house” format, where those in attendance were invited to view the aerial maps and boards that were on display and speak with project staff.

Illustrations of the proposed Alternative Corridors and Roadway Sections can be viewed from the document links on the menu at left. Click here for the PowerPoint presentation from the scoping meeting, and click here for the transcript of the meeting.