Public Involvement
Public involvement is an essential part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for proposed transportation projects. Coordination with stakeholders (persons or groups with a specific interest in the project) and the public continues throughout the environmental process and preliminary design stages of proposed improvements to ensure that local interests and needs are considered by decision makers.
Public involvement allows the public to provide input into the decision-making process. It promotes two-way engagement and a direct line of communication between governing agencies and the public. The public is solicited by ALDOT for input and are encouraged to participate. This engagement not only provides an opportunity to become informed about the project as it develops but also creates an opportunity of awareness among ALDOT officials as well. As such, it public involvement should be tailored to the specific project, with consideration given to appropriate strategies for reaching engaging and receiving feedback from communities within a project area. This feedback in the form of comments is necessary to ascertain the level of impacts, potential problems, and the needs of the public. Comments received from the public during the NEPA process are made a part of the project’s administrative record to make sure they are considered. When providing options for responses from the public, ALDOT accepts many forms of feedback, including comments by email, public involvement website, phone, voicemail, fax and mail.
