Freeway Interchange Planning: A Public Involvement Success Story

For planning of major transportation projects, technical analysis is important, however public engagement is playing an increasingly critical role in the development and acceptance of technically complex transportation infrastructure. Over the past two years, the City of Edmonton has completed a freeway interchange planning project for Yellowhead Trail using a collaborative approach with area stakeholders. This approach stemmed from a desire to develop a technically feasible conceptual plan while building understanding and support from area stakeholders. The bulk of the planning study was completed by in-house City staff. To aid in some of the more technically complex aspects of the planning study, the City retained the services of a consultant to advise the team through the technical details of developing and refining interchange options. Additionally, a public involvement consultant was retained to support public engagement and communication aspects of this project. The study area is currently fully developed and most interchange configurations have the potential to impact numerous operating businesses. The project team designed a program to allow area stakeholders to participate during the development, refinement, and selection stages of the interchange planning process. This approach was used as a means of reducing potential public and political backlash that may result from large, transformative projects. Throughout the study, the project team worked with a group of area stakeholders assembled to provide the City with input to aid in decision making processes. Over a series of workshops, the stakeholder group was educated regarding interchange planning, discussed site-specific issues, developed and reviewed options, prepared evaluation criteria, and assisted the City in refining and narrowing down options. The process successfully solicited input from stakeholders and ultimately resulted in understanding and general agreement with the recommended option. A unique solution was arrived at for the area which balances the needs of the City with the needs of area stakeholders. This solution may not have been selected through a traditional planning process. The public engagement process utilized in this planning study has provided insight and valuable lessons learned that will be implemented in future studies to enhance public engagement.

• Record URL:
  http://conf.tac-atc.ca/english/annualconference/tac2014/s-11/lazurko.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

  401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada 
• Authors:
  • Lazurko, N
  • Gibbard, R
• Conference:
  • Transportation 2014: Past, Present, Future - 2014 Conference and Exhibition of the Transportation Association of Canada // Transport 2014 : Du passé vers l'avenir - 2014 Congrès et Exposition de 'Association des transports du Canada
• Publication Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 1 PDF file, 100 KB, 11p.
• Monograph Title: Transportation 2014: Past, Present, Future - 2014 Conference and Exhibition of the Transportation Association of Canada // Transport 2014 : Du passé vers l'avenir - 2014 Congrès et Exposition de 'Association des transports du Canada

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Conferences; Design; Freeways; Interchanges; Planning; Public participation
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• ITRD Terms: 8018: Canada; 8531: Case study; 8525: Conference; 9011: Design (overall design); 433: Interchange; 2752: Motorway; 143: Planning; 142: Public participation
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I10: Economics and Administration; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01553277
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: ITRD, TAC
• Created Date: Feb 13 2015 4:23PM