Department of Transportation


I-80 Rockfall Mitigation Photo

Outreach

Public Involvement Action Plan

Public participation is critical to the successful implementation of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) transportation program and projects. More than just public participation, this policy promotes an ongoing public partnership to ensure that the subregional and/or regional transportation benefits are considered within the context of communities directly impacted by the Project. This policy also ensures early, frequent and continuous consultation with the public by committing to public notification to the affected parties, citizen input in the identification of the solutions, and dedication on the part of NJDOT to make the public’s input meaningful and that there is follow through on their input. We strive to include the public in clearly defining services and/or infrastructure options and we will strive to implement construction with minimal impact on people, businesses, and the environment. NJDOT retains the right to advance projects in matters of critical safety needs.

The Public Involvement Action Plan (PIAP) has been developed to support civic engagement in the Project by emphasizing the following principles:

  • The public shall have adequate access to information.A public project website will be created and maintained by NJDOT. A record of all public meetings will be kept. Approved technical documents will be placed in locations available to the public, and notice of upcoming meetings or events will be posted in locations convenient and accessible to the affected community and users of the infrastructure. Communication from NJDOT will be provided in the dominant languages spoken in the community to ensure that linguistically isolated populations are informed of the Project and have an opportunity to participate.

  • The public shall have clarity in the information presented to them.
    Technical information and regulatory procedures will be presented in terms that are understandable to the public.

  • The public shall be able to participate in a process that is well coordinated.
    Good coordination, communication, and collaboration are important in providing the public with the most current and correct information. Meetings will be held at a time that is reasonably convenient to the majority of the population and will be held far enough in advance of the completion of each respective phase of the Project that public input and concerns affecting the Project’s advancement can be given sufficient consideration. Public involvement events will be advertised with sufficient advance notice for members of the public to make accommodations to attend. All Public Information Center (PIC) Meetings shall be held at an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint facility that is fully accessible for persons with disabilities.
Click here for the Public Involvement Action Plan

Community Involvement

Outreach for the Interstate 80 (I-80) Rockfall Mitigation Project will be targeted toward all individuals who might be affected by the work, including residents, commuters, park visitors, and business owners.

Outreach strategies include:
  • Public Advisory Group (PAG)
  • Community stakeholder presentations and meetings
  • Agency coordination
  • 511NJ.org
  • Public Information Center meetings
  • Posters and billboards
Elected Officials / Public Meetings
Date Stakeholder
May 31, 2017 Local Officials Briefing
June 14, 2017 Public Information Center ( Meeting Notice , Project Location , Proposed Alternative )
May 9, 2018 Local Officials Briefing
January 25, 2019 Local Officials Briefing
June 18, 2019 Public Open House
July 22, 2020 Bi-State Leadership Summit ( Meeting Summary, Presentation Video, Traffic Study )
December 4, 2020 Local Officials Briefing ( Meeting Summary )
July 14, 2021 Local Officials Briefing
August 10, 2021 Local Officials Briefing
Public Advisory Group

Local municipalities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been asked to recommend members of their communities to serve on a Public Advisory Group (PAG) that will continue with the project through construction. The purpose of the PAG is to provide a forum for the exchange of information between the Project Team, members of the public, and key business groups that are representative of the local communities affected by the project. NJDOT wants to develop a PAG that is regionally balanced and includes interested citizens eager to participate and contribute to the planning process.

Click here for more information on the Public Advisory Group (PAG)

Stakeholder Coordination

Stakeholders for I-80 Rockfall Mitigation Project include regulatory agencies at the Federal, State, County, Municipal, and Public levels.

Agency Meetings
Date Stakeholder
July 20, 2011 National Park Service
September 30, 2014 National Park Service
August 12, 2015 Inter-Agency Workshop #1 Federal Highway Administration , National Park Service, New Jersey Worthington State Forest, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission)
October 6, 2015 U.S Army Corps of Engineers (Site Visit)
November 19, 2015 Inter-Agency Workshop #2 (Federal Highway Administration , National Park Service, New Jersey Worthington State Forest, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission)
April 25, 2016 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
August 11, 2016 Inter-Agency Workshop #3 (Federal Highway Administration, National Park Service, New Jersey Department of Transportation)
April 24, 2017 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Federal Highway Administration and National Park Service
August 23, 2018 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office
November 7, 2018 National Park Service
November 28, 2018 Tribal Nations and New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office
April 9, 2019 National Park Service
June 3, 2019 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
September 25, 2019 New Jersey Highlands Coalition
October 8, 2019 Tribal Nations
October 21, 2019 North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
November 9, 2019 Sierra Club, New Jersey Chapter
December 3, 2019 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
December 5, 2019 New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office
December 17, 2019 Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
December 19, 2019 National Park Service
January 13, 2020 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
February 12, 2020 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
April 15, 2020 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
December 17, 2020 Tribal Nations
December 17, 2020 National Park Service
May 12, 2021 Federal Highway Administration
May 21, 2021 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and National Park Service
August 16, 2021 National Park Service
May 12, 2022 Federal Highway Administration
March 4, 2021 Tribal Nations
March 23, 2021 Tribal Nations
April 12, 2021 Tribal Nations and NJ Historic Preservation Office
April 23, 2021 Tribal Nations and NPS
June 6, 2022 Tribal Nations

Please visit this site for future meeting and outreach updates.

To submit a comment about the I-80 Rockfall Mitigation Project to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), please email I80Rockfall@dot.nj.gov or call the NJDOT Office of Community Relations at (609) 963-1982.


Last updated date: August 15, 2023 8:38 AM