Over 270 people attended the November 8 and 14 open houses. The preliminary alternatives were presented and attendees were encouraged to submit comments about which alternatives should be advanced for more study. This information was also collected through an online survey.

Materials

• Display Boards - The current phase of the project and the 13 alternatives
• Presentation - Two presentations were held during each open house
• Alternative Handouts - More information about the 13 alternatives

Approximately 150 people attended the open houses on June 26th and 27th. Members of the public had the opportunity to discuss the project and the preliminary concepts, along with additional concepts that they had, with staff members and members of the Task Force. Display boards outlined important information and the second newsletter was available in English and Spanish.

Attendees were encouraged to submit comments on the preliminary river crossing alignments and interchange types, improvements that can be made to the existing bridges, and other ideas to reduce congestion, the open house summary lists the comments that were gathered during both open houses.

Approximately 130 people attended the open houses on December 6th and 7th. Members of the public had the opportunity to discuss the project, and issues surrounding it, with staff members and members of the Task Force. Display boards outlined important information and a fact sheet was available in English and Spanish.

Attendees were encouraged to submit comments on the project by completing a form asking for input about important issues and for comments on the draft Purpose and Need Statement. They were also encouraged to contribute to an “issues wall” which enabled them to build on comments made by others. Community input from these meetings will help shape the alternatives that will be evaluated in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Julie Warncke, City of Salem and Dan Fricke, ODOT made brief presentations each evening and were then available for questions and comments. To view the video recording of one of the presentations, which was broadcast live on CCTV, search for the Salem City Council for December 7, 2006, then hit the "Submit" button.