THE NEXT ROUND OF PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED TO BE IN MID-LATE 2014. PLEASE CHECK THIS WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.

A Public Involvement Action Plan (PIAP) has been developed for this project in accordance with State and Federal requirements.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT GOALS
In order to increase public awareness of this project and to ensure that the issues of the general public are heard and appropriately addressed by the project team members, the NJDOT and Bergen County have set the following public involvement goals:

• To establish credibility and trust with the communities and highway users
• To provide effective education of the general public regarding the funding, permitting, design, and construction process, and their role within this process
• To obtain public input in the development of project alternatives and promote public understanding of the reasons for selection of a Preferred Alternative
• To provide clear, concise information in a manner encouraging feedback

PIAP IMPLEMENTATION, STRATEGIES, & TECHNIQUES
The primary components of this PIAP include the preparation of a Stakeholder / Mailing List and four (4) rounds of public meetings held at key milestones in the project development process. Each round includes a Local Officials Meeting, with the second, third, and fourth rounds followed shortly thereafter by a Public Information Center, at which comments from the general public will be accepted. Each round of meetings will be focused in the following manner:

• During the first round of meetings, the project team presented the program and discussed the purpose and need, including a review of existing conditions and concepts to be advanced for further study. A separate Local Officials Meeting was convened with each municipality in August – September 2009. A joint Public Information Center (PIC) for the general public of the three communities was not held at that time.
• During the second round of meetings (Winter – Spring 2010), the project team discussed the status and progress of the Alternatives Analysis and technical studies. At that time, the alternative(s) and/or variations being considered were presented, and additional comment was sought. Separate meetings with local officials of the three municipalities were scheduled, and the first Public Information Center for the general public was convened on April 20, 2010 at Maywood Public Library. See the April 20, 2010 Public Information Center discussion below.
• Due to changes in the project schedule stemming from enhanced interagency review and coordination, a third round of public outreach has been added to the PIAP prior to the adoption of the Preliminary Preferred Alternative (PPA) and the compilation of the draft environmental documents and associated technical support documents. This third round of meetings, anticipated for Mid-Late 2014, will be similar in scope and intent to the second round, i.e., to inform public officials and project stakeholders of revisions made to the Alternatives Analysis and technical studies of the project prior to compiling the environmental document, and to solicit an additional round of input.
• The fourth round of meetings will represent the formal Public Hearing in a Public Information Center format, and will occur once the draft environmental document has been circulated for comment. The Preferred Alternative will be presented at that time. This fourth round will again include a Local Officials Meeting followed by the Public Information Center / Public Hearing.

Download PIAP (PDF - 26KB)- updated 5/31/11

The Bergen County Department of Planning and Economic Development (BCDPED), working in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), is committed to developing transportation improvements that best balance the transportation needs, the environment, community concerns, and cost. Toward this end, Bergen County hosted a Public Information Center (PIC) on April 20, 2010 at the Maywood Public Library to inform local residents, officials, and the business community about the improvements to the Route 17 Bottleneck section between Essex Street (MP 10.19) and Garden State Plaza (MP 12.04). The project area includes the municipalities of Maywood, Rochelle Park, and Paramus, with restriping extending into Lodi immediately south of Essex Street.

Materials and displays available at the April 20, 2010 PIC are available on the Downloads page.