Get Involved

Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) is a collaborative public involvement approach which provides opportunities for all project stakeholders to become involved, and uses a flexible, creative design approach to develop, construct and maintain cost effective transportation facilities.  A stakeholder is defined as anyone who could be affected by the project and has a stake in its outcome.  The inclusive process contributes to the selection of an improvement design that fits into its surroundings or its “context”.  CSS addresses all modes of transportation, and strives to preserve scenic, aesthetic, historic and environmental resources while maintaining safety and mobility.

The purpose of CSS is to gather and duly consider project input from all interested parties by promoting extensive public involvement and frequent communication with stakeholders.  A detailed program is developed and tailored to the specific outreach needs of each project, compiled in a document known as the Stakeholder Involvement Plan, or SIP.  The information collected through the CSS process, coupled with detailed technical analysis, form the basis for ultimate project scope decisions.

As part of the overall public involvement program for the Illinois Route 47 Study, a Stakeholder Involvement Plan, or SIP, has been developed and will set forth opportunities for public involvement and participation in the study.  The goal of the SIP is to actively seek the participation of communities, agencies, individual interest groups, and the general public throughout the project development process. The SIP provides the framework for achieving consensus and communicating the decision-making process between the general public, public agencies, and governmental officials to identify transportation solutions for the project.  The Illinois Route 47 Stakeholder Involvement Plan is available for review.

Public Meetings

Public involvement for the IL Route 47 project will include opportunities for public involvement in the form of public meetings. These large-scale meetings will encourage public attendance and foster public awareness of project developments and alternatives that are being evaluated. These meetings will also provide a forum for general public input, including concerns and comments regarding project alternatives. Two public meetings and one public hearing will be held to coincide with major milestones during the project development process. 

The first Public Information Meeting (February 17, 2011) served as a project kickoff to educate stakeholders on the project process, study area and history.  It provided an opportunity for the public to share its perspectives regarding transportation issues and project concerns.

The second Public Information Meeting (March 14, 2013) gave stakeholders an additional opportunity to provide input and further refine the proposed alternative.

The Public Hearing (August 19, 2015) presented the Preferred Alternative for public review and comment.  For more information, see the Resources section.

Community Advisory Group Meetings

IDOT will be enlisting the input of the Illinois Route 47 Community Advisory Group (CAG) to assist with the project.  The CAG will provide input on various study elements including the definition of project needs, and evaluation of the potential alternatives. The CAG consists of community leaders from the study area, and stakeholders with expertise or technical interest in environmental, land use, transportation, and economic development that are affected by the study, as well as other representative stakeholders. Other individuals wishing to be considered for CAG membership will be able to do so by signing up at public meetings or via the project website, or by responding to fliers.  The PSG will ultimately determine CAG membership to ensure balanced representation in an effective and manageable workshop setting.  It is anticipated there will be three of these meetings which will be scheduled to correspond with key project milestones.

There will be several methods for the public to become involved and obtain information about the project. These methods will provide information and opportunity for feedback regarding upcoming public meeting events, project schedule, and general project status updates within the study area.

Community Advisory Group (CAG)
Multiple CAG meetings will be conducted as a means to obtain representative stakeholder input regarding various project issues and potential system solutions. Meetings with individual stakeholder groups will also be scheduled as needed.  Renderings and visualizations will be developed to illustrate concepts and issues that have been raised, developed, and evaluated. The renderings and visualizations will be dependent on the topic of discussion and format of the particular workshop. 

Public Outreach Meetings

Stakeholder involvement for the IL Route 47 study will be an ongoing process from project initiation through completion. Various meetings will be held throughout the project development process to provide outreach opportunities to all stakeholders.  These meeting opportunities are listed below.

Public Meetings
Public meetings will be held at key points during the project development phase to engage the public. The purpose of the meetings will be to gather the thoughts and concerns regarding the information presented. Questions raised by meeting participants, depending on the nature, will be either answered immediately or addressed in subsequent meetings, letters or other communication mechanisms.  Comments received at the public meetings will be documented, and the information will be considered as a part of the analysis and evaluation of the proposed improvements. Individuals on the mailing list will receive invitations in the mail announcing future meetings.

Public Hearing
A Public Hearing will be held near the end of the Phase I process to present the Preferred Alternative for public review and comment.

In addition to the meeting opportunities described in the preceding section, there will be several other methods for the public to obtain information about the project. These methods (noted below) will provide information and opportunity for feedback regarding upcoming public meeting events, project schedule, and general project status updates within the study area.

Mailing List
To support public meeting invitations and other direct public contact, a mailing list will be developed and updated regularly.  This list will include property owners as identified in tax records, area officials and other interested individuals.  Phone numbers and e-mail addresses will be added to the list, as available. If you would like to be added to the Mailing List, please visit the “Contact Us” section of the Information Center.

Media Strategies
An effective method of informing the general public about a project and its results is through broadcast and print media.  Media strategies to be used during this study include advertisements, handouts, press releases, and media correspondence with agency-designated spokespersons.

Question/Comment Submittal Form
Please fill out a comment form, as we are interested in your thoughts and ideas. This will add you to our mailing list to receive meeting notices and other mailings unless you ask not to receive them.  The comment form is located in the “Contact Us” section of the Resources tab.