Citizen Working Groups

The Northwest Corridor EIS project team hosted the second round of Citizen Working Group (CWG) meetings in July and August 2005. These meetings provided citizens with an opportunity to get more in-depth information on how each resource influenced the alternative selections through Level 2 and Level 3 screening and how they will be considered in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Links to meeting summaries and handouts are highlighted below.

The finalization of the CWG meeting minutes was delayed primarily because the CWG discussion topics had to be incorporated into the analysis methodologies at the same time. The project team appreciates your patience.

The environmental analysis methodologies, developed with input from the series of public, resource agency, and CWG meetings, are currently being applied. The results of these environmental resource studies will be documented in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for public review and comment, and opportunities for further public and CWG discussion are expected. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be completed in fall, 2006, and will be available online and at many public venues, such as libraries.

If you would like to sign up to be part of a Citizen Working Group, please contact us via the Northwest Corridor EIS hotline, 303-220-2545 or use the contact form on this Web site. Please include the name of the group(s) in which you’d be interested. See group descriptions.

Purpose: The Citizen Working Groups explore, in-depth, specific issues associated with the Northwest Corridor EIS. Interested citizens are teamed with technical experts in order to collect questions, review technical data and explain the project team’s approach to analyzing specific issues.

Group descriptions and available meeting summaries:

Aesthetics & Viewsheds: This working group will discuss the methodology for identifying areas with important visual characteristics and how to determine impacts to these visual resources as different proposed alternatives are considered. We will also discuss different ways of assessing the urban design elements of proposed alternatives. Meeting materials for this group.

Air Quality: This group will discuss the present air quality conditions, the major sources and processes of problem air pollutants, the impact traffic has on air quality conditions, the types of air pollutants to be examined in the EIS and the methods for the examination. The anticipated air quality impacts (and mitigations) from the alternatives carried through the EIS will be presented and discussed. Meeting materials for this group.

Noise: This group will discuss the basic concepts of noise and noise measurement to provide citizens with an understanding of noise analysis processes. Participants will have an opportunity to take noise measurements and discuss the types of noise analysis and the methods for the analysis. The anticipated traffic noise impacts (and mitigations) for the alternatives will also be discussed. Meeting materials for this group.

Traffic Modeling: This working group will examine traffic modeling methods, assumptions and data sources. As the traffic modeling and analysis continues, this CWG will transition to focus on secondary effects, such as how different alternatives may affect land use patterns. Meeting materials for this group.

Water Quality: This working group will review and learn about water resources in the study area, how water quality is monitored and regulated, how different alternatives may impact water resources and how water quality will be protected and how potential impacts will be mitigated. Best Management Practices to protect surface waters from storm water runoff will also be discussed. Meeting materials for this group.

Wildlife & Open Space: The open space discussion will include current open space designations and uses, while the wildlife discussion will cover both sensitive and common wildlife species that are found in the study area. The group will also discuss how these resources will be evaluated during the EIS process. Meeting materials for this group.

A "Funding and Cumulative Impact" CWG will be convened when the supporting data become available.

Check this space for future CWG meeting notifications.