U.S. 412 Planning and Environmental Linkages Study (PEL)

Public Meeting #2

October 2023

The U.S. 412 Study Team welcomes you to the Virtual Public Meeting #2 for the U.S. 412 Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study. The following story map begins with a recap of Public Meeting #1 (Phase 1 Project Initiation and Phase 2 Baseline Conditions and development of the Purpose and Need and Study Goals which occurred in June 2023) and then transitions into providing information about the next phase of the study: Phase 3 Alternatives Development and Analysis. The Study Team is seeking public input on the potential transportation solutions and the evaluation process that occurs during this phase. The story map will conclude with reviewing future steps of the Study.

A comment form is available on the right-hand side of the page for you to add questions or comments as you review the information. When you’ve completed your review of the story map, you can submit your comments to the Study Team. There are opportunities to meet with the Study Team in person on October 17th, 18th, and 19th at locations along the U.S. 412 corridor in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Go to the ODOT or ARDOT PEL webpages for more information about the in-person public meetings (right click links and select open link in new tab).

Thank you for your participation!

This is a map of the U.S. 412 Study Area broken up by planning segments; Cimarron Turnpike, Keystone, Tulsa, Inola, Cherokee Turnpike, Siloam Springs and Springdale.

The NEPA Schedule: "We Are Here" at PEL Study which is the second step of the process out of six milestones.

Draft Needs determined in the first public meeting are Comly with Federal Legislation to convert U.S. 412 to an interstate, Address safety, improve mobility and enhance system linkages.

This is a graphic that shows the PEL Study Process. At this point in the study, "We are here" in Phase 3 which is the alternatives development and analysis portion of the study. There are 4 Phases to complete.

This is a chart that shows the Universe of Alternatives. These are grouped into "families" to organize analysis of transportation solutions for the team to analyze. Those "families" include, No Action, Highway Build, Congestion Management, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Freight, Multimodal and Non-Recurring Congestion Management.

This graph focuses on Phase 3 of the PEL Study process graphic shown earlier. This highlights that "We Are Here" at Phase 3: Alternatives Development and Analysis. This phase is broken down into three levels. Those levels include level 1 Initial Alternatives, level 2 Preliminary scenarios (qualitative) and level 3 refined scenarios (quantitative and qualitative). Detailed overview of each level can be found further in the presentation.

In this slide, we are re-showing the study draft Purpose and Needs (Draft Needs determined in the first public meeting are Comly with Federal Legislation to convert U.S. 412 to an interstate, Address safety, improve mobility and enhance system linkages). The reason we are showing this again, is these are the guidelines for alternatives to pass/fail in the Level 1 screening in order for them to move forward to further analysis.

Level 1 Screening Results

Below are four tables that show the results of the Level 1 evaluation for each alternative. The tables are organized as follows:

No Action / Highway Build
Multimodal
Congestion Management
Non-Recurring Congestion / Freight / Intelligent Transportation Systems

If an alternative fulfills a component of the Purpose and Need, then it received a GREEN check mark. If the alternative failed to meet a Purpose and Need element, it received RED X. Additional columns identify if the alternative can be considered a “reasonable” solution, if it is Primary and/or Complementary, and if it was removed from further consideration in Level 1.

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Level 1 Screening Evaluaiton of Highway Build vs No Action. Only Elevated Lanes did not pass.

Level 1 Screening Evaluation Multimodal table. Light, Heavy, commuter and high-speed rail failed the screening.

Level 1 Screening Evaluation of Congestion Managment. High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV), Managed and Reversible lanes failed the screening.

Next Steps

At the conclusion of the comment period for Public Meeting #2, the PEL Study Team will move forward with completing the screening process for Level 2 and 3. Public Meeting #3, expected to occur in the Spring of 2024, will review the results of the analysis and provide the public with draft transportation solutions that may be included in each of the planning segments on the U.S. 412 corridor.

This graphic shows the anticipated timeline of the study. We are currently at the Alternative Screening Methodology (Fall 2023). In the Winter 2023 the team will complete the Alternatives Development and Analysis report and hold the third Advisory Committee meeting. The Spring of 2024 is when Public Meeting #3 is scheduled to occur, the PEL Questionnaire will go out to the public, the team will complete the PEL to NEPA Transition report and complete the PEL Report. — Click image to enlarge.

Conclusion

Thank you for participating in the U.S. 412 PEL Study Public Meeting #2. Please use the comment form to the right to let us know your thoughts on the Universe of Alternatives and Alternative Screening Methodology for determining the alternatives and scenarios that will be advanced as a PEL Recommended Scenario(s) or Project(s). If requested, the Study Team will respond to your comment as soon as possible.