Community Engagement Summary June 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 This report summarizes community engagement for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project from June 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Overview The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, led by ODOT, will improve local, regional, and international travel on the I-5 corridor. The project will reimagine highway overpasses to complement local street improvements that reconnect neighborhood streets. In doing so, the project will enhance public spaces while supporting opportunities for economic development. On the I-5 mainline, auxiliary lanes and shoulders will be added to improve travel reliability, safety and will smooth traffic flow between I-84 and I-405. Throughout the project, ODOT has and will continue to conduct outreach to and engagement with the public. ODOT continued public engagement after the close of the 45-day environmental assessment public comment period on April 1, 2019. During the environmental review phase, engagement activities included: • interviews with Black Portlanders and communities of color • working with a Community Liaisons Group to inform outreach • project presentations at over 100 events • nine hosted events with more than 280 attendees • community walking and biking tours • door-to-door outreach • a public hearing • updates via the project website Engagement during this time frame was described in a previous Public Involvement Summary through May 30, 2020. This summary describes the engagement from June 1, 2020 until December 31, 2020 leading up to and following the release of the Finding of No Significant Impact and Revised Environmental Assessment on November 6, 2020. Most of the community engagement during this time period focused on project awareness and outreach to environmental justice and Title VI communities to collect feedback informing project design and decision-making, particularly focusing on the historic Albina community that was harmed by the original construction of I-5 and other urban renewal efforts. This summary includes the following sections: • By the numbers • What we heard • Information sharing • Outreach and engagement • Attachments (supporting materials) 1 | January 2021 Community Engagement Summary: June 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 By the numbers The following statistics represent engagement from June 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Other sections of the summary discuss this engagement in greater detail. Approach . 1 online open house . 2 surveys . 10 project advisory committee meetings . 15 e-alerts (including e-newsletters and press releases) . 3 mailers . 4 briefings and 1 event (Meet the Proposers) with stakeholders Reach • 135 comments submitted • 4,798 e-newsletter recipients (as of December 2020 newsletter) • 29 voicemails received • 27,390 website views • 400 businesses canvassed What we heard The project team received broad input encompassing a large range of perspectives. This report summarizes themes identified between June 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. Key themes include: • Support for the project purpose to address the largest congestion bottleneck in the state. • Support for the highway covers to reconnect the local street grid and create more community space in the neighborhood. • Support for the highway covers to be built in a way that would support development on top. • Desire for the highway covers to provide opportunities for economic development and restorative justice (e.g., affordable space for housing, businesses, and community-based organizations) and design elements and/or uses reflecting the historic Albina community and promoting community cohesion. • Need for improvements to local streets for multimodal safety and mobility with support for more separated and/or protected facilities for people walking, rolling, cycling, and accessing transit. • Opposition to moving I-5 closer to Harriet Tubman Middle School. • Support for the project to include mitigation measures reducing air quality and noise impacts to Harriet Tubman Middle School. • Opposition from bicycle and climate advocacy groups regarding adding auxiliary lanes to I-5 as a means to mitigate congestion. • Support for the project values particularly related to restorative justice and climate action and improved health outcomes. 2 | January 2021 Community Engagement Summary: June 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 • Support for the project to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). • Need for more community involvement and representation in project processes and decision-making, particularly from the historic Albina community and communities of color. Information sharing E-alert Five e-alerts announcing upcoming project advisory committee (i.e., Executive Steering Committee, Community Advisory Committee, Community Oversight Advisory Committee) meetings were sent to people who signed up for the project updates list and posted to the project website. The newsletters are included in Appendix 1. E-newsletters Four email newsletters were sent to people who signed up for the project updates list and posted to the project website. The purpose of each newsletter and the topics included are listed in Table 1. Copies of the newsletters are also included in Appendix 1. Table 1. Project Email Newsletters Number of Date Subject Purpose Sections Recipients July 31, I-5 Rose To provide • Community 4,740 2020 Quarter project updates Advisory Improvement about the Committee hears a Project July upcoming project update and Email Update advisory learns about committee workforce and meetings, business ODOT’s Notice opportunity of Intent to • ODOT issues Award for the Notice of Intent to Construction Award, takes step Manager/ toward unlocking General the project’s Contractor, economic virtual summary opportunity engagement, • Sliding into and field work in Summer: the project area. Engagement in Virtual Spaces • Community Opportunity Advisory 3 | January 2021 Community Engagement Summary: June 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 Committee will meet online August 13 • Rose Quarter Underground: Looking at conditions from the bottom up September I-5 Rose To inform • I-5 Rose Quarter 4,763 3, 2020 Quarter recipients about Improvement Improvement minority-owned Project spotlights Project e- businesses minority-owned Newsletter participating on business the project, a • Project convenes new community new community advisory board, board in response public to stakeholder engagement engagement opportunities • Look for new public and initiation of engagement the Independent opportunities soon Highway Cover • Community Assessment Opportunity process. Advisory Committee hears project update and discusses expectations for workforce program • Work has begun on Independent Cover Assessment • Rose Quarter Underground: Looking at conditions from the bottom up November I-5 Rose To inform • Rose Quarter 4,771 9, 2020 Quarter recipients about Environmental Improvement upcoming Assessment and Project e- advisory Finding of No Newsletter committee Significant Impact meetings and Released 4 | January 2021 Community Engagement Summary: June 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 field work, the • Historic Albina release of the Advisory Board Revised Recruitment Environmental • Have Your say at Assessment the Online Open and Finding of House No Significant • Rose Quarter Impacts, Recap: Project recruitment for Committees the Historic • A Rose by Any Albina Advisory Other Name: Board (HAAB), Featured an opportunity Community Voices to participate in • Rose Quarter an upcoming Underground: online open Looking at house and Conditions from the highlight key Bottom Up project team members. December I-5 Rose To inform • How Do You 4,798 3, 2020 Quarter recipients about Envision the Rose Improvement the online open Quarter? Project e- house and • Rose Quarter Newsletter provide updates Recap: Project on recent and Committees upcoming topics • Rose Quarter discussed in Underground: advisory Looking at committee Conditions from the meetings. Bottom Up Press Releases Six press releases were sent to people who signed up for the project updates email list and posted to the project website. The press releases are described below and copies of each are included in Appendix 2. Environmental Peer Review Report The press release was sent on June 2nd to announce the findings and availability of the report completed for the Environmental Peer Review of air quality, greenhouse gas, and noise analyses completed for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project Environmental Assessment. The report provided recommendations to incorporate into the project’s future design and construction phases, such as the requirement of low-emission construction equipment including 5 | January 2021 Community Engagement Summary: June 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 electric vehicles. The review process occurred between April and May 2020. Staff from the City of Portland, Metro and Portland Public Schools participated in the process. Meet the Proposers Event The press release was sent on July 7 to announce that proposers in competitive range for the Construction Management/General Contractor contract would be providing an informational briefing for stakeholders, potential subcontractors and other interested parties from the community. The community questions and feedback provided at the event informed ODOT’s creation of at least one interview question for the Proposers to answer at the separate, mandatory interviews that took place the following day on July 9, 2020. Construction Management/General Contractor: Notice of Intent to Award