Public consultation is key to Group 'B' projects and the public is encouraged to provide input at any point during this project. To facilitate public involvement Public Information Centres (PIC) will be held and key study stages. The PICs will provide residents, members of the public and interest groups with an opportunity to review, comment on, and discuss the project with members of the project team. Please refer to the Consultation page of this website for additional details.

The overall Environmental Assessment planning process approach and key tasks are illustrated in the diagram below. This process will consist of two major phases; Functional Planning and Preliminary Design.

Functional Planning:

1. Identify structural and transportation issues
2. Generate and evaluate different ways to address the issues
3. Generate and evaluate different design alternatives
4. Select a preferred alternative

Preliminary Design:

1. Examine concept design alternatives to refine the preferred alternative
2. Prepare the Preliminary Design / Impacts and Mitigation Measures
3. Prepare and file the Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR)

Upon completion of the study, a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) will be prepared and made available for a 30 day public review period. The TESR public review period will be announced in local and regional newspapers and on this website. This notice will announce the beginning of the 30 day public review period and will notify the public of their right to submit a request for a Part II Order (“bump-up”) to the Minister of the Environment when concerns cannot be resolved. All interested persons are encouraged to review the document and provide comments. If the Minister of the Environment decides to grant the “bump-up” request then the project will be redesignated to an Individual Environmental Assessment (EA).