Context Sensitive Solutions Technical Assistance: North Dakota Department of Transportation

Appendix B: Full List of Interview Questions

US 85 is classified as an Interregional System road. Is there a Statewide plan that identifies and describes the Interregional system roads in the State?
This part of US 85 is part of the Ports to Plans Alliance and included as a high priority corridor by Congress. Was this designation in MAP 21? Is there a report that describes and discusses the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway in North Dakota?
ND Highway 23 is classified as a State Corridor. Is there a Statewide plan that discusses this corridor? Is there a vision in the plan?
How was the project identified for funding as part of NDDOT prioritization process? Political priorities? Connectivity metrics? Congestion metrics? Safety metrics?
What specific safety concerns existed along existing 85?
How was the project funded?
Describe the use of the “Wireless Network” origin-destination study and the benefits of using this technology to capture travel patterns. Was this the first time this was used or is this standard operating procedure?

Describe the changes in economic activity related to the oil and gas industries.
Describe the economic changes and growth pressures in and around Watford City. Contextualize the growth pressures in this area with the rest of the State.
What are the major quality of life changes resulting from the growth? Both positive and negative. How has increased sales tax from 2006 to 2011 benefited the area?
What challenges have Watford City and its residents experienced from the rapid growth?
What concerns did Watford City have about existing business along US 85 that would be bypassed?

Who were the key stakeholders which influenced the location and design for the bypass project?
Was there a difference between the SW and SE Bypass in terms of stakeholder involvement? Please explain.
What process was used to collaboratively engage the stakeholders as part of the decision-making process?

Does NDDOT use a multi-disciplinary team to guide the project development process? Please explain the team composition including roles and responsibilities.
Does NDDOT have a formal decision-making process where key decision points are concurred on by environmental resources agencies and other stakeholders with jurisdictional authority?
What type of process does NDDOT use to define the project’s context?
Was there any innovated project streamlining or schedule expediting techniques employed during the project development process?
What process was used to narrow down the range of alternatives?

Was there a public involvement (PI) plan for the project?
What were some of the most effective public outreach strategies used for the project?
How were the tribal communities incorporated in the PI process?
Were there any concerns about the PI process or lessons learned for future projects?
Were there any techniques used that were particularly creative or different for this project? Were any visualization tools utilized?
What were the primary concerns of the general public?
What where the primary concerns of local elected officials?
Were there any assessments such as polls or questionnaires of public satisfaction during the project development process?

Describe the project’s impacts to current land use including induced growth pressures.
Were there any significant concerns about the impact to farmlands from property owners?
What types of quality of life issues surfaced during the project development process?
Describe the pedestrian and bicyclists issues before the project was constructed. Has there been an improvement to cyclist and pedestrians within Watford City since the project was constructed?
Was noise a concern to property owners? Since noise barriers were not feasible or reasonable did NDDOT offer any other abatement measures?
Were there any aesthetics enhancements to the project features?
Is there anything particularly unique to the Watford Bypass related to human environment considerations? Differences between the SE and SW portions of the bypass?

The jurisdictional wetlands impacts were mitigated using sunken box culverts and rip rap. Is this standard operating procedure for NDDOT?
The Foss Wetland Bank was used for mitigate the natural/non-jurisdictional wetlands. Is this standard operating procedure? When was the Foss wetland bank created? How is it being used today?
What process was used to develop the mitigation plan?
Does NDDOT have a memorandum of agreement or programmatic approach with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on projects like Watford Bypass?
Were there any considerations given to providing critter crossings?
Explain the overhead utility lines accommodations for whooping cranes.
Is the moratorium for construction between April 15^th and June 1^st a standard protocol for Cherry Creek?

Describe the process used to identify important cultural resources in the project study area.
What type of coordination was undertaken with tribal communities?
Describe the importance of the stone features discovered. What efforts were made to avoid these features?
In the EA, the yellow and orange routes were eliminated due to cultural findings and the blue route was eliminated due to cultural findings and proposed oil wells. Please explain the nature of these cultural findings and the process used to have these routes eliminated.
Describe the cultural resource inventory process and the specific involvement from the Three Affiliated Tribes and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (page 40 of EA).

Describe the selection process used for the typical section (four lane divided flush center lane).
Were there any interesting design considerations used to avoid specific types of impacts?
Is there control of access?
Are there any land development standards adjacent to the roadway?
Explain the conceptual bypass route verses the conceptual truck reliever route and the decision-making process to go with the bypass route.
Would you say that the project met or exceeded the expectations of designers and stakeholders?