A Community Approach
Elevating the voices of our communities
Check out the Calendar for opportunities to learn about the Interstate Bridge replacement and speak with us! We would love to hear from you - and your feedback will be used to help shape the program. From this page, you can also navigate to previous meetings to view the meeting and materials.
If you would like the IBR team present to your community, use our presentation form to request a presentation.
Join us this Summer for Fairs and Festivals
The IBR program will attend several local events this summer ranging from farmers markets and cultural celebrations to community bike rides and concerts in the park. The events provide an opportunity for community members to interact with the IBR team and learn about the program. We will continue to add additional community engagement opportunities in the coming months and encourage you to join us!
IBR Office Hours
Do you have questions and want to speak to a real person? We answer questions on a range of topics, including design, equity, Disadvantaged and Small Business Enterprise opportunities, community engagement, financial plans, and much more! Join us for IBR office hours and get your questions answered!
NOTE: No new technical data will be available until the release of the environmental documentation this spring.
Please make a 30-minute reservation at least 24 hours in advance. There are 3 ways you can make a reservation:
Visit: SignUpGenius
Email: info@interstatebridge.org
Call: 888-503-6735
Say Hello to our New Community-based Organization Mini Grant Recipients!
➡️ Cada Casa
➡️ Odyssey World International Education Services
➡️ Independent Living Resources of Portland Oregon
➡️ Partners In Careers
➡️ NAMI Southwest Washington
➡️ Sakura 39ers Youth Association
➡️ Slavic Community Center of NW
➡️ Soul District Business Association
These eight organizations—four each from Oregon and Washington—will help extend our outreach to equity priority communities and prepare their audiences for the release of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) in 2024!
For more information, please contact: info@interstatebridge.org
Neighborhood Forums
Neighborhood Forums in Vancouver and Portland provided an opportunity to meet with community members to answer questions and collect feedback. Property and business owners, local residents, and community partners were some of the many forum participants. We appreciate everyone who took time to come meet us and learn more about the program.
Thank you for attending the public briefing on Dec. 7.
For those unable to attend, it's not too late to learn about the program, what we are studying, and how you can participate in the environmental review process.
View the event in the player on the left, and stay tuned for more opportunities.
Accountability Dashboard
For more information regarding our outreach efforts, view our Accountability Dashboard. The IBR Accountability Dashboard is a transparency tool designed to share engagement metrics and hold the program accountable to the public. Ongoing and inclusive community engagement is critical to identify a solution that balances differing regional perspectives and best serves the complex needs of the variety of users.
Bridge Stories
Meet Sam | "It's a cultural connection for me, it's a lifeline and it's a way of getting great jobs. It's really a metropolis and the bridge provides that link for all of us." Watch his bridge story below and click here to view others.
Equity-focused engagement
The IBR program is committed to centering equity throughout our process as well as our outcomes. Centering equity means elevating the voices of equity priority communities throughout our processes and ensuring that these communities can realize the program’s economic and transportation benefits. It also means not furthering continued harm to these communities.
A key piece of this effort is the establishment of an Equity Advisory Group in tandem with a Community Advisory Group, Community Benefits Advisory Group and Executive Steering Group. The Equity Advisory Group makes recommendations directly to the Program Administrator. Beyond the Equity Advisory Group, the program team and leadership are committed to applying an equity lens in all community engagement activities. This will help us better understand the potential distribution of benefits and burdens, identify ways to address inequities and elevate the voices of those who have historically been excluded from major public projects.
Our commitment to inclusive engagement
Our community engagement efforts seek to provide extensive, inclusive and ongoing opportunities for meaningful two-way communication with stakeholders that prioritizes:
The key goals of community engagement efforts include:
- Seek feedback from a diverse range of stakeholders
- Include equity priority communities
- Embrace innovation
- Uplift all voices
- Demonstrate accountability through transparency and feedback
- Achieve trust among partner agencies and the community
The program is planning numerous activities throughout 2023 to seek feedback and engage the public in a variety of ways. Please visit this site often for updates and connect with us using the following options.
Sign up for the IBR Program mailing list to receive periodic communications about the program via email.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
Attend an Equity Advisory Group, Community Advisory Group, Executive Steering Group, or Bi-State Legislative meeting; all meetings are open to the public. Meeting dates and times, materials and participation information are posted in the events calendar.
Submit comments via the online comment form, email, or call the program office.
Notices
Online Meetings
We are committed to maintaining accessibility and transparency for all virtual engagement and public meetings. We are aware of the technological barriers that virtual engagement may have on local communities, especially to equity priority communities. We will be culturally responsive and intentional about addressing barriers to engagement by using a racial equity lens, implementing virtual best practices, and being responsive to the guidance from local community-based organizations, community leaders and program partners.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Accommodation requests for people with disabilities can be made by contacting:
- Oregon: Call 503-731-4128, TTY 800-735-2900
- Washington: Email wsdotada@wsdot.wa.gov or call 855-362-4ADA (4232)
- Relay Service: Call 7-1-1
Title VI
It is the IBR program’s policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its programs and activities. For additional information regarding Title VI complaint procedures and/or information regarding our non-discrimination obligations, please contact info@interstatebridge.org or 360-859-0494.
2021 Engagement
Thank you to everyone who participated in our online open house, community survey, virtual briefings, listening sessions, and other outreach avenues in 2021. The interest and feedback are truly outstanding. We heard that this community wants the transportation problems with the Interstate Bridge addressed, and that you want to be involved in the process! Below is a summary of these outreach efforts.
Year in Review Video Community Engagement Report
We need your help.
Join us in our effort to replace the Interstate Bridge. Your feedback is important in shaping a solution.
Submit a comment Share your story Attend a meeting
Engage with us!