If you can't physically make it to one of the state's public hearings on roads, you might be able to attend in another way.
This year, the Utah Department of Transportation has begun holding "online meetings" in conjunction with its road meetings held on location.
Several Top of Utah road studies of high interest are scheduled for the coming months, including 1800 North in Clinton, 24th Street in Ogden and the West Davis Corridor in Weber and Davis counties.
UDOT has made and will continue to make it possible to attend the public hearings associated with the road studies online.
"We've done the online meetings a few times now," Region One spokesman Vic Saunders said. "It's just another way to try and get the public involved in these meetings."
UDOT uses a software that allows easy back-and-forth communication in real time similar to texting or instant messaging using a laptop or smartphone. The software also integrates with cameras and microphones.
Saunders said the state is still working out kinks in the system, but overall the online meetings have worked well.
"For some projects, the public interest is a lot higher than others, and it's harder to answer questions in real time when you have so many coming in," he said. "With the West Davis Corridor meeting, we were overwhelmed with questions and had to collect the information and get back to people later."
Saunders said UDOT is working to improve the online component for larger hearings like the West Davis Corridor meeting with bigger computer terminals, more bandwidth speed and more employees on hand to field questions.
"When you have 4,000 or 5,000 people asking questions, that changes the ball game," he said.
Saunders said although UDOT has made online attendance available at public meetings, the state still would rather see people show up at the actual meeting location.
"We'd sooner have you show up to the meetings in person, so you can talk with us face to face," he said. "But a lot of people simply can't leave their house, some people don't have the time. We're just hoping this gives people another option to participate in the process."
To take part online in a UDOT public hearing about roads, go to www.udot.gov and click on the public meetings tab.
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