September 2007
At a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) meeting held in September 2007, members received further updates on the project. Examples of clear noise walls were presented to the group. It was noted that as a result of the Smart Solution Alternative, the Route 3 roadway profile has been revised. Due to that change in design, the noise wall calculations have changed and need to be redesigned and be run through a model to obtain final dimensions. Also presented was information regarding interim repairs to the Route 3 Bridge over the Passaic River, which began on Monday, September 24, 2007; sidewalk and streetscape designs on Park Avenue; construction schedule information; as well as updates being made to this project web site.

Comments on the work of the CLC or any other aspect of the project can be made by calling the Route 3 project information line at 1-866-FX RT 3/21 (1-866-397-8321) or by sending an e-mail to the Project Team via the comments section.

As the project moves forward, the CLC will continue to assist the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) in building consensus on other key decisions for this regionally significant project.

June 2007
A CLC meeting was held in June 2007 to provide updates on the project's status, to explain the Smart Solution Alternative and to provide updates on resolutions from the affected communities on the issue of noise walls. Many concerns were raised about lane configurations and the management of traffic flow along Route 3, as well as traffic monitoring and motorists notification during construction. In addition, an inquiry was made about providing a designated lane for buses and other high occupancy vehicles (HOVs). It was explained that sufficient space does not exist within the existing right of way to accommodate a bus lane. However, an HOV lane may be possible, although there is a concern that taking a lane away from the general traffic use could have a significant impact on traffic flow in the other lanes.

June and August 2004
CLC meetings were held in June 2004 and August 2004 to discuss the architectural treatments for the new bridge over the Passaic River, the noise study and proposed noise walls and preparation for the Public Involvement Centers scheduled for October. There was much discussion about noise walls and how best to educate the communities so that the public can make an informed decision as to whether or not they want the noise walls constructed. Several displays and presentations were discussed that would assist with the educational process. It was decided that a brochure would be prepared by the design team including a questionnaire that will gauge resistance or support for the noise walls. Members of the committee made suggestions for wording of the questionnaire. Responses to these questionnaires will be collated and summarized and presented to the municipalities. Each municipality passed a resolution in favor of the noise walls for this project.

July 2002
At the following CLC meeting, held in July 2002, NJDOT representatives presented responses to additional points raised by residents at the Borough's follow-up meetings, further clarifying the decision-making process for the ramp's geometry. The CLC discussed additional refinements to address the concerns where appropriate, and the Design Team concurred that they could be implemented. The CLC decided that sufficient attention had been given to addressing concerns of residents of the Preble Place neighborhood, and that it was now time to present the Preferred Alternative - which shows the CLC's Final Preferred Ramp Alternative - to a broader audience, i.e. all project area residents and other interested stakeholders.

As a result of this decision, and in compliance with the NEPA process, NJDOT scheduled public information centers and public hearings to hear community input on the project as a whole. Prior to each of these meetings, special Public Information Centers were held in an open-house format to disseminate information on the results of the project's environmental investigations and conceptual presentations on noise mitigation and aesthetics.

June 2002
In May 2002, the Rutherford Borough Mayor and the Borough Engineer met with residents of the Preble Place neighborhood and members of the Route 3 Impact Group, a coalition of local residents who share concerns about the project. At the following CLC meeting, held in June 2002, NJDOT representatives responded point-by-point to the residents' concerns, showing which of the suggestions would be incorporated, and explaining why some ideas could not feasibly be implemented. A Route 3 Impact Group member who was invited to the June CLC meeting and later agreed to serve as a CLC member, expressed appreciation for the Project Team's comprehensive response to the residents' suggestions. He commented that the discussion represented "a good give-and-take" between the community and NJDOT.

After the June 2002 CLC meeting, the Borough of Rutherford held two follow-up meetings with neighborhood residents and Impact Group members to review NJDOT's responses to the most recent set of community comments. One of these meetings was held at the site of the proposed ramp, where the Borough Engineer and residents could refer to actual locations of ramp aspects in question.

March 2002
Residents of Preble Place were invited to meet with the CLC in March 2002 to comment on the CLC's preferred ramp alternative. After listening to neighborhood residents' input, the CLC at its April meeting unanimously endorsed the new ramp configuration as a better alternative in terms of neighborhood safety.

At the suggestion of the CLC, NJDOT installed a large display showing both the originally Initial Preferred Ramp Alternative and the CLC's Initial Preferred Ramp Alternative - and listing the advantages and disadvantages of each - at Rutherford Borough Hall. The exhibit was displayed from April through June 2002, and the information was also made available on handouts distributed at Rutherford Borough Hall.

January 2002
At the first CLC meeting in January 2002, committee members shared their concerns about neighborhood safety, particularly in the area near the proposed Rutherford westbound ramp. The following month, the NJDOT Project Team presented the CLC with a series of alternate ramp configurations, one of which was chosen by the CLC members for further study. During subsequent meetings, the CLC and their constituents provided input that resulted in the CLC's initial preferred ramp alternative.