About public hearings, meetings, and notices

Public hearings, meetings, and notices allow you to participate in the transportation planning process and help you better understand the road, rail and aviation projects that affect your community. TxDOT is committed to improving our transportation system through citizen participation. Typical avenues of involvement include the following:

Public meeting

• Held throughout the planning process
• Intended to present information, exchange ideas and gather input from the public on the need for, and possible alternatives to, a project
• Usually focus on a specific issue, project or planning document

Public hearing

• More formal than a public meeting and includes a formal presentation
  
• Held after project location and design studies are developed
• Held to gather community comments from all interested parties for the official public record prior to a final decision
  
• A presiding officer oversees the proceedings and ensures that a complete record is kept

Open house

• Can feature presentations and one-on-one discussions between the public and TxDOT staff
• Information is presented in a manner where you can move at your own pace to view project information
  
• Attendees may come and go at their convenience

Notice

• Alerts the public to specific milestones in the environmental review process and offer the opportunity to review environmental documents
• Notice types include Notice Affording Opportunity for Public Hearing; Notice of Availability of environmental documents, such as an Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment; Notice of Finding of no Significant Impact and Online Comment Opportunities