IDOT has realized from the start of the study that feedback from potentially affected communities was important to ensuring that IDOT proposals are consistent with community goals and objectives.  To provide a forum for discussions of details about the location and design of the Prairie Parkway, IDOT has established a Corridor Planning Group.  The Corridor Planning Group includes elected officials from the three counties and eight municipalities located within a 3 mile wide band of the proposed corridors.  These include the counties of Kane, Kendall, and Grundy; and the municipalities of Big Rock, Elburn, Sugar Grove, Plano, Yorkville, Lisbon, Morris and Minooka.

The elected officials on the Corridor Planning Group are supported by Technical Task Forces, whose members are selected from farm bureaus, transportation and land use planning agencies, economic development councils, forest preserve districts, and environmental conservation groups. The task force members have experience and knowledge of local issues related to land use planning, environmental resources, and transportation.

The Corridor Planning Group and supporting task forces provide a place for discussion about the proposed roadway footprint, potential impacts, opportunities to establish a corridor theme, and community responses to those proposed ideas.  The group also provides a framework for local government cooperation on land use and enhancements to the region. The task forces may address project transportation issues, including horizontal and vertical location, crossroad closures and interchange locations, interchange design and adjacent property access, right-of-way width, accommodation of utilities, emergency vehicle access, non-motorized trails, maintenance of traffic, design standards;  and environmental issues including agricultural preservation, open space preservation, storm water discharge, water quality, wetlands, home and business displacements, construction impacts, and secondary impacts stimulated by the project.  Land use planning can be addressed by the task force by providing a framework for development of corridor land uses and development plans. 

When the group raises issues or have suggestions regarding, IDOT and the project team work hard to accommodate the request or reduce the impact.  Often times this results in adjustments that eventually provide a good solution for all parties.  These draft footprints may change based on public comments or new environmental conditions that are identified during the ongoing surveys.  IDOT and the project team will also periodically brief other agencies, local jurisdictions, and interest groups on study progress, as well as continue to hold public meetings and workshops.