Project Name | Project Type | Description |
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Atlanta Regional Multimodal Passenger Terminal | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The Atlanta Regional MultiModal Passenger Terminal project is a part of a larger economic redevelopment plan for downtown Atlanta. The new terminal will create a centralized transit hub to link currently disconnected transportation networks in downtown Atlanta, including high-speed rail, commuter rail, streetcar, Greyhound, MARTA, pedestrians, cyclists and more. The terminal will also serve as one of the catalysts for commercial and residential development on 120 acres of underutilized land in the area. The project is funded in part by the Federal Transit Administration and Georgia Department of Transportation's Public-Private Partnership program. |
Baltimore Red Line | High Priority |
The Baltimore Red Line is a proposed 14-mile rail transit line that would connect the suburban areas west of Baltimore to downtown, the Inner Harbor and Fells Point areas, and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Campus. Maryland Transit Administration is the project sponsor and the Federal Transit Administration is the lead federal agency. This proposed project has several outstanding federal permitting actions that will require substantial cooperation between a number of resource and other federal agencies. These include: Issuance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision for the Baltimore Red Line project, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Issuance of a conformity determination, which the FTA, as the federal funder for this project, must make in order to ensure that the proposed project (which is located in an area that does not meet or has not met air quality standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, or nitrogen dioxide) is consistent with air quality goals established under the Clean Air Act; A Programmatic Agreement, which is being prepared as part of the Section 106 Consultation process with the Maryland Historical Trust. The Programmatic Agreement will address any cultural or historical resources, including archaeology identified during final design and construction following the FEIS. The PA will identify the process and procedures to be followed concerning evaluating effects on historic properties and exploring measures to avoid or reduce harm to affected properties. Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation, which will be completed in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether the project may affect a listed or endangered species. This process will conclude with the signing of the Record of Decision in February 2013. The ROD was originally scheduled to be completed in July 2013 and has since been expedited. The Record of Decision is the final step in the NEPA process and identifies the selected alternative, presents the basis for the decision, identifies all the alternatives considered, specifies the "environmentally preferable alternative," and provides information on the adopted means to avoid, minimize and compensate for environmental impacts. |
California High Speed Train - Fresno to Bakersfield - Central Valley | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The Fresno to Bakersfield section of the California High Speed Train (HST) System extends approximately 114 miles in California's Central Valley and is a portion of Phase 1 of the HST system. Stations are planned at Fresno and Bakersfield, and a third Kings/Tulare Regional Station is being considered near Hanford. The high-speed train project will support job creation in a region that is currently experiencing some of the nation's highest unemployment rates. Once operating, projections estimate 4,500 boardings daily in Fresno and 5,100 in Bakersfield, with travel time between Fresno and Bakersfield estimated at 37 minutes. Early, intensive coordination for project environmental reviews has supported a project schedule that is projected to save up to 6 months, enabling the project to meet funding deadlines and an aggressive construction schedule |
Crenshaw/LAX | High Priority |
The Crenshaw/LAX project will be constructed by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro). The project will extend the existing Metro Green Line light rail service nearer to the Los Angeles International Airport and connect it to the Expo Line light rail. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is providing funding for the project by means of a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan and a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II grant award, as well as additional targeted technical assistance to the project sponsor, LA Metro, in an effort to shorten the approval time for this project by several months. In addition, FTA and LA Metro will pilot FTA's new streamlined risk assessment approach for major transit projects to ensure risks and associated mitigation measures are identified and addressed promptly, before they become critical and cause delays to the project. FTA published a Final Environmental Impact Statement, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), on September 9, 2011, and expects to issue the Record of Decision for the project in December 2011. |
DC-Maryland Regional Trail Network | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
TIGER funds will complete four missing miles of bicycle and pedestrian paths on the Kenilworth Gardens Trail, connecting hundreds of miles of existing trail networks in Maryland and DC. This path will create new options for bicycle commuters and bring economic and health benefits to communities along the trail. The overall project includes the construction of five bridges, raised pathways, and multi-use paths. It will connect 16 waterfront neighborhoods to the Anacostia River, as well as the Southwest Waterfront, the Nationals baseball stadium, the Navy Yard, RFK Stadium, the National Arboretum, and other popular destinations. This project will utilize many innovative techniques to reduce environmental impact, including minimizing the width of the trail and shoulders and elevating portions of the trail to reduce impact to wetlands and other sensitive environmental areas. The foundation systems for the structures were designed using minimally invasive techniques, which limit the production of excess material typically hauled off the site and disposed. The project is also redeveloping a brownfield site. To complete the environmental process, FHWA completed a Level 2 Categorical Exclusion for the trail segment. One result of early coordination on this project was that FHWA was able to incorporate information from an earlier Environmental Assessment prepared for by the National Park Service for the entire Anacostia Riverwalk trail for their Categorical Exclusion document. Much of the baseline information for the Categorical Exclusion was already included in this Environmental Assessment. The combination of FHWA's early coordination with the National Park Service and the utilization of existing information saved at least several months of duplicative review and effort and reduced potential costs in the environmental review process. |
Devil's Lake Rail Improvements | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The Project will address rising level of Devil's Lake that floods the BNSF rail line between Devil's Lake and Church's Ferry, North Dakota. The Project will ensure the rail line remains open to passenger and freight traffic, and avoids rerouting these trains. The Project involves: replacing bolted rail with continuous welded rail between mile post 31.50 and mile post 91.00 and between mile post 105.51 and mile post 114.25 (approximately 52.5 miles); raising approximately 12.4 miles of rail line grade between mile post 91.39 and mile post 105.43 five feet; placing rip rap on slopes; and paying costs related to engineering, construction management, crossing adjustments, and other incidental work. These improvements will ensure continued Amtrak service that will be able to operate at a faster speed, improving long-term reliability, and will reduce maintenance costs for both passenger and freight trains. There has been extensive coordination between North Dakota, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Railroad Administration to ensure timely permitting and environmental approval process. Through careful engineering and planning, the rail improvements will be constructed with little to no environmental impact. All work will be completed within existing right-of-way. |
Interstate 5 Columbia River Crossing | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The Columbia River Crossing project will replace the I-5 bridges over the Columbia River connecting Vancouver, Wash., to Portland, Ore., and also extend an existing light rail system, making a long sought after rail transit link between Portland and Vancouver finally possible. The CRC project also includes the reconstruction of highway interchanges, improved freight access, the procurement of light rail vehicles, and the construction of park-and-ride spaces. It is a multimodal project focused on increasing mobility of motorists, freight traffic, transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The project is a long-term, comprehensive solution funded jointly by the Federal Highway and Federal Transit Administrations and local sources to improve safety and relieve highway and freight congestion problems throughout the region. |
Kennebec Bridge Replacement | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The project replaces an 80 year-old moveable span truss bridge at the end of its service life with a high level, fixed bridge over the Kennebec River on State Route 197 between Richmond and Dresden, located upstream from the existing bridge. The Maine Kennebec Bridge is an important crossing on the Kennebec River as it connects the communities and links Dresden and points east with Interstate 295. This structurally deficient structure contains five fracture critical spans. The existing bridge has one movable section (swing span) that allows larger vessels to pass the navigable portion of the Kennebec River. Navigability on this section of the Kennebec River is extremely important, especially for the U.S. Coast Guard which operates two vessels for ice breaking and aids to navigation. These vessels are utilized during most winters to prevent ice jams that can cause flooding in many upstream areas. At the request of the U.S. Coast Guard, the new bridge will provide sufficient vertical clearance to eliminate the need for a movable span, and will provide reliable access and regional mobility for both highway and marine traffic. In addition, the current bridge is only 20 feet wide, and often acts as a single lane bridge when logging and other large trucks cross. The new structure will provide two travel lanes plus shoulders to safely accommodate trucks, bicycles and pedestrians. The project involves significant collaboration with Federal and State agencies. The Kennebec River is home to the Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon and Short-nose sturgeon, federally listed endangered and threatened species. Extensive consultation and coordination continues with the National Marine Fisheries Service in order to protect these species. The bridge is also directly upstream of the Swan Island Nature Preserve which is managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The new bridge will be located further away from this property. Consultation for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act was completed with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement in March 2012. The process was expedited to allow archeological data recovery from the site of 18th century Fort Richmond to proceed this summer, allowing the project to remain on schedule. The data recovery element is being used as a means to educate others on the history of the area. Please see http://mainehumanities.org/programs/history-camp/fort-richmond.html for more information. The bridge is also eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. A programmatic Section 4(f) evaluation for replacement of the historic bridge was completed in April 2012. Other environmental approvals are expected to be completed as scheduled in October 2012. Construction is expected to start in May 2013 with completion in November 2015. |
NextGen Infrastructure Initiative - Houston Metroplex (OAPM) | High Priority |
NextGen is the modernization of our national airspace - a complex initiative that integrates new and existing technologies. The FAA has created the OAPM initiative to optimize the airspace, and estimates that this pilot project in Houston will translate to an estimated annual savings of 2.5 to 6.9 million gallons of fuel and reduces carbon emissions by 26K to 71K tons. Watch concept video. This Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot project will create Next Generation (NextGen) aviation procedures, including the implementation of new, more efficient routes, for airports in Houston, Texas. These procedures must comply with internal FAA approvals as well as review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). FAA is using an Environmental Management System (EMS) approach to tightly integrate the NEPA reviews into FAA's internal approval process, which will expedite this project. Studying the impacts of the new procedures also will serve as a demonstration project for future NextGen procedural improvement on future projects. FAA also has developed a NextGen NEPA Plan to serve as a high-level guide to improvements in the way the FAA implements NEPA and ensure timely, effective, and efficient environmental reviews of proposed NextGen improvements. As part of this plan, FAA will use a Focused Environmental Assessment (EA) approach to yield more concise and timely environmental reviews for proposed FAA actions. Tightly integrating the NEPA review into FAA's Internal process will expedite the review time for this project, and studying the impacts of the new procedures will serve as a demonstration project for future NextGen procedural improvements on future projects. A metroplex is one or more busy airports surrounded by complex airspace. An optimization of that airspace involves a systematic, integrated, and expedited approach to implementing satellite navigation procedures. These satellite navigation procedures allow aircraft to fly precise flight tracks without regard for specific ground based navigational aids. These new procedures are part of a larger process called Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex (OAPM). A typical OAPM project uses an already expedited life-cycle of about 3 years from Study to Implementation. As part of an initiative to expedite reviews of new NextGen enabled procedures, the FAA will further expedite implementation of new, more efficient routes for airports in the Houston area. This new accelerated process can bring benefits to the Houston metroplex in about 24 months. OAPM projects utilize two types of collaborative teams: Study Teams provide a comprehensive but expeditious front-end strategic look at each major metroplex. Using the results of the Study Teams, Design and Implementation (D&I) Teams provide a systematic, effective approach to the design, evaluation, and implementation of new satellite navigation based procedures along with airspace modifications to optimize benefits of the new procedures. Implementing satellite navigation procedures, along with complementary airspace modifications will result in fewer track miles flown, reduced fuel consumption and less greenhouse gas emissions. These procedures must comply with existing FAA standards, criteria and requirements, and with requirements for environmental reviews. Expediting these reviews while developing and analyzing new procedures will demonstrate streamlined environmental processing for future NextGen procedural improvements. After completion of this pilot in Houston the FAA may propose additional areas for more expedited testing and deployment. In each instance, the FAA would be using streamlined environmental processes.NextGen procedures will typically result in a number of environmental benefits. By utilizing satellite navigation that employs both new and current technology, such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), FAA will improve the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) while reducing emissions and conserving energy. The FAA will ensure that the air traffic controller workforce is properly trained in the use and implementation of these procedures. BENEFITS Based on studies already performed for Houston OAPM, this initiative will translate to an estimated annual savings of 2.5 to 6.9 million gallons of fuel, equivalent to 7.5 to 21 million dollars at the current fuel cost. Carbon emissions are expected to be reduced by 26K to 71K metric tons. Additional savings in delay hours, and other benefits will be calculated based on the results of the project. All project funding can be obligated and projects underway in the next two years. Improvements to the air transportation infrastructure stimulate the economy in a myriad of ways both directly and indirectly related to aviation. Increased air access to the Houston area resulting from these improvements can be expected to produce both direct and indirect jobs.
Links for EMS, NEPA Plan, and Focused EA: FAA NextGen EMS website:�http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/apl/research/en... FAA NextGen NEPA Plan: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/apl/environ_pol... FAA Focused EA Guidance:� http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/apl/environ_pol...(EAs).p |
NiSource - Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC Modernization Project | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
Introduction NiSource, Inc. has announced that it will implement a long-term investment program to modernize its Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC ("Columbia") interstate gas transmission system by replacing aging infrastructure. The company estimates an investment of $4 billion over 10 to 15 years, beginning in 2012. Affected states include West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Maryland. One of the major drivers for the project's timetable is navigating the various federal, state and local regulations and permitting requirements. Project Description Columbia states that this will be a long-term program to modernize its gas transmission system and is designed to improve service reliability and pipeline safety, and should provide more flexibility for its customers. The company states modernization efforts are needed to address bare steel infrastructure in high consequence areas, and the fact that 76% of its control systems are running on obsolete platforms. Seventy percent of its pipeline is more than 40 years old. A major component of the modernization activities would be the replacement of approximately 1,000 miles of large diameter pipeline in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Ohio. Domestic-made steel would be used for the new pipeline. NiSource estimates an investment of $4 billion over 10 to 15 years, beginning in 2012, and would create approximately 7,000 to 8,000 jobs. External Factors The modernization program will require approval from numerous entities at all levels of government, including the Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency as well as multiple state and local government entities. In addition to navigating the approval and permitting process, Columbia will have to inform and engage key stakeholders, including environmental groups, customers, community organizations and safety officials. Regulatory Review and Coordination Per Executive Order 13604, which calls for federal agencies to identify opportunities to streamline and improve regulations while involving the public in the process, DOT is coordinating with other government agencies to determine if opportunities exist to remove overlap and expedite the regulatory and approval processes without sacrificing safety or lowering industry standards. This dashboard will give the public the opportunity to view the collaborative process for the pipeline modernization project. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is an independent regulatory agency which, among other things, is responsible for reviewing proposals to build interstate natural gas pipeline facilities as well as liquefied natural gas terminals. As an independent regulatory agency, the Commission's decisions are not subject to review by the President or Congress. These natural gas facility siting responsibilities are guided by the Natural Gas Act (NGA) which states, in Section 15(b), that the Commission is the lead agency for the purpose of coordinating the necessary Federal authorizations and for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The NGA also states that the Commission is responsible for establishing a schedule for the issuance of all necessary Federal authorizations. Such schedules take into account the statutory processing requirements of the necessary Federal authorizations. The Commission attempts to act expeditiously on all infrastructure applications, generally in the order in which they are received, and thus is not in a position to select particular projects to be highlighted in a public forum, which might give the incorrect assumption that those projects have priority. However, in accordance with the Commission's regulations and after consultation with the relevant Federal permitting agencies, we will issue a notice disclosing the anticipated date for the issuance of our final NEPA document. This schedule will be issued only after an applicant has filed a formal application with the Commission and staff has determined that sufficient information exists to prepare the EA. The notice will be posted on the Commission's website and can then be posted and attributed to the Commission. The Commission's environmental review process is transparent and well defined, and provides a number of resources to people that are interested in pending projects (http://www.ferc.gov/for-citizens/get-involved/how-get-inv.asp). Therefore, while the "schedule" may not be available for some time, anyone interested in following the progress of Columbia's Line MB Project at the Commission (Docket No. PF12-6) can easily do so using the Commission's eLibrary (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) and eSubscription (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/e |
Northeast Corridor Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan - NEC Future Program - Phase One | High Priority |
The project is located in the Northeast region and would provide improved rail service within the region. The intent is to develop an integrated passenger rail transportation solution for the Northeast. The purpose of this solution is to improve mobility, effectively serve travel demand due to population and jobs growth, support economic development, reduce growth in carbon emissions and dependence on foreign oil, and contribute to improved land utilization and investment in both urban and non-urban communities in the region The process will define a comprehensive and integrated passenger rail network in the Northeast region, looking at a range of rail service types and infrastructure needs, including plans for public investment in projects that contribute towards efficient movement and increased capacity for freight and commuter service. As part of the overall project to provide high-speed rail to the megaregion, a Service Development Plan and Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be developed to satisfy the requirements of the NEPA. The funding plan and expected duration dictates that the project be divided into three phases covering various subsets of the planning and environmental tasks associated with the effort. Phase 1 is 12 months in length and covers data collection, NEPA scoping and initiation of alternatives development. The CEQ NEPA Pilot Program essentially runs parallel with Phase 1 of the NEC Future. Phase 2 will include development of the Draft Tier 1 EIS and service planning technical information. Phase 3 will include Final Tier 1 EIS, ROD, and Final SDP. Provided continuous funding, the effort will reach completion within 38 months. |
Point Defiance Bypass | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The Project would re-route passenger trains from the Point Defiance BNSF rail line that runs along the southern Puget Sound shoreline to an existing rail corridor (the proposed Project corridor) that runs along the west side of Interstate 5 (I-5) between Tacoma and Nisqually. The existing alignment (BNSF line), shared by freight and passenger rail traffic, is near capacity and is operationally constrained by the shoreline geography has physical and operational constraints. Outreach efforts to local communities have been extensive and many are part of the Projects Technical Advisory Group. The Project is a key in providing more competitive intercity passenger rail service between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR, including: Increasing Amtrak Cascades round-trips from four to six by 2017 in order to meet projected service demands; reducing scheduling conflicts with freight trains that often result in delays, and by mitigating or avoiding operational delays (e.g., drawbridge openings) and weather-related delays (e.g., mudslides), and improving on-time performance from 68 percent to 88 percent; decreasing passenger train trip times by at least 10 minutes, and reducing conflicts with freight trains; and upgrading at-grade crossings safety with wayside horns, median barriers, advanced warning signals, and traffic signal improvement. |
Port of Jacksonville | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
A new Intermodal Container Facility (ICTF) at the Port of Jacksonville will increase the capacity of the port to handle containers that arrive or depart by rail, and thereby will reduce truck traffic on local and regional roads. The ICTF will include a five-track rail yard, two wide-span electric cranes, and a paved area for stacking containers and several support uses, including a road a gate for truck movement of cargo, a parking area, and storm water retention facilities. The facility will also use zero-emission, wide-span electric cranes for all lift operations. This $45 million project is being financed through a public-private partnership, including US Department of Transportation TIGER grant funding of $10 million serving as an example of the expanded outreach and coordination by DOT to help non-traditional grantees navigate the environmental review process, from start to finish, in an efficient manner to meet the aggressive timelines associated with an innovative funding program. This port-side investment compliments the ongoing work by the Corps of Engineers helping maintain and increase the economic competitiveness of the port as expansion of the Panama Canal commences in the coming years. |
Provo Westside Connector | High Priority |
The Provo Westside Connector in Utah is a proposed highway project establishing a new arterial roadway between Provo Airport and Interstate 15 to improve roadway system linkage in southwest Provo, UT. By increasing coordination among federal and state agencies, permit review and approval can be expedited, saving six or more months. This time savings will be achieved through an agreed upon schedule for document reviews and establishing a process for dispute elevation and resolution. |
San Francisco Downtown Ferry Terminal Expansion Project | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal expansion project will improve waterside and landside facilities at the city's busy Ferry Terminal. The project, managed by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority, will expedite boarding for more than 10,000 daily passengers, provide better access to jobs and entertainment centers downtown, and improve connections to area pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities. Ferry Terminal improvements will also expand the region's ability to provide vital transportation services in the event of an emergency. The project is funded in part by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which is using new project management tools to engage other Federal agencies in order to improve the efficiency of environmental reviews and to facilitate greater interagency collaboration in the process. These innovations, in addition to leveraging lessons learned from prior projects, are projected to shave several months off the project schedule. |
Southwest Light Rail Transit Line | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The Southwest Light Rail Transitway (LRT) Project will greatly improve access to major employment centers and all area attractions for residents and commuters in greater Minneapolis by building new light rail service running between downtown Minneapolis and the southwestern suburbs out to Eden Prairie. The project, would be funded in part by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), adds over 15 miles of new track as well as several new stations and park-and-ride lots. The LRT line would improve accessibility and mobility by enhancing transit travel speeds. The project is projected to result in an average of 16 minutes of travel time savings compared to lower-cost bus improvements, which is attributable to the LRT line's diagonal route compared to the north-south/east-west roadway orientation and increasing levels of congestion in the corridor. The LRT line would link several major activity centers, including Target Field on the corridor's eastern end and the Eden Prairie Center Mall on the corridor's western end. Also, because the project would share track with the Central Corridor LRT line, it would provide a one-seat ride from Minneapolis' southwestern suburbs via downtown Minneapolis to the State Capitol complex and downtown St. Paul. FTA is using the Federal Infrastructure Projects dashboard process and tools to engage other Federal partners earlier in the environmental process to streamline the interagency coordination by understanding expectations and requirements early. FTA, the Metropolitan Council, Minnesota Department of Transportation and Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority are also exploring using the NEPA/Clean Water Act Section 404 Merger process which is estimated to save many months of sequential review by aligning the processes to occur concurrently. FTA has given delegation authority for the Section 106 process to Minnesota Department of Transportation, Cultural Resources Unit to facilitate and coordinate the Section 106 process under federal guidelines. Additional information is available on FTA's public website in the Capital Investment Project Profiles. |
Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement | High Priority |
The purpose of the project is to maintain a vital link in the regional and national transportation network by providing an improved Hudson River crossing between Rockland and Westchester Counties. The existing bridge was built in 1955 and now serves approximately 138,000 vehicles per day. While safe to the traveling public, the bridge does not meet current standards for its design or traffic operations. The project would improve structural, operational, mobility, safety, and security features of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Initial planning for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement considered further highway and transit improvements along the corridor, which would have required much higher funding levels. In 2011, while advancing a financial analysis of the larger corridor project, New York State determined that funding was not available to complete the larger scope of improvements. As a result, the project scope was reduced to match available financing and the project was re-scoped and downsized to focus solely on the Hudson River crossing independent of other highway and transit elements. This rescoped project does not preclude such improvements in the future. The Tappan Zee Bridge provides the only interstate highway crossing of the Hudson River for the 48-mile stretch between the George Washington Bridge (Interstate 95) and the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge (Interstate 84). It is a vital link between the population and employment centers of Rockland and Westchester Counties and is a major route for freight movement. During the past 20 years (1990 to 2010), traffic volumes have grown by almost 30 percent on the Tappan Zee Bridge volumes are highest during the morning eastbound commute and the evening westbound commute, but the bridge is prone to severe congestion during non-commuter periods as well. The Tappan Zee Bridge carries more than 5,000 vehicles per hour during 15 hours (7 AM to 10 PM) on a typical weekday. The bridge serves as a major freight route between points east and west of the Hudson River. It is a primary over-land gateway to New England for goods delivered to the Port of New York and New Jersey. The bridge is also a bypass route around New York City for trucks traveling between New England and points south and west of New York City. The bridge replacement project involves both state and federal resource agencies concerned with the navigation of the Hudson, the removal and disposal of materials from the Hudson River bed, the impacts on protected fish species as well as the historic nature of the bridge, among others. Because of all of these interests and recognizing the significance of this project not only to the region but also as a priority project for the President, significant coordination and communication efforts are underway. This project is on an aggressive schedule that seeks to deliver a project in compliance with environmental regulations while expediting the review process.
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University Circle - Little Italy Rapid Station | Nationally or Regionally Significant Projects |
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's University Circle-Little Italy Rapid Station project involves the relocation of an existing station at E 120th Street and construction of a new a rail transit station along with the rehabilitation of two transit track bridges at Mayfield Road. The project will integrate the station with the dense, high employment areas of Little Italy neighborhood and University Hospitals. The project replaces an obsolete station with a new, energy efficient building, while focusing on reusing existing community resources. The project is funded in part with a Department of Transportation $12.5 million TIGER grant. FTA is working closely with the Greater Cleveland Transit Authority and implementing FTA's new internal environmental standard operating procedures to develop a streamlined and focused environmental assessment in line with the Council on Environmental Quality's Guidance on Improving Efficiency of NEPA Reviews. Using this new approach is expected to save weeks, if not months during the NEPA process through greater efficiencies in the process by focusing the NEPA review.
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Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project | High Priority |
The Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project in Massachusetts will replace sixty-year old bridge spanning the Merrimack River with a new, multi-modal bridge that will add additional lanes for motor vehicle traffic as well as bicycle and pedestrian lanes. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has proposed this project to bring the Whittier bridge up to current safety standards by creating a structure that can accommodate the traffic flow along Interstate 95, with funding to be provided by the U.S. Department of Transportations Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Whittier bridge is one of 250 structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts aims to replace in an eight-year period through its Accelerated Bridge Program (read more here: http://www.eot.state.ma.us/acceleratedbridges/). Replacing the Whittier Bridge with the proposed multi-modal structure and completing the necessary improvements on the approach areas of I-95 will accommodate the increasing traffic volumes on this vital commuting and recreational travel corridor. In addition to maintaining the vital linkage of I-95, the multi-use path will also make significant advancements in the Merrimack Valley region bicycle/trail network providing connections to existing and planned trails. The Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project will combine state and federal environmental review in a joint process. MassDOT has prepared a Environmental Assessment/Draft Environmental Impact Report (accessible here: http://whittierbridge.mhd.state.ma.us/documents_ea_deir.aspx) for the Whittier Bridge replacement as part of a joint federal NEPA and state MEPA environmental review process. FHWA is coordinating with federal resource agencies to expedite the completion of the remaining federal reviews, permits, and consultations required for this project including a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit (administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), a bridge permit (administered by the U.S. Coast Guard), consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service to avoid, minimize, or mitigate potential adverse effects on essential fish habitat, and finalization of the Environmental Assessment/Draft Environmental Impact Report.
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