“This Administration is committed to clearing the way for communities to invest in transit options that revitalize neighborhoods and improve access to jobs and critical destinations,” said Secretary LaHood. “These improvements expedite our environmental review process to move projects through the pipeline more quickly, while preserving critical community input on how planned transit projects affect the local environment.”
One impact of FTA’s new environmental review provisions is that the changes will make it possible to expedite the release of Hurricane Sandy emergency relief funds to aid in the restoration, rehabilitation and replacement of damaged transit assets in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and other regions.
Greater efficiencies will be achieved by allowing communities developing rail, bus, streetcar and ferry transit projects to spend less time and effort preparing documentation, such as environmental assessments, while continuing to ensure the protection of the environment and people’s health. For example, a transit project slated for development in an existing transportation right-of-way would qualify for a less cumbersome environmental review process than one breaking all new ground. To help expedite the process overall, transportation authorities are also encouraged to take environmental impacts into consideration sooner, as part of the planning process, rather than later in the process which may cause delays.
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Source: FTA
This information is intended to be
educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.
