Federal Highway Administration Summary Guidance on Using Corridor and Subarea Planning to Inform NEPA

摘要

The traditional separation of transportation planning and environmental analysis often results in aduplication of work, project delays, and higher costs. This may have been an inconvenience 10 years ago,but in today’s climate of tight budgets and significant infrastructure needs, transportation professionalsand the taxpaying public must get the most out of every dollar. To encourage both timeliness andeconomic efficiency, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued Guidance on UsingCorridor and Subarea Planning to Inform NEPA. This guidance assists transportation and environmentalprofessionals in the use of corridor and subarea planning to inform the National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA) decision-making process.This paper explains how to develop corridor and subarea plans effectively so they may be used toinform transportation project development. Case studies and the aforementioned guidance highlight thebenefits of linking planning and NEPA. The development and content of corridor and subarea planningstudies are explained to identify sections that may inform later NEPA decision-making. This paper thenexamines the necessary requirements and recommended approaches for planning decisions to beintegrated into NEPA. Incorporating environmental analysis early in the planning process can help informearly decision-making and reduce the later burden of impact analysis by identifying and avoidingpotential impacts early. This leads to streamlined project development, including fewer delays andreduced project costs.