COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF LIGHT RAIL AND COMMUTER RAIL PROJECTS IN THE PUGET SOUND REGION

摘要

The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) operates high-capacity transit systems consisting of commuter (heavy) rail, light rail, and buses in the greater Seattle metropolitan area. The commuter rail system consists of 82 track miles and 12 stations, extending from Lakewood south of Tacoma to Everett north of Seattle, on BNSF trackage between Tacoma and Everett. The light-rail system currently consists of 16 track miles and 13 stations, and will be expanded to 55 miles and 33 stations to ultimately serve the area from Federal Way south of Seattle to Lynnwood north of Seattle. As each component of the Sound Transit system has been conceived and planned, detailed and comprehensive Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) have been prepared to meet requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the State of Washington Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Sound Transit prepares these EISs in concert with other stakeholder agencies including the Federal Transit Administration, the Washington State Department of Transportation, and the Federal Railroad Administration. Sound Transit has successfully applied a comprehensive environmental management strategy that combines environmental documentation and review at the project planning and development stage with ongoing environmental compliance through the design and operation phases of each project.