Transportation for Communities - Advancing Projects Through Partnerships
- User Portals
- Applications
Transportation Phases
- Long Range Transportation Planning
- Integrated Programming and Fiscal Constraint
- Corridor Planning
- Environmental Review Merged with Permitting
Check out the Understanding the Decision Guide page
ENV-4
Reach Consensus on Study Area
Description: Consensus on an initial geographic area of study (the area within which any alternatives will fall) is reached at this key decision. The initial study area may be modified as the environmental review process continues and new information is acquired. The determination of the study area is informed by the environmental review and analysis conducted during any corridor studies as well as by land use and capital improvement planning activities. The study area is closely linked to ENV-3 (Approve Purpose and Need/Reach Consensus on Project Purpose).
There is information developed in prior key decisions that informs this step.
Purpose
To define a geographic area for the environmental study
Outcome
A defined study area for the project.
Partner Roles | ||
|---|---|---|
FHWA |
Decision Maker |
Ensures consideration of an appropriate study area for the beginning of the environmental review process |
MPO |
Advisor |
Informs consideration of study area from regional/ corridor planning |
Resource Agency |
Decision Maker |
Reach consensus on an initial study area that is sufficiently broad to include all transportation options and consideration of indirect and cumulative impacts. Support the consideration of the ecological planning region(s) - in the development of the study area. |
State DOT |
Decision Maker |
Ensures a comprehensive study area for initiating the consideration of alternatives |
Process |
Integration Type |
Integration Description |
|---|---|---|
| Land Use and Smart Growth | Data | Detailed land use data in the study area; for example, zoning maps, land use patterns, growth forecasts, and parcel data | Analysis | Analysis/validation of land use implementation decisions (i.e. zoning and building permits) compared to land use plan assumptions for adopted land use / corridor plans. |
| Air Quality Conformity | None. | None. |
| Natural Environment and the IEF | Data From IEF-1 Build & Strengthen Collaborative Partnerships & Vision | The ecological planning region from Sub-step 1a of the IEF would have been acquired at ENV-1. The region should inform the study area for environmental review. If additional data is known at the site level (e.g., if specific information is known about species populations or other important resources), this could affect the ecological study area and should be taken into consideration. | Data From IEF Step 3 - Create Regional Ecosystem Framework | The combined map of conservation, restoration and enhancement priorities with transportation plans from IEF Step 3 should also inform the study area for environmental review. |
| Capital Improvement | Data | Data related to the approved capital improvements identified within the study area |
| Safety and Security | Data | Relevant data from approved safety / security plans. |
| Human Environment | Data | Data related to community context for protected community resources |
| Economic Development | Data | GIS data for major development or redevelopment sites within or near defined study area to determine potential risks associated with indirect and cumulative impacts if these areas were to be developed. |
| Greenhouse Gas | Data | Factors related to GHG emissions, including land use patterns, trip patterns, major attractors, and employment centers to identify an area of potential impacts for GHG emissions. |
Linkages to other Phases of Transportation Decision Making | ||
|---|---|---|
Key Decision |
What is Linked? |
Purpose of Linkage |
From Long Range Transportation Planning |
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LRP-7 - Approve Plan Scenarios |
Scenarios considered in the long range planning process that may impact the selection of alternatives and reasons for eliminating scenarios |
To consider scenarios included and eliminated in long range planning in order to focus the study area on alternatives that are in consistent with regional multimodal improvements |
From Corridor Planning Studies |
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COR-4 - Reach Consensus on Scope of Environmental Review and Analysis |
Information on the study area used in the corridor planning process. |
To inform the selection of the study area |
Policy Questions |
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|---|---|
Questions about purpose and roles |
Is there agreement among partners on the boundaries of the study area? |
Questions about stakeholders |
Does the current study area reflect comments received during scoping and the Notice of Intent? |
Questions about the transportation process supporting the decision |
Has private sector input on the potential area of impact of the P3 project been incorporated? |
Is the geographic area identified during scoping sufficiently broad to address cumulative impacts and support alternatives analysis? | |
Is the geographic area identified sufficiently broad to address all potential economic impacts on the relevant communities (including transfer effects)? | |
Is the study area broad enough for consideration of the full range of issues that need to be addressed? | |
Is the study area identified sufficiently broad to address all potential operational, equity, environmental justice, and other impacts that may result from P3 projects (e.g., projects involving tolls or user fees)? | |
Questions about other phases |
No specific questions. |
Questions about non-transportation sectors/processes |
Does the proposed P3 project relate to existing financial or economic planning in the region? If so, how does this inform the selection of the study area? |
Has a regional economic development plan or strategy been developed? If so, how does this relate to the proposed project study area? | |
Has a regional ecosystem framework been developed? If so, how does this intersect with the proposed project study area? | |
Is there a study area from ecological planning? If so, how was it considered in the development of the proposed project study area? | |
Is there a study area from other economic or land use plans that is relevant to this? If so, how was it considered in the development of the proposed project study area? | |
Is there any potential for increased GHG emissions as a result of the GHG reduction strategy/project? For example, the location of new refueling facilities for alternative fuel that may lead to increased VMT or improvement of transit service that may lead | |
Were land use patterns and growth forecasts considered in the development of the study area? | |
What is the area over which GHG reductions will be compared considering travel patterns or activity and land development patterns? | |
What is the availability of data that would permit estimation of direct, indirect, and cumulative GHG emissions for associated activities? (Such as induced travel, project construction, maintenance and operations activities, and full life-cycle emissions) | |
Questions to Gather Stakeholder Interests |
|---|
| Do you agree with the study area identified? |
| Is there anything missing from the study area? How should it be extended? |
| What do we need to consider within the study area? |
| What resources within the outline study area do you value? |
Questions to Incorporate Stakeholder Interests |
|---|
| Is the information we received from stakeholders consistent with what we had? If it is inconsistent, how are we going to address these inconsistencies? |
| What is the rational for how we handled information from the stakeholders? How has this been communicated to the stakeholders? |
Case Study Example(s): |
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Supporting Data for the Key Decision |
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|---|---|---|
From other phases of transportation decision making |
Long Range Planning |
Fatally flawed scenarios to inform the extent of the study area | Programming |
Programmed projects in the TIP |
Corridor Planning |
Study area used in corridor planning |
The scope of the environmental review and analysis process during corridor planning. |
Environmental Review |
ENV-3: Project purpose and need |
From other sectors and processes |
Land Use and Smart Growth |
Detailed land use data in the study area; for example, zoning maps, growth forecasts, land use patterns, and parcel data | Air Quality Conformity |
No Specific Data |
Natural Environment and the IEF |
Combined map of conservation, restoration and enhancement priorities with transportation plans |
Capital Improvement |
Planned improvements in the area |
Data related to the approved capital improvements identified within the study area |
Safety and Security |
Relevant data from approved safety / security plans |
Human Environment |
Data related to community context for protected community resources |
Economic Development |
GIS data for nearby major development or redevelopment sites |
Greenhouse Gas |
Traffic counts |
Land use plan and implementation data available since the corridor plan and LRTP were approved |
Existing transportation network and associated data |
Indicators of the potential for induced change in development: changes in distance and travel time between project site and major trip attractors; and suitability of project area for development |
Local comprehensive plans |
From the transportation technical process supporting this key decision |
Municipal boundaries | |
From stakeholder collaboration |
Summary of comments received on the proposed study area from the stakeholders and rational for how those comments were addressed | |
From public private partnership |
No Specific Data | |
The following is a list of data needed to support the key decision. Practitioners collect this information for decision makers to consider. You may add to this list using the comment box at the bottom of the page. Supporting Tools and Technology | |
|---|---|
Category |
Detail |
Communication |
GIS Tools: Used for communicating characteristics of study area to stakeholders. May include remote sensing tools such as aerial imaging. |
Gathering |
GIS Tools: Used to gather spatial data on study area. Helpful in determining if the extent of the study area is appropriate for the environmental review. |
Census Tools: Used to gather data on transportation patterns. Tools such as the Census Transportation Planning Tool (CTPT), market needs, and deficiencies. |
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Key Decision Relationship to Other Topics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Topic | Description | ||
| Streamlining a Bottleneck Project |
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| Public-Private Partnerships |
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