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NCHRP 25-24 [Final]
Monitoring, Analyzing, and Reporting on the Environmental Streamlining Pilot Projects
| Project Data |
| Funds: |
$299,988 |
| Research Agency: |
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. |
| Principal Investigator: |
Frank A. Bracaglia |
| Effective Date: |
7/13/2001 |
| Completion Date: |
9/30/2005 |
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Environmental streamlining has been a high priority both in the process leading to the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and in the subsequent period of TEA-21 implementation. State transportation departments are looking to the environmental streamlining initiative to identify effective ways to improve efficiency and reduce delays in the project development process while ensuring environmental protection. In April 1999, the AASHTO Board of Directors approved establishment of a joint AASHTO, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pilot program for environmental streamlining. In August 1999, AASHTO sent out a request for pilot project applications to the 52 AASHTO member departments.
In response, eight state transportation departments submitted a total of 12 projects. The chairs of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Environment and Standing Committee on Planning, along with staff from AASHTO, EPA, and FHWA, then reviewed these projects. Ten projects were selected involving seven states: California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. These pilot projects showcase innovations in various aspects of the environmental review process, such as early and more effective coordination with other agencies, integration of environmental concerns into the planning process, and establishment of project-specific time frames.
The objective of this project was to identify effective ways to improve efficiency and reduce delays in the project development process while ensuring environmental protection. The research analyzed the 10 environmental streamlining pilot projects in the AASHTO/FHWA/EPA pilot program. For the purposes of this study, "environmental protection" referred to historic, cultural, and natural aspects of the environment consistent with definitions in the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. A summary of the work was published as NCHRP Research Results Digest 300: Outcomes of the Environmental Streamlining Pilot Projects. The final report was published as NCHRP Web-Only Document 79.
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