Tiered EIS Approach
Tiered EIS Approach
The purpose of the preliminary engineering and environmental work that has been underway for the Eastern Corridor since 2002 is to evaluate consequences of the project to the man-made and natural environment, as required under the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). At the start of this process, it was agreed amongst the federal and state resource agencies that a tiered environmental impact statement (EIS) approach would be used to address the complex issues of the Eastern Corridor. The Tier 1 EIS would address the range of actions within the full multi-modal plan, including a conservative assessment of impacts pertinent to decision-making under NEPA. Then, separate Tier 2 NEPA documents would be prepared (and decisions made) for each independent project segment, consistent with the template established under the Tier 1 EIS. This approach allows issues “ready for decision-making” to be effectively considered at the appropriate project development juncture. The nature of the tiered EIS approach has also allowed the public to have a more informed and conversational role in considering the balance of issues in this complex set of actions, and to more effectively contribute to the intent of NEPA in the decision-making process.
The Tier 1 work, completed in 2006, evaluated the physical and operational aspects of the multi-modal improvements identified by the Eastern Corridor MIS, as well as performance relationships between the different modes. A hierarchy of transportation improvements was considered in order to understand and describe the ability of the different modes to meet the identified transportation needs. At the end of Tier 1, a set of multi-modal improvements was recommended for further evaluation, comprised of new highway capacity improvements, new rail transit, expanded bus transit and improvements to the local transportation network.
Eastern Corridor Tier 1 Recommended Plan (4mb file)
Tier 2 work for the Eastern Corridor involves further development of four key components of the multi-modal plan, including: Segment I - Red Bank Corridor, Segment II/III - Relocated SR 32, Segment IVa - SR 32 Eastgate, and the Oasis Rail Transit.
More detailed information about the Tier 1 alternatives evaluation and recommendations can be found in the Eastern Corridor Tier 1 Draft EIS (44mb file) and Tier 1 Final EIS (23mb file).
