PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES (PEL)

Transcription

1 PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES (PEL) TxDOT Transportation Short Course Environmental Session October 14, 2015 Sandy Wesch, PE, AICP

2 NCTCOG PEL Efforts Regional Ecosystem Framework (REF) Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) Congestion Management Process PEL Work Group Other Efforts 2

3 Regional Ecosystem Framework (REF) GIS tool to help identify, assess, and avoid environmental impacts Enhances multi-agency understanding of critical resource protection areas Uses 10 information layers GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE Wildlife habitat Natural areas Agricultural land WATER CONSIDERATIONS Impaired water segments Flood zones Surface water quantity Wetlands ECOSYSTEM VALUE Rarity Diversity Ecosystem sustainability 3

4 REF Data Sources Green Infrastructure Layers National Land Cover Database (USGS/DOI) Vision North Texas (NCTCOG) Water Considerations Layers 303(d) List (TCEQ) Flood Zones (FEMA) National Hydrography Dataset (USGS) National Land Cover Database (USGS/DOI) Ecosystem Value Layers Regional Ecological Assessment Protocol (EPA Region VI) 4

5 Information Layers 5

6 Regional Ecosystem Framework: Composite Map

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8 Desired Outcomes of the REF Relationships Strengthen relationships with resource and regulatory agencies Resources Use REF in pre-nepa and/or NEPA phase of project development Coordinate transportation and resource agency goals Enhanced Ecosystem Approach 8

9 REF Website Interactive website is undergoing beta testing Website will allow transportation partners and local governments to identify potential environmental impacts of transportation projects and potential mitigation areas to offset impacts Coming Soon! 9

10 REF Data Inclusion in MTP US 77 (N of Waxahachie to Bigham Road) Resource Category Scoring Question Score Within 1.0 miles of the 100 year flood plain? N Water Within 1.0 miles of an Impaired Water Segment? N Within 1.0 miles of an NLCD wetland? Y Surface Water Percent 1 Within 1.0 miles of a federal/state park or wildlife area? N Within a Priority Conservation Area as designated by The Nature Conservancy? N Ecology Within 1.0 miles of an area with an REF VEIL Diversity score of 5? N Within 1.0 miles of an area with an REF VEIL Rarity score of 5? N Within 1.0 miles of an area with an REF VEIL Ecosystem Sustainability score of 5? N % Wildlife Habitat 5 Land % Agriculture 2 Cover % Wetlands 1 10

11 REF Data Inclusion in MTP 11

12 Congestion Management Process A CMP is federally required in nonattainment areas and metropolitan areas with population exceeding 200,000 CMP must be developed and implemented as an integrated part of the metropolitan transportation planning process RTC policy requires review and application of congestion mitigation strategies when conducting environmental studies and to report the findings back to NCTCOG 12

13 MTP CMP NEPA Supports the need and purpose of the project CMP has already inventoried major corridors for: o Alternative roadway infrastructure,(e.g., parallel freeway/tollway, frontage roads, parallel arterials, direct connections) o Modal options (e.g., transit, park-and-ride, HOV lanes, bike options) o System demand (e.g., peak v/c, truck volume, number of employees, population) o System reliability (e.g., crash rate, shoulders, truck 13 lane restrictions, ITS)

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17 PEL Work Group Includes staff from TxDOT Dallas, TxDOT Fort Worth, NTTA, FHWA, and NCTCOG Reviews projects to be environmental cleared in the next two years to help identify issues related to: Consistency with the MTP and conformity Completion of CMP TIP mods Need for MSAT and EJ Origin-Destination analysis Coordination and updates on project information, training opportunities/needs, and major work efforts (e.g., new MTP) 17

18 Other PEL-Related Efforts Transportation Resource Agency Consultation and Environmental Streamlining (TRACES) Stakeholder group comprised of transportation, resource, and regulatory agency partners to coordinate transportation and environmental planning efforts in the region. Regional Outer Loop PEL Study - Evaluated the need and feasibility for an outer loop around the Dallas-Fort Worth region, as well as identify potential corridor(s) Regional Tolling Analysis - Analysis of the proposed expansion of the regional priced (tolled) facility system based on the improvements included in the MTP 18

19 Contact Information: Sandy Wesch, PE, AICP Project Engineer