High-speed rail plays a critical role in a sustainable future. This infographic includes current high-speed rail projects in the U.S. that reflect NEPA flexibility for environmental review. For more background on each project and ICF's expert analysis of customized approaches to environmental review, download ICF's whitepaper: Complexity Simplified: A Survey of Current High-Speed Rail (HSR) Projects: http://bit.ly/2gcIdSC

1. Transportation
§§ Established in 1970 to inform
and improve decision-making
by federal government agencies.
§§ Flexible for a range of
approaches to tiering and lead
agency roles.
§§ Provides a framework to balance the needs of economic development
and nature, involve stakeholders early in the process, and promote
transparency about potential consequences.
Key Points about National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
icf.com/markets/government/transportation
Where There’s a Will:
Environmental Review
in Current High-Speed
Rail Projects
2/3of Americans are
likely to use high-speed rail
for business or leisure travel
70% shorter trip times
using high speed rail (186+
mph) over conventional rail.
“High-speed rail plays a critical
role in a sustainable future—
where we grow the economy,
expand opportunity, and
protect public health and the
environment at the same time.”
– Administrator Gina McCarthy
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
NEPA flexibility for environment
review is reflected in this sampling
of current HSR projects in the
United States:
California HSR (CAHSR)
APPROACH:
California completed a program-
level environmental review and
is reviewing each proposed
geographic segment individually.
FEDERAL LEAD AGENCY:
Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) issues Record of Decision
under NEPA.
STATUS:
System-wide preferred alternative selected
through programmatic EIR/EIS in 2005 with
the FRA’s Record of Decision. Subsequently
multiple project level environmental
reviews are being conducted to enable
phased construction. Construction is
underway on the initial operating segment
and environmental reviews for connecting
segments are in progress.
APPROACH:
Considers the whole Northeast
corridor, not individual segments
FEDERAL LEAD AGENCY: FRA
STATUS:
In compliance with NEPA, the
FRA prepared a draft Tier 1
Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and Service Development
Plan (SDP). This environmental
review at the program level seeks to
set the vision for transportation mode
and project corridor alignment. The FRA
received over 5,000 comments on the
Tier 1 Draft EIS, which will help guide its
development of a Preferred Alternative.
The Tier 1 Final EIS is scheduled for release
in the Fall of 2016, setting the corridor
vision for mode and preferred alternative.
Subsequent project-level environmental
reviews will be conducted by corridor
service operators.
Northeast Corridor (NEC) HSR
APPROACH:
FRA, TCR, and the Texas
Department of Transportation
(TxDOT) have entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) to develop and complete a
project-level EIS for the Project.
FEDERAL LEAD AGENCY:
FRA in partnership with TxDOT. No
state-level review.
STATUS:
A draft EIS is being prepared following
completion of an independent evaluation
of potential high-speed rail corridor
alternatives. It is a project-level EIS
addressing major issues of compliance with
technical requirements, economic viability,
and minimized impacts to the natural
environment. The Final EIS will select the
preferred alternative and allow the project to
move forward toward construction.
Texas Central HSR
What does it all mean? For more background on each project and ICF’s
expert analysis of these customized approaches to environmental
review, see Complexity Simplified: A Survey of Current High-Speed Rail
(HSR) Projects.
For more information, contact:
David Freytag
david.freytag@icf.com +1.949.333.6616
Mike Davis
mike.davis@icf.com +1.415.677.7149
About ICF
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ICF brings over 40 years of experience in
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