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TRANSPORTATION
AKRF’s transportation experience
includes preparing environmental impact statements for
some of the largest and most complex federally funded
transit and highway initiatives in the Northeast in
the past 10 years. We’ve also partnered with most
of the major transportation agencies in the New York
metropolitan region and beyond. Our Transportation team
is known for providing support throughout the life of
a project and for offering special expertise to satisfy
requirements under the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) for federally funded transportation projects,
as well as state and local regulations.
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Environmental review documents
prepared under NEPA begin with a discussion of
a proposed action’s “purpose and need,”
which provides context and criteria for the development
and screening of alternatives to the proposed
action. This purpose and need statement is essentially
the foundation of the NEPA decision-making process.
AKRF is skilled at preparing a purpose and need
statement that satisfies multiple regulatory requirements
and guidelines as part of a streamlined environmental
review process. |
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NEPA environmental review
requires the identification and evaluation of
alternatives to a proposed project. This is at
heart of the NEPA EIS process, and the key to
finding transportation solutions that help preserve
and protect the value of environmental and community
resources. |
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AKRF prepares EIS and EA documents
in conformance with federal, state, and local
environmental regulations. Our Transportation
division collaborates with the firm’s other
divisions to integrate diverse technical studies
into readable reports that meet the needs of project
sponsors, reviewing agencies, and the public. |
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Environmental justice analyses
evaluate whether a transportation project will
have significant adverse impacts that fall disproportionately
on low-income and minority communities. AKRF is
experienced at performing outreach and preparing
environmental justice analyses as part of the
EIS process, so federal agencies can make determinations
about effects on these populations and the implementation
of mitigation measures. |
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Section 4(f) of the Department
of Transportation Act states that federal agencies
must avoid the use of historic properties, parks,
and wildlife refuges unless no feasible and prudent
alternatives are available. The project sponsor
must take measures to minimize harm. AKRF is experienced
at including a Section 4(f) evaluation in EIS
documents so federal agencies can use the final
EIS to make a determination that no feasible and
prudent alternatives exist. |
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Section 106 of the State/National
Historic Preservation Act states that state and
federal agencies cannot adversely affect historic
properties unless no alternatives are possible.
The project sponsor must take measures to minimize
harm. AKRF is experienced at identifying adverse
effects, drafting Memoranda of Understanding or
Programmatic Agreements, developing mitigation
measures, and performing outreach to satisfy the
requirements of Section 106. |
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The NEPA process requires the
consideration of direct, indirect, and cumulative
impacts. Indirect and cumulative impacts include
less obvious environmental consequences than do
direct impacts, and their appropriate identification,
analysis, and documentation can present many challenges.
AKRF has performed many such analyses for transportation
projects, including the cumulative impact analyses
for multiple concurrent Lower Manhattan redevelopment
projects. |
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All federal actions must
conform with the State Implementation Plan (SIP)
for attainment of air quality standards. For
regionally significant transportation projects,
AKRF routinely provides analyses of the projects’
consistency with the SIP and consults with EPA
and the regional MPO. |
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AKRF provides a variety of
environmental support services during final design,
including preparation of mitigation plans, wetlands
restoration planning, stormwater management plans,
erosion control plans, and additional technical
studies. |
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Environmental permits are required
when seeking permission from another government
agency that has jurisdiction over a resource,
such as water or wetlands. AKRF prepares permit
applications and negotiates with federal, state,
and local permitting agencies, including the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard,
the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, the New Jersey Department of Transportation,
and others. The firm also prepares supporting
technical studies, including essential fish habitat
evaluations, coastal zone management evaluations,
and environmental assessment documents. |
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AKRF provides environmental
support during construction ongoing supervision
of archaeological studies, development of construction
vibration monitoring programs, air monitoring,
noise control, and review of construction documents
to ensure that all environmental commitments are
met. |
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