US 85 PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGE

US 85 CoalitionDecember 8, 2011

OVERVIEW

• The Governor's Four E’s

OVERVIEW

The Governor s Four E sEffectiveEfficientElegantEssential Decision Making

• Getting more out of our existing system

• Planning for the futurePlanning for the futureWorking with our local partners to better define the next

steps Understanding future development with our local partnersg p p Ensuring transportation has a positive impact on

economic growth

WHAT IS PLANNING & 

A PEL St d i th i t i t f

ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES (PEL)?

A PEL Study is the interim step of evaluation for a transportation needtransportation needor project that has been identified in the regional transportation plan, yet g p p , yhas not entered a formal NEPA-level analysis. analysis.

WHAT IS PLANNING & 

Th f PEL St d i t

ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES (PEL)?

The purpose of a PEL Study is to perform preliminary perform preliminary analysis analysis and and make decisions make decisions not completed as a part of traditional regional level p gplanning that will make NEPA level evaluation and decision-making more evaluation and decision making more transparent to resource agencies and the publicthe public.

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL

PEL t h t

LINKAGES (PEL)

PEL represents an approach to transportation decision-making that considers environmentalconsiders environmental, community, , community, and economic goals and economic goals early in the gg yplanning stage and carries them through project development, design, through project development, design, and construction.

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL

Thi l d t l d

LINKAGES (PEL)

This can lead to a seamless and essential decision-making process that minimizes duplication of effort, minimizes duplication of effort, promotes efficient and costpromotes efficient and cost--effective effective ppsolutions and environmental solutions and environmental stewardship and reduces delays in stewardship and reduces delays in stewardship, and reduces delays in stewardship, and reduces delays in project implementationproject implementation..

WHAT THE BLEEP DID HE JUST SAY?WHAT THE BLEEP DID HE JUST SAY?

•Break Down of a PEL Study•What is the Final Product?

Wh t i it d F ?•What is it used For?

•How am I involved?How am I involved?

•What is in it for Me?

BUILDING BLOCKS ‐CORRIDOR CONTEXT / STUDIES

•• US85 Access Control Plan (1999)US85 Access Control Plan (1999)

CONTEXT / STUDIES

•• US85 Access Control Plan (1999)US85 Access Control Plan (1999)

•• UFR 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (2008)UFR 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (2008)

•• DRCOG DRCOG 2035 Regional Transportation Plan2035 Regional Transportation Plan•• DRCOG DRCOG 2035 Regional Transportation Plan2035 Regional Transportation Plan•• Metro Vision (2011)Metro Vision (2011)•• FiscallyFiscally--Constrained Plan (2011Constrained Plan (2011))FiscallyFiscally Constrained Plan (2011Constrained Plan (2011))

•• NFR 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (2011)NFR 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (2011)

•• North INorth I--25 Final EIS (201125 Final EIS (2011))(( ))

•• Local Agency Comprehensive & Transportation Local Agency Comprehensive & Transportation Plans (various)Plans (various)

•• CDOT Intersection Analysis (various)CDOT Intersection Analysis (various)

WHAT IS THE FINAL PRODUCT?WHAT IS THE FINAL PRODUCT?

•• Corridor planCorridor plan• Vision

•• Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Impacts• Red Flags

• Purpose and Need

• Mobility

• Do Not Anticipate a lot of Impacts

• Safety

• Operations

•• Refresh Refresh Access Control Access Control PlanPlan

S L l A l i• Additional Design Detail

• System Level Analysis

WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

•• Transportation AnalysisTransportation Analysis

WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Transportation AnalysisTransportation Analysis• Corridor Specific Modeling

•• Long Long Range Range PlanningPlanning• Interchange Footprints• Realigned (skewed) Intersection Footprints

S gh tti J ti• Spaghetti Junction•• Identifying Environmental ConcernsIdentifying Environmental Concerns

• Ability to Plan for MitigationAbility to Plan for Mitigation•• PrioritizePrioritize

• Menu of NeedsS f t b d j t l ti • Safety based project selection

HOW AM I INVOLVED?

E ti O ight C ittE ti O ight C itt

HOW AM I INVOLVED?

•• Executive Oversight CommitteeExecutive Oversight Committee•US 85 Coalition

•Region 4 RTD

•Project ManagerProject Manager

•FHWA

HOW AM I INVOLVED?

T h i l Ad i C ittT h i l Ad i C itt

HOW AM I INVOLVED?

•• Technical Advisory CommitteeTechnical Advisory Committee•US 85 Coalition Entity Staff

•CDOT Specialty Unit Staff

HOW AM I INVOLVED?

P bli P bli O t hO t h

HOW AM I INVOLVED?

••Public Public OutreachOutreach•Public Meetingsg

•Newsletters (electronic)

•Website

WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?

•• Local Local Agency Agency PlanningPlanning

WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?

Local Local Agency Agency PlanningPlanning• Corridor Consistency• Interchange Footprints

• Developer Information• Realigned Intersection Footprints• Spaghetti JunctionSpaghetti Junction

• Long Range Vision•• Refresh Refresh Access Control Access Control PlanPlan

• System Level Analysis• Plan for economic development and growth

opportunitiespp

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

•• Natural GasNatural Gas

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

•• Natural GasNatural Gas•Analysis of fleet conversion along corridorT itT it•• TransitTransit•Build on EIS Transit Facility PlanP k d Rid•Park and Rides

•• Energy ImpactsEnergy Impacts•Rockport Facility•Oil and Gas Production

•• Pedestrian and Bicycle TreatmentsPedestrian and Bicycle Treatments

WRAP UP

•• PEL Documents the FuturePEL Documents the Future

WRAP UP

PEL Documents the FuturePEL Documents the Future• Based on Purpose and Need• Corridor Specific Modeling and Operational

A l iAnalysis• Provides Environmental Data

•• Creates Shared VisionCreates Shared VisionCreates Shared VisionCreates Shared Vision• Corridor Consistency• Plan and Build for the Future• Optimizes and leverages future funding with a

strong voice•• Prioritizes ImprovementsPrioritizes Improvementspp

• Smart, Strategic and Essential Decision Making

US 85 PELUS 85 PEL

Q ti ?Questions?