7
PEL Implementation
Resource Guide
identification and screening of potential alterna-
tives to determine those that are unreasonable.
Develop potential draft mitigation plans: Based
·
on specific alignment and requirements of the
final design, mitigation plans are developed and/
or finalized to reduce project environmental
impacts (Note: Mitigation does not involve
impacts).
Feedback to the Planning process: Based on
·
outcomes of these steps, the proposed design
concept, scope, and mitigation needs to be
provided and incorporated into future planning
documents.
How Does PEL Work?
PEL works on multiple levels:
Intra-agency coordination between transpor-
·
tation planning and project development staff.
Inter-agency coordination between state DOTs
·
and resource/land use agencies, non-govern-
mental organizations, and other stakeholder
groups.
Data sharing and analysis with the public who
·
live in areas affected by transportation projects.
Essentially, PEL weaves consideration for planning
and the environment throughout the transportation
decision-making process (see Figure 1).
4 NEPA and transportation: need and strategies for early involvement. Elaine Somers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Road Ecology Center
eScholarship Repository, John Muir Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis. 2001.
Statewide
Metropolitan
Corridor
Construction
Maintenance
Operations
Planning
Project
Planning
Project
Development/
NEPA
Design
Transportation Agencies
Integrated Planning
Linking Planning and NEP
A
Data Sharing and Analysis
Inter
-Agency Coordination
Intra-Agency Coordination
Resource Agencies
Public
Inter
-Agency Coordination
Data Sharing and Analysis
Figure 1: Weaving Planning and Environment Linkages