Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Congress advocated for the new expressway's funding. Numerous studies
examined traffic demand and potential alignments.
As in this case, highway proposals may be discussed, studied, debated,
rejected, and studied again for decades. Such efforts eventually result in an
initial project proposal,
formally produced within the state DoT. The pro-
posal gives the justifications for the bridge, the following being the most
common: to preserve infrastructure, relieve congestion, increase capacity to
meet growing traffic, and promote economic development. The proposal also
anticipates environmental challenges, suggests a preliminary project sched-
ule, and roughly estimates costs. It also anticipates whether the project will
formally be termed “major.” If it is, it sets in motion the most elaborate
NEPA process requirements.
For major projects, this proposal is barely the first step. It does not
intend to actually get shovels into the ground. Rather, it asks for permis-
sion for the next stage in the process, the more expensive “scoping” study,
for which expense runs into the millions per project. For a DoT to accept
the proposal means that the agency is ready to invest seriously in study.
Acceptance marks the end of stage one. In calculating the time it takes to
develop a bridge, it is best to begin at the end of stage one, with the deci-
sion to do scoping studies. That is when the clock starts.
Stage 2: Project Scoping
Since a federal highway law enacted in 1962, multicounty American urban
regions have had to collaborate for transportation planning through entities
generically known as
metropolitan planning organizations,
though each has a
different local name. Obviously, transportation continues across municipal
borders, so these organizations have the role of coordinating municipalities'
road and transit (and more recently, pedestrian and biking) plans.
Almost all these organizations are overseen by delegates of elected offi-
cials and agency leaders from the region. In typically decentralized American
government, in which higher-level elected officials (say governors) cannot
not give direct orders to lower-level elected officials (mayors or county exec-
utives), the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) exerts its influence
through the power of the purse: federal moneys do not get spent unless the
organization approves. Sooner or later, proposals to spend federal transporta-
tion money in the region must pass through this organization.
The various local governments and local agencies that jointly direct
the MPO may make proposals to it for small projects, such as road repairs
and bike paths, and large projects, such as rail projects, road widening, and
bridges. They hope to get their proposal on the list of projects approved
for federal funding. For a major project, there must be a full scoping study
