COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a slightly shorter version of the 2-day instructor-led course, NHI-142078 Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL). Both courses are offered by NHI, the authoritative source in transportation training, and both focus on the integration of PEL into the transportation planning and environmental review process. However, NHI-142078 includes an additional activity to help practitioners identify strategies implement PEL in their State or region which is omitted in this course.
Integrating PEL into the transportation planning and environmental review process promotes more informed decision-making and accelerated project delivery. Furthermore, several policies and authorities encourage the implementation of PEL.
The course emphasizes the following benefits of PEL: accelerate project delivery, development of purpose and need early in the planning process, elimination of unreasonable alternatives during the planning process, early and improved coordination with resource agencies and stakeholders, improved program and informed project decisions, less duplication and improve documentation, promotion of efficient and cost-effective solutions, earlier consideration of potential environmental effects, and enhanced consultation, coordination, and public involvement.
As a participant you will learn and discuss why PEL has been a successful practice; the benefits of PEL; the points of interface between planning and environmental review processes; PEL approaches using authorities associated with planning and environmental review; informing, using, or adopting planning information in the environmental review process; general considerations for using any PEL approach; the processes for developing purpose and need during planning that can be used in NEPA; the process for screening and eliminating unreasonable alternatives during planning; the role of consultation, coordination, and public involvement in PEL; and documentation in a PEL approach.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
The target audience includes transportation practitioners employed at State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs), Resource Agencies, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and local public agencies, as well as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and regulatory agencies with a role in NEPA permitting, approving, or mitigating potential impacts from transportation projects.
Typical course participants have a college degree and work as an analyst, planner, project development specialist, environmental specialist, public involvement specialist, civil rights specialist, consultant, or any other position requiring knowledge of PEL.
If you have questions about this NHI training, please contact NHI at nhicustomerservice@dot.gov or 877.558.6873.
PREREQUISITES:
To prepare for this course transportation planners are encouraged to complete FHWA-NHI-142052 Introduction to NEPA and Transportation Decisionmaking, and environmental specialists are encouraged to complete FHWA-NHI-151052 Basics of Transportation Planning.