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Goals of Project Development and the NEPA Process

The goals of the project development stage are to find out where a project is located and what it looks like.

Projects that come through a transportation planning process will eventually be closely looked at to see how they might impact the community, the natural environment, and our health and welfare. Before any project can move forward to construction, the FHWA and FTA may address and comply with more than 40 laws related to safety and the environment. These laws cover social, economic, and environmental (SEE) concerns ranging from community cohesion to threatened and endangered species.To get through this detailed process, FHWA and FTA use the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to evaluate all SEE concerns with each individual project.

photo of a highway running parallel to a train

The National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), enacted in
1969, requires that any activity or
project receiving federal funding
or other federal approvals
(including transportation
projects) undergo this analysis of
potential impacts. Under NEPA,
FHWA and FTA work closely
with other federal agencies and
state, local, and tribal
governments; public and private
organizations; and the public to
understand a project's impact.
This process involves striking a
delicate balance among many
different factorsmobility needs,
economic prosperity, health and
environmental protection,
community and neighborhood
preservation, and quality of life
for present and future
generations.

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United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration