Impact Methodologies

Environmental - Physical

Overview

Physical environmental impacts result from the presence and characteristics of transportation facilities and land development. Some types of physical environmental impacts include:

• Sensitive Habitat - Fragmentation or destruction of areas of natural importance, such as wetlands or other key ecosystems; or fragmentation or destruction of areas that provide open space and recreational opportunities for people.
• Water Quality - Degradation of water quality in streams, rivers, and bodies of water, as a result of runoff from transportation facilities and other impermeable surfaces.
• Historical and Archeological - Degradation of human cultural resources, including historic sites or districts and archeological sites.
• Community - Transportation facilities can create barriers that restrict physical movement within a community or cause undesirable aesthetic impacts.

Key factors that influence physical environmental impacts include:

• The amount of land covered by the transportation facility or development, and the nature of the land covered. This indicates the gross amount of wetlands, forest, etc. that is lost.
• The location of the transportation facility or the land being developed. Impacts are a result not only of the land area covered, but of fragmentation of areas with natural, historical, community, or recreational value, or the destruction of specific physical sites such as archeological sites.
• The design of the facility or development. Transportation facilities and land developments can be designed to minimize impacts such as runoff, noise, or aesthetic impacts.

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