Managing the NEPA Process for Toll Lanes and Toll Roads

Conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies for projects involving toll lanes and toll roads involves many sensitive issues and complex considerations. Key issues to consider when managing the NEPA process for toll lanes and toll roads include transportation plans and policies, proposed tolling concept, scope of NEPA analysis, relationship of NEPA process to project financing, and procurement and legal issues.

Practical tips addressed include laying the policy foundation, building the project team, developing tolling alternatives, framing the issues for decision in the NEPA process, modeling the performance of tolled alternatives, evaluating impacts of tolled alternatives, synchronizing the NEPA review with procurement process, and considering tolling after NEPA is under way or completed.

Handbook Resources

Planning-Environmental Linkages

FHWA, “Guidance on Using Corridor and Sub-Area Planning to Inform NEPA” (April 2011)
https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/integ/corridor_nepa_guidance.asp

Tolling and Pricing

FHWA, “NEPA Analysis for Toll Roads” (Oct. 15, 2004)
https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/guidebook/NEPA_tollroads.asp

FHWA, Road Pricing: Tolling Programs (website)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/revenue/road_pricing/tolling_pricing/

Fiscal Constraint

FHWA, “Financial Planning and Fiscal Constraint for Transportation Plans and Programs Questions & Answers” (April 15, 2009)

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/fsclcntrntques.cfm

FHWA,” Transportation Planning Requirements and their Relationship to NEPA Process Completion” (Jan. 28, 2008)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/tpr_and_nepa/tprandnepa.cfm

FHWA, “Supplement to January 28, 2008 Transportation Planning Requirements and Their Relationship to NEPA Process Completion” (Feb. 9, 2011)
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/tprandnepasupplement.pdf

FHWA, “Financial Planning and Fiscal Constraint for Transportation Plans and Programs Questions & Answers” (updated Oct. 19, 2015)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/guidfinconstr_qa.cfm

Major Projects Financial Plans

FHWA, “Major Project Financial Plan Guidance” (Dec. 2014)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/project_delivery/tools_programs/financial_
plans/guidance.aspx

Environmental Justice

FHWA, Order 6640.23A, “FHWA Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations” (June 14, 2012)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/orders/664023a.cfm

FHWA, “Environmental Justice Reference Guide” (April 2015)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/publications/

FHWA, “Environmental Justice Emerging Trends and Best Practices Guidebook” (Nov. 2011)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/publications/

FHWA, “Environmental Justice and NEPA in the Transportation Arena: Project Highlights” (Feb. 2013)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/resources/hi
ghlights/

FHWA, “Guidance on Environmental Justice and NEPA” (Dec. 16, 2011)
https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/projdev/guidance_ej_nepa.asp

Public–Private Partnerships and Design–Build Procurement

FHWA, “Public-Private Partnership Oversight: How FHWA Reviews P3s” (Jan. 2015)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/p3/toolkit/publications/p3_oversight/defau
lt.aspx

FHWA, “Public-Private Partnership Concessions for Highway Projects: A Primer” (Oct. 2010)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/p3/resources/primer_highway_concessions_p3.aspx