摘要: |
In order to meet the mobility needs of the United States, the federal government has had a longtime commitment to helping fund needed maintenance and expansion of the nation's road network--from interstate highways to rural roads--in an environmentally sound manner. Given the importance of transportation to the nations economy, mobility, and security and the need to improve the nation's roads to meet these needs, many transportation improvement stakeholders--such as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), state departments of transportation, and others--have said that completing a federally funded highway project takes too long, and that the most time consuming aspect involves environmental review. Transportation improvement stakeholders acknowledge that environmental reviews result in better project decisions, but say that reaching decisions is difficult and time consuming. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, enacted in 1998, contained provisions designed to streamline environmental reviews. |