Click here to read the latest project factsheet that includes information on the MEPA Certificate, Community Technical Assistance and Station Workshops.
The administration of Governor Deval Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray is undertaking the South Coast Rail project to improve transportation between downtown Boston and the cities of Fall River and New Bedford. The project includes a Smart Growth Corridor Plan to develop a blueprint for economic and residential development, job creation and environmental preservation as the communities welcome and shape new growth.
The Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) completed Phase 1 of the project in April 2008. With significant public input, EOT generated a list of 65 alternatives that were analyzed, screened and narrowed to a list of five alternatives with mode options. These alternatives entered Phase 2, a combined state and federal environmental review that will take place over a two-year period. The state and federal documents that kick off the formal review process – the Environmental Notification Form/ENF and the federal Notice of Intent/NOI – were filed this fall (November 2008). The federal and state regulatory agencies are seeking public comment on these documents. EOT anticipates having a scope of work for the next phase of the investigation by the end of January 2009.
To further this effort, EOT and the MBTA have launched the most comprehensive and transparent planning process to date to evaluate transportation alternatives for the South Coast region. We hope you will join us in this process. Please visit this website for project updates, documents and fact sheets. You can also comment on the project or ask questions at SHARE YOUR OPINIONS.
The scope of environmental review for the South Coast Rail project has been narrowed to three alternatives, the Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) announced in April 2009. In an important milestone for the project, the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, in consultation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, narrowed down a longer list of alternatives to rail via Attleboro, rail via Stoughton and a Rapid Bus alternative. The Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) is studying the three options, along with a No Build option, in its draft state and federal environmental impact documents.
A preferred alternative will likely be named in the draft environmental document, slated to be released around Labor Day this year. The selection of a route will not be final until the final environmental document is complete, expected in spring of 2010. It is anticipated that the selected transit alternative will provide high-quality service that will attract riders and support the clustering of jobs and homes around stations and the preservation of natural areas.
For more information, please contact Kristina Egan, EOT Project Manager by email or phone at 617-973-7314.
