Realizing the Benefits of the Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) Process: Federal Boulevard (5th Avenue to Howard Place), Denver, Colorado

Abstract

With limited transportation funding, the completion of timely National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies that can be accepted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is an increasingly difficult task. FHWA has developed the planning and environmental linkage (PEL) process, which outlines a process similar to the one required by NEPA yet does not require a project funding commitment. The PEL process is intended to streamline future NEPA studies, saving cost and time. In 2009, Denver conducted a PEL study for Federal Boulevard, an urban, north-south principal arterial roadway that is under the jurisdiction of CDOT as State Highway 88. The goal for the PEL was to develop a Proposed Action designed to: improve safety, increase efficiency for all modes of transportation, relieve traffic congestion, and improve multi-modal mobility (pedestrians, bicycles, public transit, and private/commercial vehicles). The Federal Boulevard PEL case study demonstrates the benefits of a PEL in assessing a project’s viability and supporting prioritization for design and funding. This paper discusses the approach that was taken in performing the PEL, the decisions that can be made, the documentation that is required to fulfill PEL requirements, and how the PEL will be used to streamline the NEPA process as the project is funded and implemented. The PEL is a tool that can be used to plan the future vision for a corridor despite a lack of committed funding, all the while providing a streamlined process for successful future NEPA studies.