NEC FUTURE Program Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan

NEC FUTURE is a major initiative of the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to develop an integrated passenger rail transportation solution for the Northeast Corridor (NEC). This complex study is currently in the planning phase, which includes service planning, environmental review, and design and conceptual engineering efforts leading to the development of a Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan (PRCIP). A PRCIP provides sufficient information to support an FRA decision to fund and implement a major investment in a passenger rail corridor and includes NEPA documentation that addresses the broad environmental effects for the entire corridor along the route of the proposed service.

For this project, HMMH is supporting the preparation of the noise and vibration components of a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement under NEPA. Using the FRA High-Speed Ground Transportation Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment and U.S. Federal Transit Administration Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment guidance manuals, HMMH is conducting noise and vibration analyses to characterize the existing conditions and compare the potential noise and vibration impacts for a number of alternatives, including routes both on and off the NEC spine.