Today NEC FUTURE released a Comment Summary Report, which summarizes the public comments received after the NEC FUTURE Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released in November 2015. The report can be read on the NEC FUTURE website at www.necfuture.com, along with the full set of submissions received. It describes the main themes expressed in the comments and how the Federal Rail Authority (FRA) is using this feedback to identify a Preferred Alternative.
The FRA has committed to announce the Preferred Alternative this year.
The EIS was part of the FRA’s comprehensive plan for improvements to the Northeast Corridor (NEC) rail line from Washington, D.C., to Boston, Mass. It identified one of the alternatives under consideration — Alternative 1 — as a route that included the Old Saybrook to Kenyon, R.I. bypass that cuts right through the heart of Old Lyme.
During the public comment period, the FRA heard from over 3,200 individuals, agencies, and organizations. Significantly, more than 1,800 of these comments came from the state of Connecticut. These comments have been instrumental in the FRA’s process to identify a Preferred Alternative for evaluation in the Tier 1 Final EIS.
Federal Rail Authority Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg said today, “The input we’ve received from the public throughout this process has been, and continues to be, absolutely critical. Thousands of individuals, as well elected leaders and other stakeholders representing millions more, have attended public hearings, submitted comments, and voiced their opinions and preferences about their priorities and preferences for the NEC.”
She continued, “The NEC is critical infrastructure for more than a dozen states, tens of millions of people, and is the lifeblood of the economy for the area. We are grateful for the public’s interest in this process and in the corridor itself, and look forward to continuing to work closely with the public and their representatives as this process continues.”