www.southcoastrail.com
T
he state and federal environmental review of the South Coast Rail project is underway. On November 17, 2008, the
Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) filed an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) with the
Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office (MEPA). This filing initiates review of the document by state agencies and the
public. A few weeks earlier, the US Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps), the project’s lead environmental regulator from the federal
side, published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register on October 31, announcing it will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). This EIS will be combined with the state’s version of the document, called the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
The intent is to prepare a joint Draft EIR/EIS that will name a preferred route for the project in late spring of 2009. The article below
summarizes EOT’s November filing and its recommendations for the proposed scope of work for the Draft EIR/EIS. EOT encourages
public review of the documents and the article on page 4 describes the ways you can comment.
EOT Recommends Three Alternatives for Further Analysis
Since April 2007, when Governor Patrick released South Coast
Rail - A Plan for Action, EOT has been working closely with
project communities and stakeholders to take a fresh look at
alternatives for transit to the region. The process included
meeting with state and federal regulators, elected and
municipal officials, the Commuter Rail Task Force and
hundreds of meeting participants to discuss and evaluate
alternatives. On April 30, 2008, EOT announced a short list
of five transit alternatives to examine further. Since that time,
the team has been gathering data on these alternatives
related to railroad and bus operations and impacts on the
natural environment and the communities.
• Through Middleborough: Commuter rail to South Station
via the Middleborough line without Old Colony Main Line
Improvements
Based on the analysis to date, EOT has recommended that
three alternatives be studied further in the Draft EIR/EIS
because they have the potential to provide feasible, costeffective transit service. The recommended routes are:
If accepted by state and federal agencies, this
recommendation would result in the following alternatives
being dropped from the Draft EIR/EIS detailed investigation:
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
The US Army Corps of Engineers and the Massachusetts
Environmental Policy Act office will hold two Public
Meetings on the ENF and NOI:
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
UMass Dartmouth Woodland Commons Building
258 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth
Parking is available in Lot #7.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Taunton High School Auditorium
50 Williams Street, Taunton
Details on the schedule and how to comment on the
documents are on page 4.
• Through Stoughton: Electric or diesel commuter rail to
South Station via Stoughton, including the possibility of
using the Whittenton Branch
• Rapid Bus Transit: Using the highway system, with improve­
ments, to provide express bus service in a dedicated lane
There is also a “No Build” option, which compares the
alternatives against what would happen if the project were
never built.
• Through Attleboro: Diesel and Electric commuter rail to
South Station via a new bypass in Attleboro
• Through Middleborough: Commuter rail to South Station
via the Middleborough line, making Old Colony Main Line
improvements
• Through Attleboro/Middleborough: Electric or diesel com­
muter rail to South Station, with half the trains running
through Attleboro and half through Middleborough
The ENF recommendations are based on evaluation criteria
developed with the public and state and federal resource
agencies and applied in a three-step process. The goal of the
screening was to develop alternatives to serve the fastgrowing South Coast region and act as a catalyst for
economic development, job creation, and protection of
natural areas. In addition, alternatives must provide a highquality service that will attract riders and support smart
growth goals for the region.
SOUTH COAST RAIL November 2008 | Page 1
Continued on page 4.
Through Attleboro - Recommended not to advance
• Constructability - The difficulty of constructing a new
track and catenary system adjacent to the electrified
Northeast high speed corridor would result in slow
construction and high costs.
• Schedule - Design and construction of this
alternative would extend the opening of service to
2020.
• Cost - This alternative is 1.5 times more expensive
than EOT’s budget goal for this project.
• Impact to transportation system - Service and
operation of the Mansfield, Sharon and Canton
commuter rail stations would be impacted.
• Impact to historic landmark - Operating this line
would require building a new 700-foot span bridge
next to the Canton Viaduct, adversely affecting this
historic resource.
• High direct impacts to wetlands - More than 9 acres
of wetland loss.
Given the higher cost, significantly longer design and
construction schedule, impacts to the existing
transportation systems and to the historic Canton
Viaduct, EOT recommends that this alternative be
removed from further consideration.
Through Middleborough - Recommended not to
advance
• Constructability - This would be the riskiest option to
construct since it would require relocating 4.5 miles of
the Red Line in the Braintree-Quincy and Boston
segments and construction of a 1.3 mile tunnel
beneath the existing Quincy Center Station. Temporary
operation of the Red Line would require relocation of
22 commercial and residential properties.
The Canton Viaduct crosses a deep valley of the east branch of
the Neponset River.
Through Attleboro/Middleborough - Recommended not
to advance
This option combines elements of the Attleboro
alternative and a simple version of the Middleborough
alternative. The original rationale behind this alternative
was that no new infrastructure would need to be added
to either the Northeast Corridor or the Old Colony Main
Line, which goes through Braintree, Quincy and Boston.
Unfortunately, EOT’s new operations analysis found that
all of the infrastructure required for the Attleboro
alternative would still need to be built for this “hybrid”
option. Therefore, this option no longer has originally
anticipated benefits.
Given the higher cost, longer design and construction
schedule, impacts to the existing transportation systems,
historic Canton Viaduct, and wetlands, EOT recommends
that this alternative be removed from further consideration.
• Schedule - Design and construction of this
alternative will extend the opening of service to 2020.
This option would require at least seven years to
construct because it would require tunneling beneath
the City of Quincy.
• Cost - This alternative is 2.4 times more expensive
than EOT’s budget goal.
• Impact to transportation system - Though
construction of a temporary track to divert service
around the construction area would minimize the
impacts to Red Line service, Red Line shutdowns
would still be required.
Given the substantially higher cost, significantly longer
design and construction schedule and impacts to the
existing transportation systems, EOT recommends that
this alternative be removed from further consideration.
The catenary system of the Northeast Corridor.
SOUTH COAST RAIL November 2008 | Page 2
EOT recommends further study of the alternatives through Middleborough (simple), through Stoughton and Rapid Bus in
the ENF.
SOUTH COAST RAIL November 2008 | Page 3
The Criteria and the Results
The Phase 1 Alternatives Analysis evaluated whether an
alternative had the potential to meet the project purpose,
would be practicable to construct and/or operate and what
environmental impacts would result. An alternative is feasible
or practicable if it:
• Is operationally compatible with the existing transportation
infrastructure;
• Does not adversely affect the existing or future capacity, reli­
ability, or quality of the regional transportation system in a
significant way;
• Can be constructed without substantial impacts to the existing
transportation system and within a reasonable time frame;
• Provides transportation system benefits at a reasonable
capital cost; and
• Provides sufficient capacity to meet demand.
The ENF summarizes the operations, constructability
(including the infrastructure that would need to be built, the
project’s cost, and length of time it would take to construct
and open service), smart growth opportunities, and
preliminary assessment of environmental consequences of
each alternative. Pages 2 and 3 present a short summary of
the reasons EOT believes that three alternatives are not
feasible.
Civic Engagement Process
There are a number of ways you can be involved in reviewing or
commenting on the Environmental Notification Form. Copies
of the document are available in several ways. You can:
• Download the ENF at www.southcoastrail.com
• Review it in the reference section of your local library
• Request a CD or print copy (contact Charlie Patton at
617-357-5772 x 16 or cpatton@reginavilla.com)
South Coast cities and towns also have copies of the ENF,
as will those who commented on the previous study.
The Corps and MEPA have scheduled two public meetings to
help determine what should be studied in the federal and
state environmental review of the South Coast Rail Project.
The meetings will take place on December 2 at UMass
Dartmouth and on December 3 at Taunton High School
Auditorium. The format and presentations will be the same at
both meetings. Sign-in for those who wish to speak begins at
5:30 p.m., with the meetings beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The Corps and MEPA will accept written comments until
January 9, 2009. The MEPA office must receive your
comments in writing for them to be considered for the
project record. Please send your comments to both agencies:
Mayor Scott Lang opens the New Bedford Station Workshop.
The Corps and MEPA will review the comments submitted by
agencies and the public. A scope of work for the project is
anticipated at the end of January. EOT anticipates that the
Draft EIR/EIS will be filed in late spring 2009.
What’s Coming Up
Station Workshops: EOT is co-hosting a series of workshops
with communities that could host a transit station. The goal
of the meetings is to hear local ideas about the potential new
stations and what any new development around a station
would be like. EOT wants to hear your vision for your
neighborhood and potential new station. Workshops will be
posted on www.southcoastrail.com and announced through
community planning offices, city and town halls and through
press releases and email blasts.
Technical Assistance: To support sustainable development
and smart growth, the Commonwealth is providing
communities with tools to review and update their planning
and zoning. The goal is to encourage economic development,
produce more variety in housing and encourage protection of
open space and the environment in the South Coast. As part
of the Corridor Plan process, communities were asked what
kind of technical assistance they could use in seven areas.
EOT received 20 applications and anticipates working with
the applicants over the winter.
Contact Us
If you would like more information about the project or to be
added to the project distribution list for email and U.S. Mail
notifications of meetings and other updates, please contact
Kristina Egan, South Coast Rail Manager at EOT, by email at
Kristina.Egan@eot.state.ma.us or phone at 617-973-7314.
Project information and updates, including a schedule of
upcoming meetings, are posted on the project website at
www.southcoastrail.com.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District,
696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751; via email:
screis@usace.army.mil
• Secretary Ian Bowles, EOEEA, attn.: MEPA Office (Aisling
Eglington), 100 Cambridge St., Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114;
by fax, 617-626-1181; email, aisling.eglington@state.ma.us, or
by hand delivery.
The Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works
Ten Park Plaza, Room 4150
Boston, MA 02116
SOUTH COAST RAIL November 2008 | Page 4