Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikey711MN
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It will take longer than just one year to proceed through the NEPA (EIS) process that this graph suggests. Just limiting it to the latest privately financed high speed rail project within Texas, the NEPA process took 5 years.
A timeline per Texas Central web site;
PROJECT TIMELINE
2026: Commercial service fully operational
2025: Testing and commissioning period begins
2021: Construction Starts
2020: Federal approvals (EIS and RPA)
September 2019: FRA begins rulemaking for safety regulations (RPA)
December 2017: DEIS is released by FRA, final route and station locations selected
June 2014: Project EIS process begins
It took them at least 3 years to process and publish the draft environmental impact study, and another 2 years to publish the final environmental study and reach the record of decision.
A total of at least 5 years for the studies - not just one year.
I do not like it when proponents and technical advisors for projects promising results no one has ever delivered, even in the most recent past. Over promising is lying, there is just no other way to look at it.
But Austin has already been doing environmental studies on these corridors in the recent past. Suppose they use the facts gathered already from the previous studies, eliminating the need to repeat the facts gathering process. They would still have write a draft study, allow six months to a year for public comments, write a final study and wait another six months for public review and comments before reaching a final record of decision. About two years at least, still more than one year in this graph.