Gulf Coast MagLev

CTE was responsible for the preparation of an environmental assessment (EA) for the Federal Railroad Administration’s Magnetic Levitation Demonstration Project. Congress designated the Gulf Coast High Speed Rail Corridor in December 1998 as part of the national network of high speed ground transportation corridors to be developed throughout the United States. The objective was to design and implement a phased high-speed ground transportation system as part of a national network of inter-city high speed ground transportation services. A cooperative partnership between the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, the New Orleans International Airport, and the Regional Planning Commission was formed to implement the local section of the network. The cooperative entity was referred to as the Gulf Coast High Speed Ground Transportation Coalition.

This proposed Gulf Coast MagLev Demonstration Project provides for the implementation of a central section of the Gulf Coast High Speed Ground Transportation Corridor. New Orleans will act as the hub city for the link between Houston, Texas and Birmingham, Alabama, with potential future expansion to Jacksonville, Florida.  A very tight schedule and rigid environmental guidelines were followed when preparing the EA.  Public involvement was an integral aspect of the EA.  Items studied by CTE included land use, population density, wetlands, water resources, habitat of endangered and threatened species, 4(f) parkland, sensitive receptor locations (noise and vibration), solid waste, ecology, floodplains, natural resources, transportation and local traffic impacts, socioeconomics, environmental justice, public health, public safety, hazardous waste, and recreational opportunities.