THE CAT Streamlining South Carolinas I73 Project

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THE CAT Streamlining South Carolinas I-73
Project

• Melvin Brown, CEP
• Wilbur Smith Associates

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The I-73 EIS

• New Interstate on New Location Provides
• First Interstate Connection toMyrtle Beach, SC
• Support Economic Development
• Improve Hurricane Evacuation
• Largest Environmental Project Undertaken by SCDOT

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The I-73 EIS

• Large Study Area 2200 sq. mi.
• Approx. 90 miles in Length
• Rockingham, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC
• Aggressive Schedule 3 years
• Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
• Record of Decision (ROD)
• Permits

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Study Area
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The I-73 EIS

• Streamlining
• Corridor Analysis Tool (CAT)
• Three Tiered Involvement
• Agency Coordination Team (ACT)
• Stakeholders
• Public
• Combining NEPA and Permitting Parallel
  Process

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The Story

• Discuss the Corridor Analysis Tool (CAT)
• Discuss the Three Tiered Involvement, Primarily
  the Agency Coordination Team (ACT)

The take home message Integration of the CAT,
ACT and the NEPA Process Integration, Buy-In,
Trust
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The Challenge - The Solution

• The Challenge
• Identify, Evaluate and Quantify Corridors

• The Solution
• Geographic Information Systems

• Defendable Process
• Inclusive Process
• Standardized Process
• Large Geographical Areas
• Quick / Flexible / Cost Effective
• Numerous Data Types
• Large Data Sets

• Defendable Process
• Inclusive Process
• Standardized Process
• Large Geographical Areas
• Quick / Flexible / Cost Effective
• Numerous Data Types
• Large Data Sets

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The Next Level
Automated the Corridor Selection Process Corridor
Analysis Tool
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The CAT Solution

• Corridor Analysis Tool (CAT)
• NEPA and Agency Driven Approach
• Developed by and for Transportation Professionals
  
• Identifies Corridor of Least Impact
• Quantifies Corridors Impacts
• Brings the Information and Analysis to User
• Development / Comparison of Multiple Corridor
  Scenarios
• Quick / Flexible / Cost Effective

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The CAT Solution (cont.)

• CAT allows user to
• Identify Resources / Set Avoidance Priorities
• Set Constraints
• Set Start / End Points
• Define Corridor Width
• Incorporates Corridor Design Criteria

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Three Tiered Involvement

• Stakeholders
• Special Interest Groups (Political, Community,
  Resource Action and Other Groups)
• Public
• Agency Coordination Team (ACT)

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Agency Coordination Team (ACT)

• Consists of 12 Resource and Regulatory Agencies
  (EPA, COE, DNR, USFWS, FEMA, etc.)
• Purpose
• Bring the Agencies to the Table Early and Often
• Provide a Structured Format for Their Input
• Keep Them Involved Throughout the Project
• Keep Them Informed Throughout the Project
• Open and Honest Communication

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Agency Coordination Team (ACT)

• Structured Format
• Working Guidelines Established
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Dispute Resolution Process
• Written Concurrences at Milestones
• Meets Every Four to Six Weeks

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OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! THERE IS FUN TO BE
DONE! THERE ARE POINTS TO BE SCORED. THERE ARE
GAMES TO BE WON. Oh, The Places Youll
Go! Dr. Seuss
The CAT and the ACT
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Integration and Buy-In

• The ACT
• Selected Resources for the CAT
• Evaluated Over 130 Different Resources/Resource
  Types
• Environmental (Wetlands, Cultural Resources,
  Protected Species, etc)
• Roadways (Principal, Minor Arterials)
• Infrastructure (Schools, Churches, Fire Stations,
  etc.)
• Demographics (Population Density, etc.)

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Integration and Buy In

• Selected Avoidance / Attraction Priorities
• Selected Layer Influence Values
• Selected Attribute Ranking Values

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Criteria Ranking
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Constraints

• Where the CAT Can Not Go!
• Included 29 Constraints
• Unique Wetlands
• Protected Species
• Historic Structures
• Archeology Sites
• Others

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Integration
I-73 Environmental Impact Statement
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The I-73 CAT Process
Evaluate Study Area for Potential Corridors
Refine Potential to Reasonable Corridors
Refine Reasonable Corridors to Preferred Alternati
ve
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Time Savings for Single Corridor Analysis (time
savings assumes database completed)
80 Savings over by hand method 55 Savings
over GIS method
Savings using CAT
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Benefits

• Meets NEPA Requirements
• Identifies Corridors with Least Impact
• Detailed Quantification of Impacts
• Integrates People into the Process
• Trust and Buy-In (public, stakeholders, agencies)
  
• Saves Time Streamlines Process
• Reduces Project Costs

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Additional Information/ Contacts
Developed by Wilbur Smith Associates Greg
Yarbrough and John Wisdom in ArcGIS 9

• Web Site www.wilbursmith.com/cat

Greg Yarbrough 1301 Gervais Street Columbia, SC
29201 803-251-2970 gyarbrough_at_wilbursmith.com
Melvin Brown Columbia, SC - 803-758-4542 Atlanta
, GA - 770-936-8750 mbrown_at_wilbursmith.com
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Identification of Least Impact CorridorEvaluation
Iterations(Assumes a 1,000 square mile study
area)
ITERATIONS
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Criteria Ranking Suitability Methodology
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Criteria Ranking Attribute Ranking

• How it Works
• Attribute Ranking Compares Between Attributes
• What are the Important Attributes
• Bottomland Hardwoods 9
• Upland Agriculture 1
• Ranking Scale is 1 to 10
• Higher Score Repels CAT
• Lower Score Attracts CAT

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Criteria Ranking Layer Influence

• How it Works
• Layer Influence Compares Between Layers
• What are the most important Layers?
• Environmental 80
• Infrastructure 20
• Layer Influence Must Total 100

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CORRIDOR ANALYSIS TOOL (CAT)Operational
Characteristics

• Developed
• by
• Wilbur Smith Associates

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CAT Components

• Scenario Manager
• Constraints Setup
• Scenario Setup
• Corridor Definition
• Engineering Criteria
• Scenario Results Summary
• Scenario Documentation

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Scenario Manager

• Create, Delete or Open a Scenario for processing
• Document Scenario Information and Store

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Constraints Setup

• Define Constraints (Masks)
• Areas that are off limits

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Scenario Setup

• Define Analysis Criteria
• Which layers to include (natural resources,
  demographics, etc.)?
• Define Layer Influences
• Define Attribute Weights

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Scenario Setup (detail)
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Corridor Definition

• Identify Best-Fit Corridors
• Define Corridor Widths
• Apply Engineering Design Criteria
• Define Endpoints

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Scenario Results Summary

• Detailed Impacts
• Acreage by Layer and Layer Attribute (wetlands,
  etc.)
• Units by Layer and Layer Attribute (churches,
  cultural resources, etc.)

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Scenario Documentation

• CAT Output
• Quantification of Scenario Impacts
• Plot of Corridor Alignment
• Scenario Criteria Settings