Streamlining the Environmental Approval Process: Summary Report

Section 1309 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-2l) is intended to promote streamlining in the environmental review processes for transportation project development. Environmental streamlining refers to various processes, interagency coordination, technology, and communications tools used to improve transportation project development by reducing project delays, duplicated efforts, and increased costs associated with environmental reviews. This research project examined the environmental clearance process at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), its transportation development partners, and other state departments of transportation (DOTs) in order to identify opportunities and examples of streamlining. The research results were developed into a guidebook for use in streamlining the project development process at TxDOT.