National Consortium for Remote Sensing in Transportation Streamlining Environmental and Planning Processes In a study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), new and innovative approaches to streamlining environmental and planning processes (SEPP) for transportation corridors are being demonstrated by the application of commercial remote sensing data and spatial information technologies. Partner research institutions led by Mississippi State University including Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Michigan Tech Research Institute are collaborating with partner DOT agencies to compare and quantify benefits of new and innovative approaches versus traditional methods for completing tasks in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. A completed EIS for a planned segment of I-69 that traverses Memphis, TN, and Northwest Mississippi serves as the research test bed to quantify benefits delivered by the technology deployment project. In addition, the project also addresses Hurricane Katrina lessons learned to derive nationally significant motivations toward enhanced geospatial preparedness for application to transportation planning practices.
Project Process A consortium of research and agency partners is conducting research guided by an FHWA and RITA organized Advisory Panel that comprises local and national representatives spanning the combined competencies of transportation project development processes. Key components of the research project include tasks and activities typical of a transportation corridor planning and environmental assessment process, but each activity will consider how remote sensing and spatial information (RSSI) technologies may add efficiencies, reduce costs, and/or improve the quality and outcomes of the task or activity. Included is a Multi-Criteria Decision Model (MCDM) for evaluating which highway alignments have the least environmental impact. Advisory panel input is ensuring targeted development of key project aspects to ensure that focus is placed on activities that will deliver the best payoffs and will ensure that the project is highly connected to relevant communities of practice and ensure that communities of practice receive feedback in an ideal manner about project progress and outcomes.
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For Additional Information - Colin Brooks Robert Shuchman, Ph.D.
MTRI remote sensing analysis examples: Soil Moisture Index (SMI) derived from Landsat satellite imagery analysis (top), and Improved mapping of forested wetlands using Synthetic Aperture Radar (ALOS PALSAR) imager (bottom). Both of these layers are inputs into the MCDM to help with avoidance of environmentally important areas. Forested wetlands have been poorly mapped using traditional methods, and improving that mapping with canopy-penetrating radar imagery is a research focus of MTRI. Areas with high soil moisture can be suitable for wetlands mitigation sites, and could be avoided by existing construction as part of reducing the environmental impacts of transportation projects. |
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