Efficient Transportation Decision Making Process Support
Florida Department of Transportation, District 1
Florida’s Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) Process was developed in response to Congress’ environmental streamlining initiative that called for an improved and more efficient transportation planning and environmental review process.
The ETDM Process provides a planning framework for fulfilling the intent of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP 21) and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act provisions and government regulations supporting the integration of the transportation planning process with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process. It creates linkages between land use, transportation and environmental planning through early and continuing collaboration among planning agencies, environmental resource agencies and the public.
The purpose of the Northwest Jacksonville Connects Green Line TOD Study has been to identify how integrating transportation and land use investments along the Green Line corridor can foster sustainable growth through innovative TOD. With positive momentum, JTA is building partnerships for new investments and seeking new funding opportunities that will continue to move the needle toward improved housing, more jobs, business opportunities, and other mixed-use Transit Oriented Development solutions along the Green Line corridor. Funded by a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) TOD grant, this study focused on development strategies for community-building and reinvestment around each of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station areas along the Green Line.
The Green Line TOD Study entailed significant engagement and station area planning that resulted in recommendations to city policy changes, public-private partnerships, economic development, and identification of additional infrastructure investments to reposition the corridor for more private sector action. Featuring the project’s public-facing website, Renaissance delivered a strong engagement strategy with existing residents, small business owners, and other members of the community that have been traditionally underrepresented during the public process.
For nearly a decade, Renaissance has been working with the Florida DOT to implement the ETDM Process. A core element of this work includes engaging with resource agencies and other stakeholders during the earliest stages of transportation project development to begin discussions about the potential impacts on the social, cultural, natural, and physical resources.
We also work regularly with Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) to use the ETDM Process to comply with the environmental planning provisions of MAP-21 and the FAST Act pertaining to the development of the long range transportation plans. This includes evaluating the potential environmental effects of candidate projects being considered for inclusion in MPO cost feasible long range transportation plans. The ETDM process provides a decision-making framework that can lead to early identification of the most environmentally sensitive transportation solutions that reflect stakeholder buy-in from the public, resource agencies and other interested parties.
Graphic from ETDM Manual - Courtesy of FDOT
