Transportation Permit Efficiency and Accountability Committee

Planning Subcommittee

Need/Purpose:  The Planning Subcommittee was created in response to concerns that the planning phase, with significant opportunities to reduce project delays and permitting issues, was not being addressed by TPEAC.

Vision: 

• Ensure that the principles of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are considered early in the transportation planning process to expedite future regulatory decisions.

• Improve the coordination of environmental, transportation, and land use planning at all levels of government so that transportation projects avoid, reduce, or otherwise mitigate impacts on the environment in order to reduce conflict and project delay, and help to ensure that subsequent permitting decisions are made in a more coordinated streamlined manner.

Objectives: 

• Review the transportation planning process

• Make recommendations on environmental information and processes that promotes early identification of issues in the planning phase in preparation for NEPA/SEPA and permitting decisions.

• Frame the issues related to transportation planning and develop a plan to address those issues.

Authorization:  TPEAC approved the formation of the Planning Subcommittee with the encouragement of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the December 12, 2001 meeting.

Primary Membership: 

• Co-chairs:

  • Sharon Love, Federal Highway Administration

  • Judith Leckrone Lee, US Environmental Protection Agency

   

• Other Members and Agency Staff Included:

  • WA Department of Ecology: Janice Sedlak, Patty Betts

  • WA Department of Fish and Wildlife:  Cynthia Pratt, Teresa A. Eturaspe

  • WA Department of Natural Resources: Hugo Flores

  • WA Department of Transportation: Kathleen McKinney, Leni Oman, Lona Richardson, Phil Kauzloric, Todd Carlson

  • WA Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development: David Andersen, Wendy Compton-Ring

  • Don Skone, Yakima Valley Conference of Governments

  • US Environmental Protection Agency: Elaine Somers

  • US Fish and Wildlife Service: Emily Teachout

  • US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Fisheries: Mike Grady

  • Association of Washington Cities: Jackie White

  • City of Lacey: Jerry Litt

  • Benton-Franklin Council of Governments: Mark Kushner

  • Jones and Stokes: Michael Booth

  • Puget Sound Regional Council: Norman Abbott

  • Washington State Association of Counties: Scott Merriman

Products: 

• Final Draft Report

Other Significant Events/Milestones:

• 12/01 - 05/02: Developed mission statement and identified top four issues to address
• 06/02 – 12/02: Subgroups addressed top four issues and developed working documents (with draft Possible Actions)
• 12/02: Presented Final Draft Report to TPEAC summarizing Possible Actions; Subcommittee dissolved

Level of Effort:  The Committee worked for most of 2002, holding its first meeting in January, and meeting monthly until January 2003. Twenty to thirty people regularly attended. WSDOT provided a dedicated facilitator and note-taker.

Results:  This committee was dissolved after presenting a draft report to TPEAC in December of 2002. The recommendations contained in that report were not implemented due to insufficient resources, and lack of upper management support for continuation of the effort.