Southeast High Speed Rail - Tier I Draft Environmental Impact Statement Completed

Raleigh, NC - The North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation have completed the first round of environmental studies for the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor (SEHSR).

As part of the first phase of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the departments took a broad look at potential impacts of high-speed trains along the 500-mile corridor. In addition to conducting an environmental analysis, the departments also researched potential impacts on the economy, communities, surrounding development and other transportation systems. They also talked with elected officials, community planners and resource agencies and held 26 public meetings in North Carolina and Virginia to share information about the high-speed rail project and solicit feedback from citizens.

In conducting research for the initial studies - known as the Tier I Draft EIS- the departments found that:
· The majority of public input was supportive of implementing high speed rail
· Revenues were projected to exceed operation costs for all alternatives under consideration
· Implementation of high speed rail is projected to triple rail ridership from Washington DC to Charlotte, NC by the year 2015
· Potential diversions from auto and air traffic will exceed 1 million trips by 2015 on six of the nine alternatives studied
· Average total travel time from Washington, DC to Charlotte, NC ranges from 6.20 hours to 7.43 hours, depending on the alternative

The two transportation departments will hold a series of formal public hearings in both states later this summer to provide an overview of the draft EIS and allow opportunity for public comment. During the public hearings, transportation officials will explain the project and results of the initial environmental studies.

One of the five original federally designated corridors, the Southeast High-Speed Corridor stretches from Washington D.C, through Richmond and Raleigh to Charlotte. North Carolina and Virginia are examining high-speed rail service using trains that operate at maximum speeds of 110 mph as a way to improve transportation in the 500-mile Washington, D.C.-Charlotte corridor. (The corridor was later extended from Charlotte to Greenville/Spartanburg and Atlanta to Macon and from Raleigh to Columbia, Savannah and Jacksonville.) It is projected to generate more revenue than any other proposed rail corridor in the nation - $2.54 in benefits for every dollar spent to build and operate it.

Public Hearing Schedule

9/11 Raleigh, NC
9/13 Fredericksburg, VA
9/18 Durham, NC
9/20 South Hill, VA
9/20 South Hill, VA
9/25 Sanford, NC
9/27 Wilson, NC
9/25 Sanford, NC
10/2 Roanoke Rapids, NC
10/9 Henderson, NC
10/11 Springfield, VA
10/18 Charlotte, NC
10/16 Star, NC
10/23 Salisbury, NC
10/25 Emporia, VA
10/30 Winston-Salem, NC
11/1 Greensboro, NC
11/7 Richmond, VA
11/8 Petersburg, VA

Copies of the Tier I Draft Environmental Impact Statement are available at several locations throughout the study corridor. For more information visit www.sehsr.org or call the toll-free information line: 1-877-749-7245.

***SEHSR***

Contact: David Foster 919-733-7245 x266