Case study | Environmental Science
Milwaukee East-West BRT Corridor Study
Details
Owner
Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc.
Client
SRF Consulting Group
Project Cost
$54,544 (KEG Fee)
Status
Completed 2018
Summary
Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) provided environmental services in support of a proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Milwaukee Transport Services (MTS), the operator of the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS), initiated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process to evaluate the proposed nine-mile East-West corridor. The project connects major employment and activity centers between downtown Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, and Milwaukee County Research Park.
Project
The purpose of the proposed corridor was to utilize exclusive bus lanes and transit signal priority at several intersections to reduce travel times. Additionally, to accommodate the new transit line, 19 boarding stations with amenities such as real-time signage, shelters, and off-board fare payment would need to be constructed.
KEG’s scope of work included providing assistance in drafting the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project. KEG completed data research for Neighborhood and Community Facilities impacts, Indirect and Cumulative impacts, Air Quality impacts, Threatened and Endangered Species, Section 4(f) Resources, and Environmental Justice. Subsequently, KEG drafted these sections and developed the figures for inclusion in the EA.
The EA document was approved by the FTA and the Milwaukee County Director of Transportation in August 2018, with the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) approved by the FTA in November 2018.