HDR-Led Study Finds Early Coordination Improves Project Delivery
FHWA and TRB Research Highlights Planning and Environmental Linkages
As transportation agencies face increasing pressure to expedite environmental reviews, a new study sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) found that planning and environmental linkage (PEL) studies can help accelerate project development. The research showed that agencies using a PEL can more efficiently carry planning decisions into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, creating a stronger foundation for project delivery.
The two-year study was led by HDR’s PEL Practice Lead Zach Bentzler and a team of HDR transportation planners, environmental specialists and economists in coordination with TRB and the FHWA. Together, they gathered input from nearly 50 transportation organizations through surveys, interviews and workshops, including state departments of transportation, FHWA divisions, regional and local planning organizations, and permitting agencies.
The report found that agencies conducting PEL studies benefit from earlier stakeholder engagement, stronger planning and environmental coordination, and less duplication during project development. A benefit-cost analysis led by HDR economist Sarah Henly-Thomas identified benefit-cost ratios ranging from approximately 2.0 to 7.5, indicating that benefits generally exceed implementation costs. PEL studies were most effective when identifying and prioritizing projects that could function independently within long corridors or large planning areas, or to provide a head start on analyses for complex projects requiring an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment and extensive NEPA involvement.
Bentzler and his team also reviewed 24 recent FHWA environmental impact statements and found that projects using planning products developed from a PEL study generally completed NEPA review significantly faster than those that did not. The findings suggest that when implemented effectively, this approach can help agencies meet ambitious environmental review timelines.
“The PEL program is not universally utilized by transportation agencies, and where it is utilized, agencies take advantage of the flexibility afforded by the PEL authorities,” researchers summarized. They also pointed out that research shows both qualitative and quantitative benefits of using PEL programs and studies for complex projects and corridor initiatives.
Read the full report, Evaluation of the Planning and Environment Linkages Program, published by the National Academies Press.
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