Double Track

This study furthers the federal environmental review process for the Double Track Northwest Indiana (NWI) project in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as well as provisions of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST Act) . Specifically, an Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared for the Project, with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as the Federal Lead Agency and the NICTD South Shore Line (SSL) as the Local Project Sponsor responsible for implementing the Project. Additionally, a Section 4(f) Evaluation has been prepared in compliance with Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). 

The purpose of the environmental review process is to promote informed decision-making by considering the potential environmental and social impacts of the Project. The FTA and SSL are coordinating with regulatory agencies with a defined interest in the Project and the public that could potentially be affected by the Project. The environmental review process is structured to encourage participation between government officials, agencies, private businesses, and citizens. 

The Finding of No Significant Impact for the Double Track NWI Project was received from the FTA on 11/1/2018.