Environmental Impact Assessment for Transportation Projects: Case Study Using Remote-Sensing Technology, Geographic Information Systems, and Spatial Modeling

Abstract

A major function of planners is to promote the best use of a community’s land and resources for different construction projects; especially critical are infrastructure projects on which economic development relies. Transportation projects typically involve both environmental and economic issues facing a community as it grows and changes. Considerations of sustainability, as well as the widespread use of collaborative planning, design, and construction, require tools that facilitate long-term impact analysis and easy communication among built-environment professionals. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is instrumental for studying transportation project impacts, but it is a time-consuming process because of the large number of dependent and independent variables involved. This paper presents a descriptive case study for the analysis phase of an EIA for transportation projects on the basis of the integration of remote-sensing technology, geographic information systems, and spatial modeling. Environmental vulnerability around the project areas is presented by exploiting the advantages of the map overlay method and the matrix method. A vulnerability grade map and road distribution map were produced, providing an overall vulnerability score for each of the three planning alternatives considered. A road alignment was indicated as the preferred corridor, which was further recommended for a project development and environmental (PD&E) study. The proposed framework provides for a comprehensive environmental assessment of transportation projects and improvement of the quality of the decision-making process in urban and interurban projects.