Understanding an EIS

As the US 281 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is prepared, we thought it might be helpful to provide a short refresher and some background information.

The EIS environmental review is the most robust and comprehensive environmental document and process under the National Environmental Policy Act.  It requires a high level of public involvement, coordination with multiple agencies and organizations, and a detailed analysis of impacts for the no-build and build alternatives.  The US 281 EIS will consider direct, indirect and cumulative impacts.  Here is a list of potential impacts that will be analyzed:

·          Land Use Impacts

·          Farmland Impacts

·          Social Impacts including Environmental Justice (includes tolling analysis)

·          Relocation Impacts

·          Economic Impacts (includes tolling analysis)

·          Transportation Impacts

·          Considerations Relating to Pedestrians and Bicyclists

·          Air Quality Impacts

·          Noise Impacts

·          Geology/Soils

·          Water quality Impacts (including the Edwards Aquifer)

·          Wetland Impacts

·          Water Body Modifications

·          Floodplain Impacts

·          Vegetation Impacts

·          Wildlife Impacts

·          Threatened or Endangered Species Impacts

·          Historic and Archeological Impacts

·          Hazardous Waste Sites

·          Visual Impacts

·          Energy Impacts

·          Construction Impacts

·          Indirect and Cumulative

For additional information on how you are important to the EIS process, please review the Citizen's Guide to NEPA  located on the 411on281 web site.  This Guide was created by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to help citizens and organizations effectively engage in the EIS process.  

If you have further questions about the US 281 EIS, please click here to visit the web site or click here to email the US 281 EIS team.

What is the Alamo RMA?

The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (Alamo RMA) is an independent governmental agency created by the Texas Transportation Commission and the Bexar County Commissioners Court in December 2003.  Overseen by a seven member Board of Directors, the Alamo RMA professional staff and consultants are committed to finding ways to empower our local community to take charge of our transportation future.

The Alamo RMA's purpose is to provide Bexar County with opportunities to accelerate needed transportation projects, through the direction of a local board making local choices about local mobility needs that enhance the quality of life and economic growth for all residents in our region.

With the community's input, they are helping to ensure a bright and prosperous future for the community through innovations in financing transportation projects, and the ability to accelerate needed projects to relieve congestion today, instead of waiting for years under traditional methods.  They remain committed to working with the community to ensure your daily travel is quicker and safer when you travel on US 281. 

For more information on the Alamo RMA and to learn about other transportation projects the Alamo RMA is working on, please visit www.AlamoRMA.org.

We thought you might be interested in learning more about other transportation planning being conducted in the San Antonio area.  Visit the "Transportation 101" section of the 411on281/EIS web site by clicking here  to read more about Mobility 2035, the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) 25-year, long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).  The Mobility 2035 MTP is used as a guide to plan for future transportation needs in the MPO study area, which includes Bexar County and parts of Comal and Guadalupe Counties.  Within the "Transportation 101" section, you can also learn about SmartWaySA.  SmartWaySA is VIA's one year community-driven study to develop a Long Range Comprehensive Transportation Plan for the VIA system in Bexar County to year 2035.