Urban Ring Regulatory Background

Planning for the Urban Ring has been underway for many years. Concepts for a circumferential transit line date back to the Boston Transportation Planning Review in the 1970s. This was followed by preliminary feasibility studies for an "Urban Ring" in the 1980s.

The current planning and environmental review process began in 1996, with the start of a Major Investment Study (MIS). The MIS was completed in 2001. It identified the Urban Ring corridor and destinations for service; proposed a three-phase implementation strategy; and established preliminary recommendations for Phases 1 and 2, as well as conceptual alternatives for Phase 3. Phase 1 was subsequently undertaken.

The MIS was followed by a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for Phase 2. The DEIR study process analyzed 40 design variants and refinements for the Phase 2 bus rapid transit (BRT) element of the Urban Ring. The DEIR, completed in November 2004, identified a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for Phase 2.

In May 2005, the Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs approved the Phase 2 DEIR, but also required further study of new concepts and concerns. EOT is now addressing these issues as it produces a federal Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Phase 2 that will be combined with a revised version of the DEIR (known as an "RDEIR/DEIS") to meet both state and federal review requirements.

The study requirements and review schedule for the RDEIR/DEIS were established in two Certificates (here and here) issued by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. The Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs has set a deadline for the RDEIR/DEIS of May 31, 2008.

Next Steps

The Urban Ring Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS will provide critical information to help shape the next steps of the project. The Urban Ring is a very large undertaking that will require significant investment. For the project to be financially feasible, the Commonwealth must qualify for federal funding to pay for a portion of the cost. Federal funding for new public transportation projects is distributed through a highly competitive Federal Transit Administration program called New Starts. The RDEIR/DEIS will indicate whether the Urban Ring Phase 2 will be able to compete for New Starts funds. If the RDEIR/DEIS shows that the Urban Ring Phase 2 performs well relative to the New Starts evaluation criteria, including critical cost-effectiveness, then EOT and the project team can develop an application to gain entry into the New Start program.

If the Phase 2 RDEIR/DEIS warrants continued pursuit of the Urban Ring environmental review process, the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs has established the following deadlines for further environmental submissions:

• June 30, 2009: Final EIR/EIS for Phase 2
• June 30, 2011:  Draft EIR/EIS for Phase 3

If the Urban Ring Phase 2 project is accepted into the New Starts program, EOT must satisfy many other requirements. Federal funding through the New Starts program would only cover 50% of the cost of the project. Therefore, EOT would have to identify other funding sources, which may include state funds, other public support, and private investment.

In addition, the project would need to be included in the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization's Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) in order to be able to spend federal money. The Boston MPO, which includes 101 cities and towns with nearly three million people in roughly 1,400 square miles, is one of 13 Massachusetts regions that carry out federally funded transportation plans and programs. The Boston MPO is currently developing its new RTP, titled JOURNEY TO 2030.