Environmental Impact Study

As promised, I read through the Environmental Impact Study that UTA released for the Airport TRAX line, which is pretty much already under construction. I won't bore you with too many details, I just wanted to comment on a few things.

First, the location of the Airport line, and the nature of the area it is building through, fundamentally makes the line problem free when it comes to environmental issues. The trains run on electricity, so they have to prove careful use and what not, but they have practice on that, so it really isn't a big deal. At all. Also, there are two canals in the area, so they had to prove that water levels in the canals haven't risen too high, so the risk of the lines flooding is very low.

Interestingly, they also have to worry about Historic Preservation of any buildings in the area, which is something I didn't know Environmental Assessment had to cover.

I think, though, that when it comes down to it, UTA builds the bulk of the projects on existing lines or existing streets, making the environmental impact minimal. This is a major boon for mass transit, and something that should be emphasized more often.
Images used are artist renderings of eventual project, and are not owned by me. They are an attachment to the Environmental Assessment published by UTA.