T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluationof Post Road and Partially Relocated Airport Road and the new intersection of Post Road and Relocated DeliveryDrive. These are the only two locations expected to show a difference in traffic volume (when compared to theNo-Action Alternative) in 2015. A complete analysis of physical changes and traffic operations was conducted forAlternative B4 in 2015 since increased aircraft enplanements or deplanements resulting from the extension ofRunway 5-23 would result in differences in traffic volumes at most Study Area locations.Alternatives B2 and B4 would result in land acquisitions and land use relocations. Although traffic demandsgenerated by each business and residential acquisition could have been subtracted out of the peak hournetworks, the analyses did not account for these potential traffic reductions. Instead, the traffic analyses assumethat nearby replacement development would occur.5.6.3.2 Parking MethodologyThe parking analysis documents and compares the on- and off-Airport parking supplies associated with theNo-Action Alternative and Alternatives B2 and B4 in 2015, 2020, and 2025.5.6.3.3 Public Transportation and Bicycle Transportation MethodologyThe effects of Alternatives B2 and B4 on the surrounding public transportation and bicycle transportationsystems were determined by overlaying the proposed future roadway plan onto the existing system networksand qualitatively examining the potential effects. For public transportation systems, Rhode Island Public TransitAuthority (RIPTA) bus routes and system maps (available at www.ripta.com) were referenced. For bicycleroutes, RIDOT maps for the State of Rhode Island were referenced.5.6.4 Impact AssessmentThis section summarizes the direct and indirect effects of the No-Action Alternative and Alternatives B2 and B4on the surface transportation system in the Study Area. Though temporary in nature, surface transportationimpacts related to construction activities are also discussed. The transportation analysis is by nature cumulative,because it takes background conditions over time into account.Direct impacts are those that would be a direct consequence of Alternatives B2 and B4, such as altered trafficdemands from changes in the roadway system or increased traffic demands that would result from the increasein enplanements attributable to the Alternatives. Indirect impacts would be caused by the Alternatives B2 andB4, but occur later in time or are farther removed in distance from the Study Area. Indirect impacts arereasonably foreseeable, such as induced traffic demands from other roadways because of the modified roadwaynetwork. Other examples of indirect impacts include quality of life factors, such as enhanced east-west mobilityand neighborhood circulation.5.6.4.1 No-Action AlternativeThe No-Action Alternative does not include a runway extension or the increased traffic due to the additionalenplanements or deplanements associated with a longer runway. The No-Action Alternative does not physically alterany roadways or intersections off-Airport to accommodate the increase in on-Airport activities that would occurregardless of the Improvement Program.Chapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-121 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc