Boston South Station Expansion
PROJECT WEBSITE: South Station Expansion project website
All dates below are specific to the schedule of the Environmental Review and Permitting processes for this project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS
COMPLETE
COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING
11/28/2017
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESSES
COMPLETED
SECTOR
Surface Transportation
CATEGORY
Project Category
DOT Projects
LEAD AGENCY
Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration
Description:
Boston South Station serves passengers from the Northeast Corridor and beyond, connecting them to local and intercity destinations in New England. It is a significant architectural structure in the City of Boston, and one of its most important transportation assets.
MassDOT secured a High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR) grant in 2011 from the FRA to complete environmental review and preliminary engineering for the South Station Expansion (SSX) project. The SSX project consists of the expansion of the existing Boston South Station, development and expansion of rail layover facilities, and multi-modal improvements. The project contains the following components:
- Expansion of Boston South Station
- Development of rail vehicle layover facility sites at Readville-Yard 2 and Widett Circle
- Pedestrian, Bicycle, Public Transit, and Vehicular Access Improvements services
Environmental Assessment:
The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) environmental review process for this project concluded with the issuance of a final Certificate on August 12, 2016, on the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). [link: http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/southstationexpansion/Documents/FEIR.aspx
]
In order to use federal funding, the project also requires review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Amtrak, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), MassDOT is reviewing the expansion of South Station through an Environmental Assessment (EA). This EA identifies a No Build Alternative and a Build Alternative; provides an assessment of positive and negative impacts on the natural and built environment for both alternatives; and identifies measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any negative effects.
Next Steps:
MassDOT held a public meeting on July 20, 2016, during the public comment period for the FEIR. At this meeting, MassDOT also presented the status of the federal environmental review process, including the preparation of this EA and continuation of the Section 106 review process.
MassDOT and FRA released the Draft EA for public comment from April 26, 2017, through May 27, 2017.
MassDOT and FRA released the Final EA and Finding of No Significant Impact on November 28, 2017.
More Information:
Further information can be found on the SSX project website. [https://www.massdot.state.ma.us/southstationexpansion/Home.aspx ]
For more information on the project, please contact Amishi Castelli, FRA Environmental Protection Specialist, at Amishi.Castelli@dot.gov, or send your comments to:
Amishi Castelli, Ph.D.
Environmental Protection Specialist
Office of Program Delivery
One Bowling Green, Suite 429
New York, NY 10004
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Permitting Timetable
The permitting timetable below displays data as reported by agencies. Dates for Environmental Review and Permitting processes (Actions) that are in 'Paused' or 'Planned' status are subject to change and are not indicative of a project's final schedule.
- For information about extensions, select an Action from the timetable below and select 'View Action Details' at the bottom of the page.
Action Information
For additional information, please select an Action from the Permitting Timetable above.
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