The Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer

The ETC Explorer is an interactive web application that uses 2020 Census Tracts and data to explore the cumulative burden communities experience caused by underinvestment in transportation. Its purpose is to provide a deeper understanding into how communities experience transportation disadvantage to help ensure the benefits of investments address the transportation-related causes of disadvantage. The ETC explorer assesses transportation disadvantage in five components:  Transportation Insecurity, Climate and Disaster Risk Burden, Environmental Burden, Health Vulnerability, and Social Vulnerability.  It is designed to complement Council for Environmental Quality’s Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST).

The Database for Air Quality and Noise Analysis (DANA)

The Database for Air Quality and Noise Analysis (DANA) is a tool created by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to combine traffic data from existing data sources into a single database and process the combined data into properly formatted inputs to EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model and the FHWA’s Traffic Noise Model Aide (TNMAide).

DANA provides real-world measurements of traffic conditions for use in environmental analyses, instead of relying on transportation models to generate base year traffic data. Finally, DANA helps ensure that environmental analyses use a consistent set of traffic data and processing methods across the entire country. FHWA provides the DANA tool as a resource to stakeholders and use of the tool is voluntary; however, using it may not satisfy all regulatory requirements.

Environmental Protection Administration’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

In order to better meet the Agency’s responsibilities related to the protection of public health and the environment, EPA has developed a new environmental justice (EJ) mapping and screening tool called EJScreen. It is based on nationally consistent data and an approach that combines environmental and demographic indicators in maps and reports.

Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (Beta)

Use the map to see communities that are identified as disadvantaged. The map uses publicly-available, nationally-consistent datasets to identify disadvantaged communities in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

RAISE Mapping Tool – Areas of Persistent Poverty & Historically Disadvantaged Communities

RAISE discretionary grants help project sponsors at the State and local levels, including municipalities, Tribal governments, counties, and others complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that are harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs.

RAISE projects are rigorously reviewed and evaluated on statutory criteria of safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation.

Airline Customer Service Dashboard 

The U.S. Department of Transportation has created a dashboard to ensure the traveling public has easy access to information about services that U.S. airlines provide to mitigate passenger inconveniences when the cause of a cancellation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control.

DOT Navigator

The DOT Navigator is a new resource to help communities understand the best ways to apply for grants, and to plan for and deliver transformative infrastructure projects and services.

Resources

Local Project Management & Implementation
US Fish & Wildlife’s Role in Transportation Projects
Endangered Species Act (ESA) Basics
Federal Project Review and ESA
Stormwater and Buffers
Documentation Requirements & Approval Procedures for Categorical Exclusions
FHWA Funding, Monitoring, & Reporting
LAP Records Review Checklist
Right-of-Way Certification
Design & Plan Review
Construction Authorization
Bike/Ped Cost Estimator Tool (UNCC)

Other Helpful Links

Local Project Administration Guidance
NPDES Stormwater Permit
NCDOT Highway Stormwater Program (HSP)
401 Wetlands & Buffer Permitting
401 & Buffer Permitting Statutes & Rules
NCDOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Project Development & Design Guidance