For almost 30 years, Massachusetts transportation agencies have evaluated alternatives to improve mobility to and from the South Coast region of the State. Finally, through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, the South Coast Rail (SCR) Project will restore commuter rail service to southeastern Massachusetts.
The SCR Project required interdisciplinary and interagency cooperation and consensus to reduce ecological impacts, coordinate complex permitting, and identify mitigation options. In 2016, costs for the SCR preferred alternative (Stoughton Straight Electric) were estimated at $3.2 B, with service starting no sooner than 2030. This alternative involved a number of complex design and permitting challenges, including: restoration of track sections out of service for over 60 years, adding overhead catenary, impacts to wetland resources and listed species habitats, and impacts to significant historic and cultural resources.
Three state agencies (MassDOT Rail and Transit, MassDOT Highway, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) worked with regulatory agencies (including USACE, EPA, MassDEP, and NHESP) to develop a phased approach to the Project that will deliver service to the area sooner (by 2022) and at a cost of under $1B. SCR Phase 1 uses diesel engines on active freight lines, which reduced impacts, with less work outside the railbed. New infrastructure, such as passing sidings and stations were located to avoid direct impacts. Where impacts could not be avoided, minimization measures such as steeper side slopes and retaining walls were used. These were developed through "Engineering & Environmental" workshops, where a multidisciplinary team brainstormed opportunities and evaluated the costs and benefits.
The Project required approvals from various regulatory agencies, each with differing priorities and requirements, resulting in a comprehensive and inclusive mitigation program. The USACE determined that wildlife connectivity improvements provided mitigation for bridge and culvert repairs permitted separately, while an in-lieu fee of $311,909 was assessed for SCR Phase 1. For State and local wetland impacts, in-kind mitigation was provided at a mitigation-to-impact ratio of 1.6:1. Mitigation for state-listed turtle species included construction of 90 under-rail wildlife crossings, plus MassDOT providing $77,961 to a Mitigation Bank. Furthermore, salvage of granite blocks from replaced bridges and culverts is proposed as an innovative mitigation strategy for the Division of Marine Fisheries to create artificial reefs off Cape Cod.
Pre-application coordination meetings, in conjunction with on-going collaboration, were key to success. A wholistic approach to avoidance and mitigation helped achieve interagency consensus. The SCR Phase 1 project demonstrates how innovation and collaboration throughout development of a multifaceted mitigation strategy can help implement complex infrastructure projects more quickly.