Life Cycle Phase 1: I-70 Mountain Corridor Planning
Using the 6-Step Process, I-70 Mountain Corridor Planning integrates with statewide planning efforts and develops plans for corridor-wide resources.
"Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions."
- Edgar Cayce
I-70 Mountain Corridor Planning integrates with statewide planning efforts, champions regional planning, and promotes consistency among planning efforts. The Corridor Planning phase includes broad traffic and planning studies, such as the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), that set the course for the Project Development phase.
Section 3.2 of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Manual refers to Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) as "an approach to transportation decision-making that considers environmental, community, and economic goals early in the planning stage and carries them through project development, design, and construction." The I-70 Mountain Corridor Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) 6-Step Process is consistent with the PEL approach. The 6-Step Process considers Core Values that address environmental, community, and economic goals. Each of the activities shown in the PEL Corridor Planning Process Flow Chart are included in the CSS 6-Step Process, and reinforce the importance of clear and consistent decision-making processes.
Planning studies include a public and agency outreach component that engages stakeholders in the planning process. The Colorado Department of Transportation will continue to involve public and agency stakeholders throughout the Life Cycle Phases for projects on the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
Types of projects in Phase 1 include the PEIS, the 106 Programmatic Agreement, the Landscape Level Inventory of Valued Ecosystem Components (ALIVE) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Stream and Wetland Ecosystem Enhancement Program (SWEEP) MOU, the Historic Context Report, the Aesthetic Plan, and other corridor-wide planning studies.
