Georgia DOT seeks input on environmental statement for proposed high-speed rail corridor expansion

The Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Railroad Administration are soliciting public comment on a Tier 1 draft environmental impact statement for a proposed extension of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Atlanta.

The agencies will ask for public input on the draft statement during open houses held tomorrow in Atlanta, Wednesday in Greenville, South Carolina, and Thursday in Charlotte. Comments may be offered in person or online through Nov. 4, Georgia DOT officials said in a press release.

The draft statement lays out three options, with a no-build alternative serving as the baseline. The comments received will help the agencies determine a preferred corridor alternative for the Tier 1 environmental impact statement and the record of decision.

The proposed expansion of the corridor is a project of the Passenger-Rail Corridor Investment Plan. Expanding proposed high-speed passenger-rail service between Atlanta and Charlotte is part of the planned Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor, which would connect Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, and Charlotte.

When completed, the service would improve capacity and travel times and provide an alternative mode of travel, Georgia DOT officials said.