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Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Northwest Corridor recently received the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Outstanding Achievement Award for excellence in environmental document preparation.

The FEIS provided environmental clearances for the first nine miles of a new Orange Line that’s under construction. The line will branch from the Green Line in northwest Dallas through Irving to Las Colinas in 2011 and Belt Line Station in 2012, then be extended to DFW International Airport by 2013.

The Orange Line is part of largest light-rail project under construction in North America, according to DART. Along with the completion of the 28-mile Green Line in December 2010 and five-mile Blue Line extension from Garland to Rowlett in December 2012, DART is on pace to nearly double its light-rail network to 90 miles by 2013.

Established as a best practice, the FTA’s award recognizes exemplary efforts in preparing environmental documents that meet prevailing requirements and reduce paperwork.