CHAPTER 7

MITIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT- an important part of the planning, design, and

operation of transportation facilities.
Major Concern of Mitigation
Air quality
Energy consumption
Land- use impact
Mitigation Measures Facility design modifications
Construction of artificial habitats
Modification to the operation of facilities or systems
NOISE- is an important impact for most transportation systems.
Mitigation Noise Impacts
Control of noise at the source
Location and design of facilities to min noise impacts
Construction of noise barriers
Insulation of receptors
Purchased of impacted property and abandonment of incompatible land uses.
(airports)
Decibels- basic unit for the measurement of sound
NOISE MITIGATION
Airport Noise
Highway and Rail Noise- noise barriers of the profile to depress the facility below
ground level
-shielding of receptors
Mufflers- use to measure highway noise
OGAC- open- graded asphalt concrete
Two types of Noise Mitigation Projects
1. Type I. consist of those invoo cleanuplving provision of noise barriers as a part of new
construction
2. Type II- retrofitting of existing highways with noise abatement features
Barrier attenuation- Fresnel diffraction,
Insertion loss- overall reduction in noise due to barrier
Transmission loss- the reduction in sound transmitted through barrier
Clean Water Act- requires the protection of wetlands
ENCROACHMENT ON NATURAL HABITATS- construction of transportation facilities of all
types
1. Design modification-is to identify the environmentally sensitive areas
- Drainage design- t control flooding and improve water quality
2. Construction of Artificial Habitats- creation of artificial wetlands
3. Management of Habitat in Rights of- Way
- Provide opportunities for the preservation or enhancement of rare
ecological communities
Wetlands- wide variety of plant and animals communities
-tidal mud flats, saltwater marshes, freshwater marshes, swamps, and bogs.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT- mitigate impacts on water quality and potential flooding
Facilities Commonly Used for Stormwater management
1. Detention Basins- consists of depression w/c are dry except during storm events or
permanent ponds
2. Infiltration Trenches- stone-filled trenches that allow rainwater to fill the stone voids
and then to infiltrate surrounding soil
3. Porous Pavements-a layer of open graded asphalt over a deep base of large
aggregate that serves as reservoir
4. Vegetative Filter Strips- strips of land covered w/ grass or other vegetation
5. Grassed swales- shallow grassed trenches commonly used in roadway trenches
6. WetlandsMajor objective of stormwater- To control the intensity and timing of the peak discharge
HAZARDOUS WASTES AND SOIL CONTAMINATION
Strict liability- responsible for the cost of remediation whether they acted knowingly and
reasonably or not
Joint and several liability- responsible party is liable for the full cost of response
Retroactive liability- former owners maybe held for clean up
Remediation Option
Landfilling- contaminated material may be removed and placed in an approved landfill

Containment- sealing off hazardous waste or contaminated soil by means of capping,

grout curtains, slurrywalls, or sheet piles, or encapsulation in concrete vaults
Treatment- incineration, stabilization, bioremediation and vacuum extraction

CHAPTER 8
TRAFFIC ANALYSIS TECHNIQUESBasis for design transportation system operating strategies
- traffic control systems
- certain physical features of transportation system
Issues involve including
Interaction of traffic events in space and time
Analysis of travel times under various conditions
Relationships among traffic flow states such as flow, speed and density
Trajectory curve
Rate of travel- reciprocal of speed
Block signal control systems- intended to provide protection for trains against collisions
and other hazards such as broken rails