The goal was to find an alternative that improves the seismic, structural, and traffic safety of the roadway within the setting and context of the Presidio of San Francisco and its purpose as a National Park.
The initial set of 16 alternatives (ten build alternatives and six access options) developed during the public scoping process reflected different visions and objectives for the corridor. As a result of initial screening, the original set of 16 alternatives was reduced to a set of eight alternatives that best met the objectives of the study as determined by the purpose and need statement and screening criteria. After additional traffic analysis, two build alternatives and one access alternative were dropped in December 2001. Subsequent to the review of the Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report, an additional alternative was brought forward and a feasibility study conducted. As a result of that study, completed in October 2003, a new alternative, the Parkway Alternative, was included for more detailed study and four of the alternatives from the previous set were eliminated.
There were three alternatives presented in the Draft EIS/R. In September 2006, the Authority Board of Commissioners identified Alternative 5, Presidio Parkway, as the Preferred Alternative. This alternative will be further analyzed in the Final EIS/R.
Public input was commenced during the scoping phase of the project. The Subcommittee and the Authority’s Citizens Advisory Committee disseminate all on-going project related information to key community organizations and provide input on the environmental process. The project team also conducts community workshops and meetings, public hearings, organization presentations and publications designed to supply project updates.
The Federal Highway Administration will approve the Final EIS/R, as the National Environmental Policy Act lead agency, and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority will approve the Final EIS/R, as the California Environmental Quality Act lead agency. The environmental review process also includes input from numerous agencies, stakeholders, interest groups and the public.
Once the Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and the Record of Decision (ROD/Notice of Determination (NOD) are approved, the environmental process will conclude. The ROD and NOD are expected to be approved in spring 2008.
