1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR PROJECT 1.1 INTRODUCTION The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the City of Raleigh are sponsoring the construction of a new passenger train station in Downtown Raleigh, which will be called Raleigh Union Station, to serve as a multimodal transportation center for NCDOT’s state- sponsored Piedmont and Carolinian intercity passenger rail service, Amtrak’s Silver Star long distance service, the planned Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR) corridor service, a planned Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) commuter service, a proposed TTA light-rail network, and regional and local bus service. This document analyzes the environmental impacts of Raleigh Union Station - Phase 1 (the Project) which includes the following elements: the station building, vehicle and pedestrian access to the station from South West Street, parking at the station, track improvements in the immediate vicinity of the station, a passenger platform, and additional rail siding capacity. Later phases of improvements at the station will be addressed by separate environmental documentation. These later phases include a proposed commuter platform adjacent to the passenger platform, a proposed third platform at the north end of the site and a passenger concourse connecting the station to this third platform. Commuter rail service to the proposed Raleigh Union Station is not currently funded, thus the commuter platform is not addressed by this document. The third platform is not currently funded, is intended to serve future SEHSR corridor service, and is not addressed by this document, Phase 1 provides independent utility as it will introduce a fully functional train station and immediately replace the operation of the existing Amtrak station. The associated track work and siding expansion included in Phase 1 ensure that operational components support the independent utility of the first phase. Exhibit 1.1.1 shows the Project vicinity. The proposed Station and adjacent track improvements would be located in the southern part of Downtown Raleigh within the “Boylan Wye” track configuration (Exhibit 1.6.1).8 The Project is identified as NCDOT Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Project P-5500. This document was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA)9. It includes the disclosure of relevant environmental information regarding the Project and is intended for use by both decision-makers and the public. The contents of this statement conform with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) guidelines 8 See Note 1. 9 42 U.S.C. § 4321, et seq. 1-1 .