Final Environmental Impact Statement Volume 1 Spaulding Turnpike Improvements NHS-027-1(37), 11238 Newington to Dover, New Hampshire Prepared for: New Hampshire Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration Prepared by: /Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. Bedford, New Hampshire December 2007 Newington-Dover Final Environmental Impact Statement New Hampshire Table of Contents Volume 1 -- Text Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... ES-1 A. Project Description/Purpose and Need................................................................ ES-1 A.1 Study Area Description ........................................................................ ES-1 A.2 Purpose and Need .............................................................................. ES-2 B. Description of Selected Alternative...................................................................... ES-4 C. Project History.................................................................................................... ES-10 D. Alternatives Considered..................................................................................... ES-11 E. Summary of Beneficial and Adverse Effects of Selected Alternative................. ES-12 E.1 Adverse Effects.................................................................................. ES-12 E.2 Beneficial Effects................................................................................ ES-17 F. Issues and Areas of Controversy....................................................................... ES-19 G. Other Governmental Actions.............................................................................. ES-22 H. Major Unresolved Issues ................................................................................... ES-22 I. Federal and State Actions Required for the Implementation of Proposed Action................................................................................................................. ES-22 1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 General Overview ...................................................................................................1-1 1.2 Project Setting and Overview..................................................................................1-5 1.3 General Description of Project Area .......................................................................1-7 1.3.1 Study Area..............................................................................................1-7 1.3.2 Existing Roadway System.......................................................................1-8 1.3.3 Traffic Operations....................................................................................1-9 1.3.4 Future Travel Demand ..........................................................................1-10 1.4 Purpose and Need................................................................................................1-12 1.4.1 Purpose.................................................................................................1-12 1.4.2 Need......................................................................................................1-12 2.0 Alternatives ....................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................2-1 2.2 Project Scoping.......................................................................................................2-2 2.3 General Description of Alternatives ........................................................................2-2 2.3.1 No-Build ..................................................................................................2-2 2.3.2 Transportation System Management (TSM) Improvements ...................2-3 2.3.3 Travel Demand Management (TDM) Strategies ....................................2-3 2.3.4 Mode Alternatives...................................................................................2-4 2.3.5 Turnpike Widening/Interchange Improvements ......................................2-5 2.3.6 Combination of Alternatives ....................................................................2-6 2.4 Alternatives Considered..........................................................................................2-6 2.4.1 No-Build ..................................................................................................2-6 i Table of Contents Newington-Dover Final Environmental Impact Statement New Hampshire 2.4.2 Transportation System Management......................................................2-7 2.4.3 Travel Demand Management................................................................2-11 2.4.3.1 Employer-based Measures...................................................2-11 2.4.3.2 Transportation Management Associations............................2-11 2.4.3.3 Other Measures.....................................................................2-13 2.4.4 Mode Alternatives.................................................................................2-13 2.4.4.1 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes .................................2-15 2.4.4.2 Rail ........................................................................................2-20 2.4.4.3 Bus ........................................................................................2-31 2.4.4.4 Park-and-Ride Facilities ........................................................2-35 2.4.5 Ridership Projection Methodologies for Alternative Modes...................2-38 2.4.5.1 Rail and Bus Ridership Methodology ....................................2-39 2.4.5.2 High Occupancy Vehicle Utilization Methodology.................2-41 2.4.5.3 Travel Demand Management Methodology ..........................2-43 2.4.6 Alternative Modes Ridership and Utilization Projections.......................2-44 2.4.6.1 Rail ........................................................................................2-46 2.4.6.2 Bus ........................................................................................2-48 2.4.6.3 High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes ............................................2-49 2.4.6.4 Travel Demand Management................................................2-51 2.4.6.5 Combined Alternatives..........................................................2-52 2.4.6.6 Sensitivity Analyses...............................................................2-53 2.4.7 Summary of Mode Alternatives and Traffic Operations ........................2-57 2.4.7.1 Rail Alternatives....................................................................2-57 2.4.7.2 Bus Alternatives ....................................................................2-61 2.4.7.3 Rail and Bus Cost Summary .................................................2-61 2.4.8 Development of Build Alternatives ........................................................2-61 2.4.8.1 Highway and Bridge Segments.............................................2-64 2.4.8.2 Newington Segment..............................................................2-64 2.4.8.3 Dover Segment.....................................................................2-75 2.4.8.4 Bridge Segment.....................................................................2-79 2.5 Initial Screening of Alternatives.............................................................................2-82 2.5.1 Public Review of Alternatives................................................................2-82 2.5.1.1 FHWA and NHDOT Oversight...............................................2-83 2.5.1.2 Federal and State Resource Agencies..................................2-83 2.5.1.3 Advisory Task Force..............................................................2-84 2.5.1.4 Public Informational Meetings ...............................................2-85 2.5.2 Environmental Constraints....................................................................2-85 2.5.3 Highway Widening and Interchange Improvements Evaluation............2-86 2.5.4 Bridge Alternatives Evaluation ..............................................................2-88 2.5.5 Lane Requirements and Mode Option Evaluation ................................2-90 2.5.5.1 Eight-lane vs. Six-lane Options .............................................2-90 2.5.5.2 Mode Options........................................................................2-94 2.5.6 Identification of a Reasonable Range of Alternatives ...........................2-95 2.6 Project Costs.........................................................................................................2-97 ii Table of Contents Newington-Dover Final Environmental Impact Statement New Hampshire 2.7 Selected Alternative..............................................................................................2-98 2.7.1 Description of and Rationale for Selected Alternative...........................2-98 2.7.2 Environmental Summary of Selected Alternative................................2-107 3.0 Affected Environment........................................................................................................ 3-1 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................3-1 3.2 Transportation.........................................................................................................3-1