The CSX Railroad has long been a fixture in Vincennes, Knox County and Lawrence County. It has helped to support the regional economy and job creation by allowing manufacturing businesses efficient access to transportation for the delivery of raw materials and also efficient shipping of finished goods. The railroad has also been a source of traffic congestion, isolation of portions of the City when trains are present, and safety concerns associated with emergency response and the vehicle\train conflicts at crossing locations. This dichotomy between the benefits and concerns is a key element of the current study.

The Vincennes Rail Relocation Study was initiated to study the traffic congestion, safety concerns, and the projected growing number of trains that will travel through Vincennes, Knox County, and Lawrence County. What is unique about the project is that it will also look at complementary opportunities where the engineering solutions can be combined with the comprehensive and economic development planning activities to maximize total benefits from both the engineering and planning efforts for the region.

The paragraphs that follow provide you with a historical overview of past studies that have examined a variety of potential solutions to address the growing concerns associated with the railroad\vehicle interaction.

1991 Study

In 1991, the City of Vincennes completed a feasibility study to construct a grade separation structure on 6th Street at the CSX Rail Transportation (CSXT) crossing between College Avenue and St. Clair Street. Recognizing the increased railway traffic and the time delays for vehicular traffic through this portion of 6th Street, the City requested the study to investigate the site and develop alternatives to alleviate the traffic delays occurring within the City at that location at that time.

During the 1991 feasibility study and inspection of the site, the study concluded that with the close proximity of the mainline tracks at College Avenue and St. Clair Street, the construction of a grade separation structure on the present 6th Street alignment was not possible without significantly impacting or closing College Avenue and St. Clair Street intersections. The main focus of this study was then directed towards developing a roadway alignment that would cross the present tracks without affecting the existing intersection at College Avenue and St. Clair Street.

The proposed alignment was a recommended new roadway alignment that began west of the College Avenue intersection, extended southeast to Depot Street, and then turned northeast and ended at the intersection of St. Clair Street. The alignment studied in the 1991 feasibility study was approximately 2,400-linear feet and crossed all three mainline tracks south of the CSXT Depot. Advantages to the proposed alignment were:

1. Provides continuous flow of traffic east and west without delay for rail traffic;
2. Minimizes impact and maintains the intersections of College Avenue and St. Clair Street;
3. One bridge crosses all three mainline tracks;
4. Longer approach lengths will allow flatter approach grades on the roadway.

Disadvantages to the proposed alignment according to the feasibility studies were:

1. Right-of-way and property acquisition are higher than building on existing 6^th Street alignment;
2. Through access on 7^th and Wabash Streets will be eliminated
3. Locust and Sycamore Streets will be closed south of 6^th Street

2000 Study

From a period through 1998-2000, a smaller environmental study was conducted for the 6th Street grade separation. In the spring of 2000, INDOT evaluated a grade separation and realignment of 6th Street over the CSXT railroad in Vincennes. The study looked at an improvement realigning existing 6th Street to the south to accommodate CSXT crossings between College Avenue (west) and St. Clair Street (east).

The total project length was 2,247-feet and was estimated at $7.3 million at that time for construction not including acquisitions costs for business and residential relocations.

The preferred alternative replaced three at-grade railroad crossings on 6th Street with one grade separation structure realigned to the south. The proposed alignment would close portions of four local streets including 6th Street, 7th Street, Wabash Avenue, and Sycamore Streets. The proposed bridge that was studied began just east of Wabash Avenue, consisting of four 12-foot lanes and a 7-ft shoulder. Sidewalks would have extended along both sides of the structure. The roadway clearance would be at least 30 feet (minimum) with a width of 76-feet.

2002 Study

In 2002, City of Vincennes completed a Roadway/Railroad Crossing Conflict Mitigation Feasibility Study. The Feasibility Study provided the following:

• A collection of data that included an inventory of the existing CSXT roadway/railroad crossings within the interior limits of the City with respect to traffic data, recent crossing accident history, and existing crossing warning devices;
• Recommend improvements to allow permanent closure of some grade crossings, make remaining grade crossings safer, and to highlight potential City roadway improvements to efficiently route traffic around closed crossings and through the City;
• Recommend long-term improvements designed to permanently eliminate a large percentage of the existing roadway/railroad crossings, allow the remaining crossings to function in a safer manner, and through the construction of a railroad bypass line, reduce the number of trains per day through the City;
• Recommend phased implementation of improvements, financing scenarios, and cost-benefit evaluations that address the roles of the City, the State, and CSX Transportation; and finally,
• Took into account existing customer and operational needs of CSXT in developing alternatives for mitigating roadway/railroad crossing conflicts.

Three railroad bypass scenarios were identified within this 2002 feasibility study including an eastern bypass alignment, a western bypass alignment, and an urban riverfront alignment.

Current Project Initiation

In 2005, Senator Lugar secured $5 million in federal funding that would be used for a more detailed study building upon the 2002 feasibility study for the roadway/railroad crossing conflicts within the City of Vincennes. On March 16, 2007, the Indiana Division of the Federal Highway Administration issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register, the first formal step in the preparation of the environmental document, to advise the public that the FHWA will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the study of the relocation of railroad lines in Knox County, Indiana and Lawrence County, Illinois.

The Indiana Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is the lead agency for this project with the cooperation of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This study will consist of the development of railroad alignment alternatives, the development of grade separation (over and underpass) alternatives, a Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a Record of Decision, and a Community and Economic and Land Use Plan.

The Preliminary Conceptual Corridors that the lead agencies provided the public this spring were primarily based on the 2002 feasibility study corridors that indicated possible relocation corridors. However, the sole purpose of these preliminary conceptual corridors was to give the community a starting point from a historical context to discuss issues as well as generate ideas to guide the study team in identifying new solutions.

At the May 3, 2007 public meeting, the lead agencies took notice of the comments made from the South Knox residents. Since then, the project team has focused on what are the needs to be addressed by the project not only within the City, but the County as well. The lead agencies recognize the need to look at a comprehensive range of reasonable solutions to address the project's needs. These solutions may include specific grade separations within the City itself, urban rail relocation corridors, and a continued look at the eastern and western rail relocation corridors.

This question will fully be addressed in the purpose and need phase of the project. The primary need for the project is to improve traffic circulation within the City of Vincennes and public safety. However to refine the preliminary need statement, FHWA's first step is to determine "is there a railroad problem" and if so, "what are they, and how, as a community, can it be solved?"

During the next several weeks, the lead agency will be organizing local focus group meetings, community advisory meetings (CAC), public involvement meetings, and other public involvement activities to seek answers to feedback regarding these questions. Once the lead agencies identify the local needs, they will prepare a formal purpose and need statement that will be presented to public stakeholders and resource agencies for review and comment.

Ultimately, the lead agencies listed above will decide what will be the solution to the existing problem. However, their decision will rely heavily on both technical information and community feedback. You are invited to participate in this project by reviewing the Draft and Final Environmental Impacts Statements (EIS), attending public meetings, commenting on the information presented, and also providing feedback through the project website. The input you provide will help the lead agencies develop a preferred alternative.

The environmental review process (National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA) provides the resources to make the determination of which corridor would fulfill the agency's statutory mission and responsibilities, given consideration to economic, environmental, technical, public comments, and other factors. The EIS will rigorously evaluate all reasonable alternatives in comparative form to provide a clear basis for choice in identifying the Preferred Alternative. The EIS will identify the Preferred Alternative that best serves the project purpose and need with the least impact to the environment, social, economic and cultural resources. Public involvement will be one the prominent factors in determining the Preferred Alternative, in addition to the following factors:

• Purpose and Need of the Proposed Action
• Safety
• City and County Comprehensive Plans & Land Use Policies
• Economic Development Plans
• Public Comments, CAC
• Federal, State, and Local Public Agency Comments
• Environmental, Social ,and Economic Impacts
• Rail Operation/Design Components & Cost
• Technical Restraints

NEPA is an acronym for the National Environmental Policy Act. It is a US environmental policy law that was signed into law January 1, 1970.

The preamble reads:

"To declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation..."

Its purpose is to protect the social, economic, and natural resources while planning a project. This act only applies to federal actions and requires that before taking "significant" or "major" action that the agency must consider the environmental impacts from that action. A federal action is considered any project for which a federal agency provides any portion of the financing or must provide some kind of other approval (i.e. permitting).

A "No-Action" alternative will be included in the screening of alternatives for the Vincennes EIS. The definition of the "No-Action" alternative depends on the nature of the proposed action; however, for the purposes of this study, the "No-Action" alternative means the proposed rail relocation project would not take place. The "No-Action" alternative provides a benchmark for comparison, enabling FWHA, INDOT, and other agencies to compare the magnitude of the environmental, social, and economic effects of the reasonable alternatives that are proposed during the study.

The NEPA study takes a significant amount of time to ensure that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has thoroughly examined all alternatives and provides the most responsible alternative. Given the nature of this study, the EIS can take up to 36 months from notice to proceed to the Record of Decision. To see the current schedule, please visit the project website at http://railroad.vincennes.org/.

As described above, this study is subject to the federal requirements of NEPA and the requirements of INDOT's Project Development Process. NEPA mandates that FHWA consider the environmental, social, and economic impacts and benefits of the proposed project. Specifically, NEPA requires the FHWA to prepare an EIS for "major actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". The purpose of an EIS is to provide federal, state, local agencies and the public with an in-depth analysis of environmental, social, and economic impacts and a thorough study of all appropriate alternatives and mitigation measures. As a part of the Vincennes Rail Relocation Project, several Community Advisory Committee meetings (CAC), focus group meetings, and public meetings will be held throughout the study.

Over the next 24-36 months, the public will have the opportunity to view and comment on the following documents; 1) the Purpose & Need, 2) the Alternatives considered; 3) the Draft EIS, and 4) the Final EIS. The EIS will document the study process, the purpose and need of the proposed action, the development and analysis of alternatives, the evaluation and selection of the preferred alternative. The EIS will provide a detailed description of the preferred alternative and identify all environmental, social, and economic impacts and benefits and the proposed mitigation measures.

Public involvement is one of NEPA's fundamental principles and it is highlighted in the numerous public meetings identified in the project schedule http://railroad.vincennes.org/. The Indiana FHWA's and the Indiana Department of Transportation's (INDOT) NEPA procedural process contains numerous opportunities for persons and organizations to submit comments on the project and interact with FHWA, INDOT, and the Project Team. These opportunities are designed to communicate with government and Project Team personnel and thereby influence the outcome of the decision during the study. Comments, questions, and suggestions related to the project and potential environmental concerns are invited from all interested agencies and the public at large to ensure that the full range of issues related to the proposed action and all reasonable alternatives are considered and all significant issues are identified.

A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be formed for this study. The CAC consists of community representatives that are invited to express their concerns and opinions about the project. While there is no decision making or voting at these meetings, the CAC provides invaluable input as a sounding board to the Project Team. Although FHWA, INDOT, and IDOT will maintain ultimate authority over decisions regarding the proposed rail relocation study, the CAC will provide important input to the lead agencies and to the Project Team. The objective of the CAC is to provide project information to the public and receive public input as part of a two-way communication process.

The ideas and information provided by the CAC members and the public will be used directly in the development of alternatives and reports created during this study. The views expressed by CAC members will be considered along with all other public and agency comments. Meeting summaries and other information presented at the CAC meetings will be made available to the public on the project website. Copies will also be available and can be requested by contacting the Project Team.

The Project Management Team (see project website) coordinated with local community and government leaders to help identify potential CAC members. The Agency Project Management Team will select CAC members based on two primary goals: 1) bringing together a representative cross-section of the affected community; and 2) limiting the number of members to maximize the meeting productivity. Members characteristically represent a group of stakeholders within the community that are volunteers and donate their time. The CAC list has been approved by the lead agencies, the names and organizations of the CAC is available to the public on the project website. As the project continues, members may be added as identified by local community stakeholders and approved by FHWA.

The Notice of Survey letter's purpose is to inform you that your property is within one of the proposed corridor alternatives and HNTB employees may need to come onto your property in order to collect information that allows us to proceed with the study. For the purposes of our study and the importance of collecting data, this is permitted under Indiana Code IC 8-23-7-26. Field personnel performing this type of work have been instructed to give advance notice by phone or in person, identify themselves to you, before they enter your property. The work may include, but is not limited to, studies in the following categories: biological, geological, topographical, wetland, historical and archaeological, noise, hazardous waste, socioeconomic, and possibly other investigations. An example of the type of work that may be done is taking soil samples, identifying plants, measuring streams, monitoring noise etc. The information we obtain from such studies is necessary for the proper planning of this rail and highway project.

A Notice of Survey letter does not involve any taking, purchasing, or evaluating of property to be acquired for right-of-way acquisition purposes. It only means that your property is within one of the study corridors. At this stage in the project we do not know what effect, if any, the project may eventually have on individual properties. If we determine later that your property is involved, we will contact you with additional information.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) compensates property owners whose land is used for constructing transportation projects based on the fair market value of the property. The acquisition process is based on 49 CRF Part 24 which is the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition for Federal and Federally Assisted Programs and the INDOT process described in the next FAQ. In addition, FHWA also must assure that property owners continue to have access to their property as a result of any highway or rail improvements. Property values near highways or railroads can change, either increasing or decreasing, due to the location of new highways or railroads. FHWA is not able, under current law, to compensate property owners for any changes in the value of their property. FHWA also does not recognize or profit from any benefit when property increases in value due to the location of a highway or railroad.

For more detail information on this process, please see the following FHWA website http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/realestate/ and download the following documents; 1) Real Estate Acquisition Guide For Local Public Agencies; 2) Acquiring Real Property for Federal and Federal-aid Programs and Projects; and 3) Your Rights and Benefits as a Displaced Person under the Federal Relocation Assistance Program

The schedule for land acquisition can not be determined since funding has only been secured for the environmental and planning studies. If funding is secured for construction, and your property is within the Preferred Alternative corridor that is approved within the Record of Decision, the INDOT Office of Real Estate will contact you. On behalf of INDOT, someone will inspect your property, usually by one or more appraisers or persons knowledgeable about land values in the area. After the appraisal, you will be contacted by an INDOT acquisition representative to discuss the purchase of your property and to present you an offer. It is INDOT's responsibility to make sure that you receive the same amount of money that any sale of your property would bring in the open market. If INDOT needs only part of your property, the amount you will be offered will be equal to the difference between the fair market value of your entire property. These meetings will be conducted at your convenience and discussions will be, in many ways, similar to those encountered in a private real estate transaction except the Department has the right of condemnation if negotiations fail. For additional information on how property is purchased for such actions, please see the following website: http://www.in.gov/dot/div/pubs/manuals/rightofway/.

A Grade Separation is a physical separation of the railroad from the roadway through construction of an overpass or underpass. This allows both trains and roadway users to cross without conflict.

During the technical analysis of this study, the lead agency and project team members will coordinate with local fire, police, emergency and school districts to understand bus routes and emergency response routes. All of this information will be taken into consideration when determining the location of the preferred alternative and during location of grade separations along the new railroad corridor. Generally the railroad relocation will positively affect school bus routes, emergency response times, and local travel because that is one of the key needs of the study.

Possible environmental impacts include displacement of commercial and residential properties, increased noise in some areas, decreased noise in other areas, effects to historical properties or archaeological sites, viewshed impacts, impacts to water resources, wetlands, farmed wetlands, prime farmland, sensitive biological species and habitat, land use compatibility impacts, and impacts to agricultural lands. The Environmental Impact Statement process addresses each of these areas and seeks to avoid or minimize the environmental categories listed. Removing at-grade crossings is expected to have several positive impacts, some of which include air quality due to the reduction of vehicles idling, elimination noise from at-grade crossings (signals and train horns), and lower fuel consumption, all as a result of the elimination of delays caused by rail traffic.

The simple answer to the question is no, the problem is not being moved to the county. The main objective of this project is to reduce both existing and future adverse effects of railroad traffic in Knox County. However, if the preferred alternative is selected within the rural areas of Knox County, grade separations will be studied and located along the new rail corridor to prevent the same inconvenience that is occurring in the City and provide a safe and efficient transportation system for the rural areas.

The Record of Decision will identify the selected alternative, present the basis for the decision, and summarize any mitigation measures that will be incorporated in the project. The ROD will be signed by FHWA Administration.

The proposed design speed for freight traffic will be 60 mph for all the new grade separated alternatives. The current speed limit through Vincennes is 25 mph.

The NEPA process presents all the information about the preferred alternative and a Record of Decision (ROD) follows the final NEPA document. In the ROD, all specific measures for the building of the preferred alternative are outlined, including enforcement programs, mitigation measures, and monitoring. This is a federal document and the enforceability is recognized by federal administrative law. The agencies will be held accountable to comply with their own decisions and regulations once they are finalized.

If there is still access to the property, only the property needed for right-of-way purposes will be purchased by the lead agency. If the property is land locked or "inaccessible" to the property owner, INDOTs first choice is to find access through another route into the property. The work associated with the new entrance will be part of the project or the land owner will be paid cost to cure. If there is no feasible alternative, then the property would be a acquired and owner would be compensated.

The lead agencies recognize the need to evaluate a comprehensive range of reasonable solutions to the problem. These solutions will include specific grade separations within the City itself, urban rail relocation corridors, and the evaluation eastern and western rail relocation corridors.

Access will be maintained to existing local industries requiring rail service under the preferred alternative. For example, if the preferred alternative is located outside of the current limits of the City of Vincennes, a connection to existing tracks will be made at the south end of the city and a connection will be made at the north end of the city to maintain industry access. Remaining portions of the north-south tracks will be removed (if possible) from the center of the city.

If you have additional comments, you can submit your questions or comments through the project website at http://railroad.vincennes.org/, a Project Team member will get back with you.