D.C. TO RICHMOND SOUTHEAST HIGH SPEED RAIL

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND 6 AGENCY COORDINATION
 6-1 

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

This chapter presents the public involvement and agency coordination activities for the 

Washington, D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail (DC2RVA) Tier II Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Virginia Department of Rail and Public 

Transportation (DRPT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) employed many forms of 

outreach to engage diverse audiences, inform them of the Draft EIS, and offer a variety of ways 

to contribute their input. Coordination began early and continued throughout the development 

and publication of the Draft EIS. The first major public involvement and agency outreach event 

was the Project scoping, which occurred in fall 2014. The Scoping Summary Report in Appendix 

V contains more information on the scoping outreach process and input received during the 

Project scoping. The public involvement and agency coordination efforts that followed the initial 

scoping activities are described in detail in the following sections. 

6.1 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 

Based on the geographic extent of the Project, DRPT implemented an extensive public 

involvement process to keep the public informed with the latest Project information and to 

provide the public with opportunities to ask questions, comment, and inform the Draft EIS. The 

Scoping Summary Report in Appendix V includes examples of the public outreach materials 

distributed during the Project. 

The public involvement was based on several key Project milestones, including: 

 Scoping 

 Alternatives Development 

 Alternatives Review 

 Draft EIS 

6.1.1 Project Launch 

On October 6, 2014, 30 days in advance of the first public scoping meeting, DRPT initiated the 

Project’s public outreach to alert the public, agencies, and media of the Project’s inception. Public 

outreach announcements for the launch were developed in addition to public outreach 

announcements for Scoping. This section describes the Project launch outreach. Project Scoping 

outreach and education efforts included more print and electronic outreach to diverse groups and 

is described in the sections that follow. 

An initial group of web “splash” pages, launched on October 6, 2014, announced the kick-off of 

the Project, promoted the website as a way to stay informed about the Project, offered a brief 

6 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-2 

description of the Project, provided a way to join the mailing list, encouraged visitors to take a 

brief initial survey, and provided details of the upcoming public scoping meetings. 

DRPT developed an electronic survey to obtain initial information from respondents, including 

sources of their news and information, most convenient times for public meetings, their current 

usage of rail, and how they perceive the benefits of rail. Demographic information was also 

collected as part of the survey. The survey was available via a link on the Project website splash 

page from October 6 to October 20, 2014. 

Social media accounts were established and became live for posting on October 6, 2014 to coincide 

with the Project’s public outreach launch. 

A database for the Project was compiled at the initiation of the study to track landowner and 

stakeholder contacts, comments, and meetings. DRPT distributed an email message on October 

6, 2014 to 983 contacts in the Project database—including Title VI advocacy groups, ethnic groups, 

social service groups, and community groups—to announce the Project kick-off, to promote the 

Project website, and to direct the recipients to the Project splash page. 

DRPT also distributed an initial press release to key local and regional print and electronic 

media—including a Spanish version to limited English proficiency media outlets—to announce 

the Project kick-off and to begin to familiarize the public and the media with the study process. 

The releases yielded 20 known news stories that ran in print and broadcast media informing the 

public of the Project kick off. DRPT shared emails and press releases with regional public 

information officers, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and social service/Title VI 

advocacy groups requesting they share the information with their groups. 

In addition to electronic media and the press releases, a Project brochure was produced and 

distributed to regional libraries, faith groups, transportation agencies, chambers of commerce, 

and elected officials encouraging them to share this important information with their 

communities and customers. 

All materials from these meetings, as well as the Scoping Summary Report, were posted on the 

Project website. The report summarized the scoping process, meetings, Project launch, and input 

received from the public and agencies during the scoping period (Appendix V). 

The Project launch included formal publication by FRA of a Notice of Intent (NOI) for the Project 

in the Federal Register on October 23, 2014. 

6.1.2 Newspaper and Online Advertising 

DRPT placed multiple advertisements in local and regional newspapers and specialty 

newspapers along the Project corridor prior to each round of public meetings as indicated in Table 

6.1-1. Ads placed in Hispanic newspapers were translated to Spanish. Electronic, interactive ads 

were placed in conjunction with the print ads on the Free-Lance Star and Richmond Times 

Dispatch websites and also through the Washington Post Digital advertising to reach people 

through news sites and other partner websites in the Project area. 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-3 

Table 6.1-1: Newspaper Advertising

Phase Region Newspaper Date 

Scoping Northern Virginia Virginia Press Association 

(31 newspapers with approximately 

300,000 circulation) 

10/26/2014 

Scoping Richmond and Fredericksburg Nuevas Raices 

(Hispanic) 

10/28/2014 

Scoping Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch 10/28/2014 

Scoping Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. Washington Post Express 

(Commuter Edition) 

10/28/2014 

Scoping Richmond Richmond Free Press 

(African American) 

10/30/2014 

Scoping Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. El Tiempo 

(Hispanic) 

10/31/2014 

Scoping Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star 10/31/2014 

Scoping Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch 11/3/2014 

Scoping Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star 11/7/2014 

Alternatives 

Development 

Northern Virginia Virginia Press Association 5/31/15 - 6/6/15 

Alternatives 

Development 

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star 5/22/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star—online 5/22/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Richmond and Fredericksburg Nuevas Raices 5/26/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch 5/26/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch—online 5/26/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. Washington Post Express 5/26/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Richmond Richmond Free Press 5/28/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. El Tiempo 5/29/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star 5/29/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star—online 5/29/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch 5/31/2015 

Alternatives 

Development 

Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch—online 5/31/2015 

Alternatives Review Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star 11/23/2015 

Alternatives Review Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star—online 11/23/2015 

Alternatives Review Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch 11/23/2015 

Alternatives Review Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch—online 11/23/2015 

 Continued.
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-4 

Table 6.1-1: Newspaper Advertising

Phase Region Newspaper Date 

Alternatives Review Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. El Tiempo 11/27/2015 

Alternatives Review Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. Washington Post Express 11/30/2015 

Alternatives Review Richmond and Fredericksburg Nuevas Raices 12/1/2015 

Alternatives Review Richmond Richmond Free Press 12/3/2015 

Alternatives Review Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star 12/6/2015 

Alternatives Review Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star—online 12/6/2015 

Alternatives Review Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch 12/6/2015 

Alternatives Review Richmond Richmond Times Dispatch—online 12/6/2015 

Alternatives Review Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. Washington Post Express 12/7/2015 

Alternatives Review Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. Virginia Press Association 11/29/15–12/5/15 

Alternatives Review Northern Virginia/ Washington, D.C. Washington Post Digital/Web-based 11/20/15–12/10/15 

6.1.3 Targeted Title VI outreach 

At the beginning of the Project, DRPT researched Title VI audiences to identify groups for 

targeted Title VI outreach over the course of the Project. These groups included human service 

organization and faith leaders, Hispanic organizations, the National Association for the 

Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), transit organizations, public information officers, 

librarians, and social service organizations. In addition, DRPT contacted all MPOs within the 123-

mile corridor to augment the Project information distribution process through their own Title VI 

outreach lists and committees. DRPT also notified elected officials and provided them with 

Project information to share with their constituents. As the Project advanced, the Title VI list was 

further enhanced to incorporate information gathered on Environmental Justice areas as the 

alternatives were refined. Email notifications to Title VI groups and organizations were sent, and 

outreach materials were distributed at transit agencies, community centers, libraries, and 

Hispanic and faith-based organizations in areas with higher populations of low income residents 

and areas with higher populations with limited English proficiency (LEP). 

6.1.4 Scoping 

In November 2014, DRPT conducted Project scoping activities pursuant to the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ)’s regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969 (NEPA). CEQ regulations direct federal agencies that have made a decision to prepare an 

EIS to engage in a public scoping process. The purpose of this process is to provide an early and 

open forum for identifying public concerns and clearly defining the environmental issues and 

alternatives to be examined in the EIS. 

DRPT and FRA held public scoping meetings for the Project on November 5, 6, 12, and 13, 2014 

(Table 6.1-2). Open house style meetings were held from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., with a formal 

presentation given by a DRPT staff member using PowerPoint slides as visuals at 6:00 p.m. The 

public was invited to ask questions and receive responses from DRPT after the presentation. The 

PowerPoint meeting presentation was made available on the Project website (see details below). 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-5 

During the open house portion of the meeting, attendees were invited to review information 

boards and discuss the Project details with team members. A meeting handout was provided in 

English and Spanish with details about the Project. 

The intent of the scoping meetings was to: 

 Introduce the Project 

 Explain the study process 

 Refine the Project Purpose and Need 

 Begin to identify alternatives for consideration through public input 

Table 6.1-2 provides the meeting date, location, and number of attendees for each public scoping 

meeting. 

Table 6.1-2: Public Scoping Meetings 

Meeting Date 

Meeting Type/ 

Area Targeted Meeting Location 

Meeting 

Attendance1

November 5, 2014 

5–7:30 p.m. 

Public Scoping Meeting—

Ashland/Hanover Co./Richmond 

Hanover Arts and Activities Center

500 South Center Street 

Ashland, VA 

58 

November 6, 2014 

5–7:30 p.m. 

Public Scoping Meeting—

Richmond/Ashland/Hanover Co. 

Department of Motor Vehicles 

2300 W. Broad Street 

Richmond, VA 

74 

November 12, 2014 

5–7:30 p.m. 

Public Scoping Meeting—

Greater Fredericksburg 

National Museum of the Marine Corps 

– Quantico 

18900 Jefferson Davis Highway 

Triangle, VA 

39 

November 13, 2014 

5–7:30 p.m. 

Public Scoping Meeting—

Northern Virginia 

Westin Crystal City 

1800 Jefferson Davis Highway 

Arlington, VA 

66 

Self-guided Online Meeting Online Public Scoping Meeting—

Entire Corridor 

http://dc2rvarail.com/archive-onlinemeeting-phase-1/ 348 

Note: 1. Attendance numbers based on DC2RVA sign-in sheets. 

In addition to the Project launch announcements discussed in Section 6.1.1 above, DRPT used the 

following methods to publicize the public scoping meetings: 

 Project website information and details. 

 Newspaper and online advertising (English/Spanish), as described in Section 

6.1.2. 

 Email notifications to the Project contact database, including Title VI advocacy 

groups. A series of three email messages was sent: one 30 days out, one a week 

out, and one just before the end of the comment period. 

 Press releases and media advisories (English/Spanish). 

 One-on-one media pitching to generate news stories. 

 Social media messaging. 

 Cable channel calendars of events slides. 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-6 

 Large static display poster at libraries and Virginia Railway Express (VRE). 

 Flyers, rack cards, and bookmarks at key locations, including libraries, community 

centers, faith organizations, social service organizations, ethnic businesses, and 

transit agencies (English/Spanish). 

 Collaboration with county/city public information officers, transportation 

agencies, and jurisdiction communications managers (English/Spanish). 

 Informational webinars for jurisdictional, transportation, and MPO public 

information officers and chambers of commerce directors. 

The public were invited to provide comments about the Project during and after each meeting 

through various formats. To offer stakeholders—agencies and the general public—ample 

opportunity to provide scoping input on the DC2RVA Project, comment forms in English and 

Spanish were made available and collected in several locations. Comments were submitted by: 

 Submitting a hardcopy comment form to any Project team member at any of the 

in-person meetings. 

 Mailing the hardcopy comment form to the DRPT main office. 

 Submission via the comment form on the website. 

 Submission via the online meeting. 

 Emailing the Project email address. 

 Calling the toll-free Project hotline. 

To encourage participation and commenting from LEP communities, additional scoping meeting 

handouts were distributed to public libraries after the last public scoping meeting and before the 

end of the comment period. 

DRPT received 1,625 scoping comments. The formal comment period lasted 30 days, from 

October 27, 2014 to December 5, 2014. All comments received were fully considered. DRPT 

reviewed each comment, categorized them by topic and appropriately grouped them for 

response, and prepared summary responses that were published in the Scoping Summary Report 

(Appendix V). Public comments ranged from general support or opposition to very specific 

remarks on particular locations and resources. They also included several logistical comments 

and questions related to the scoping meetings and comment process, such as requests for meeting 

accommodations for sign language, comments on website function, and information requests. 

Table 6.1-3 and Figure 6.1-1 provide a summary of comment trends, indicating the number of 

times a particular topic was mentioned by commenters. 

After the meetings, DRPT prepared a Scoping Summary Report that documented public outreach 

efforts during the scoping period, described the format and content of the public scoping 

meetings, and summarized comments received from agencies, organizations, and the general 

public (Appendix V). 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-7 

Table 6.1-3: Scoping Comments 

Topic 

Number of 

Mentions Topic 

Number of 

Mentions 

Alternatives 202 Cultural Resources 11 

Pedestrian/Bicycle 184 Wetlands 11 

Parks/Recreation/Public Lands 168 Real Estate 10 

Land Use 158 General Opposition 9 

Traffic/Safety 130 Mobility 9 

Stations 108 EIS Process 8 

Economics 87 Wild and Scenic Rivers 8 

Air Quality 77 Wildlife 7 

Service 61 Cumulative Impacts 6 

Aesthetics 60 Agency Coordination 5 

Parking 56 Threatened and Endangered Species 5 

General Support 38 Coastal Zone Impacts 4 

Mailing List Request 36 Flooding/Floodplains 4 

Operations/Maintenance 28 Social Impacts 4 

Cost 24 Sustainability 4 

Displacements 21 Rail Technology/Electrification 3 

Right-of-Way 21 Soil/Topography 3 

Compatibility with Other Projects/Plans 20 Construction 2 

Ridership 20 Energy 2 

Schedule 19 Environmental Justice 2 

Public Involvement 17 Purpose and Need 2 

Biological Resources 16 Utilities 2 

Information Request 16 ADA Accommodations 1 

Noise/Vibration 14 Ownership/Trackage Rights 1 

Study Area/Termini 12 Revenue 1 

Water Quality/Resources 12 Special Waste 1 

Conservation/Mitigation 11 – –

Figure 6.1-1: Top Ten Scoping Comment Topics 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-8 

DC2RVA Public Scoping Meeting 

6.1.5 Public Meetings 

Following the formal public scoping process, DRPT held two additional sets of public information 

meetings to update the public on the Project’s progress at key milestones. 

DRPT held Preliminary Alternative Development meetings on June 1, 2, and 3, 2015. The topics 

covered at this set of meetings included: 

 Draft Purpose and Need Statement 

 Alternatives development process 

 Preliminary rail alignment options 

DRPT held another round of public information meetings on December 8, 9, and 10, 2015. The 

topics covered at these meetings included: 

 Review of alternatives 

 Preliminary information and methodology for rail operations, modeling, 

engineering, and environmental analyses 

Each round of public meetings included a companion online public meeting Powerpoint 

presentation available for the duration of the comment period. The online public presentation 

offered the same display information as an in-person meeting, but allowed users to view the 

information when it was most convenient for them. All public meeting materials were available 

on the Project website. 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-9 

Each set of meetings had an informal open house format. Upon arrival, attendees were asked to 

sign in and were given a public meeting handout providing background on the study and a 

comment form (materials were produced in English and Spanish). Meeting attendees were 

encouraged to provide written comments at the meeting, mail comment forms to DRPT, or 

comment electronically. A presentation by DRPT and Project team members, followed by a 

question and answer session, was held at the first and third set of meetings to complement the 

open house format. Project staff was present at each meeting to answer questions. 

Table 6.1-4 provides the meeting date, location, and number of attendees for each set of public 

information meetings. 

Table 6.1-4: Public Information Meetings 

Meeting Date Meeting Type Meeting Location 

Meeting 

Attendance1

June 1, 2015 Public Information Meeting Hilton Alexandria Old Town 

1767 King Street 

Alexandria, VA 

52 

June 2, 2015 Public Information Meeting Dorothy Hart Community Center

408 Canal Street 

Fredericksburg, VA 

37 

June 3, 2015 Public Information Meeting Department of Motor Vehicles 

2300 W. Broad Street 

Richmond, VA 

95 

Self-guided Online Meeting Online Public Information Meeting http://dc2rvarail.com/archive-onlinemeeting-phase-2/ 963 

December 8, 2015 Public Information Meeting Dorothy Hart Community Center

408 Canal Street 

Fredericksburg, VA 

57 

December 9, 2015 Public Information Meeting Hilton Springfield 

6550 Loisdale Road 

Springfield, VA 

56 

December 10, 2015 Public Information Meeting Department of Motor Vehicles 

2300 W. Broad Street 

Richmond, VA 

98 

Self-guided Online Meeting Online Public Information Meeting http://dc2rvarail.com/online-meeting/ 1,653 

Note: 1. Attendance numbers based on DC2RVA sign-in sheets. 

The methods of outreach notifications for the public information meetings are summarized below: 

 Project website information and details. 

 Newspaper and online advertising (English/Spanish), as described in Section 

6.1.2. 

 Email notifications to the Project contact database, including Title VI advocacy 

groups. A series of three email messages was sent: one 30 days out, one a week 

out, and one just before the end of the comment period. 

 Property owner letters. 

 Postcards to property owners (Alternatives Review meeting only). 

 Press releases and media advisories (English/Spanish). 

 One-on-one media pitching to generate news stories. 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-10 

 E-newsletters. 

 Social media messaging. 

 Cable channel calendars of events slides. 

 Large static display poster at libraries and Virginia Railway Express (VRE). 

 Flyers, rack cards, and bookmarks at key locations, including libraries, community 

centers, faith organizations, social service organizations, ethnic businesses, and 

transit agencies (English/Spanish). 

 Collaboration with county/city public information officers, transportation 

agencies, and jurisdiction communications managers (English/Spanish). 

 Informational webinars for jurisdictional, transportation, and MPO public 

information officers and chambers of commerce directors. 

DRPT translated all broad outreach media—such as meeting handouts and comment forms, 

newspaper ads, flyers, and press releases—to Spanish. Any remaining handouts, including the 

Spanish versions, were distributed after each meeting to area libraries areas with higher 

concentrations of Hispanic populations to encourage their understanding and participation. 

Outreach materials included reference to several methods by which people could submit 

comments and questions regarding the Project. These methods included: 

 Submission of comment form at in-person meetings 

 Submission via the electronic comment form on the Project website 

 Emailing the Project email address, info@dc2rvarail.com

 Calling the toll-free Project hotline (information in English and Spanish) 

 Mailing a hardcopy comment form to the Project office 

All comments received during these public meetings were reviewed, documented, and included in 

the Project’s administrative record. Comments received during specific comment periods informed 

decision making tied to the specified milestone. Comments submitted outside of these comment 

periods informed DRPT’s understanding of public sentiment regarding the Project and, in some 

cases, provided unique information, like property and historic resource details, that helped guide 

alternatives development efforts. DRPT responded to comments that included information 

requests (e.g., specific landowner concerns or general Project information questions) by email, 

unless otherwise requested. DRPT also hosted meetings, made phone calls, and provided 

information by mail as needed. 

By advance request (72 hours), DRPT provided Spanish language translators and Sign Language 

interpreters onsite for all public meetings. On several occasions, sign language interpreters were 

requested and provided in Northern Virginia area. Materials were written in English and Spanish 

at the public information meetings and public hearings, and closed captioning was added to video 

presentations. All meeting locations were Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible, and 

telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD)/teletypewriter (TTY) numbers were included in 

materials. Meetings were held in transit-accessible locations to the extent possible, and transit 

information was provided in outreach materials. 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-11 

6.1.5.1 Public Meetings Hosted by Outside Organizations 

In addition to the public meetings hosted by DRPT, the department was asked to present at three 

public meetings held by outside organizations. These meetings were requested by local 

jurisdictions, citizens, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to discuss proposed 

alternatives in their areas. Table 6.1-5 provides the meeting host, date, location, and number of 

attendees for each set of meetings. During these meetings, DRPT gave a brief Project update 

presentation and answered questions from the audience. Topics raised during the question and 

answer sessions included the study process, property impacts, passenger and freight rail service, 

Project cost, rail within the I-95 corridor, noise and vibration, eliminated alternatives, safety, 

economics, purpose and need, Project outreach, and train speeds. Comment forms were available 

at these meetings, collected, reviewed, and logged. Additionally, DRPT collected sign-in sheets 

and added attendees to the Project notification database. All comments received by participants 

were logged in the database and noted by issue type. 

Table 6.1-5: Outside Organization Hosted Meetings 

Meeting Host Meeting Date Meeting Location Meeting Attendance1

Virginians for High Speed Rail; 

Town of Ashland 

February 4, 2016 

(6:30 – 8:30 p.m.) 

Ashland Town Hall 

101 Thompson Street 

Ashland, VA 23005 

17 

Hanover County April 4, 2016 

(6:30 – 8:30 p.m.) 

Patrick Henry High School 

12449 W Patrick Henry Road 

Ashland, VA 23005 

402 

Spotsylvania County July 11, 2016 

(6:30 – 8:30 p.m.) 

Fredericksburg Christian High School 

9400 Thornton Rolling Road 

Fredericksburg, VA 22408 

233 

Note: 1. Attendance numbers based on DC2RVA sign-in sheets. 

6.1.6 Project Contact Mailing List 

DRPT created a Project mailing list for stakeholder groups and members of the public who desired 

to be kept informed of the Project. Requests to be added to the mailing list could be made at any time, 

including through the Project website and at all public meetings. DRPT delivered Project updates, 

newsletters, and public meeting invitations to those on the mailing list via email. Table 6.1-6 provides 

a list of the distributed emails. 

In addition to emails, the Project mailing list was used to generate distribution lists for printed and 

mailed materials for individuals not readily reachable by email. Printed materials in the form of 

poster displays, flyers, bookmarks, postcards, and meeting handouts were produced and 

distributed through Title VI advocates—including faith leaders, MPOs, social services, and elected 

officials—to be shared in libraries, transit authorities, community centers, businesses and faith 

groups. All flyers, bookmarks, meeting handouts, and emails were also translated to Spanish. The 

public information officers from the jurisdictions within the Project area were included in the 

information and materials distribution to further the communication to Title VI, faith, and civic 

leaders in their areas. DRPT contacted many Title VI leaders directly by phone and/or through inperson meetings early in the effort to begin the formation of a relationship and to include these 

groups in outreach. These initial communications included the Virginia Department for the Deaf 

and Hard of Hearing, Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, and Virginia 

Association of Area Agencies on Aging, among others. Property owners in the study area received 

postcard (direct mail) announcements of the alternatives review public meetings. 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-12 

Table 6.1-6: Electronic Notifications and Project Updates 

Title of Email 

Distribution 

Date 

Number of 

Recipients 

Notification of Project Launch and Available Resources October 7, 2014 959 

Public Scoping Meeting Notification October 27, 2014 959 

Public Scoping Meeting Notification to Hispanic Organizations October 27, 2014 20 

Public Scoping Meeting Reminder November 3, 2014 956 

Scoping Comment Period Reminder to Faith Based Organizations November 21, 2014 113 

Scoping Comment Period Reminder December 1, 2014 1,417 

Alternatives Development Public Meeting Notification May 4, 2015 2,903 

Alternatives Development Public Meeting Notification to Hispanic 

Organizations May 20, 2015 32 

Alternatives Development Public Meeting Reminder May 27, 2015 2,875 

Alternatives Development Comment Period Reminder June 15, 2015 2,743 

Alternatives Development Comment Period Reminder to Hispanic 

Organizations June 15, 2015 30 

Amtrak Contest Solicitation for Submissions October 7, 2015 2,749 

Alternatives Review Public Meeting Notification November 9, 2015 2,735 

Alternatives Review Public Meeting Notification to Hispanic Organizations November 9, 2015 29 

Alternatives Review Public Meeting Reminder December 1, 2015 2,767 

Alternatives Review Comment Period Reminder January 4, 2016 2,889 

Alternatives Review Comment Period Reminder to Hispanic Organizations January 4, 2016 29 

Corridor-Wide Project Update May 10, 2016 3,629 

6.1.7 Property Owner Notifications 

In accordance with Section 33.2-1011 of the Code of Virginia, DRPT mailed property owner 

notification letters to allow field personnel access to properties for Project review and field 

surveys. Notifications were mailed no less than 15 days prior to the date of first entry. DRPT 

distributed these letters in batches to correspond with the field review schedule, which was 

conducted in segments. In addition to the property access notification letter, an informational 

flyer was included in these Project mailings that described the Project and schedule, explained 

the types of field surveys and work being conducted, and provided contact information for 

questions and comments (see Appendix V for sample letters and informational flyer). In total, 

DRPT mailed 9,448 property notification letters. As of February 2017, these mailings resulted in 

173 calls, comments, and emails received. The majority of the responses to property owner 

notifications related to coordinating times the survey crews could access the properties and the 

manner in which access would be permitted. Some property owners also expressed concerns 

related to the Project’s impact on property access, noise, and property values. 

In advance of the Preliminary Alternative Development public meetings in June 2015, DRPT sent 

property owners who had been identified at that point of the Project a postcard direct mail 

advising them of public meetings and the formal comment period. 

As a way to communicate information specific to the sub-areas within the Project area, printed 

fact sheets were developed and distributed to the public through libraries and community 

centers. Additionally, web pages were developed to specifically address areas on the corridor and 

property owner needs. 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-13 

6.1.8 E-Newsletters 

DRPT distributed E-newsletters at key milestones throughout the Project to highlight details and 

outcomes of public meetings, explain the study process, provide updates on alternatives and 

recommendations, remind readers how and where to comment, and provide other timely insight. 

Table 6.1-7 provides the newsletter distribution dates and number of people reached. Project enewsletters were also available on the Project website. 

Spanish-speaking audiences were encouraged to request assistance if needed as follows: 

En Español? Si necesita servicios de traducción para participar, por favor envíe un email a: 

espanol@DC2RVArail.com. También puede llamar a la línea directa del proyecto para dejar comentarios: 

888-832-0900. 

No requests from Spanish-speaking audiences were received. 

Table 6.1-7: E-Newsletters 

Title Distribution Date Registered to Receive Newsletter 

DC2RVA Rail Mail: First Edition April 22, 2015 2,967 

DC2RVA Rail Mail: Second Edition September 11, 2015 2,768 

DC2RVA Rail Mail: Third Edition March 10, 2016 3,243 

DC2RVA Rail Mail: Fourth Edition June 29, 2016 3,639 

DC2RVA Rail Mail: Fifth Edition January 11, 2017 4,191 

6.1.9 Project Website 

DRPT launched the Project website on October 6, 2014, which can be found at 

http://www.DC2RVArail.com. It serves as key reference for all public information. DRPT 

continually updates the website throughout the life of the Project with current and relevant 

information. The site offers information pertaining to the Project process and background, public 

meeting notices, study schedule, Project mapping, and pages with information specific to key 

areas of interest along the Project corridor, as well as access to all public meeting materials, 

including online meetings, boards, presentations, and handouts, and an electronic comment 

form. The website includes translation and font enlargement features. 

All meeting materials and meeting summary reports were posted on the Project website. 

Included on the Project website is a page dedicated to other projects and studies related to or 

impacted by DC2RVA. This page (http://dc2rvarail.com/resources/ongoing-projects/) 

includes links and updates for: 

 Acca Yard/Main Line Relocation

 Virginia Avenue Tunnel 

 Arkendale to Powells Creek Third Track Project 

 Crossroads to Hamilton Third Track and New Spotsylvania Station 

 Richmond to Raleigh Southeast High Speed Rail Project 

 Washington Union Station Expansion Project 

 Richmond to Hampton Roads Southeast High Speed Rail Project 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-14 

 Long Bridge Phase II Study EIS 

 Potomac Yard Metrorail Station EIS 

 Tri-Cities Multimodal Passenger Rail Station Study 

 Atlantic Gateway Program 

In addition, DRPT added a brief Project overview and related links on its main website and 

provided the same information to Amtrak for its Northeast Corridor Future website 

(http://necfuture.com) and to NCDOT for its Southeast High Speed Rail website 

(https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/sehsr). 

6.1.10 Project Press Releases 

DRPT issued press releases during Project kick-off and prior to public meetings, and also made 

them available on the Project website. DRPT also issued media advisories prior to the public 

meetings to invite the media to attend and provide meeting coverage. To garner more media 

attention, the outreach team contacted key media outlets to follow up on releases and offered to 

provide other information to inform news stories. These efforts resulted in 188 (as of 5/9/2017) 

news stories published regarding the Project. 

Table 6.1-8 lists the dates and content of these notifications. 

Table 6.1-8: Press Releases and Media Advisories 

Date Information Format 

October 6, 2014 Project Launch–Kick-Off/Survey/Splash Page Notification–Press Release 

October 22, 2014 Public Scoping Meeting Information and Dates, Times, 

Locations 

Notification–Press Release (English/Spanish) 

November 4, 2014 Meeting reminder/invitation for media to attend Media Advisory 

May 19, 2015 Preliminary Alternatives Development Information 

and Dates, Times, Locations 

Notification–Press Release (English/Spanish) 

May 28, 2015 Meeting reminder/invitation for media to attend Media Advisory 

November 24, 2015 Alternatives Review Public Meeting Information and 

Dates, Times, Locations 

Notification–Press Release (English/Spanish) 

December 3, 2015 Meeting reminder/invitation for media to attend Media Advisory 

6.1.11 Small Group Informational Meetings 

DRPT conducted more than 20 small group informational meetings with interested organizations 

throughout the corridor, in many cases at the request of the organizations themselves. All 

meetings were open to the public and included agencies, civic groups, and members of the public. 

Feedback received at these meetings focused on ways that DRPT could collaborate to improve 

communication with their groups and customers about the Project. 

Table 6.1-9 lists these meetings and the topic of discussion. 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-15 

Table 6.1-9: Small Group Informational Meetings 

Meeting Date Meeting Topics 

November 3, 2014 Richmond Regional Planning District 

Commission, GWRideConnect, 

Arlington Transit, Dinwiddie County, 

Federal Railroad Administration 

 Public Information Officer Update Regarding Upcoming 

Public Meetings 

March 12, 2015 Virginia Hispanic Chamber of 

Commerce 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

 Hispanic Community Outreach Strategy 

March 12, 2015 Ridefinders  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Public Outreach Strategy 

March 12, 2015 AAA Seniors  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Senior Citizens Outreach Strategy 

March 15, 2015 Historic Fredericksburg Foundation 

Inc. 

 Project Overview 

 Project Engagement Opportunities 

March 19, 2015 East Coast Greenway Alliance, 

Virginia Bicycling Federation 

 Project Purpose and Need 

 Barriers to Greenway within Private Freight Right-ofWay 

March 19, 2015 Mayfield Civic Association  Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

 Field Studies 

 Public Engagement Opportunities 

May 13, 2015 Caroline County, City of Alexandria, 

Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico 

 Public Information Officer Update Regarding Upcoming 

Public Meetings 

May 22, 2015 Hampton Roads Regional Council  Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

July 15, 2015 DuPont  Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

September 9, 2015 Neabsco Beach Way Homeowners 

Association 

 Project Overview

 Neabsco Creek Bridge

October 15, 2015 City of Richmond Public Information 

Office, Greater Richmond Transit 

Company 

 Project Overview 

 December 2015 Public Meeting Outreach Strategy 

November 10, 2015 City of Richmond Office of Diversity  Title VI Outreach Strategy 

November 10, 2015 City of Richmond Social Services 

Department 

 Title VI Outreach Strategy 

November 10, 2015 Virginia Department for the Deaf and 

Hard of Hearing 

 Title VI Outreach Strategy 

November 12, 2015 Fairfax County Public Information 

Office 

 Project Overview 

 December Public Meetings 

November 13, 2015 Fairfax County Department of 

Transportation Public Information 

Office 

 Project Overview 

 December Public Meetings 

November 17, 2015 City of Richmond, City of 

Fredericksburg, Springfield Chamber 

of Commerce 

 Business Groups/Chambers of Commerce Update 

Regarding Upcoming Public Meetings 

 Continued.
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-16 

Table 6.1-9: Small Group Informational Meetings 

Meeting Date Meeting Topics 

February 3, 2016 Transportation Association of 

Greater Springfield 

 Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

June 9, 2016 Randolph-Macon College, Town of 

Ashland, Hanover County 

 Project Overview 

 Ashland Area Alternatives 

 Potential Impacts to College 

June 14, 2016 Civil War Trust  Cultural Resources 

July 27, 2016 Randolph-Macon College  Ashland Area Alternatives 

 Potential Impacts to College 

August 22, 2016 Virginia Association of Counties  Project Overview 

September 15, 2016 ACEC – Virginia Transportation 

Business Opportunities Networking 

Luncheon 

 Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

September 19, 2016 Arlington/Alexandria Phase II Meeting  Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

October 27, 2016 Hap Conners Fredericksburg Area 

Meeting 

 Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

November 3, 2016 Northern Virginia Transportation 

Commission 

 Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

November 3, 2016 Potomac and Rappahannock 

Transportation Commission 

 Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

November 16, 2016 Crystal City Civic Association  Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

November 17, 2016 Northern Virginia Transportation 

Authority 

 Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

December 5, 2016 Richmond Area Locality Workshop: 

City of Richmond, Henrico County, 

Chesterfield County, Richmond 

Regional Planning District 

Commission, and Federal Railroad 

Administration 

 Richmond Recommendations 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

6.1.12 Project Brochure 

DRPT prepared two Project brochures—one at the onset of the Project and an updated version in 

fall 2016 as part of the Project launch. Hardcopies of the brochure were printed (1,250 each, total 

2,500). DRPT mailed the first brochure to 553 elected officials, libraries, faith groups, and 

chambers of commerce. Libraries were asked to display stacks of brochures for their customers. 

DRPT disseminated the second brochure at key stakeholder and public meetings. Electronic 

versions of the brochure are available on the Project website. Information in the brochures 

included a Project overview; description of the current passenger rail service; description of the 

Project corridor and other relevant projects; purpose of the Project, EIS steps; preliminary 

engineering; service development plan and schedule. The second brochure included a description 

of the alternatives being carried forward in the Draft EIS. 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-17 

6.1.13 Social Media 

The purpose of the Project’s social media efforts is to broaden outreach, increase awareness of the 

Project, and provide engagement opportunities to stakeholders who might not otherwise 

participate. 

Although social media posts are not included in the administrative record, the conversation that 

occurs online is important to the process. DRPT summarized the content of comments to check 

for the most discussed topics and potential new issues not identified through traditional means; 

these monthly social media reports are provided in Appendix V. DRPT used social media to 

perform real‐time evaluation of Project information and locate geographic areas with higher or 

lower levels of stakeholder participation. 

As of December 8, 2016, Social Media profiles are as follows: 

 Twitter: @dc2rvarail 

Followers: 436 

 Facebook: dc2rvarail 

Followers: 404 

6.2 AGENCY COORDINATION 

DRPT and FRA conducted extensive agency coordination throughout the course of the Draft EIS. 

More than 35 agencies were invited to be cooperating or participating agencies. Cooperating 

Agencies include those agencies that have jurisdiction by law or special expertise and typically: 

 Participate in scoping 

 Provide staff support 

 Assist with analyses, field reviews, and public meetings 

 Review documentation 

The Draft EIS is meant to assist Cooperating Agencies in fulfilling their jurisdictional and NEPA 

responsibilities. 

The following agencies agreed to be Cooperating Agencies for the DC2RVA Project1: 

 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 

 United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Norfolk District 

 United States Coast Guard (USCG) 

 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

 Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) 

 

1 USFWS was also invited to be a cooperating agency but did not respond. Although USFWS is not a cooperating 

agency, they did participate in a phone conference with the cooperating agencies on August 31, 2015. USFWS requested 

information regarding proposed Project alignments. DRPT worked with USFWS to provide this information and 

respond to other USFWS comments. 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-18 

Participating Agencies also have an interest and remain involved throughout the Project, but they 

typically do not have as active a role as Cooperating Agencies. The following are Participating 

Agencies for the DC2RVA Project: 

 Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) 

 Amtrak 

 Arlington County 

 Caroline County 

 Chesterfield County 

 City of Alexandria 

 City of Colonial Heights 

 City of Fairfax 

 City of Fredericksburg 

 City of Richmond 

 Crater Planning District Commission/Tri-Cities Metropolitan Planning 

Organization (MPO) 

 Dinwiddie County 

 District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) 

 Fairfax County 

 Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) 

 George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) 

 Hanover County 

 Henrico County 

 Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico 

 Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG)/National Capital 

Region Transportation Planning Board 

 Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) 

 Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) 

 Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) 

 Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) 

 Prince William County 

 Richmond Regional Planning District Commission/Richmond Regional 

Transportation Planning Organization (RRTPO) 

 Spotsylvania County 

 Stafford County 

 Town of Ashland 

 Town of Dumfries 

 Town of Quantico 

 Virginia Department of Historic Resources 

 Virginia Port Authority 

 Virginia Railway Express (VRE) 

 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-19 

6.2.1 Agency Meetings 

Early agency coordination provides support for Project development. The first agency meeting 

was the agency scoping meeting for federal, state, and local agencies conducted on November 3, 

2014. The intent of the meeting was to introduce the Project; explain the study process; refine 

Purpose and Need; review concerns and comments; and begin to identify alternatives for 

consideration. Comments and input from the agencies attending were welcomed. DRPT also held 

Cooperating Agency meetings on June 25, 2015, and March 31, 2016, to update the cooperating 

and participating agencies on Project activities and receive feedback. Table 6.2-1 provides a 

summary of the cooperating agency meetings to date. 

Table 6.2-1: Cooperating Agency Meetings 

Meeting Location Meeting Date Meeting Attendance Topics 

Virginia Housing Center

4224 Cox Road

Glen Allen, VA 

November 3, 2014 16 attendees, 

representing FRA, 

USACE, U.S. Department 

of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD), 

VDOT, MWCOG, 

RRTPO, Stafford County, 

Spotsylvania County, 

Henrico County, 

Chesterfield County, and 

the City of Richmond 

 Served as Agency Scoping Meeting 

 Project Introduction 

 Study Process Explanation 

 Purpose and Need Refinement 

 Identify Alternatives for Consideration 

 Concerns and Comments on the Project from 

Attendees 

DC2RVA Project 

Office 

801 E. Main Street 

Richmond, VA 

June 25, 2015 20 attendees, 

representing FRA, 

USACE, EPA, FHWA, and 

VDOT 

 Project Overview 

 Update on Project Activities to Date 

 Ongoing and Upcoming Project Deliverables 

 Concerns and Comments on the Project from 

Attendees 

DC2RVA Project 

Office 

801 E. Main Street 

Richmond, VA 

March 31, 2016 24 attendees, 

representing FRA, 

USACE, EPA, Amtrak, 

VDOT, VRE, WMATA, 

MWCOG, RRTPO, 

Stafford County, Hanover 

County, Chesterfield 

County, City of 

Fredericksburg, and MCB 

Quantico 

 Update on Project Activities to Date 

 Ongoing and Upcoming Project Deliverables 

 Concerns and Comments on the Project from 

Attendees 

In addition to the larger agency meetings, DRPT scheduled smaller agency-specific meetings as 

needed to discuss certain resources and topics in greater detail. Table 6.2-2 lists these agencyspecific meetings and includes a brief summary of the discussion topics. 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-20 

Table 6.2-2: Agency-Specific Coordination Meetings 

Meeting Date Attendees Location Topics 

September 3, 2015 USACE−Norfolk District, 

Virginia Department of 

Environmental Quality (DEQ) 

Dovetail Office 

300 Central Road 

Fredericksburg, VA 

 Wetlands Methodology 

 Permit Requirements 

September 16, 2015 EPA EPA Region III Office 

1650 Arch Street 

Philadelphia, PA 

 Project Overview 

 Climate Change and Resiliency 

 Wetlands 

 Environmental Justice, Relocations, 

and Public Outreach 

 Air Quality 

 Secondary and Cumulative Impacts 

 Stormwater 

November 30, 2015 USACE−Norfolk District, DEQ Project Corridor  Streams and Wetlands Field Review 

Meeting–Segments 6, 7, and 81

December 16, 2015 USACE−Norfolk District, DEQ Project Corridor  Streams and Wetlands Field Review 

Meeting–Segments 10 and 111

February 3, 2016 USACE−Norfolk District, DEQ Project Corridor  Streams and Wetland Field Review 

Meeting–Segments 11 and 121

May 19, 2016 United States Fish and Wildlife 

Service (USFWS) 

Conference Call  Project Overview 

 Threatened and Endangered Species 

Inventories and Survey 

July 21, 2016 USACE−Norfolk District, DEQ Project Corridor  Streams and Wetland Field Review–

Segment 211

Note: 1. See Section 2.2 of this Draft EIS for a description of DC2RVA corridor segments. 

6.2.2 Task Force Meetings 

Because the Project involves rail infrastructure owned by CSX Transportation (CSXT) and utilized 

by multiple operators, DRPT formed a task force of the transportation providers in the corridor 

to ensure effective coordination between these groups and the Project team. DRPT hosted task 

force meetings quarterly, or as needed at Project milestones, beginning in August 2014. 

Participants at the task force meetings typically included FRA, DRPT, VDOT, CSXT, Amtrak, 

VRE, Virginia’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG), DDOT, and the DC2RVA consultant team. 

The task force meetings began with an initial kick-off meeting followed by a series of updates on 

the Project activities and the schedule. The meetings served as an important tool for coordination 

amongst the primary Project stakeholders. The main objectives of the task force are: 

 To serve as the “Core Project Team” 

 To be briefed on major Project milestones and to keep appropriate staff informed 

of the Project progress 

 To serve as advisors to the lead agency for the Tier II EIS 

 To provide technical review and input to complete certain parts of the study 

Table 6.2-3 provides a summary of the task force meetings to date. 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-21 

Table 6.2-3: Task Force Meetings 

Meeting Date Attendees Location Topics 

August 18, 2014 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, VRE 

VDOT District Office 

87 Deacon Road 

Fredericksburg, VA 

 Project Introduction 

 Early Project Concerns 

January 8, 2015 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE, 

OAG 

DC2RVA Project Office 

801 East Main Street 

Richmond, VA 

 General Update of Project Activities 

 FRA Agreement with DRPT 

 Freight Growth and Modeling 

 Freight and Passenger Rail Capacity 

 VRE Station Planning and Development 

 Long Bridge 

 Basis of Design 

April 8, 2015 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE, 

OAG 

Embassy Suites 

Alexandria Old Town 

1900 Diagonal Road 

Alexandria, VA 

 Purpose and Need 

 Service Goals 

 Alternatives Development 

 Public Involvement 

May 19, 2015 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE 

DC2RVA Project Office 

801 East Main Street 

Richmond, VA 

 Purpose of June Public Meetings 

 Materials to be Presented at June Public 

Meetings 

 Issues that arose during Locality Meetings 

 Key Provisions of Basis of Design 

June 29, 2015 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE, 

OAG 

Embassy Suites 

Alexandria Old Town 

1900 Diagonal Road 

Alexandria, VA 

 Project Update and Schedule 

 Service Goals 

 Engineering Options Overview 

September 30, 2015 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE, 

OAG 

Embassy Suites 

Alexandria Old Town 

1900 Diagonal Road 

Alexandria, VA 

 Project Update and Schedule 

 Alternatives Development 

 Screening Results: Potomac to Staples Mill 

 Screening Status: Richmond 

 Ridership Model Development 

 Preliminary Service Plan 

 Streamlining Projects 

November 18, 2015 FRA, DRPT, CSXT, 

OAG 

DC2RVA Project Office 

801 East Main Street 

Richmond, VA 

 Review Purpose of December Public 

Meetings 

 Preview Materials to be Presented at 

December Public Meetings 

 Discuss Issues that arose during Locality 

Meetings 

January 27, 2016 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE, 

DDOT, OAG 

National School Boards 

Association 

1680 Duke Street 

Alexandria, VA 

 Project Update and Schedule 

 Operations Modeling Methodology 

 Alternatives Review 

 Draft EIS Content 

May 11, 2016 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE, 

DDOT, OAG 

National School Boards 

Association 

1680 Duke Street 

Alexandria, VA 

 Project Update and Schedule 

 Locality Update 

 Build Alternatives and No Build Alternative 

 Ridership Forecasting 

 FASTLANE Grant Application 

August 16, 2016 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE, 

OAG 

Embassy Suites 

Alexandria Old Town 

1900 Diagonal Road 

Alexandria, VA 

 Project Update and Schedule 

 Build Alternatives and No Build Alternative 

 Preliminary Ridership Estimates 

 Continued.
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-22 

Table 6.2-3: Task Force Meetings 

Meeting Date Attendees Location Topics 

November 2, 2016 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE 

National School Boards 

Association 

1680 Duke Street 

Alexandria, VA 

 Project Update and Schedule 

 Alternatives Review 

 Community Outreach 

 Ridership Modeling Update 

 Atlantic Gateway 

February 2, 2017 FRA, DRPT, VDOT, 

CSXT, Amtrak, VRE, 

DDOT 

Embassy Suites 

Alexandria Old Town 

1900 Diagonal Road 

Alexandria, VA 

 Project Update and Schedule 

 Alternatives Review 

 Ridership Modeling Update 

 Preliminary Engineering Update 

 Atlantic Gateway 

 Long Bridge 

6.2.3 Local Officials Coordination 

Beyond agency coordination with departments within localities, DRPT also specifically engaged 

local officials during the Project’s development. In total, DRPT conducted 44 meetings with local 

officials to provide Project briefings and updates, gather feedback on alternatives, and answer 

questions. The organizations and meeting dates are listed in Table 6.2-4. 

Table 6.2-4: Local Official Meetings 

Meeting Date Attendees Topics 

December 3, 2014 City of Richmond Mayor’s Staff, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Richmond Station Locations 

 Relation to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) 

November 19, 2014 Delegate Manoli Loupassi, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Richmond Station Locations 

March 12, 2015 Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning 

Organization (FAMPO) 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

 Fredericksburg Region Outreach Strategy 

March 12, 2015 RRPDC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Title VI Outreach Strategy 

April 29, 2015 Hanover County, Town of Ashland, RRPDC, 

DRPT 

 Service Goals 

 Alternatives Development 

May 1, 2015 City of Fredericksburg, FAMPO, GWRC, Stafford 

County, DRPT 

 Service Goals 

 Alternatives Development 

May 1, 2015 MWCOG Transportation Planning Board, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

May 4, 2015 Chesterfield County, City of Richmond, Henrico 

County, RRPDC, DRPT 

 Service Goals 

 Alternatives Development 

May 7, 2015 PRTC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

May 7, 2015 RRPDC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

May 8, 2015 NVTC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

May 14, 2015 Northern Virginia Transportation Authority 

(NVTA), DRPT 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

May 18, 2015 GWRC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

 Continued.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-23 

Table 6.2-4: Local Official Meetings 

Meeting Date Attendees Topics 

May 20, 2015 MWCOG Policy Board, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

September 24, 2015 RRPDC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

November 9, 2015 Caroline County, City of Fredericksburg, 

FAMPO, GWRC, Stafford County, Spotsylvania 

County, VDOT, DRPT 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

November 9, 2015 FAMPO Technical Committee, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

November 10, 2015 Chesterfield County, City of Richmond, Henrico 

County, RRPDC, DRPT 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

November 12, 2015 Hanover County, Town of Ashland, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

November 13, 2015 NVTC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

November 15, 2015 PRTC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

November 16, 2015 FAMPO Policy Committee, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

November 19, 2015 NVTA, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Alternative Development and Screening 

December 1, 2015 Chesterfield County, City of Richmond, Henrico 

County, RRPDC, FRA, DRPT 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

 Richmond Area Rail Conditions and Alternatives 

Development 

March 2, 2016 Hanover County, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Hanover County Field Studies 

 Ashland Area Alternatives 

March 9, 2016 Chesterfield County, City of Richmond, Henrico 

County, RRPDC, DRPT, FRA 

 Richmond Area Station Site Planning 

March 22, 2016 City of Richmond, DRPT  Richmond Station Facilities 

March 22, 2016 Henrico County, DRPT  Henrico Station Facilities 

April 4, 2016 Stafford County, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

April 7, 2016 Spotsylvania County, FAMPO, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

April 14, 2016 Caroline County, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

April 28, 2016 Hanover County, Town of Ashland, RRPDC, 

DRPT 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

 Ashland Area Alternatives 

 Randolph-Macon College 

May 2, 2016 City of Fredericksburg, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

May 23, 2016 Arlington County, City of Alexandria  Project Activities and Schedule 

May 24, 2016 Speaker William Howell, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

May 27, 2016 House of Delegates Transportation Chair Ron 

Villanueva, DRPT 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

July 28, 2016 CTB  Project Overview 

September 21, 2016 CTB  Project Briefing 

October 11, 2016 Caroline County Board of Supervisors, DRPT  Project Overview 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

October 18, 2016 CTB, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Continued.
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-24 

Table 6.2-4: Local Official Meetings 

Meeting Date Attendees Topics 

October 25, 2016 MWCOG Regional Transportation 

Subcommittee, DRPT 

 Project Activities and Schedule 

November 1, 2016 CTB, Town of Ashland, Hanover County, 

Randolph Macon College, DRPT 

 Project Tour of Ashland Area 

November 3, 2016 PRTC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

November 3, 2016 NVTC, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

November 17, 2016 NVTA, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

November 28, 2016 VDOT, DRPT  Environmental Justice and ADA Compliance 

November 28, 2016 Governor McAuliffe  Project Briefing 

December 1, 2016 RRTPO, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

December 6, 2016 CTB, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

 Project Alternatives 

December 14, 2016 Henrico County Board of Supervisors, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

January 9, 2017 FAMPO Technical Committee, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

January 11, 2017 FAMPO Transportation Advisory Group, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

January 18, 2017 Alexandria Transportation Commission, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

January 23, 2017 FAMPO Policy Committee, DRPT  Project Activities and Schedule 

In addition to the meetings with local officials listed in Table 6.2-4, DRPT and the DC2RVA 

consultant team also met with members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation on May 19, 2016, 

in Cannon House Office Building, Room Cannon 5C. Representatives from the offices of Senator 

Tim Kaine, Senator Mark R. Warner, Representative Don Beyer, Representative Gerald Connolly, 

Representative Robert J. Wittman, Representative Dave Brat, and Representative Robert C. Scott 

all participated in the meeting. Attendees discussed the various area-specific options along the 

corridor, as well as FASTLANE funding.2

DRPT provided additional outreach to elected officials during key Project milestones, as shown 

in Table 6.2-5. More than 300 elected officials were contacted and included on the Project’s email 

database to receive newsletters and other Project updates. See the Scoping Summary Report in 

Appendix V for the list of elected officials contacted. 

Table 6.2-5: Elected Official Targeted Outreach 

Date Format Content 

October 22, 2014 Direct Mailing #1 Project notification provided notice that FRA and DRPT were initiating preparation 

of a Tier II EIS for the Washington, D.C. to Richmond, VA, rail corridor. 

May 18, 2015 Direct Mailing #2 Project update provided schedule information on public meetings to take place in 

early June. The update also shared that the Project’s purpose and need statement 

was completed, preliminary rail alignment options had been developed, and 

alternative screening criteria had been identified. 

November 10, 2015 Email #1 Project update that early stages of the alternatives screening process were 

completed and input from the June 2015 public meetings was incorporated to 

develop a range of viable alternative improvements for detailed evaluation. 

 

2 The Atlantic Gateway is a $1.4 billion partnership that focuses on the I-95 corridor between Washington, D.C. and 

Fredericksburg, VA. Partially funded by a federal FASTLANE grant, the program utilizes an innovative public/private 

partnership to leverage a suite of multi-modal improvements along one of the nation’s busiest corridors. 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-25 

6.2.4 Ashland Community Advisory Committee 

Through the alternatives development process and related community meetings, DRPT 

recognized the unique nature of the Town of Ashland and Hanover County, and that many of 

the alternatives for greater rail capacity in this area generated community concerns in that area. 

As a result, DRPT implemented a community-based effort to supplement the corridor-wise 

DC2RVA public involvement activities described above and to help inform DRPT's 

recommendation for a Preferred Alternative that provides the required rail capacity through the 

Ashland/Hanover area. As part of this community-based effort, DRPT established a Community 

Advisory Committee (CAC) to take a more intensive look at all previous options, identify any 

potential new options to meet the Purpose and Need of the DC2RVA Project, and suggest 

mitigation strategies to address Project impacts. The first meeting of the CAC was held in May 

2017. 

6.3 SECTION 106 COORDINATION AND CONSULTATION 

The DC2RVA consultant team coordinated with numerous property owners and officials with 

jurisdiction over resources protected under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA), with particular focus on resources where the Project alternatives would likely result in 

an adverse effect to cultural or historic properties. Agencies involved in this dialogue included 

ACHP, Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR), USACE, American Battlefield 

Protection Program (ABPP), and United States DOI. The consulting party invitations, meetings, 

and additional correspondence are discussed in the following sections. 

6.3.1 Consulting Parties 

While FRA continued to be the primary point of contact for all federally recognized tribes, they 

delegated state agency and consulting party coordination to DRPT in 2014. As such, DRPT sent 

invitation letters to agencies, local governments, Native American tribes, and other stakeholders 

in the Section 106 consultation process. Table 6.3-1 provides information on the 39 distributed 

consulting party invitations. Of these, 14 have elected to participate in the process; Table 6.3-1 

lists these groups along with their response date. An additional six are assumed to request 

participation. Although a formal response was not received from these six groups, they have 

requested participation on similar projects and have shown a noted interest in the current 

undertaking through telephone calls or attendance at associated meetings. These six are noted by 

“assumed yes” in the table below. 

Table 6.3-1: Consulting Parties 

Stakeholder Invite Letter Date Response (Date) 

American Battlefield Protection Program January 6, 2015 Assumed Yes 

National Park Service (NPS)−Fredericksburg January 6, 2015 Assumed Yes 

NPS−National Capital Region January 6, 2015 Assumed Yes 

Marine Corps Base Quantico January 6, 2015 Assumed Yes 

NPS−Washington-Rochambeau NHT January 22, 2015 Assumed Yes 

Pamunkey Indian Tribe1 April 27, 2017 Assumed Yes 

City of Fredericksburg January 6, 2015 Yes (January 12, 2015) 

 Continued.
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-26 

Table 6.3-1: Consulting Parties 

Stakeholder Invite Letter Date Response (Date) 

NPS−Richmond January 6, 2015 Yes (January 14, 2015) 

Arlington County January 6, 2015 Yes (January 14, 2015) 

City of Richmond January 6, 2015 Yes (January 16, 2015) 

Alexandria Archaeology January 6, 2015 Yes (January 21, 2015) 

Ashland Museum January 6, 2015 Yes (January 21, 2015) 

NPS−Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT January 6, 2015 Yes (January 22, 2015) 

Central Virginia Battlefields Trust January 6, 2015 Yes (January 22, 2015) 

Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. January 6, 2015 Yes (January 9, 2015) 

Civil War Trust January 6, 2015 Yes (February 11, 2015) 

Prince William County January 6, 2015 Yes (February 13, 2015) 

Caroline County January 6, 2015 Yes (February 3, 2015) 

Hanover County January 6, 2015 Yes (February 3, 2015) 

NPS−Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail January 22, 2015 Yes (March 4, 2015) 

City of Alexandria January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Fairfax County January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Henrico County January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Spotsylvania County January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Stafford County January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Atlantic Coast Line & Seaboard Air Line (ACL & SAL) 

Railroads Historical Society January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Center for Neighborhood Revitalization January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Arlington Historical Society January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Caroline Historical Society January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Chesterfield Historical Society January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Hanover County Historical Society, Inc. January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Henrico County Historical Society January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Historic Alexandria Foundation January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Historic Prince William, Inc. January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Historic Richmond Foundation January 6, 2015 Yes (December 2016) 

Historical Society of Fairfax County, Virginia, Inc. January 6, 2015 No reply received 

National Trust for Historic Preservation January 6, 2015 Yes (December 22, 2016) 

Stafford County Historical Society January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Catawba Indian Tribe January 6, 2015 No reply received 

Note: 1. Letters to Tribes were sent by FRA. 

6.3.2 Meetings 

DRPT and its DC2RVA consultant team held numerous in-person and telephone-based meetings 

with DHR, ACHP, and other consulting parties. They included a Section 106 kick-off and several 

follow-up meetings to update participating agencies and parties on the Project initiation; 

determination of Area of Potential Effects (APE); cultural resource methodology for the 

reconnaissance predictive model, identification surveys and evaluation studies; survey results; 
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-27 

Project effect on historic properties; stipulations to mitigate adverse effects; and crafting the Project 

Programmatic Agreement (PA). Table 6.3-2 highlights the meetings held with these groups. 

Table 6.3-2: Section 106 Meetings

Date Attendees Topics Comments 

November 7, 2014 DHR, DRPT, Consultant 

Team 

Kick-off meeting; Discussions on APE, 

Methodology, Reporting 

Discussed Project in relation 

to Richmond to Raleigh 

segment and determined that 

we should follow the same 

general parameters in terms of 

APE and methodology. DHR 

agreed that the Project area 

could be divided into several 

reports for submittal. 

March 19, 2015 VDOT, DRPT, Consultant 

Team 

Roadway Bridges and Section 106 

Coordination 

Discussed existing agreement 

documents and how they can 

facilitate cultural resource 

studies; Determined that 

bridges that fall under VDOT 

purview would not be 

revisited during this study. 

February 18, 2016 DHR, Consultant Team Update on Corridor and Status of Studies Discussed status of Project; 

determined that IA 

reconnaissance studies would 

be sufficient for 

Fredericksburg and Ashland 

bypasses. 

June 14, 2016 Civil War Trust, 

Consultant Team 

General Discussion of Results to Date Specific talk about Richmond 

to Raleigh Memorandum of 

Agreement (MOA). 

August 10, 2016 DHR, Consultant Team Historic Properties and Project Effect Preliminary dialogue on 

Project effect for all historic 

properties (as defined as of 

this date). Made preliminary 

determinations of effect to be 

formally coordinated once all 

technical studies have been 

completed. 

6.3.3 Correspondence 

Since the Project’s initiation, repeated correspondence has occurred between DRPT and the Section 

106 agencies, localities, and consulting parties to keep them informed on the progress of the Section 

106 studies, resource eligibility, and Project effect on historic properties, and this will continue at 

milestones throughout the Project. In particular, meetings and email exchanges with DHR have 

occurred regularly to provide information on Project plans. In addition, data on the study results 

in specific Project areas were sent to corresponding consulting parties to garner comments on the 

Project results. The Architectural Reconnaissance Survey–Phase I reports were posted on the 

Project’s webpage for general public comment as well. The Archaeological Phase I reports were 

only distributed to the agencies, localities, and consulting parties as requested due to the sensitivity 
TIER II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

 6-28 

of site location mapping. Table 6.3-3 includes correspondence conducted to date. Copies of relevant 

correspondence are included in Appendix R. 

Table 6.3-3: Section 106 Correspondence

Date Medium Recipient Topic1

September 25–

October 15, 2014 

Email; Letter DHR, FRA, DRPT Initiation of Section 106 Process 

January 5–

February 2, 2015 

Email, Letter DHR, FRA, DRPT Defining Project APE; APE approved on February 2, 2015 

June 8, 2015 Email VDOT VDOT/DHR PA on Historic Bridges 

June 22, 2015 Letter Civil War Trust, DRPT Receipt of comments on Project screening review 

July 30, 2015 Email Consulting Parties, 

DRPT 

Distribution of Archaeological Predictive Model report for

review 

July 17, 2015; 

August 28, 2015 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Archaeological Predictive Model Report; 

DHR Reply 

August 3–

September 4, 2015 

Email Arlington County, City 

of Alexandria, Prince 

William County, City of 

Fredericksburg, DRPT 

Receipt of comments on Archaeological IA Predictive model 

August 28, 2015 Email Consulting Parties, 

DRPT 

Reminder to submit comments on Predictive Model Report 

October 20, 2015; 

December 18, 2015 

Letters NPS (FSNMP) Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) permit to dig 

on federal land (Segment 7) 

December 9, 2015; 

February 5, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 7); 

DHR Reply 

December 15, 2015 Letter DHR Application to conduct archaeology on state lands (Segment 11) 

March 18–31, 2016 Email; Memo DHR Discussion of alternative methodology for architecture in 

Segment 18 

April 13–

April 26, 2016 

Email David Hamilton 

(Consulting Party), DHR, 

DRPT, FRA 

Mr. Hamilton is a private property owner along the Ashland 

Bypass. Numerous emails were exchanged with Mr. 

Hamilton regarding his concerns, his position as a consulting 

party, and distributing Project data 

May 20, 2016; 

June 8, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 6); 

DHR Reply 

May 31, 2016; 

June 22, 2016 

Letter, 

Email 

DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 3); 

DHR Reply 

May 31, 2016; 

June 22, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 4); 

DHR Reply 

June 21, 2016; 

June 28, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segments 8-9); 

DHR Reply 

July 6, 2016; 

July 22, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 1); 

DHR Reply 

July 6, 2016; 

July 15, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 2); 

DHR Reply 

July 25, 2016; 

August 15, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segments 10-12); 

DHR Reply 

December 21, 2016; 

TBD 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 13); 

DHR Reply 

August 3, 2016; 

August 22, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 14); 

DHR Reply 

October 21, 2016; 

November 30, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segments 15, 16, 

20); DHR Reply 

November 14, 2016; 

December 22, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segments 17, 19); 

DHR Reply 

October 21, 2016; 

November 3, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Segment 18); 

DHR Reply 

 Continued.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 

 6-29 

Table 6.3-3: Section 106 Correspondence

Date Medium Recipient Topic1

January 20, 2017; 

TBD 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Architectural Phase I Report (Structures); 

DHR Reply 

TBD Email Consulting Parties Distribution of Architectural Reports for Review; 

Consulting Party Comments 

September 6, 2016; 

October 11, 2016 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Archaeological Phase I Report (Segments 1-20); 

DHR Reply 

TBD Email Consulting Parties Distribution of Archaeological Phase I Report (Segments 1-

20) for Review; Consulting Party Replies 

January 20, 2017; 

TBD 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Phase IA Fredericksburg Bypass Report; 

DHR Reply 

January 6, 2017; 

February 3, 2017 

Letter, Email DHR Submittal of Phase IA Ashland Bypass Report; 

DHR Reply 

Note: 1. See Section 2.2 of this Draft EIS for a description of DC2RVA corridor segments.