What is a Community Impact Assessment (CIA)?
23 U.S.C. 109(h) says: “… assure that possible adverse economic, social, and environmental effects relating to any proposed project … have been fully considered …” (and then lists)
- Air, noise, and water pollution;
- Destruction or disruption of man-made and natural resources, aesthetic values, community cohesion and the availability of public facilities and services;
- Adverse employment effects, and tax and property values losses;
- Injurious displacement of people, businesses and farms; and
- Disruption of desirable community and regional growth.
What are the advantages of CIA?
- SAFETEA-LU defines “interested parties” as citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of public transportation employees, freight shippers, providers of freight transportation services, private providers of transportation, representatives of users of public transportation, representatives of users of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities, representatives of the disabled, and other interested parties.
- Community members to contact include: “interested parties” (see above), nondiscrimination populations (see below), local leaders, agencies with jurisdiction, interest groups, and potentially affected commercial and residential populations within the area.
How do Title VI and Environmental Justice relate to CIA?
Nondiscrimination Protected Groups: Race, Color, National Origin, Age, Sex/Gender, Handicap/Disability, and Creed as well as Low-income and Limited-English-Proficiency populations.