WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Transit projects in Minnesota and Ohio will be expedited, so the permitting and review process can run concurrently, not consecutively, the White House said.
The projects in Minneapolis and Cleveland will enhance local and regional connectivity and provide more transit choices, Obama administration officials said Monday in a release.
In an executive order issued in March, the Office of Management and Budget was tasked with overseeing a government-wide effort to streamline the permitting and review process for infrastructure projects, saving time while driving better outcomes for local communities. By using best practices, including conducting permitting and other environmental review processes concurrently instead of sequentially, the administration said several months could be shaved from project schedules, the White House said.
In Minneapolis, the project involves a new light-rail transit line running between downtown Minneapolis and the southwestern suburbs out to Eden Prairie.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's University Circle-Little Italy Rapid Station project includes the relocation of an existing station, construction of a new a rail transit station and the rehabilitation of two transit-track bridges.
