FTA sponsors training delivered by the National Transit Institute and other FTA technical assistance and training resources assists stakeholders with conducting the environmental review process. 

Environmental Management Systems Technical Assistance

FTA encourages project sponsors to minimize operations and construction impacts through sound practices. The Environmental Management System (EMS) helps organizations analyze, control, and reduce environmental impacts, and to reduce the number, type, and severity of compliance incidents. FTA offers an EMS Training and Technical Assistance program to help transit agencies develop and implement EMS programs at their facilities. 

National Transit Institute (NTI) Courses

The following courses are available through the National Transit Institute (NTI):

In-Person Courses

• Managing the Environmental Review Process Seminar: This interactive in-person seminar offers a forum to discuss proven approaches and techniques to proactively manage the environmental review process.
   
• FTA Real Estate Requirements: This in-person course is an introduction to Uniform Act requirements associated with the acquisition of real estate and the displacement of persons for an FTA assisted projects. It provides attendees with a hands-on experience for many aspects of the real estate requirements and discusses non-Uniform Act issues such as in-kind contributions and donations.
   
• Introduction to Transportation Conformity: This in-person course presents basic information about conformity requirements and the relationship of the transportation and air quality planning processes to prepare agency staff (federal, state and local) to participate in interagency consultation and work effectively in resolving conformity issues.
   
• Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment: The three-day in-person course presents FTA’s procedures and methods for predicting and assessing noise and vibration impacts from proposed transit projects.

Recorded Webinars and Training Videos 

• Rail ROW Program Comment to Exempt Consideration of Effects to Rail Properties with Rail Rights-of-Way – In August 2018, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), in coordination with the U.S. DOT, issued a Program Comment to exempt the consideration of rail properties within rail rights-of-way (ROW) (83 FR 42920). The Program Comment established two approaches to exempt rail ROW from Section 106 review: 1) an activities-based approach; and 2) an optional property-based approach. The USDOT hosted two training webinars to describe the two approaches:
   
  • Activities-based approach training webinar (October 25, 2018)
  • Optional property-based approach webinar (December 12, 2019)