New Limits to Environmental Reviews Give Cities License to Build

Sarah Feinberg is more familiar with the letters “NEPA” than most people. As administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration under President Barack Obama, she oversaw dozens of projects that fell under the purview of the National Environmental Policy Act, which dictates the federal environmental review process. Later, Feinberg served as interim president of the New York City Transit Authority, where everything from train station revamps to congestion pricing implementation similarly needed to pass NEPA muster before advancing.

“The two things that consistently can be counted on to stop really good projects that improve quality of life in communities and boost efficiency are NEPA ...