Wight played a vital role as a subconsultant working alongside TY LIN in completing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for the expansion of the Red Line to 130th Street. The proposed Red Line Extension (RLE) Project would include three new intermediate stops, as well as a new terminal station. Their involvement was part of the NEPA team's mission to create a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) addressing design modifications that had arisen since the publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 2016. This Supplemental EA was made available to the public in January 2022, followed by public hearings on February 15 and 17, 2022. The Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) were officially released on August 12, 2022.
Wight acted as lead for the Supplemental EA, overseeing the preparation of sections within the document and integrating text from other subject matter experts to create a coherent and reader-friendly document. Additionally, Wight was responsible for crafting sections of the Final EIS/ROD and conducting assessments on various environmental aspects, including impacts on Parklands and Communities, Section 4(f), Safety and Security, Cumulative Impacts, and Visual and Aesthetic Impacts. They also oversaw the hazardous materials analysis, which encompassed the management of over 60 Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and 30 Phase II ESAs. Furthermore, Wight handled the preparation of 12 Phase I ESAs.
Beyond these responsibilities, Wight played a pivotal role in creating presentations and technical materials for local agency coordination with entities such as the City of Chicago Planning and Parks departments, the Chicago Housing Authority, the Forest Preserves of Cook County, and local and state departments of transportation. Additionally, Wight took charge of preparing technical materials for public involvement activities, ensuring effective communication throughout the project.
As a testament to their exceptional work, the combined FEIS/ROD produced by Wight and the team was honored with the prestigious FTA's 2023 Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in Environmental Document Preparation.
