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165 <br /> Hospitals and the Duke/VA Medical Centers. Furthermore, fixed-route transportation helps <br /> older adults maintain a more independent lifestyle while remaining in their homes and <br /> communities,particularly when paired with well-coordinated, community-focused transportation <br /> and growth policies.33 <br /> Public transportation and compact, walkable communities will also assist families living <br /> in poverty by enhancing transportation options and access. As recognized in a Federal Highway <br /> Administration paper, "[i]mproving mobility and job accessibility are very important factors to <br /> escape poverty."34 Light rail will serve as a reliable, fixed, accessible transportation option and <br /> drive development of less automobile-dependent communities. Such characteristics appeal to <br /> and benefit populations in need of greater transportation accessibility, as well as those who are <br /> deliberately choosing to rely less on private automobiles for their travel needs. <br /> II. The NEPA Preferred Alternative is the Best Option for the D-OLRT Project <br /> The above-stated benefits of light rail inform our support for the specific D-O LRT <br /> project. The stated Purpose and Need of the D-O LRT project includes implementing a high- <br /> transit transportation solution that facilitates future land use plans which focus on compact, <br /> transit-oriented development.35 As the DEIS states, "[i]n order to address the transportation <br /> challenge faced by the region and more specifically within the D-O Corridor, and to cultivate a <br /> more sustainable cycle of growth for a future, a high-capacity transportation infrastructure <br /> solution is required."36 Thus, this project is intended to address not only transportation demands, <br /> but land-use demands. Indeed, the Alternatives Analysis completed at an earlier stage of this <br /> project identified four needs to be addressed, one of which was "to foster compact <br /> development."37 A light rail system is by far the best high-transit option in terms of promoting <br /> compact, less-environmentally damaging development. As documented throughout the DEIS, the <br /> D-O LRT project will best satisfy the defined Purpose and Need of the project as compared to <br /> other transportation options and the studied alternative light rail routes. <br /> A. Light Rail is the Best Transportation Alternative for Meeting the Stated Purpose and <br /> Need of the Project <br /> Light rail represents the best option for alleviating the already-present problems of <br /> increasing congestion in the project area. As identified in the DEIS,population growth in <br /> http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/ppi/2015/AARP-New-ACA-Transportation-Opportunities.pdf(identifying <br /> access to transportation as a critical need for elderly individuals). <br /> 33 E.g. TRANSP.FOR AM.,AGING IN PLACE,STUCK WITHOUT OPTIONS 3,35 (2011),available at <br /> http://www.t4america.org/docs/SeniorsMobilityCrisis.pdf. <br /> 34 FED.HIGHWAY ADMIN.,NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD TRAVEL SURVEY BRIEF:MOBILITY CHALLENGES FOR <br /> HOUSEHOLDS IN POVERTY 3 (2014), available at http://nhts.ornl.gov/briefs/PovertyBrief.pdf. <br /> 35 DEIS at 1-22-1-23;see also Alternatives Analysis at 3-1. <br /> 36 DEIS at 1-16. <br /> 37 Alternative Analysis at 3-1. The other three needs were: "to enhance mobility,""to expand transit options <br /> between Durham and Chapel Hill,"and"to serve populations with high propensity for transit use." Id. <br /> 7 <br />