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