Environmental Impact Statement on Transit Improvements in the Northwest Corridor to Irving/DFW in Dallas, TX, 24856-24859 [05-9389]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 11, 2005 / Notices
2C1.3(c)(1), and 2C1.8(c)(1) and strikes
references to § 2C1.7 in §§ 3D1.2(d) and
8C2.1.
Fourth, this amendment clarifies
Application Note 5 in the drug
guideline, § 2D1.1, regarding drug
analogues. The current note suggests
that drug analogues are less potent than
the drug for which it is an analogue.
However, by statute, analogues can only
be the same or more potent.
Fifth, this amendment redesignates
incorrect references in a number of
Application Notes in the drug guideline,
§ 2D1.1.
Sixth, this amendment conforms
§ 2D1.11 (Unlawfully Distributing,
Importing, Exporting or Possessing a
Listed Chemical; Attempt or
Conspiracy) to changes made in the
drug guideline, § 2D1.1, in the 2004
amendment cycle (see Appendix C to
the Guidelines Manual, Amendment
667). Specifically, the proposed
amendment amends the Chemical
Quantity Table in § 2D1.11(e) so that the
amount of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL),
at any particular offense level, is the
amount that provides a 100 percent
yield of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid
(GHB).
Seventh, this amendment updates the
statutory provisions in § 2K2.1
(Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or
Transportation of Firearms or
Ammunition; Prohibited Transactions
Involving Firearms or Ammunition) to
account for redesignations of 18 U.S.C.
924 offenses.
Eighth, this amendment corrects a
typographical error in § 2M6.1
(Weapons of Mass Destruction).
Ninth, this amendment corrects the
title to § 5C1.2 (Limitation on
Applicability of Statutory Minimum
Sentence in Certain Cases) in
Application Note 2 of § 5D1.2 (Terms of
Supervised Release.).
Tenth, this amendment corrects
Appendix A (Statutory Index) to
account for redesignations of 18 U.S.C.
924 offenses.
[FR Doc. 05–9378 Filed 5–10–05; 8:45 am]
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[FR Doc. 05–9377 Filed 5–10–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8025–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement on
Transit Improvements in the Northwest
Corridor to Irving/DFW in Dallas, TX
AGENCY:
Federal Transit Administration,
DOT.
Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and Dallas Area
Rapid Transit (DART) issue this notice
to advise interested agencies and the
public of their intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
on the proposed Northwest CorridorIrving/DFW Line Light Rail Transit
(LRT) Project in Dallas and Irving,
Texas. The EIS will be prepared in
accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as
amended.
The Northwest Corridor-Irving/DFW
Line LRT project is the product of the
Northwest Corridor Major Investment
Study (MIS) completed by DART in
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early 2000. The MIS identified a Locally
Preferred Investment Strategy (LPIS),
which included a light rail element with
two service lines, the Carrollton Line
and the Irving/DFW Line. An EIS
evaluating alternatives for the Carrollton
Line has been completed, and FTA
issued a Record of Decision on this
portion of the LPIS on February 5, 2004.
The identified primary travel need for
the Northwest Corridor-Irving/DFW
Line LRT is to serve the general
northwest-southeast travel pattern along
the Interstate Highway (IH) 35E/State
Highway (SH) 114 corridor from
downtown Dallas into North Irving. The
LPIS alignment addressed this need
with an alignment that generally
parallels SH 114 through north Irving
before terminating on the north side of
SH 114, west of Beltline Road.
After adoption of the LPIS, significant
changes in land use and transportation
patterns have occurred in the Irving/
DFW Corridor. Subsequent analyses by
DART for the Irving/DFW Corridor have
resulted in a refinement to the LPIS
alignment. The refined alignment also
addresses the primary travel need with
an alignment that runs parallel but
south of SH 114 through north Irving.
Both of these ‘‘Build’’ alternatives will
be fully evaluated in the EIS.
DATES: Comment due date: Written
comments on the scope of the EIS,
including the alternatives and impacts
to be considered, should be sent to John
Hoppie, Project Manager by July 1,
2005. See ADDRESSES below.
Scoping Meeting: A Public Scoping
Meeting will be held June 29, 2005, at
6:30 p.m. at the University of Dallas—
Haggar University Center, 1845 E.
Northgate Drive, Irving, Texas. The
meeting will be accessible to persons
with disabilities. Individuals requiring
special assistance to participate fully,
such as a translator or sign-language
interpreter, should notify DART in
advance as indicated under ADDRESSES
below.
Interagency Coordination Meeting:
DART will invite all federal, state and
local agencies with a possible interest in
any aspect of the proposed project or its
impacts to an interagency coordination
meeting and will provide scoping
materials to these agencies prior to that
meeting. The likely cooperating
agencies include the Federal Aviation
Administration, the Transportation
Security Administration, and North
Central Texas Council of Governments
(NCTCOG).
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to John Hoppie, Project Manager,
Dallas Area Rapid Transit, P.O Box
660163, Dallas, Texas 75266–7213.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 11, 2005 / Notices
Telephone: 214–749–2525. Fax: 214–
749–3670. E-mail: jhoppie@dart.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John
Sweek, Community Planner, Federal
Transit Administration, Region VI;
phone: (817) 978–0550.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
FTA and DART invite interested
individuals, organizations, businesses
and federal, state and local agencies to
participate in determining the scope of
the EIS on the Irving/DFW Line,
including alternative alignments and
station locations. Comments should
focus on suggesting alternatives that
may be less costly or have fewer
environmental impacts while achieving
similar transportation objectives, or on
identifying any significant social,
economic, or environmental issues
related to the alternatives under
consideration. Specific suggestions on
additional alternatives to be examined
and issues to be addressed are welcome
and will be considered in the
development in the final study scope.
Scoping comments may be made orally
or in writing not later than July 1, 2005.
See DATES and ADDRESSES above.
Additional information on the EIS
process, the alternatives and anticipated
impact issues is contained in a ‘‘Scoping
Information Document’’. Copies of the
scoping document are available from
DART. See DATES and ADDRESSES above.
In addition, a project website has been
established to provide scoping and other
information at https://www.dart.org/
nwdfwcorridor.asp.
II. Description of the Study Area and
Project Need
The Northwest Corridor Study Area
covered in the MIS includes a large part
of northwest Dallas County. It extends
from downtown Dallas on the south, to
SH 121 on the west and north, to east
of Marsh Lane and IH–35E on the east.
The LPIS adopted on the basis of the
MIS includes two rail lines, the
Carrollton Line and the Irving/DFW
Line. Each of the two rail lines has
independent utility in meeting the
transportation needs of the study area.
The Carrollton Line is advancing toward
implementation. The Irving/DFW Line
is the subject of this notice. The MIS
that resulted in the proposed Irving
DFW Line is available online at https://
www.dart.org/nwdfwcorridor.asp. The
MIS is also available for inspection at
DART offices by contacting John Hoppie
as indicated in ADDRESSES above.
The Irving/DFW Line and its
associated stations provide the
opportunity to serve several important
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regional activity centers. The proposed
rail line will also provide numerous
opportunities to interconnect the
region’s transit services, including
DART’s expanding LRT system, the
Trinity Railway Express commuter rail
operation, and DART’s local and
express bus service.
Regional growth has added
significantly to the corridor’s
congestion, especially employment
growth in Dallas County, and
population growth in northern Dallas,
Northeast Tarrant, and Denton Counties.
According to findings of the MIS, in
2020 the northwest quadrant of Dallas
County will account for 33.6 percent of
employment in the entire Dallas-Fort
Worth region. While only 6.4 percent of
the region’s land area, the study area is
a large net importer of employees. In
1995, jobs outnumbered population by
over 200,000. In 2020, the surplus of
jobs over population is expected to grow
to more than 336,000. Demographic
information will be updated by the
North Central Texas Council of
Governments (NCTCOG) during the
preparation of the EIS.
Land use in the corridor consists of a
major concentration of employment
near the Las Colinas Urban Center with
residential uses occurring west and
south of SH 114. Traffic volumes along
SH 114 are expected to increase
significantly in future years. The EPA
designated the nine-county Dallas-Fort
Worth region as a moderate nonattainment area for the pollutant ozone
under the 8-hour standard in April
2004.
The proposed LRT project is part of
multi-modal strategy that also
incorporates bus service refinements,
highway and HOV lane improvements,
TSM and TDM strategies, and bicycle
and pedestrian improvements. This
strategy was developed during the
preparation of the Northwest Corridor
MIS completed by DART in early 2000.
III. Alternatives
The transportation alternatives
proposed for consideration in this
project area include:
No-Build Alternative—The future NoBuild Alternative is the transit system
that will result in the design year (2030)
if the project is not pursued. It consists
of all transportation projects included in
the adopted NCTCOG plan outside the
study corridor, and normal growth in
bus service inside the corridor,
consistent with exiting transit service
policies.
MIS Build Alternative—The original
MIS Build Alternative project consisted
of an LRT Line of approximately 13.2
miles. The alignment began at the
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junction with the Carrollton LRT Line
north of the Bachman LRT Station and
extended southwest on aerial structure
over IH–35E and the Elm Fork of the
Trinity River parallel to Spur 482. Near
the Central Freight property and Texas
Stadium parking lots, the alignment
turned to the northwest, returned to
grade and then elevated to aerial
structure to cross over Loop 12, SH 114
and Tom Braniff Drive, landing on the
south side of SH 114 and returning to
grade. The alignment continued at-grade
along the south side of SH 114, and then
crossed over both the BNSF RR and SH
114 to enter the Las Colinas Urban
Center area. The alignment continued
at-grade through the Las Colinas Urban
Center in the median of Lake Carolyn
Parkway. The alignment then became
aerial to cross over Northwest Highway.
South of Colwell Boulevard the
alignment became at-grade and
paralleled Las Colinas Boulevard for a
short distance until it turned northward.
Adjacent to Royal Lane the alignment
turned westerly and crossed over
MacArthur Boulevard on aerial
structure. Returning to grade, the route
continued northwest to the north end of
DFW airport with grade separations at
SH 161, SH 114, Beltline Road and
International Parkway. Seven stations
were proposed within the MIS
alignment: University of Dallas, South
Las Colinas, North Urban Center, Royal
Lane, SH 161, Belt Line Road, and DFW
North. The University of Dallas station
was located south of SH 114. The South
Las Colinas Station was proposed in at
the south end of the Las Colinas Urban
Center, and another station was
proposed in the North Urban Center
near Northwest Highway. The Royal
station was proposed south of Royal
before the alignment turned to the west.
Another Station was proposed near the
junction SH 161 and SH 114. The sixth
station was located near Beltline Road
and the terminus station was located at
the north end of DFW Airport.
Refined Build Alternative—The
proposed project for environmental
review consists of an LRT Line of
approximately 9.5 miles. The LRT
alignment begins at its junction with the
Carrollton LRT Line north of the
Bachman LRT Station and extends
southwest on aerial structure over IH–
35E and the Elm Fork of the Trinity
River parallel to Spur 482. Near the
Central Freight property and Texas
Stadium parking lots, the alignment
turns to the northwest, returns to grade
and crosses under Loop 12 on the north
side of SH 114. The alignment continues
along the north side of SH 114 and
crosses under the BNSF RR to enter the
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 11, 2005 / Notices
Las Colinas Urban Center area. The
alignment continues at-grade through
the Las Colinas Urban Center in the
median of Lake Carolyn Parkway. From
the Urban Center, the proposed
alignment crosses west over SH 114 and
returns to grade north of Hidden Ridge
Drive. The alignment turns south, then
west with potential grade separations at
Hidden Ridge Drive, MacArthur
Boulevard and Walnut Hill Lane. Near
Walnut Hill Lane the alignment enters
into right-of-way that has been
preserved for rail access into DFW
International Airport. Entering onto
airport property, the alignment crosses
over SH 114 and Beltline Road before
returning grade at the terminus station.
Station Locations: Six stations are
proposed within the Irving/DFW
corridor: University of Dallas, South Las
Colinas, North Urban Center, Hidden
Ridge, North Lake College, and Belt Line
Road. The University of Dallas station is
located between the main lanes and
service road of westbound SH 114 south
of Tom Braniff Drive. The at-grade
South Las Colinas Station is proposed in
at the south end of the Las Colinas
Urban Center, and another at-grade
station is proposed in the North Urban
Center near Northwest Highway and SH
114. The Hidden Ridge Drive station is
proposed to serve the large corporate
complexes in the area west of SH 114.
A station is located north of the campus
to serve North Lake College and the
surrounding area. The terminus station
is proposed near Belt Line Road.
Alignment and station options will be
explored further during scoping.
Segmentation Analysis: Airport access
options extending from Belt Line Road
to the DFW Central Terminal Area will
continue to be studied and evaluated
separately by DART, DFW Airport, and
others, but are not proposed to be part
of this EIS. Airport access by rail was
the subject of the DFW International
Airport Rail Planning and
Implementation Study (NCTCOG, 2002).
This study identified several LRT
options that could pivot of the proposed
terminus of the Refined Build
Alternative to serve the Central
Terminal Area of DFW Airport.
As DART explored serving the core of
DFW Airport as part of this project it
became apparent that there were many
unresolved issues regarding airport
access. As a result there is a growing
number of alignment alternatives to
serve DFW. Each of these alternatives
terminates at one of several proposed
locations. Also DFW is planning
terminal and taxiway expansions that
could potentially impact the DART
project.
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As a result of a multi-agency
coordination meeting that included the
North Central Texas Council of
Governments, FTA, FAA, DFW Airport,
The-T, DCTA and DART it was decided
that it would be prudent exclude airport
access as part of this EIS. This would
allow DART the opportunity to advance
the Refined Build Alternative which
vital component of DART’s Transit
System Plan while resolving the
numerous complex issues associated
with serving the Core area of DFW
Airport.
FTA and DART have determined that
terminating the project evaluated in this
EIS at Belt Line Road is appropriate. As
described below, the Refined Build
Alternative and a future alignment that
would serve the Central Terminus Area
of DFW airport have independent
utility.
• Refined Build Alternative—The
Northwest Corridor to Irving is a 9.5mile corridor serving the City of Irving.
Major destinations along the corridor
include: the University of Dallas, the
Las Colinas Urban Center (one of the
largest employment centers in the
region), North Lake Community College
and several planned developments. In
addition the corridor will serve many
residential communities in the City of
Irving as well as other commuters who
regularly use the State Highway 114
corridor.
• Future Rail Service to the Central
Terminus Area of DFW International
Airport—Depending on the selected
alignment this will be a 3 to 6 mile
independent project that would provide
rail access to DFW airport from the
entire DART LRT System. It will also
provide an interface between DART and
The-T and DCTA.
Additional Alternatives—Any
additional alternatives that emerge
during scoping, that reasonably address
the project’s purpose and need, and that
have not been previously evaluated, will
be considered.
IV. Probable Effects
The FTA and DART will evaluate all
significant environmental, social, and
economic impacts of the alternatives
analyzed in the EIS. Impact areas to be
addressed include: Land use, zoning,
and economic development; secondary
developments; land acquisition,
displacements, and relocation of
existing uses; cultural resource impacts
including impacts on historical and
archaeological resources and parklands/
recreational areas; visual and aesthetic
qualities; neighborhood compatibility;
environmental justice; natural resource
impacts including air quality, wetlands,
water resources, and wildlife; noise and
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vibration; hazardous materials; energy;
safety and security; utilities; traffic and
transportation impacts and airport
operations. Potential impacts will be
addressed for the long-term operation of
each alternative and the short-term
construction period. Measures to avoid,
minimize, or mitigate all adverse
impacts will be identified, evaluated,
and adopted as appropriate.
V. FTA Procedures
In accordance with FHWA/FTA
guidance on linking the planning and
NEPA processes at https://
www.environment.fta.dot.gov/
streamlining/lpn_guidance.htm, the
results of the Northwest Corridor Major
Investment Study (DART, 2000), The
DFW International Airport Rail
Planning and Implementation Study
(NCTCOG, 2002), and the Northwest
Corridor to Irving/DFW Scoping
Information Document (DART, 2005)
will be scrutinized during scoping, and
incorporated by reference into the EIS,
as appropriate. All documents
pertaining to this study are available on
line at https://www.dart.org/
nwdfwcorridor.asp. In addition,
information regarding DART’s ongoing
System Planning effort can be found at
https://www.dart.org/
transitsystemplan2030.asp.
The MIS and the DFW International
Airport Rail Planning and
Implementation Study are expected to
contribute to the statement of the
project’s purpose and need, and to the
evaluation of transportation systems
management alternatives. The impacts
of each alternative will be assessed, and,
if necessary, the alternative will be
revised or additional alternatives will be
developed to avoid, minimize, and
mitigate any adverse impacts.
In accordance with FTA policy, all
Federal environmental laws,
regulations, and executive orders
affecting project development, including
but not limited to the regulations of the
Council on Environmental Quality
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts
1500–1508, the joint FHWA/FTA
environmental regulations (23 CFR part
771), the project-level conformity
requirements of the Clean Air Act,
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, the
National Historic Preservation Act, the
Endangered Species Act, Section 4(f) of
the DOT Act, etc. will be addressed to
the maximum extent practicable during
the NEPA process.
After its publication, the Draft EIS
will be available for public review and
comment. One or more public hearings
will be held during the Draft EIS public
comment period. On the basis of the
Draft EIS and comments received, the
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 11, 2005 / Notices
preferred alternative will be further
refined as necessary, and the Final EIS
will be prepared.
Issued on: May 5, 2005.
Robert C. Patrick,
FTA Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05–9389 Filed 5–10–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[U.S. DOT Docket Number NHTSA–2005–
21068]
Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping
Requirements
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Request for public comment on
an extension for collection of
information.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can
collect certain information from the
public, it must receive approval from
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). Under procedures established
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, before seeking OMB approval,
Federal agencies must solicit public
comment on proposed collections of
information, including extensions and
reinstatement of previously approved
collections.
This document describes one
collection of information for which
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before July 11, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the
docket notice numbers cited at the
beginning of this notice and be
submitted to Docket Management, Room
PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. Please identify
the proposed collection of information
for which a comment is provided, by
referencing its OMB Control Number. It
is requested, but not required, that 2
copies of the comment be provided. The
Docket Section is open on weekdays
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Complete copies of each request for
collection of information may be
obtained at no charge from Mrs. Johanna
Lowrie, NHTSA 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Room 5311, NVS–111,
Washington, DC 20590. Mrs. Lowrie
telephone number is (202) 366–5269.
Please identify the relevant collection of
information by referring to its OMB
Control Number.
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Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
before an agency submits a proposed
collection of information to OMB for
approval, it must first publish a
document in the Federal Register
providing a 60-day comment period and
otherwise consult with members of the
public and affected agencies concerning
each proposed collection of information.
The OMB has promulgated regulations
describing what must be included in
such a document. Under OMB’s
regulation (at 5 CFR 1320.8(d), an
agency must ask for public comment on
the following:
(i) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(ii) The accuracy of the agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(iii) How to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected;
(iv) How to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including the use
of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g. in
submission of responses.
In compliance with these
requirements, NHTSA asks for public
comments on the following proposed
collections of information:
Title: Vehicle Information for the
General Public.
OMB Control Number: 2127–0629.
Affected Public: Manufacturers that
sell motor vehicles in the United States
under 10,000 lbs.
Abstract: NHTSA currently collects
vehicle information through the Office
of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC)
and through the Office of
Crashworthiness Standards (OCWS).
The information collected by OVSC and
OCWS has been useful to the New Car
Assessment Program (NCAP) in
selecting vehicles for its crash testing
programs as well as informing the
public of vehicle safety features on the
NHTSA Web site (https://
www.safercar.gov). The public is still
interested not only in crash test results
and other vehicle ratings, but is also
interested in information on the benefit
and availability of safety features.
NHTSA also needs safety feature
information when it attempts to analyze
petitions for rulemaking asking the
agency to mandate certain safety
features. Therefore the NCAP is asking
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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24859
for an extension of the current
Information Collection Request from
OCWS (OMB # 2127–0629) ‘‘Vehicle
Information for the General Public’’.
An example of the type of information
we propose to collect includes: Specific
advanced frontal air bags information
that would include the number if air bag
deployment stages; technologies air bag
deployment is dependent upon; air bag
on/off switch information; child
restraint anchorages system information;
seat belt information that would include
pretensioner, load limiters or other
energy management systems for the seat
belt, seat belt extenders and adjustable
upper belt anchorages; dynamic head
restraints; side air bag information that
would include where the side air bag is
mounted, what type of side bag is
mounted and whether the side air bags
meet the requirements of the
recommendations of the Technical
Working Group on Out of Position
Occupants (TWG); Automatic Door Lock
(ADL) information; Electronic Stability
Control (ESC); crash avoidance
information, anti-theft devices, and
Static Stability Rating (SSF)
information.
NHTSA will use this information on
the NHTSA Web site, in the ‘‘Buying a
Safer Car’’ and ‘‘Buying a Safer Car for
Child Passengers’’ brochures, other
consumer publications, as well as
internally for benefit analysis. NHTSA
is making this burden easier by sending
out formatted electronic files with the
information request to facilitate
submittal of the data.
Estimated Annual Burden: 924 hours.
Number of Respondents: 21.
Comments are invited on: Whether
the extension of the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
the accuracy of the Department’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
information collection; ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on respondents, including
the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Issued on: May 6, 2005.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 05–9391 Filed 5–10–05; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24856-24859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-9389]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement on Transit Improvements in the
Northwest Corridor to Irving/DFW in Dallas, TX
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Dallas Area Rapid
Transit (DART) issue this notice to advise interested agencies and the
public of their intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) on the proposed Northwest Corridor-Irving/DFW Line Light Rail
Transit (LRT) Project in Dallas and Irving, Texas. The EIS will be
prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), as amended.
The Northwest Corridor-Irving/DFW Line LRT project is the product
of the Northwest Corridor Major Investment Study (MIS) completed by
DART in early 2000. The MIS identified a Locally Preferred Investment
Strategy (LPIS), which included a light rail element with two service
lines, the Carrollton Line and the Irving/DFW Line. An EIS evaluating
alternatives for the Carrollton Line has been completed, and FTA issued
a Record of Decision on this portion of the LPIS on February 5, 2004.
The identified primary travel need for the Northwest Corridor-
Irving/DFW Line LRT is to serve the general northwest-southeast travel
pattern along the Interstate Highway (IH) 35E/State Highway (SH) 114
corridor from downtown Dallas into North Irving. The LPIS alignment
addressed this need with an alignment that generally parallels SH 114
through north Irving before terminating on the north side of SH 114,
west of Beltline Road.
After adoption of the LPIS, significant changes in land use and
transportation patterns have occurred in the Irving/DFW Corridor.
Subsequent analyses by DART for the Irving/DFW Corridor have resulted
in a refinement to the LPIS alignment. The refined alignment also
addresses the primary travel need with an alignment that runs parallel
but south of SH 114 through north Irving. Both of these ``Build''
alternatives will be fully evaluated in the EIS.
DATES: Comment due date: Written comments on the scope of the EIS,
including the alternatives and impacts to be considered, should be sent
to John Hoppie, Project Manager by July 1, 2005. See ADDRESSES below.
Scoping Meeting: A Public Scoping Meeting will be held June 29,
2005, at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Dallas--Haggar University
Center, 1845 E. Northgate Drive, Irving, Texas. The meeting will be
accessible to persons with disabilities. Individuals requiring special
assistance to participate fully, such as a translator or sign-language
interpreter, should notify DART in advance as indicated under ADDRESSES
below.
Interagency Coordination Meeting: DART will invite all federal,
state and local agencies with a possible interest in any aspect of the
proposed project or its impacts to an interagency coordination meeting
and will provide scoping materials to these agencies prior to that
meeting. The likely cooperating agencies include the Federal Aviation
Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, and North
Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to John Hoppie, Project
Manager, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, P.O Box 660163, Dallas, Texas
75266-7213.
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Telephone: 214-749-2525. Fax: 214-749-3670. E-mail: jhoppie@dart.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Sweek, Community Planner, Federal
Transit Administration, Region VI; phone: (817) 978-0550.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
FTA and DART invite interested individuals, organizations,
businesses and federal, state and local agencies to participate in
determining the scope of the EIS on the Irving/DFW Line, including
alternative alignments and station locations. Comments should focus on
suggesting alternatives that may be less costly or have fewer
environmental impacts while achieving similar transportation
objectives, or on identifying any significant social, economic, or
environmental issues related to the alternatives under consideration.
Specific suggestions on additional alternatives to be examined and
issues to be addressed are welcome and will be considered in the
development in the final study scope. Scoping comments may be made
orally or in writing not later than July 1, 2005. See DATES and
ADDRESSES above. Additional information on the EIS process, the
alternatives and anticipated impact issues is contained in a ``Scoping
Information Document''. Copies of the scoping document are available
from DART. See DATES and ADDRESSES above. In addition, a project
website has been established to provide scoping and other information
at https://www.dart.org/nwdfwcorridor.asp.
II. Description of the Study Area and Project Need
The Northwest Corridor Study Area covered in the MIS includes a
large part of northwest Dallas County. It extends from downtown Dallas
on the south, to SH 121 on the west and north, to east of Marsh Lane
and IH-35E on the east. The LPIS adopted on the basis of the MIS
includes two rail lines, the Carrollton Line and the Irving/DFW Line.
Each of the two rail lines has independent utility in meeting the
transportation needs of the study area. The Carrollton Line is
advancing toward implementation. The Irving/DFW Line is the subject of
this notice. The MIS that resulted in the proposed Irving DFW Line is
available online at https://www.dart.org/nwdfwcorridor.asp. The MIS is
also available for inspection at DART offices by contacting John Hoppie
as indicated in ADDRESSES above.
The Irving/DFW Line and its associated stations provide the
opportunity to serve several important regional activity centers. The
proposed rail line will also provide numerous opportunities to
interconnect the region's transit services, including DART's expanding
LRT system, the Trinity Railway Express commuter rail operation, and
DART's local and express bus service.
Regional growth has added significantly to the corridor's
congestion, especially employment growth in Dallas County, and
population growth in northern Dallas, Northeast Tarrant, and Denton
Counties. According to findings of the MIS, in 2020 the northwest
quadrant of Dallas County will account for 33.6 percent of employment
in the entire Dallas-Fort Worth region. While only 6.4 percent of the
region's land area, the study area is a large net importer of
employees. In 1995, jobs outnumbered population by over 200,000. In
2020, the surplus of jobs over population is expected to grow to more
than 336,000. Demographic information will be updated by the North
Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) during the preparation of
the EIS.
Land use in the corridor consists of a major concentration of
employment near the Las Colinas Urban Center with residential uses
occurring west and south of SH 114. Traffic volumes along SH 114 are
expected to increase significantly in future years. The EPA designated
the nine-county Dallas-Fort Worth region as a moderate non-attainment
area for the pollutant ozone under the 8-hour standard in April 2004.
The proposed LRT project is part of multi-modal strategy that also
incorporates bus service refinements, highway and HOV lane
improvements, TSM and TDM strategies, and bicycle and pedestrian
improvements. This strategy was developed during the preparation of the
Northwest Corridor MIS completed by DART in early 2000.
III. Alternatives
The transportation alternatives proposed for consideration in this
project area include:
No-Build Alternative--The future No-Build Alternative is the
transit system that will result in the design year (2030) if the
project is not pursued. It consists of all transportation projects
included in the adopted NCTCOG plan outside the study corridor, and
normal growth in bus service inside the corridor, consistent with
exiting transit service policies.
MIS Build Alternative--The original MIS Build Alternative project
consisted of an LRT Line of approximately 13.2 miles. The alignment
began at the junction with the Carrollton LRT Line north of the Bachman
LRT Station and extended southwest on aerial structure over IH-35E and
the Elm Fork of the Trinity River parallel to Spur 482. Near the
Central Freight property and Texas Stadium parking lots, the alignment
turned to the northwest, returned to grade and then elevated to aerial
structure to cross over Loop 12, SH 114 and Tom Braniff Drive, landing
on the south side of SH 114 and returning to grade. The alignment
continued at-grade along the south side of SH 114, and then crossed
over both the BNSF RR and SH 114 to enter the Las Colinas Urban Center
area. The alignment continued at-grade through the Las Colinas Urban
Center in the median of Lake Carolyn Parkway. The alignment then became
aerial to cross over Northwest Highway. South of Colwell Boulevard the
alignment became at-grade and paralleled Las Colinas Boulevard for a
short distance until it turned northward. Adjacent to Royal Lane the
alignment turned westerly and crossed over MacArthur Boulevard on
aerial structure. Returning to grade, the route continued northwest to
the north end of DFW airport with grade separations at SH 161, SH 114,
Beltline Road and International Parkway. Seven stations were proposed
within the MIS alignment: University of Dallas, South Las Colinas,
North Urban Center, Royal Lane, SH 161, Belt Line Road, and DFW North.
The University of Dallas station was located south of SH 114. The South
Las Colinas Station was proposed in at the south end of the Las Colinas
Urban Center, and another station was proposed in the North Urban
Center near Northwest Highway. The Royal station was proposed south of
Royal before the alignment turned to the west. Another Station was
proposed near the junction SH 161 and SH 114. The sixth station was
located near Beltline Road and the terminus station was located at the
north end of DFW Airport.
Refined Build Alternative--The proposed project for environmental
review consists of an LRT Line of approximately 9.5 miles. The LRT
alignment begins at its junction with the Carrollton LRT Line north of
the Bachman LRT Station and extends southwest on aerial structure over
IH-35E and the Elm Fork of the Trinity River parallel to Spur 482. Near
the Central Freight property and Texas Stadium parking lots, the
alignment turns to the northwest, returns to grade and crosses under
Loop 12 on the north side of SH 114. The alignment continues along the
north side of SH 114 and crosses under the BNSF RR to enter the
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Las Colinas Urban Center area. The alignment continues at-grade through
the Las Colinas Urban Center in the median of Lake Carolyn Parkway.
From the Urban Center, the proposed alignment crosses west over SH 114
and returns to grade north of Hidden Ridge Drive. The alignment turns
south, then west with potential grade separations at Hidden Ridge
Drive, MacArthur Boulevard and Walnut Hill Lane. Near Walnut Hill Lane
the alignment enters into right-of-way that has been preserved for rail
access into DFW International Airport. Entering onto airport property,
the alignment crosses over SH 114 and Beltline Road before returning
grade at the terminus station.
Station Locations: Six stations are proposed within the Irving/DFW
corridor: University of Dallas, South Las Colinas, North Urban Center,
Hidden Ridge, North Lake College, and Belt Line Road. The University of
Dallas station is located between the main lanes and service road of
westbound SH 114 south of Tom Braniff Drive. The at-grade South Las
Colinas Station is proposed in at the south end of the Las Colinas
Urban Center, and another at-grade station is proposed in the North
Urban Center near Northwest Highway and SH 114. The Hidden Ridge Drive
station is proposed to serve the large corporate complexes in the area
west of SH 114. A station is located north of the campus to serve North
Lake College and the surrounding area. The terminus station is proposed
near Belt Line Road. Alignment and station options will be explored
further during scoping.
Segmentation Analysis: Airport access options extending from Belt
Line Road to the DFW Central Terminal Area will continue to be studied
and evaluated separately by DART, DFW Airport, and others, but are not
proposed to be part of this EIS. Airport access by rail was the subject
of the DFW International Airport Rail Planning and Implementation Study
(NCTCOG, 2002). This study identified several LRT options that could
pivot of the proposed terminus of the Refined Build Alternative to
serve the Central Terminal Area of DFW Airport.
As DART explored serving the core of DFW Airport as part of this
project it became apparent that there were many unresolved issues
regarding airport access. As a result there is a growing number of
alignment alternatives to serve DFW. Each of these alternatives
terminates at one of several proposed locations. Also DFW is planning
terminal and taxiway expansions that could potentially impact the DART
project.
As a result of a multi-agency coordination meeting that included
the North Central Texas Council of Governments, FTA, FAA, DFW Airport,
The-T, DCTA and DART it was decided that it would be prudent exclude
airport access as part of this EIS. This would allow DART the
opportunity to advance the Refined Build Alternative which vital
component of DART's Transit System Plan while resolving the numerous
complex issues associated with serving the Core area of DFW Airport.
FTA and DART have determined that terminating the project evaluated
in this EIS at Belt Line Road is appropriate. As described below, the
Refined Build Alternative and a future alignment that would serve the
Central Terminus Area of DFW airport have independent utility.
Refined Build Alternative--The Northwest Corridor to
Irving is a 9.5-mile corridor serving the City of Irving. Major
destinations along the corridor include: the University of Dallas, the
Las Colinas Urban Center (one of the largest employment centers in the
region), North Lake Community College and several planned developments.
In addition the corridor will serve many residential communities in the
City of Irving as well as other commuters who regularly use the State
Highway 114 corridor.
Future Rail Service to the Central Terminus Area of DFW
International Airport--Depending on the selected alignment this will be
a 3 to 6 mile independent project that would provide rail access to DFW
airport from the entire DART LRT System. It will also provide an
interface between DART and The-T and DCTA.
Additional Alternatives--Any additional alternatives that emerge
during scoping, that reasonably address the project's purpose and need,
and that have not been previously evaluated, will be considered.
IV. Probable Effects
The FTA and DART will evaluate all significant environmental,
social, and economic impacts of the alternatives analyzed in the EIS.
Impact areas to be addressed include: Land use, zoning, and economic
development; secondary developments; land acquisition, displacements,
and relocation of existing uses; cultural resource impacts including
impacts on historical and archaeological resources and parklands/
recreational areas; visual and aesthetic qualities; neighborhood
compatibility; environmental justice; natural resource impacts
including air quality, wetlands, water resources, and wildlife; noise
and vibration; hazardous materials; energy; safety and security;
utilities; traffic and transportation impacts and airport operations.
Potential impacts will be addressed for the long-term operation of each
alternative and the short-term construction period. Measures to avoid,
minimize, or mitigate all adverse impacts will be identified,
evaluated, and adopted as appropriate.
V. FTA Procedures
In accordance with FHWA/FTA guidance on linking the planning and
NEPA processes at https://www.environment.fta.dot.gov/streamlining/lpn_
guidance.htm, the results of the Northwest Corridor Major Investment
Study (DART, 2000), The DFW International Airport Rail Planning and
Implementation Study (NCTCOG, 2002), and the Northwest Corridor to
Irving/DFW Scoping Information Document (DART, 2005) will be
scrutinized during scoping, and incorporated by reference into the EIS,
as appropriate. All documents pertaining to this study are available on
line at https://www.dart.org/nwdfwcorridor.asp. In addition, information
regarding DART's ongoing System Planning effort can be found at https://
www.dart.org/transitsystemplan2030.asp.
The MIS and the DFW International Airport Rail Planning and
Implementation Study are expected to contribute to the statement of the
project's purpose and need, and to the evaluation of transportation
systems management alternatives. The impacts of each alternative will
be assessed, and, if necessary, the alternative will be revised or
additional alternatives will be developed to avoid, minimize, and
mitigate any adverse impacts.
In accordance with FTA policy, all Federal environmental laws,
regulations, and executive orders affecting project development,
including but not limited to the regulations of the Council on
Environmental Quality implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508, the
joint FHWA/FTA environmental regulations (23 CFR part 771), the
project-level conformity requirements of the Clean Air Act, Section 404
of the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the
Endangered Species Act, Section 4(f) of the DOT Act, etc. will be
addressed to the maximum extent practicable during the NEPA process.
After its publication, the Draft EIS will be available for public
review and comment. One or more public hearings will be held during the
Draft EIS public comment period. On the basis of the Draft EIS and
comments received, the
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preferred alternative will be further refined as necessary, and the
Final EIS will be prepared.
Issued on: May 5, 2005.
Robert C. Patrick,
FTA Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-9389 Filed 5-10-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
