Environmental Impact Statement for Improved Transportation Access Between Lower Manhattan, Jamaica Station, and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, 35772-35774 [05-12153]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 21, 2005 / Notices
Union Pacific Railroad
(Docket Number FRA–2005–21241)
The Union Pacific Railroad (UP) seeks
a permanent waiver of compliance from
Control of Alcohol and Drug Use, 49
CFR 219.601(b)(1)(2), which requires
every covered employee subject to
random testing to have ‘‘a substantially
equal statistical chance of being selected
within a specified time frame.’’ At UP’s
current random testing rate of 50
percent, the drug and alcohol positive
rates for each of its 25 testing pools
range from 2.9 percent to 0.0 percent.
UP seeks permission to increase or
decrease the random testing rate for
each employee testing pool in
accordance with that pool’s previous
positive rate to allow it to devote testing
resources to where they are most
needed. In no case would UP establish
a pool’s random testing rate below
FRA’s minimum annual testing rates,
which for 2005, are 25 percent for drugs
and 10 percent for alcohol.
Interested parties are invited to
participate in these proceedings by
submitting written views, data, or
comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in
connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a
hearing. If any interested party desires
an opportunity for oral comment, they
should notify FRA, in writing, before
the end of the comment period and
specify the basis for their request.
All communications concerning these
proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver
Petition Docket Number FRA–2005–
21241) and must be submitted to the
Docket Clerk, DOT Central Docket
Management Facility, Room PL–401,
Washington, DC 20590–0001.
Communications received within 30
days of the date of this notice will be
considered by FRA before final action is
taken. Comments received after that
date will be considered as far as
practicable. All written communications
concerning these proceedings are
available for examination during regular
business hours (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) at the
above facility. All documents in the
public docket are also available for
inspection and copying on the Internet
at the docket facility’s Web site at
https://dms.dot.gov.
FRA wishes to inform all potential
commenters that anyone is able to
search the electronic form of all
comments received into any of our
dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the
comment, if submitted on behalf of an
association, business, labor union, etc.).
You may review DOT’s complete
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Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000
(Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477–
78) or you may visit https://dms.dot.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC, on June 13,
2005.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety
Standards and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 05–12121 Filed 6–20–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement for
Improved Transportation Access
Between Lower Manhattan, Jamaica
Station, and John F. Kennedy
International Airport (JFK), New York
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The FTA, in cooperation with
the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (MTA), the Port Authority of
New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) and
the Lower Manhattan Development
Corporation (LMDC), and supported by
the New York City Economic
Development Corporation (NYCEDC),
will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to evaluate alternatives
that provide improved commuter and
airport access connecting Lower
Manhattan with the Long Island Rail
Road (LIRR) Jamaica Station in Queens
and with JFK International Airport. The
project sponsors, MTA, PANYNJ, LMDC
and NYCEDC, are undertaking a New
Starts Alternatives Analysis (AA)
concurrently with the EIS.
The FTA is the lead federal agency
under the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The EIS will
be prepared in accordance with NEPA
and the regulations implementing NEPA
set forth in 23 CFR part 771 and 40 CFR
parts 1500–1508. As co-sponsors of the
proposed project, MTA, PANYNJ,
LMDC and NYCEDC will ensure that the
EIS and the environmental review
process will also satisfy the
requirements of the New York State
Environmental Quality Review Act
(SEQRA).
The EIS will evaluate one or more
Build Alternatives, a No Action
Alternative, and a Transportation
System Management (TSM) Alternative.
The scoping process for the EIS will
include an analysis and screening of all
feasible rail and non-rail based
transportation alternatives that will
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improve travel in the corridor between
the Lower Manhattan, Jamaica and JFK
Airport travel hubs. The project
sponsors may designate a ‘‘locally
preferred alternative’’ either prior to the
preparation of the Draft EIS if a clear
choice emerges from the screening
analysis, or following public circulation
of the Draft EIS.
Scoping will be accomplished
through meetings and correspondence
with interested persons, organizations,
and Federal, State, regional, and local
agencies. FTA, MTA, PANYNJ, and
LMDC, supported by NYCEDC, seek
public and interagency input on the
scope of the EIS for this project
including the alternatives to be
considered and the environmental and
community impacts to be evaluated.
DATES: The public is invited to
participate in project scoping meetings
on July 18, July 19 and July 20 at the
locations identified under ADDRESSES.
On July 18, the project sponsors will
hold an information session at 2 p.m.,
followed by a formal presentation by the
project sponsors at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. On
July 19 and July 20, information
sessions will be held at 4 p.m. and
formal presentations will be made at 6
p.m.
At the scoping meetings, the sponsors
will display conceptual project
information on poster boards for public
review. Project staff will be available for
informal questions and comments
during the information sessions. Those
wishing to make formal comments are
requested to register at the meeting
location before 7 p.m. A Scoping
Document has been prepared and will
be available at the scoping meetings or
by contacting the Project Manager
identified under ADDRESSES.
Written comments on the scope of the
EIS should be sent to the Mr. Chris
Bastian, MTA Project Manager, by
September 15th, 2005 at the address
given under ADDRESSES.
ADDRESSES: The public scoping
meetings will be held:
• Monday, July 18th, 2005 at 2
Broadway, 20th Floor Conference Room,
Manhattan (at Bowling Green)
• Tuesday, July 19th, 2005 at
Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon
Street, Brooklyn
• Wednesday, July 20th, 2005 at 94–
20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, York College of
the City University of New York,
Jamaica Queens
The scoping meeting sites are
accessible to mobility-impaired people
and interpreter services will be
provided for hearing-impaired upon
request. Written comments will be taken
at the meeting or may be sent to the
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 21, 2005 / Notices
following address thru September 15,
2005: Mr. Chris Bastian, Project
Manager, MTA, 347 Madison Avenue,
New York, New York, 10017.
The scoping document may also be
requested by writing to the Project
Manager at the above address or by
calling (212) 266–8363. Requests to be
placed on the project mailing list may
also be made by calling this number or
by writing to the Project Manager.
Subsequent opportunities for public
involvement will be announced on the
Internet, by mail, and through other
appropriate mechanisms, and will be
conducted throughout the study area.
Additional project information may be
obtained from the following Web sites:
• MTA (https://www.mta.info; click
‘‘MTA Home’’ then ‘‘Planning Studies’’
and ‘‘Lower Manhattan-Jamaica/JFK
Transportation Study’’)
• LMDC (https://www.renewnyc.com)
• PANYNJ (https://www.panynj.gov)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Nancy Danzig, AICP, Community
Planner, Federal Transit
Administration, 212–668–2180.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
FTA, MTA, PANYNJ, and LMDC with
NYCEDC invite interested individuals,
organizations, and federal, state, and
local agencies to provide comments on
the scope of the EIS. During the scoping
process, comments should focus on
identifying specific travel, economic, or
environmental needs to be evaluated,
and on proposing alternatives that
address those needs, including
alternatives that may be less costly or
have fewer environmental impacts
while achieving similar transportation
objectives. To assist interested parties in
formulating their comments, a scoping
document has been prepared and is
available on the MTA, PANYNJ and
LMDC Web sites noted above, or upon
request from the Project Manager
identified in ADDRESSES above. The
scoping document includes the project’s
purpose and need, goals and objectives,
information about prior studies, a
preliminary list of alternatives,
environmental areas that will be
addressed during the course of the
study, and an outline of the ongoing
public participation program.
II. Description of Project Area
The project area is roughly defined by
a fourteen mile travel corridor between
the transportation hubs of Lower
Manhattan, the Jamaica Long Island
Railroad (LIRR)/AirTrain JFK complex
in Queens and John F. Kennedy
International Airport. This area is
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22:07 Jun 20, 2005
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served by the Long Island Rail Road
Atlantic Branch between Jamaica,
Queens and MTA’s Atlantic Terminal in
Brooklyn; the Atlantic Avenue arterial
road; NYCT’s Fulton Street Subway line
on which the A train connects to the
AirTrain JFK at Howard Beach; and
multiple NYCT subway lines connecting
Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.
Intermediate communities between the
eastern and western hubs include the
Downtown Brooklyn Business District,
Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, East
New York, Woodhaven, Ozone Park and
Howard Beach. In addition, commuters
from communities in Eastern Queens,
and Nassau and Suffolk Counties travel
through the Jamaica hub on their way to
Downtown Brooklyn and Lower
Manhattan.
III. Problem Identification
The Lower Manhattan Central
Business District (Manhattan south of
Canal Street) is the nation’s third largest
business district, and the center of the
international financial industry. The
area is served by multiple subway lines;
the PATH rail system from New Jersey;
passenger ferry services; and local and
express buses. However, rail access from
Eastern Queens and the Long Island
suburbs requires multiple modes,
including either: (a) A transfer at the
Jamaica LIRR station to Atlantic Branch
trains and then an additional transfer at
the LIRR Atlantic Terminal to a subway
connecting to Lower Manhattan; (b) a
long subway trip from Jamaica (via J Z
subway lines) to Lower Manhattan; or
(c) continuing travel via the LIRR to
Midtown Manhattan’s Penn Station and
then a southbound connection on
heavily used subway lines (either the 1,
2, 3, A or C train) to Lower Manhattan.
Approximately three miles south of
the Jamaica LIRR station (and about 18
miles southeast of Lower Manhattan) is
JFK International Airport, the
metropolitan area’s primary
international air gateway, and a growing
market for domestic air travel. At the
present time, a one-seat ride to JFK
International Airport from Lower
Manhattan is limited to private cars,
taxis and ‘‘black cars,’’, and shuttle
vans, while rail access is provided via
the NYC subway system (A train) which
makes several intermediate stops enroute to Howard Beach, where a transfer
is required to the Port Authority’s
AirTrain JFK. Additional access to JFK
International Airport is possible from
Midtown Manhattan by either a) taking
a subway from Lower Manhattan to
Penn Station, then taking a LIRR train
to Jamaica, and finally transferring to
the AirTrain JFK, or b) taking a subway
(4 or 5) to Grand Central Terminal, then
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35773
private bus service to JFK International
Airport via the city’s crowded highway
system.
Lower Manhattan’s transportation
system was severely impaired by the
attacks of September 11, 2001. The
World Trade Center PATH Terminal
and NYCT 1 9 Cortlandt Street Station
were destroyed. PATH service to Lower
Manhattan was interrupted and subway
service disrupted. The attacks also
accentuated significant inefficiencies in
the area’s extensive transportation
infrastructure, largely constructed prior
to World War I, which jeopardize the
area’s sustainability as a central
business district (CBD), emerging
residential area, and key tourist
destination.
IV. Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Action
The purpose of the proposed Lower
Manhattan and Jamaica/JFK
International Airport Transportation
Project is to improve mobility among
the three hubs for both commuters and
air travelers by reducing travel times,
eliminating or reducing transfers,
increasing reliability, providing
additional capacity and service
flexibility into Lower Manhattan from
the east, and reducing congestion on
other transportation services currently
used by travelers in the corridor.
As a result of the attacks on the World
Trade Center complex in 2001, elected
officials and the Downtown business
community have identified both
improvements in commuter access
between Jamaica, Downtown Brooklyn
and Lower Manhattan and
improvements in access to JFK
International Airport as key elements
needed to support the Lower Manhattan
area’s economic recovery and its ability
to compete with other world economic
centers such as London, Frankfurt and
Tokyo.
V. Alternatives
The project sponsors will follow the
Alternatives Analysis (AA) procedures
of FTA’s Section 5309 New Starts
process. The alternatives to be
considered during the AA phase will
address the defined corridor problem
and study goals and objectives. Through
evaluation and screening of conceptual
alternatives, the project sponsors will
narrow the range of viable alternatives
to a manageable number to carry
forward into a detailed analysis in the
EIS. The EIS will evaluate the following
alternatives:
• Build Alternative(s), which will
include any rail or non-rail alternative
that survives the scoping and New
Starts Alternatives Analysis;
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35774
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 21, 2005 / Notices
• Future No Action Alternative,
which will include the existing system
and planned transportation
improvements (other than the proposed
project) included in the official
metropolitan long-range transportation
plan; and
• Transportation System Management
(TSM) Alternative, which will attempt
to satisfy the project’s purpose and need
with lower cost improvements beyond
those in the long-range plan, such as
more effective operating practices,
increased rolling stock, and station
improvements.
The project sponsors may designate a
‘‘locally preferred alternative’’ either
prior to the preparation of the Draft EIS
or following public circulation and
comment on the Draft EIS.
The New Starts Alternatives Analysis
for this project will draw upon previous
planning studies including the Lower
Manhattan Airport and Commuter
Access Alternatives Analysis,
completed in 2004 (the results of which
are available on the LMDC Web site)
and the MTA’s Lower Manhattan Access
Alternatives Study, completed in 2001
(the results of which are available upon
request from the MTA). The 2004 study
recommended two rail alternatives for
further study in the EIS phase. Both
alternatives use the same alignment, the
LIRR Atlantic Branch, from Jamaica to
Atlantic Terminal in Downtown
Brooklyn, with AirTrain JFK service
connecting to the Atlantic Branch at
Jamaica. Both alternatives, in order to
access Lower Manhattan, break out of
the LIRR Atlantic Branch tunnel east of
the LIRR/NYCT Atlantic Terminal. One
alternative would connect to a new rail
tunnel under the East River into Lower
Manhattan and the other would connect
to the existing Montague Street Tunnel,
currently used for NYCT subway service
(M R subway lines).
VI. Potential Effects
Upon completion, the proposed
transportation improvements are
anticipated to reduce travel times,
eliminate or reduce transfers, improve
service reliability, provide additional
capacity and service flexibility into
Lower Manhattan from the east, and
reduce congestion on other transit lines
currently used by travelers in the
corridor.
Impacts that may occur as a result of
the improvements will be evaluated in
the EIS. The project sponsors have
identified several areas of concern, some
of which will be temporary during the
construction phase, including: Property
acquisition and displacement; historic,
archaeological, and cultural resources;
wetlands and water quality; visual and
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22:07 Jun 20, 2005
Jkt 205001
aesthetic qualities; air quality; noise and
vibration; safety and security; utilities;
and transportation impacts.
The EIS will describe the
methodology used to assess impacts;
identify the affected environment; and
identify and adopt measures for
mitigating adverse impacts, if any.
Principles of environmental
construction management, resource
protection and mitigation measures,
such as NYCT’s Green Design for the
Environment Guidelines (2002) and
LIRR’s Sustainable Design/Design for
the Environment ‘‘Generic Guidelines
(March 2003), developed pursuant to
New York State Executive Order No.
111 ‘‘Green and Clean,’’ will be
considered for incorporation into the
selected Alternative.
VII. FTA Procedures
During the NEPA process, FTA will
comply with the requirements of
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the
Department of Transportation Act (49
U.S.C. 303), the conformity
requirements of the Clean Air Act,
Executive Order 12898 on
Environmental Justice and, to the
maximum extent practicable, all other
applicable federal environmental
statutes, regulations, and executive
orders, in accordance with FTA policy
and regulations.
A Draft EIS will be prepared and
made available for public and agency
review and comment. One or more
public hearings will be held on the Draft
EIS. On the basis of the AA or Draft EIS
and the public and agency comments
thereon, a locally preferred alternative
will be selected and will be fully
described and further developed in the
Final EIS.
Issued on: June 15, 2005.
Letitia Thompson,
Regional Administrator, Region II.
[FR Doc. 05–12153 Filed 6–20–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA 2004–19991; Notice 2]
Coupled Products, Inc., Grant of
Petition for Decision of
Inconsequential Noncompliance
Coupled Products, Inc. (Coupled
Products) has determined that certain
hydraulic brake hose assemblies that it
produced do not comply with S5.3.4
and S5.3.6 of 49 CFR 571.106, Federal
PO 00000
Frm 00160
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
No. 106, ‘‘Brake hoses.’’ Pursuant to 49
U.S.C. 30118(d) and 30120(h), Coupled
Products has petitioned for a
determination that this noncompliance
is inconsequential to motor vehicle
safety and has filed an appropriate
report pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573,
‘‘Defect and Noncompliance Reports.’’
Notice of receipt of a petition was
published, with a 30-day comment
period, on January 14, 2005, in the
Federal Register (70 FR 2708). NHTSA
received no comments.
A total of approximately 7,417 brake
hose assemblies are affected, utilizing a
fitting identified as Part Number 12271
which was incorporated into 6,075
assemblies bearing Part Number 3381,
and into 1,244 assemblies bearing Part
Number 3381A; plus 98 assemblies
bearing a fitting with Part Number
380653.
S5.3.4 of FMVSS No. 106, tensile
strength, requires that ‘‘a hydraulic
brake hose assembly shall withstand a
pull of 325 pounds without separation
of the hose from its end fittings.’’ S5.3.6
of FMVSS No. 106, water absorption
and tensile strength, requires that ‘‘a
hydraulic brake hose assembly, after
immersion in water for 70 hours, shall
withstand a pull of 325 pounds without
separation of the hose from its end
fittings.’’
The potentially affected hoses were
manufactured during the time period of
January 30, 2004 through September 10,
2004, using a ‘‘straight cup’’ procedure
rather than the appropriate ‘‘step cup’’
procedure. Compliance testing by the
petitioner of sample hose assemblies
from each of the affected part numbers
revealed that they failed the tensile
strength tests of S5.3.4 and S5.3.6.
Coupled Products believes that the
noncompliance is inconsequential to
motor vehicle safety and that no
corrective action is warranted. The
petitioner states the following:
Part number 12217 is used in assemblies
for SUV and pick-up truck applications. Part
number 380653 is utilized for suspension lift
kits * * * [T]he hose assemblies in these
applications are located * * * above
significant pieces of vehicle hardware
including the driveshaft, differential case,
and fuel tank (hardware). This configuration
is such that a linear, end-to-end ‘‘straight
pull’’ on the hose assembly, as that contained
in the FMVSS No. 106 tensile strength test
procedure, is not a real-life scenario. Rather
than a ‘‘straight pull,’’ it is more likely (albeit
remote) that the free length of the hose itself
could be entangled or caught on a piece of
road debris or other obstruction, resulting in
a ‘‘side pull’’ on the assembly. This scenario
itself is remote because the underlying
hardware shields the hose assembly.
Therefore, if debris were to become entangled
E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35772-35774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12153]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement for Improved Transportation Access
Between Lower Manhattan, Jamaica Station, and John F. Kennedy
International Airport (JFK), New York
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FTA, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (MTA), the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ)
and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), and supported
by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), will
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate
alternatives that provide improved commuter and airport access
connecting Lower Manhattan with the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
Jamaica Station in Queens and with JFK International Airport. The
project sponsors, MTA, PANYNJ, LMDC and NYCEDC, are undertaking a New
Starts Alternatives Analysis (AA) concurrently with the EIS.
The FTA is the lead federal agency under the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The EIS will be prepared in accordance with
NEPA and the regulations implementing NEPA set forth in 23 CFR part 771
and 40 CFR parts 1500-1508. As co-sponsors of the proposed project,
MTA, PANYNJ, LMDC and NYCEDC will ensure that the EIS and the
environmental review process will also satisfy the requirements of the
New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).
The EIS will evaluate one or more Build Alternatives, a No Action
Alternative, and a Transportation System Management (TSM) Alternative.
The scoping process for the EIS will include an analysis and screening
of all feasible rail and non-rail based transportation alternatives
that will improve travel in the corridor between the Lower Manhattan,
Jamaica and JFK Airport travel hubs. The project sponsors may designate
a ``locally preferred alternative'' either prior to the preparation of
the Draft EIS if a clear choice emerges from the screening analysis, or
following public circulation of the Draft EIS.
Scoping will be accomplished through meetings and correspondence
with interested persons, organizations, and Federal, State, regional,
and local agencies. FTA, MTA, PANYNJ, and LMDC, supported by NYCEDC,
seek public and interagency input on the scope of the EIS for this
project including the alternatives to be considered and the
environmental and community impacts to be evaluated.
DATES: The public is invited to participate in project scoping meetings
on July 18, July 19 and July 20 at the locations identified under
ADDRESSES. On July 18, the project sponsors will hold an information
session at 2 p.m., followed by a formal presentation by the project
sponsors at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. On July 19 and July 20, information
sessions will be held at 4 p.m. and formal presentations will be made
at 6 p.m.
At the scoping meetings, the sponsors will display conceptual
project information on poster boards for public review. Project staff
will be available for informal questions and comments during the
information sessions. Those wishing to make formal comments are
requested to register at the meeting location before 7 p.m. A Scoping
Document has been prepared and will be available at the scoping
meetings or by contacting the Project Manager identified under
ADDRESSES.
Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to the Mr.
Chris Bastian, MTA Project Manager, by September 15th, 2005 at the
address given under ADDRESSES.
ADDRESSES: The public scoping meetings will be held:
Monday, July 18th, 2005 at 2 Broadway, 20th Floor
Conference Room, Manhattan (at Bowling Green)
Tuesday, July 19th, 2005 at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209
Joralemon Street, Brooklyn
Wednesday, July 20th, 2005 at 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd,
York College of the City University of New York, Jamaica Queens
The scoping meeting sites are accessible to mobility-impaired
people and interpreter services will be provided for hearing-impaired
upon request. Written comments will be taken at the meeting or may be
sent to the
[[Page 35773]]
following address thru September 15, 2005: Mr. Chris Bastian, Project
Manager, MTA, 347 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017.
The scoping document may also be requested by writing to the
Project Manager at the above address or by calling (212) 266-8363.
Requests to be placed on the project mailing list may also be made by
calling this number or by writing to the Project Manager.
Subsequent opportunities for public involvement will be announced
on the Internet, by mail, and through other appropriate mechanisms, and
will be conducted throughout the study area. Additional project
information may be obtained from the following Web sites:
MTA (https://www.mta.info; click ``MTA Home'' then
``Planning Studies'' and ``Lower Manhattan-Jamaica/JFK Transportation
Study'')
LMDC (https://www.renewnyc.com)
PANYNJ (https://www.panynj.gov)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Nancy Danzig, AICP, Community
Planner, Federal Transit Administration, 212-668-2180.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
FTA, MTA, PANYNJ, and LMDC with NYCEDC invite interested
individuals, organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies to
provide comments on the scope of the EIS. During the scoping process,
comments should focus on identifying specific travel, economic, or
environmental needs to be evaluated, and on proposing alternatives that
address those needs, including alternatives that may be less costly or
have fewer environmental impacts while achieving similar transportation
objectives. To assist interested parties in formulating their comments,
a scoping document has been prepared and is available on the MTA,
PANYNJ and LMDC Web sites noted above, or upon request from the Project
Manager identified in ADDRESSES above. The scoping document includes
the project's purpose and need, goals and objectives, information about
prior studies, a preliminary list of alternatives, environmental areas
that will be addressed during the course of the study, and an outline
of the ongoing public participation program.
II. Description of Project Area
The project area is roughly defined by a fourteen mile travel
corridor between the transportation hubs of Lower Manhattan, the
Jamaica Long Island Railroad (LIRR)/AirTrain JFK complex in Queens and
John F. Kennedy International Airport. This area is served by the Long
Island Rail Road Atlantic Branch between Jamaica, Queens and MTA's
Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn; the Atlantic Avenue arterial road;
NYCT's Fulton Street Subway line on which the A train connects to the
AirTrain JFK at Howard Beach; and multiple NYCT subway lines connecting
Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. Intermediate communities between the
eastern and western hubs include the Downtown Brooklyn Business
District, Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York, Woodhaven,
Ozone Park and Howard Beach. In addition, commuters from communities in
Eastern Queens, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties travel through the
Jamaica hub on their way to Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.
III. Problem Identification
The Lower Manhattan Central Business District (Manhattan south of
Canal Street) is the nation's third largest business district, and the
center of the international financial industry. The area is served by
multiple subway lines; the PATH rail system from New Jersey; passenger
ferry services; and local and express buses. However, rail access from
Eastern Queens and the Long Island suburbs requires multiple modes,
including either: (a) A transfer at the Jamaica LIRR station to
Atlantic Branch trains and then an additional transfer at the LIRR
Atlantic Terminal to a subway connecting to Lower Manhattan; (b) a long
subway trip from Jamaica (via J Z subway lines) to Lower Manhattan; or
(c) continuing travel via the LIRR to Midtown Manhattan's Penn Station
and then a southbound connection on heavily used subway lines (either
the 1, 2, 3, A or C train) to Lower Manhattan.
Approximately three miles south of the Jamaica LIRR station (and
about 18 miles southeast of Lower Manhattan) is JFK International
Airport, the metropolitan area's primary international air gateway, and
a growing market for domestic air travel. At the present time, a one-
seat ride to JFK International Airport from Lower Manhattan is limited
to private cars, taxis and ``black cars,'', and shuttle vans, while
rail access is provided via the NYC subway system (A train) which makes
several intermediate stops en-route to Howard Beach, where a transfer
is required to the Port Authority's AirTrain JFK. Additional access to
JFK International Airport is possible from Midtown Manhattan by either
a) taking a subway from Lower Manhattan to Penn Station, then taking a
LIRR train to Jamaica, and finally transferring to the AirTrain JFK, or
b) taking a subway (4 or 5) to Grand Central Terminal, then private bus
service to JFK International Airport via the city's crowded highway
system.
Lower Manhattan's transportation system was severely impaired by
the attacks of September 11, 2001. The World Trade Center PATH Terminal
and NYCT 1 9 Cortlandt Street Station were destroyed. PATH service to
Lower Manhattan was interrupted and subway service disrupted. The
attacks also accentuated significant inefficiencies in the area's
extensive transportation infrastructure, largely constructed prior to
World War I, which jeopardize the area's sustainability as a central
business district (CBD), emerging residential area, and key tourist
destination.
IV. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of the proposed Lower Manhattan and Jamaica/JFK
International Airport Transportation Project is to improve mobility
among the three hubs for both commuters and air travelers by reducing
travel times, eliminating or reducing transfers, increasing
reliability, providing additional capacity and service flexibility into
Lower Manhattan from the east, and reducing congestion on other
transportation services currently used by travelers in the corridor.
As a result of the attacks on the World Trade Center complex in
2001, elected officials and the Downtown business community have
identified both improvements in commuter access between Jamaica,
Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan and improvements in access to JFK
International Airport as key elements needed to support the Lower
Manhattan area's economic recovery and its ability to compete with
other world economic centers such as London, Frankfurt and Tokyo.
V. Alternatives
The project sponsors will follow the Alternatives Analysis (AA)
procedures of FTA's Section 5309 New Starts process. The alternatives
to be considered during the AA phase will address the defined corridor
problem and study goals and objectives. Through evaluation and
screening of conceptual alternatives, the project sponsors will narrow
the range of viable alternatives to a manageable number to carry
forward into a detailed analysis in the EIS. The EIS will evaluate the
following alternatives:
Build Alternative(s), which will include any rail or non-
rail alternative that survives the scoping and New Starts Alternatives
Analysis;
[[Page 35774]]
Future No Action Alternative, which will include the
existing system and planned transportation improvements (other than the
proposed project) included in the official metropolitan long-range
transportation plan; and
Transportation System Management (TSM) Alternative, which
will attempt to satisfy the project's purpose and need with lower cost
improvements beyond those in the long-range plan, such as more
effective operating practices, increased rolling stock, and station
improvements.
The project sponsors may designate a ``locally preferred
alternative'' either prior to the preparation of the Draft EIS or
following public circulation and comment on the Draft EIS.
The New Starts Alternatives Analysis for this project will draw
upon previous planning studies including the Lower Manhattan Airport
and Commuter Access Alternatives Analysis, completed in 2004 (the
results of which are available on the LMDC Web site) and the MTA's
Lower Manhattan Access Alternatives Study, completed in 2001 (the
results of which are available upon request from the MTA). The 2004
study recommended two rail alternatives for further study in the EIS
phase. Both alternatives use the same alignment, the LIRR Atlantic
Branch, from Jamaica to Atlantic Terminal in Downtown Brooklyn, with
AirTrain JFK service connecting to the Atlantic Branch at Jamaica. Both
alternatives, in order to access Lower Manhattan, break out of the LIRR
Atlantic Branch tunnel east of the LIRR/NYCT Atlantic Terminal. One
alternative would connect to a new rail tunnel under the East River
into Lower Manhattan and the other would connect to the existing
Montague Street Tunnel, currently used for NYCT subway service (M R
subway lines).
VI. Potential Effects
Upon completion, the proposed transportation improvements are
anticipated to reduce travel times, eliminate or reduce transfers,
improve service reliability, provide additional capacity and service
flexibility into Lower Manhattan from the east, and reduce congestion
on other transit lines currently used by travelers in the corridor.
Impacts that may occur as a result of the improvements will be
evaluated in the EIS. The project sponsors have identified several
areas of concern, some of which will be temporary during the
construction phase, including: Property acquisition and displacement;
historic, archaeological, and cultural resources; wetlands and water
quality; visual and aesthetic qualities; air quality; noise and
vibration; safety and security; utilities; and transportation impacts.
The EIS will describe the methodology used to assess impacts;
identify the affected environment; and identify and adopt measures for
mitigating adverse impacts, if any. Principles of environmental
construction management, resource protection and mitigation measures,
such as NYCT's Green Design for the Environment Guidelines (2002) and
LIRR's Sustainable Design/Design for the Environment `` Generic
Guidelines (March 2003), developed pursuant to New York State Executive
Order No. 111 ``Green and Clean,'' will be considered for incorporation
into the selected Alternative.
VII. FTA Procedures
During the NEPA process, FTA will comply with the requirements of
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of
the Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 303), the conformity
requirements of the Clean Air Act, Executive Order 12898 on
Environmental Justice and, to the maximum extent practicable, all other
applicable federal environmental statutes, regulations, and executive
orders, in accordance with FTA policy and regulations.
A Draft EIS will be prepared and made available for public and
agency review and comment. One or more public hearings will be held on
the Draft EIS. On the basis of the AA or Draft EIS and the public and
agency comments thereon, a locally preferred alternative will be
selected and will be fully described and further developed in the Final
EIS.
Issued on: June 15, 2005.
Letitia Thompson,
Regional Administrator, Region II.
[FR Doc. 05-12153 Filed 6-20-05; 8:45 am]
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