Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for the Downtown Birmingham/University of Alabama Birmingham Activity Centers (a.k.a. In-town Transit Partnership Project), 61687-61689 [05-21237]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 / Notices
captioned as a ‘‘dry lease’’ of an aircraft
from the owner to the air carrier, and in
a separate document the same parties
agree that the owner will provide a
crewmember to the carrier, such an
arrangement would still constitute a wet
lease. The FAA would evaluate the two
documents together. Such an
arrangement (assuming the owner is not
a certified air carrier) also would be
contrary to section 119.53(b). An air
carrier does not have actual operational
control of the carrier flight operations if
a person other than the air carrier can
determine who the pilots of the aircraft
will be or can exercise control over
those pilots.
c. If an air carrier and an aircraft
owner enter into an arrangement labeled
as a ‘‘dry lease’’ of an aircraft from the
owner to the carrier but in a separate
document the parties give the owner the
right to consent to or approve of the
selection of crew, then such an
arrangement might be treated as a wet
lease depending on the particular
circumstances. If in practice only the
owner’s pilots would be approved (as
shown, for example, by evidence that all
other pilots had been vetoed for use by
the owner), the FAA would deem this
leasing arrangement to be a ‘‘wet lease’’
in contravention of § 119.53(b). A carrier
cannot be said to enjoy actual
operational control of its flight
operations if an aircraft owner (noncarrier) can effectively veto the carrier’s
proposed pilot assignments, where
those pilots are otherwise qualified and
appropriately certificated and trained to
conduct carrier flights.
d. The following example would be
considered a wet lease by the FAA.
Although the carrier is not formally
obligated to use the owner’s pilots, it is
clear from that business arrangement
between the carrier and the aircraft
owner that the aircraft owner’s pilots are
provided with the aircraft. Certain
aircraft leases contain penalty clauses
that provide that if the aircraft owner’s
pilots are not available to fly the aircraft
for the part 135 carrier, then the aircraft
owner must compensate the part 135
carrier for any costs the carrier incurs in
getting other pilots to fly the aircraft.
Because the parties contemplated that
the owner would provide both the
aircraft and crew, this too constitutes a
wet lease, even though the carrier
ultimately may use pilots who did not
come from the aircraft owner. This type
of arrangement is contrary to the
provisions of section 119.53(b) of the
Federal Aviation Regulations.
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2. Other Arrangements Raising Serious
Concern as to Operational Control of
Flight
a. Operational control issues may
arise in situations where there are no
leases whatsoever. On occasion an air
carrier may make arrangements with an
aircraft owner to use its aircraft without
entering into a real lease, and thus, the
carrier never gets legal possession of the
aircraft. This sort of informal
arrangement will raise significant legal
concerns over inadequate operational
control when the carrier has no
contractual arrangements with the crew,
does not directly pay the crew for their
service in air carrier operations, and
receives no direct compensation by the
customers for transporting passengers or
property.
b. Another arrangement raising
serious legal concern arises when a
certificated air carrier receives a flat
‘‘certificate use’’ fee from the aircraft
owner regardless of the number of
commercial flights conducted per
month, and the transportation customer
pays the aircraft owner directly. Absent
evidence to the contrary showing that
the air carrier exercised actual and legal
operational control of all flights, such
arrangements constitute an
inappropriate franchising of an air
carrier certificate.
c. Some air carriers only occasionally
lease aircraft from particular owners,
who may enter into similar
arrangements with multiple carriers.
Although our rules do not forbid this
practice, each carrier must ensure in all
of its leasing arrangements that there are
mechanisms in place to avoid confusion
over who is using the aircraft and when.
Similarly, the carrier must have
procedures that ensure that the
crewmembers adhere to the instructions
of the carrier, not the aircraft owner.
E. Conclusion: Recommended Carrier
Review of Existing Leasing
Arrangements
The foregoing discussion is intended
to provide the public, including air
carriers and aircraft owners, with a
better understanding of the FAA’s
concerns about the key safety issues
linked to operational control of flights
made under the authority of FAA
certificates. The discussion is also
intended to encourage air carriers to
closely consider whether their business
arrangements comport with the
requirements for maintaining
operational control. The FAA urges all
air carriers to review the leasing and
other arrangements they have with
aircraft owners to ensure compliance
with the regulations. In this regard, the
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61687
FAA encourages carriers to consider
whether they have sufficient controls in
place that they have timely knowledge
to answer the following questions:
1. What is the actual location of each
aircraft listed on the carrier’s operations
specifications?
2. Who has the carrier authorized to
fly the aircraft?
3. Does the carrier have mechanisms
in place to prevent unauthorized use of
the aircraft?
4. Who or what is being transported
on the aircraft?
5. Is a given flight for compensation
or hire?
6. If the flight is for compensation or
hire, are the crewmembers properly
certificated and trained?
7. Are the crewmembers loyal to the
air carrier (as opposed to the aircraft
owner or some other entity) so that they
will adhere to the carrier’s instructions
not to fly or to delay a flight or to divert
a flight?
8. What procedures and mechanisms
are in place so that the carrier can fulfill
its duty to ensure that the aircraft is
airworthy and meets all of the carrier’s
maintenance programs?
Issued in Washington, DC on October 19,
2005.
James J. Ballough,
Director, Flight Standards Service.
Andrew B. Steinberg,
Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 05–21226 Filed 10–19–05; 3:13 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–M
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Preparation of Environmental Impact
Statement for the Downtown
Birmingham/University of Alabama
Birmingham Activity Centers (a.k.a. Intown Transit Partnership Project)
AGENCY:
Federal Transit Administration,
DOT.
Notice of Intent to prepare an
Alternatives Analysis (AA) and
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit
Administration and the Regional
Planning Commission of Greater
Birmingham are conducting an
alternatives analysis and preparing a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) for transit improvements in the
Downtown Birmingham/University of
Alabama Birmingham Activity Centers.
The FTA is the lead federal agency and
the DEIS will be prepared in accordance
with National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and the applicable regulations
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 / Notices
for implementing NEPA, as set forth in
23 CFR part 771 and 40 CFR parts 1500–
1508, as well as applicable laws and
regulations including section 4(f) of the
Department of Transportation Act of
1966, the Clean Air Act, and Executive
Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.
The project will consider the
following alternatives: (1) A No-Build
Alternative consisting of improvements
included in the Birmingham MPO 2030
Long Range Transportation Plan; (2)
Transportation System Management
(TSM) Alternative that includes all
reasonable cost-effective transit service
improvements in the study area short of
the major investment in a New starts
project; (3) Build Alternative: Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT) project using rubber tired
vehicles operating either in mixed
traffic or along an exclusive right-ofway; and (4) Build Alternative: Streetcar
using light rail technology operating
along tracks embedded in the pavement
operating in either mixed traffic or along
an exclusive right-of-way. The type,
location, and need for ancillary facilities
such as maintenance facilities will also
be considered for each alternative. In
addition, alternatives that are identified
during the scoping process will be
evaluated in the AA.
Scoping will be accomplished
through correspondence and
discussions with interested persons;
organizations; and Federal, State, and
local agencies; and through public and
agency meetings. Depending on the
outcome of the scoping process and the
analysis of a range of transit alternatives
in the DEIS, a Locally Preferred
Alternative (LPA) will be selected and
addressed in the Final EIS (FEIS). The
FEIS will address the potential impacts
of the selected investment strategy and
a No-Build Alternative.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written
comments on the scope of alternatives
and impacts to be considered in the AA/
DEIS must be received no later than
January 20, 2006 and must be sent to the
Regional Planning Commission of
Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) at the
address indicated below.
Scoping Meeting Date: Public Scoping
Meetings will be held on Monday and
Tuesday December 5 and 6, 2005 from
1 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day at the Regional
Center for Planning and Design 1st Floor
Conference Room located at the
Regional Planning Commission of
Greater Birmingham, 1731 First Avenue
North, Birmingham, AL 35203.
Presentation boards depicting the
project concept will be available for
review at the meeting location. Formal
presentations will be made at 2 p.m. and
6 p.m. each day. This will be followed
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15:53 Oct 24, 2005
Jkt 208001
by the opportunity for the public to
make comments on the scope of the EIS.
Regional Planning Commission of
Greater Birmingham staff will be
available for informal questions and
comments throughout the duration of
each scoping meeting. Oral and written
comments may be given at the scoping
meeting; a stenographer will record oral
comments. Persons with disabilities or
other special needs such as sign
language interpretation should contact
Darrell Howard at the RPCGB (see
ADDRESSES section below) 72 hours
prior to the scoping meeting for special
arrangements. The location is accessible
to people with disabilities.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
project scope should be sent to: Mr.
Darrell Howard, Principal
Transportation Planner, Regional
Planning Commission of Greater
Birmingham,1731 First Avenue North,
Suite 200, Birmingham, AL 35203,
Phone (205) 264–8441 ext 441. E-mail
dhoward@rpcgb.org.
To be added to the mailing list please
contact Mr. Darrell Howard at the
address listed above. Please specify the
mailing list of the Downtown
Birmingham/University of Alabama
Birmingham Activity Centers (also
known as In-town Transit Partnership
Project). The dates and address of the
scoping meetings are given in the DATES
section above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request a scoping information packet,
contact Mr. Darrell Howard, Principal
Transportation Planner, Regional
Planning Commission of Greater
Birmingham, 1731 First Avenue North,
Suite 200, Birmingham, AL 35203;
Phone (205) 264–8441 ext 441. E-mail
dhoward@rpcgb.org. The Federal agency
contact is: Mr. Len Lacour,
Transportation Program Specialist,
Federal Transit Administration—
District 4, Atlanta Federal Center, 61
Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, GA 30303,
(404) 562–3515. E-mail is
len.lacour@fta.dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Description of the Study Area and
Scope
The Federal Transit Administration,
as joint lead agency with the Regional
Planning Commission of Greater
Birmingham, will prepare an AA/DEIS
on a proposal to transit service in a
study area that is about 2.5 miles long
and 2.5 miles wide that includes the
Downtown Birmingham Financial
Center, the University of Alabama at
Birmingham (UAB) campus, the Five
Points South activity center and
portions of adjacent neighborhoods. The
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study area is generally bounded by 13th
Avenues North on the north, U.S. 31
and 280 and 35th Street South on the
east, 16th Avenue South on the south,
and Interstate 65 on the west. Most of
the area is densely developed and serves
as the Central Business District (CBD)
for the City of Birmingham and
represents the largest single
concentration of employment in the
metropolitan area. The project is a result
of the Birmingham MPO Strategic
Regional Multi-Modal Plan (SRMMP)
completed in 1999 and the Birmingham
Regional Transportation Alternatives
Analysis completed in 2004. The
Downtown Birmingham/University of
Alabama Birmingham-Southside was
one of three corridors recommended for
priority action. The AA/DEIS will
include an analysis of alternatives and
selection of a LPA. This will also
include conceptual engineering of the
alternatives considered to a level
necessary to satisfy the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
requirements. Cost estimates and a
financial plan that examines alternative
funding sources will also be prepared.
II. Purpose and Need
With more than 80,000 daily workers,
the Downtown Birmingham and UAB
area represents the largest single
concentration of employment in the
region and is forecast to add another
17,000 employees over the next 20
years. As the largest employer in the
metropolitan area, UAB serves as an
economic engine for the region and has
a growing student enrollment of more
than 16,000. The area also includes
more than 4.8 million square feet of
office development, the city’s major
convention center, and burgeoning
residential development and
redevelopment projects in the city
center and adjacent neighborhoods.
Maintaining and enhancing access into
and within these important activity
centers is critical for the economic
health of the region and quality of life
for area residents. Increasing traffic
congestion, air quality concerns, parking
constraints, and limited transportation
choices threaten the continued
expansion of this vital area. Transit
service options need to be considered
that have the potential to: connect
regional transit services to destination
points in the downtown and university
areas, connect residential
neighborhoods to employment and
retail businesses, reduce the demand for
additional parking spaces in the core
area, reduce automobile travel for short
trips between various destinations
within the Downtown and UAB areas,
reinforce the city center as a regional
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 / Notices
destination, support expansion plans for
both UAB and the Convention Center,
and better serve transit dependant
populations are needed.
III. Alternatives
Alternatives have been identified to
address transportation needs in the
study area, connecting major activity
centers including the Downtown
Financial core, University of Alabama
Birmingham Campus, Five Points South
commercial area, the Convention
Center, area hospitals/medical centers,
and adjacent neighborhoods. The
project will be consistent with Federal
Transit Administration (FTA)
Alternatives Analysis and Section 5309
New Start Program requirements for
determining future federal funding in
recommended programs and be
consistent with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
alternatives being considered will
analyze mobility needs and identify and
compare the costs, benefits, and impacts
of a range of transit alignment and
technology alternatives. At a minimum
the following alternatives will be
considered:
• No-Build Alternative—This
includes all of the transportation
improvements included in the RPCGB
Year 2030 Long Range Transportation
Plan but assumes that the potential new
start project being evaluated in the EIS
is not constructed.
• Transportation System
Management (TSM) Alternative—This
includes all of the improvements
assumed in the No-Build alternative
plus other reasonable low cost
improvements to address the project
purpose and need. The TSM also
assumes that the potential new start
project being considered in the EIS is
not constructed.
• Build Alternative: Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT)—This assumes that all of
the improvements included in the NoBuild Alternative are constructed plus
the addition of a rubber tired transit
service that operates in either mixed
traffic or in reserved right-of-way
connecting the major activity centers in
the study area.
• Build Alternative: Streetcar—This
assumes that all of the improvements
included in the No-Build Alternative are
constructed plus the addition of a rail
transit service that operates on tracks in
either mixed traffic or in reserved rightof-way connecting the major activity
centers in the study area.
The alternatives will be developed
further during the preparation of the
AA/DEIS. Based on previous studies
several candidate streets in the study
area have been identified as possible
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15:53 Oct 24, 2005
Jkt 208001
alignments for the Build Alternatives.
These streets include: 18th Street, 19th
Street, 20th Street, and Richard
Arrington Blvd in the north-south
direction and 5th Avenue South, 6th
Avenue South, 7th Avenue South, and
University Boulevard in the east-west
direction. Additional reasonable Build
Alternatives suggested during the
scoping process including those
involving other modes, may be
considered.
IV. Probable Effects
The purpose of the DEIS is to fully
disclose the environmental
consequences of building and operating
a major capital investment in the
Downtown Birmingham and UAB
Activity Centers study area in advance
of any decision to commit substantial
financial or other resources towards its
implementation. The DEIS will explore
the extent to which study alternatives
and alignment options result in
environmental impacts and will discuss
actions to reduce or eliminate such
impacts.
Environmental issues to be examined
in the DEIS include impacts to:
Community facilities, cultural
resources, parklands, traffic operations,
parking, transit service and operations,
local economy, air quality, noise and
vibration, environmental justice
populations, potential contaminated
sites, and water resources as well as any
displacements of residents and
businesses. Impacts will be identified
for both the construction period and
long term operation of the alternatives.
The proposed transportation criteria
will include transportation, social,
economic, and financial measures as
required by current federal (NEPA)
environmental laws and the
implementing regulations of the Council
on Environmental Quality and of FTA.
To ensure that the full range of issues
related to this proposed action will be
addressed and all significant issues
identified, comments and suggestions
are invited from all interested parties.
Comments or questions concerning this
proposed and the DEIS should be
directed to Mr. Darrell Howard at the
RPCGB at the address noted in the
ADDRESSES section above.
V. FTA Procedures
Depending on the outcome of the
scoping process and the analysis of a
wide range of transit alternatives, an
LPA will be selected and evaluated in
the DEIS. The DEIS will be prepared
simultaneously with the conceptual
engineering for the alternatives,
including station and alignment
options. The DEIS will address the
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61689
potential use of federal funds for the
proposed action as well as assess the
social, economic, environmental, and
transportation impacts of the station and
alignment options. Station and
alignment options will be refined to
minimize and mitigate any adverse
impacts.
After publication, the DEIS will be
available for public and agency review
and comment, and a public hearing will
be held. Based on the DEIS and
comments received, the LPA may be
refined, and the RPCGB will further
assess the LPA in the Final EIS and will
apply for FTA approval to initiate
Preliminary Engineering of the LPA.
Issued on: October 19, 2005.
Alexander E. McNeil,
Director, Office of Planning & Program
Development.
[FR Doc. 05–21237 Filed 10–24–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket Number 2005 22783]
Requested Administrative Waiver of
the Coastwise Trade Laws
Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Invitation for public comments
on a requested administrative waiver of
the Coastwise Trade Laws for the vessel
CRYSTAL SPIRIT.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: As authorized by Public Law
105–383 and Public Law 107–295, the
Secretary of Transportation, as
represented by the Maritime
Administration (MARAD), is authorized
to grant waivers of the U.S.-build
requirement of the coastwise laws under
certain circumstances. A request for
such a waiver has been received by
MARAD. The vessel, and a brief
description of the proposed service, is
listed below. The complete application
is given in DOT docket 2005–22783 at
https://dms.dot.gov. Interested parties
may comment on the effect this action
may have on U.S. vessel builders or
businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag
vessels. If MARAD determines, in
accordance with Public Law 105–383
and MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR
part 388 (68 FR 23084; April 30, 2003),
that the issuance of the waiver will have
an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.vessel builder or a business that uses
U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a
waiver will not be granted. Comments
should refer to the docket number of
this notice and the vessel name in order
for MARAD to properly consider the
E:\FR\FM\25OCN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61687-61689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21237]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for the Downtown
Birmingham/University of Alabama Birmingham Activity Centers (a.k.a.
In-town Transit Partnership Project)
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Alternatives Analysis (AA) and
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration and the Regional Planning
Commission of Greater Birmingham are conducting an alternatives
analysis and preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for transit improvements in the Downtown Birmingham/University of
Alabama Birmingham Activity Centers. The FTA is the lead federal agency
and the DEIS will be prepared in accordance with National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and the applicable regulations
[[Page 61688]]
for implementing NEPA, as set forth in 23 CFR part 771 and 40 CFR parts
1500-1508, as well as applicable laws and regulations including section
4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966, the Clean Air
Act, and Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.
The project will consider the following alternatives: (1) A No-
Build Alternative consisting of improvements included in the Birmingham
MPO 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan; (2) Transportation System
Management (TSM) Alternative that includes all reasonable cost-
effective transit service improvements in the study area short of the
major investment in a New starts project; (3) Build Alternative: Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) project using rubber tired vehicles operating
either in mixed traffic or along an exclusive right-of-way; and (4)
Build Alternative: Streetcar using light rail technology operating
along tracks embedded in the pavement operating in either mixed traffic
or along an exclusive right-of-way. The type, location, and need for
ancillary facilities such as maintenance facilities will also be
considered for each alternative. In addition, alternatives that are
identified during the scoping process will be evaluated in the AA.
Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence and discussions
with interested persons; organizations; and Federal, State, and local
agencies; and through public and agency meetings. Depending on the
outcome of the scoping process and the analysis of a range of transit
alternatives in the DEIS, a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) will be
selected and addressed in the Final EIS (FEIS). The FEIS will address
the potential impacts of the selected investment strategy and a No-
Build Alternative.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives
and impacts to be considered in the AA/DEIS must be received no later
than January 20, 2006 and must be sent to the Regional Planning
Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) at the address indicated
below.
Scoping Meeting Date: Public Scoping Meetings will be held on
Monday and Tuesday December 5 and 6, 2005 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. each
day at the Regional Center for Planning and Design 1st Floor Conference
Room located at the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham,
1731 First Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203. Presentation boards
depicting the project concept will be available for review at the
meeting location. Formal presentations will be made at 2 p.m. and 6
p.m. each day. This will be followed by the opportunity for the public
to make comments on the scope of the EIS. Regional Planning Commission
of Greater Birmingham staff will be available for informal questions
and comments throughout the duration of each scoping meeting. Oral and
written comments may be given at the scoping meeting; a stenographer
will record oral comments. Persons with disabilities or other special
needs such as sign language interpretation should contact Darrell
Howard at the RPCGB (see ADDRESSES section below) 72 hours prior to the
scoping meeting for special arrangements. The location is accessible to
people with disabilities.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to: Mr.
Darrell Howard, Principal Transportation Planner, Regional Planning
Commission of Greater Birmingham,1731 First Avenue North, Suite 200,
Birmingham, AL 35203, Phone (205) 264-8441 ext 441. E-mail
dhoward@rpcgb.org.
To be added to the mailing list please contact Mr. Darrell Howard
at the address listed above. Please specify the mailing list of the
Downtown Birmingham/University of Alabama Birmingham Activity Centers
(also known as In-town Transit Partnership Project). The dates and
address of the scoping meetings are given in the DATES section above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a scoping information
packet, contact Mr. Darrell Howard, Principal Transportation Planner,
Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, 1731 First Avenue
North, Suite 200, Birmingham, AL 35203; Phone (205) 264-8441 ext 441.
E-mail dhoward@rpcgb.org. The Federal agency contact is: Mr. Len
Lacour, Transportation Program Specialist, Federal Transit
Administration--District 4, Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street,
SW., Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 562-3515. E-mail is
len.lacour@fta.dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Description of the Study Area and Scope
The Federal Transit Administration, as joint lead agency with the
Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, will prepare an AA/
DEIS on a proposal to transit service in a study area that is about 2.5
miles long and 2.5 miles wide that includes the Downtown Birmingham
Financial Center, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) campus,
the Five Points South activity center and portions of adjacent
neighborhoods. The study area is generally bounded by 13th Avenues
North on the north, U.S. 31 and 280 and 35th Street South on the east,
16th Avenue South on the south, and Interstate 65 on the west. Most of
the area is densely developed and serves as the Central Business
District (CBD) for the City of Birmingham and represents the largest
single concentration of employment in the metropolitan area. The
project is a result of the Birmingham MPO Strategic Regional Multi-
Modal Plan (SRMMP) completed in 1999 and the Birmingham Regional
Transportation Alternatives Analysis completed in 2004. The Downtown
Birmingham/University of Alabama Birmingham-Southside was one of three
corridors recommended for priority action. The AA/DEIS will include an
analysis of alternatives and selection of a LPA. This will also include
conceptual engineering of the alternatives considered to a level
necessary to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
requirements. Cost estimates and a financial plan that examines
alternative funding sources will also be prepared.
II. Purpose and Need
With more than 80,000 daily workers, the Downtown Birmingham and
UAB area represents the largest single concentration of employment in
the region and is forecast to add another 17,000 employees over the
next 20 years. As the largest employer in the metropolitan area, UAB
serves as an economic engine for the region and has a growing student
enrollment of more than 16,000. The area also includes more than 4.8
million square feet of office development, the city's major convention
center, and burgeoning residential development and redevelopment
projects in the city center and adjacent neighborhoods. Maintaining and
enhancing access into and within these important activity centers is
critical for the economic health of the region and quality of life for
area residents. Increasing traffic congestion, air quality concerns,
parking constraints, and limited transportation choices threaten the
continued expansion of this vital area. Transit service options need to
be considered that have the potential to: connect regional transit
services to destination points in the downtown and university areas,
connect residential neighborhoods to employment and retail businesses,
reduce the demand for additional parking spaces in the core area,
reduce automobile travel for short trips between various destinations
within the Downtown and UAB areas, reinforce the city center as a
regional
[[Page 61689]]
destination, support expansion plans for both UAB and the Convention
Center, and better serve transit dependant populations are needed.
III. Alternatives
Alternatives have been identified to address transportation needs
in the study area, connecting major activity centers including the
Downtown Financial core, University of Alabama Birmingham Campus, Five
Points South commercial area, the Convention Center, area hospitals/
medical centers, and adjacent neighborhoods. The project will be
consistent with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Alternatives
Analysis and Section 5309 New Start Program requirements for
determining future federal funding in recommended programs and be
consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
alternatives being considered will analyze mobility needs and identify
and compare the costs, benefits, and impacts of a range of transit
alignment and technology alternatives. At a minimum the following
alternatives will be considered:
No-Build Alternative--This includes all of the
transportation improvements included in the RPCGB Year 2030 Long Range
Transportation Plan but assumes that the potential new start project
being evaluated in the EIS is not constructed.
Transportation System Management (TSM) Alternative--This
includes all of the improvements assumed in the No-Build alternative
plus other reasonable low cost improvements to address the project
purpose and need. The TSM also assumes that the potential new start
project being considered in the EIS is not constructed.
Build Alternative: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)--This assumes
that all of the improvements included in the No-Build Alternative are
constructed plus the addition of a rubber tired transit service that
operates in either mixed traffic or in reserved right-of-way connecting
the major activity centers in the study area.
Build Alternative: Streetcar--This assumes that all of the
improvements included in the No-Build Alternative are constructed plus
the addition of a rail transit service that operates on tracks in
either mixed traffic or in reserved right-of-way connecting the major
activity centers in the study area.
The alternatives will be developed further during the preparation
of the AA/DEIS. Based on previous studies several candidate streets in
the study area have been identified as possible alignments for the
Build Alternatives. These streets include: 18th Street, 19th Street,
20th Street, and Richard Arrington Blvd in the north-south direction
and 5th Avenue South, 6th Avenue South, 7th Avenue South, and
University Boulevard in the east-west direction. Additional reasonable
Build Alternatives suggested during the scoping process including those
involving other modes, may be considered.
IV. Probable Effects
The purpose of the DEIS is to fully disclose the environmental
consequences of building and operating a major capital investment in
the Downtown Birmingham and UAB Activity Centers study area in advance
of any decision to commit substantial financial or other resources
towards its implementation. The DEIS will explore the extent to which
study alternatives and alignment options result in environmental
impacts and will discuss actions to reduce or eliminate such impacts.
Environmental issues to be examined in the DEIS include impacts to:
Community facilities, cultural resources, parklands, traffic
operations, parking, transit service and operations, local economy, air
quality, noise and vibration, environmental justice populations,
potential contaminated sites, and water resources as well as any
displacements of residents and businesses. Impacts will be identified
for both the construction period and long term operation of the
alternatives. The proposed transportation criteria will include
transportation, social, economic, and financial measures as required by
current federal (NEPA) environmental laws and the implementing
regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality and of FTA.
To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action will be addressed and all significant issues identified,
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties.
Comments or questions concerning this proposed and the DEIS should be
directed to Mr. Darrell Howard at the RPCGB at the address noted in the
ADDRESSES section above.
V. FTA Procedures
Depending on the outcome of the scoping process and the analysis of
a wide range of transit alternatives, an LPA will be selected and
evaluated in the DEIS. The DEIS will be prepared simultaneously with
the conceptual engineering for the alternatives, including station and
alignment options. The DEIS will address the potential use of federal
funds for the proposed action as well as assess the social, economic,
environmental, and transportation impacts of the station and alignment
options. Station and alignment options will be refined to minimize and
mitigate any adverse impacts.
After publication, the DEIS will be available for public and agency
review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. Based on the
DEIS and comments received, the LPA may be refined, and the RPCGB will
further assess the LPA in the Final EIS and will apply for FTA approval
to initiate Preliminary Engineering of the LPA.
Issued on: October 19, 2005.
Alexander E. McNeil,
Director, Office of Planning & Program Development.
[FR Doc. 05-21237 Filed 10-24-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
