Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS): Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Rail Extension, 3603-3606 [E6-657]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3603-3606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-657]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS): Kenosha-Racine-
Milwaukee Commuter Rail Extension

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The FTA, in cooperation with the Southeastern Wisconsin 
Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC), is issuing this notice to advise 
the public that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be 
prepared for the proposed initiation of commuter rail or bus services 
between Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
    The FTA is the lead Federal agency under the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The project is being conducted by SEWRPC 
which is acting as the manager and fiscal agent for the DEIS and 
associated alternatives analysis study on behalf of an 
Intergovernmental Partnership of the Cities and Counties of Kenosha, 
Milwaukee, and Racine, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 
and SEWRPC.
    The FTA and SEWRPC invite interested individuals, organizations, 
and Federal, State, and local agencies to participate in refining the 
alternatives to be evaluated and identifying any significant social, 
economic, and environmental issues related to the alternatives. 
Comments on the appropriateness of the alternatives and

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impact-related issues are encouraged. Specific suggestions on 
additional alternatives to be examined and issues to be addressed are 
welcomed and will be considered in the final study scope. Scoping of 
these alternatives and their potential impacts will be accomplished 
through meetings and correspondence with interested persons, 
organizations, and Federal, State, regional, and local agencies.

DATES: There will be three public scoping meetings held on Tuesday, 
February 21, 2006, Wednesday, February 22, 2006, and Thursday, February 
23, 2006 and one interagency scoping meeting held on Thursday, February 
23, 2006 at the locations and times identified below under ADDRESSES to 
ensure that all significant issues are identified and considered. 
SEWRPC representatives will be available for informal questions and 
comments throughout the duration of each scoping meeting. Subsequent 
opportunities for public involvement will be announced by mail and 
through other appropriate mechanisms, and will be conducted throughout 
the study area.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meetings will be held on the following 
dates at the following locations and times:
     Tuesday, February 21, 2006--Kenosha Gateway Technical 
College, Madrigrano Auditorium, 3520 30th Avenue, Kenosha, Wisconsin 
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Presentation at 6:45 p.m.
     Wednesday, February 22, 2006--Racine Gateway Technical 
College, Great Lakes Room, Racine Building, 901 Pershing Drive, Racine, 
Wisconsin from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Presentation at 6:45 p.m.
     Thursday, February 23, 2006--Milwaukee Downtown Transit 
Center, Harbor Lights Room, 909 E. Michigan Avenue, Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Presentation at 6:45 p.m.
    The interagency scoping meeting will be held at the following 
location and time:
     Thursday, February 23, 2006--Milwaukee Downtown Transit 
Center, Harbor Lights Room, 909 E. Michigan Avenue, Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    The scoping meeting sites are accessible to mobility-impaired 
people and interpreter services will be provided for hearing-impaired 
people upon request. Written comments will be taken at the meeting or 
may be sent to Mr. Kenneth R. Yunker, Deputy Director, Southeastern 
Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, P.O. Box 1607, Waukesha, 
Wisconsin, 53187-1607 by March 24, 2006. A scoping information packet 
will be available and may be requested by writing to this address or by 
calling (262) 547-6721.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues are identified, 
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. 
Comments on the scope of this proposed action and the impacts to be 
considered should be directed to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional 
Planning Commission at the address provided above by March 24, 2006.
    Information describing the proposed action and soliciting comments 
will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies and to 
private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed, or 
are known to have interest in this proposal. A series of public 
meetings will be held in the project corridor throughout the data 
gathering and development of alternatives. In addition, a public 
hearing will be held. Public notice will be given of the time and place 
of additional meetings and of the hearing. The DEIS will be available 
for public and agency review and comment prior to the hearing. As part 
of the scoping process, coordination activities with other agencies 
have begun. Scoping meetings will be held on an individual or group 
meeting basis. Agency coordination will be accomplished during these 
meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Victor M. Austin, Community 
Planner, Federal Transit Administration, 200 W. Adams Street, Suite 
320, Chicago, Illinois, 60606-5232, telephone: (312) 886-1625. You may 
also contact Mr. Kenneth R. Yunker, Deputy Director, SEWRPC, P.O. Box 
1607, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53187-1607; (262) 547-6721.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Over the past decade a very high level of 
interest has developed in the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) corridor 
for improved commuter transportation service. This interest has been 
manifested by the creation of groups involving major employers and 
municipalities and counties within the corridor which have as their 
objective the improvement of transit service within the corridor. At 
the request of the local units of government, the Southeastern 
Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC), the Metropolitan 
Planning Organization (MPO) for the seven-county Southeastern Wisconsin 
region, has completed two studies which focus on transit improvements 
throughout the KRM corridor.
    On behalf of an intergovernmental partnership of the counties and 
cities of Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Department of 
Transportation (WisDOT) and SEWRPC, SEWRPC is undertaking the DEIS and 
Project Development phase of the KRM Alternatives Analysis in order to 
produce a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), refine the 
previous alternatives analysis, and develop further a commuter 
transportation project within the corridor. This study is funded by the 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5309 ``New Starts'' 
program, WisDOT, and the members of the KRM Intergovernmental 
Partnership. The products of this study will be used to support an 
application to the FTA for funding of Preliminary Engineering (PE) 
under the FTA's New Starts program.

I. Study Area and Project Need

    The study area extends from the City of Kenosha through the City of 
Racine to the City of Milwaukee and is located along State Trunk 
Highways 31 and 32 and the Union Pacific Railroad Kenosha Subdivision, 
a distance of about 33 miles. The study area is bounded by Lake 
Michigan on the east, Interstate Highway 94 on the west, the Wisconsin-
Illinois state line on the south, and the Milwaukee Central Business 
District on the north. The study area includes the eastern portions of 
Kenosha and Racine Counties and Milwaukee County.
    In the KRM corridor increasing travel demand and traffic congestion 
are a problem and there exists a need to improve mobility within this 
corridor. There is a lack of transportation options for travel between 
the communities in the corridor, as well as for travel between the 
corridor and northeastern Illinois. This lack of options affects the 
mobility of residents and visitors and their ability to travel within 
the corridor. Persons with limited or no access to private automobiles 
are particularly limited in their options. Existing transit services do 
operate within the corridor, but consist largely of separate local 
systems with services that are slow, operate only in a limited service 
area, are not coordinated throughout the corridor, do not connect in a 
convenient manner, and provide limited service. In particular, 
accessibility to jobs for people within the corridor and accessibility 
to potential workers for employers within the corridor is affected by 
this lack of transportation options.
    The KRM corridor is part of a larger continuous and highly 
urbanized corridor extending 85 miles from Milwaukee in southeastern 
Wisconsin

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to Chicago through the North Shore suburbs in Lake and Cook Counties in 
northeastern Illinois. There is a need for public transit connections 
within this corridor in southeastern Wisconsin, and between 
southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois, to serve the travel 
needs and markets that exist in this unique corridor. These needs not 
only include travel to and from Milwaukee, Chicago, and the two 
intermediate central cities of Kenosha and Racine, each with a 
population in excess of 50,000; but also travel to and from the older, 
inner-ring suburbs and the newer developing suburban communities. 
Specifically, there is a need to provide access to jobs not only in the 
Milwaukee and Chicago central business districts, but also in Racine 
and Kenosha, the older inner-ring and newer suburban communities in 
southeastern Wisconsin, and the Chicago North Shore communities in Cook 
and Lake Counties.
    The corridor has a high potential to generate transit ridership 
because of its high concentrations of population, including population 
groups with high transit needs, significant employment, and it includes 
the downtown areas of three large and well established cities 
(Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha). Arterial street and highway capacity 
is limited, traffic volumes and congestion are a problem and will 
continue to grow, and opportunities for new highways are extremely 
limited, providing an opportunity for an attractive and high-quality 
transit service in the corridor to be competitive with the private 
automobile in terms of travel time, cost, and convenience.
    There is a need to contribute to desirable economic and community 
development in the KRM corridor. High quality and attractive transit 
service that is appropriate to the travel needs of a densely developed 
urban corridor such as this one can help meet regional, state, and 
national land use objectives through influence on, and promotion of, 
land development and redevelopment in an efficient, desirable, and 
sound manner. The provision of attractive and improved transit services 
and facilities can help focus desirable and positive land use 
development and redevelopment in the older major cities such as 
Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine, in the older suburban communities such 
as Cudahy, St. Francis, and South Milwaukee, and in the newer 
developing communities such as Caledonia, Oak Creek, and Somers.
    The primary goals of these transportation improvements are to:
     Improve transit mobility and access in the KRM corridor.
     Attract increased transit ridership.
     Contribute to and enhance desirable economic and community 
development.

II. Alternatives

    The DEIS will assess the environmental impacts of a No-Build 
Alternative and various Build Alternatives. The Build Alternatives will 
include, but not be limited to a (1) Transportation System Management 
(TSM) Alternative, (2) a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Alternative, and (3) a 
Commuter Rail Alternative. These alternatives are briefly described 
below.
    The No-Build Alternative will include existing transit services and 
facilities and those planned and programmed new transportation 
services, facilities, and system management improvements that are 
included in the 2035 Regional Transportation System Plan for 
Southeastern Wisconsin.
    The TSM Alternative will include operational and low cost capital 
investments to the existing transit services in the corridor, providing 
a level of capital investment that is greater than the No-Build 
Alternative but substantially less than either the BRT or Commuter Rail 
Alternatives. The TSM Alternative will not include major fixed guideway 
improvements.
    The BRT Alternative will include a significant expansion of bus 
service between Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee that will be coordinated 
with the existing Metra Union Pacific North Line commuter rail service 
between Kenosha and Chicago. It will utilize operational and 
performance enhancements along the entire corridor such as exclusive or 
semi-exclusive route alignments, on-line passenger stations, compatible 
vehicles appropriate for such service, and operating measures to 
mitigate traffic capacity and congestion constraints. One variation of 
this alternative will include low to medium cost capital improvements 
and another variation will include medium to high cost capital 
improvements.
    The Commuter Rail Alternative will include the provision of 
commuter rail service between Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee. One 
variation of this alternative will include a through service combined 
with the existing Metra Union Pacific North Line commuter rail service 
between Kenosha and Chicago. Another variation of this alternative will 
include a separate but coordinated service requiring a cross-platform 
transfer to and from the Metra Union Pacific North Line commuter rail 
service.
    In addition to these initially identified alternatives, other 
alternatives generated by the scoping process may be considered. The 
proposed action may include expansion of commuter rail or bus service 
in the corridor and modifications to existing transit services. It may 
include modifications or additions of sidings, crossovers, 
interlockings, signal systems, and retaining walls for potential 
commuter rail services and bus lanes and roadways, highway 
improvements, and signal systems for potential bus services. 
Modifications to existing stations may be required such as changes to 
station buildings, parking, and platform placement. Additional stations 
located along the potential rail and bus routes will also be 
investigated. Property acquisitions may be necessary to accommodate the 
proposed action, as well as utility relocations.

III. Potential Social and Environmental Effects

    Potential social, economic, and environmental impacts will be 
identified and evaluated in the DEIS. Impacts may include: Mobility and 
accessibility; land use, zoning, and economic development, land 
acquisition, displacements, and relocation of existing uses; historic 
and archeological resources; parklands and recreational uses; visual 
and aesthetic qualities; neighborhoods and communities; environmental 
justice; air quality; noise and vibration; hazardous materials; 
ecosystems; water resources; energy and construction impacts; safety 
and security; utilities; cost and financial impacts; and transit, 
highway, railroad, and other transportation. Other potential impact 
issues may be added as a result of scoping and agency coordination 
efforts. The potential impact assessment and evaluation will take into 
account both positive and negative effects, direct and indirect 
impacts, short-term (construction) and long-term impacts, and 
cumulative effects. Measures to avoid or mitigate any significant 
adverse impacts will be identified.

IV. FTA Procedures

    In accordance with FTA policy, all federal laws, regulations and 
executive orders affecting project development, including but not 
limited to the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508 and 23 CFR part 771), the 1990 Clean Air Act 
Amendments, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Executive Order 12898 
regarding environmental justice, the National Historic Preservation 
Act, the Endangered Species Act, and Section 4(f) of the Department of 
Transportation

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Act, will be addressed to the maximum extent possible during the NEPA 
process.
    A DEIS will be prepared and made available for public and agency 
review and comment. One or more public hearings will be held on the 
DEIS. On the basis of the DEIS and the public and agency comments 
received, the preferred alternative will be further refined as 
necessary and the Final Environmental Impact Statement will be 
prepared.

    Issued on: January 17, 2006.
Donald Gismondi,
Acting Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Chicago, 
Illinois.
[FR Doc. E6-657 Filed 1-20-06; 8:45 am]
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