Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on West 11th Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Corridor in the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area, OR, 53281-53283 [E7-18339]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 18, 2007 / Notices
footprint as space allows. The existing
welcome center would remain in its
current location.
2. The City East Alternative would
require 133 acres for an expanded plaza
and improvements along the I–94/I–69
corridor including the Welcome Center
which includes 67 acres for the plaza.
This alternative would require the
relocation of Pine Grove Avenue to the
east along 10th Avenue and would bring
most of the plaza down to street level.
Pine Grove Avenue would be re-routed
to the east of the existing plaza, between
Hancock Street and Scott Avenue. Pine
Grove Avenue and 10th Avenue would
merge for a joint five-lane road between
Scott Avenue and Elmwood Street. The
City East Alternative uses the block
between Hancock Street and the existing
plaza, west of Pine Grove Avenue for an
expanded truck inspection area. The
Black River Bridge Water Street
Interchange would be rebuilt and the
Lapeer Connector Interchange would be
expanded to include access in all
directions. A new MDOT Welcome
Center would be constructed north of I–
94/I–69 in Port Huron Township,
replacing the existing Welcome Center
at Water Street.
3. The City West Alternative includes
31 acres for an expanded plaza and
improvements along the I–94/I–69
corridor including the Welcome Center
which includes 65 acres for the plaza.
The City West Alternative would
require the relocation of Pine Grove
Avenue to the west of the plaza. The
relocated Pine Grove Avenue would
wrap around the south and west sides
of the new plaza. Near Hancock Street,
the relocated Pine Grove Avenue would
split into separate northbound and
southbound lanes. The northbound
lanes would turn back east and connect
to existing Pine Grove Avenue at
Riverview Street. The southbound lanes
would follow the existing M–25
Connector. The City West Alternative
would use the block bounded by 10th
Avenue, Hancock Street, the M–25
Connector, and the existing plaza for
expanded inspection and plaza
facilities. The City West Alternative
would also rebuild the Black River
Bridge from a four-lane bridge to nine
lanes and reconstruct the Water Street
Interchange. The Lapeer Connector
Interchange would be expanded to
include access in all directions. A new
MDOT Welcome Center would be
constructed north of I–94/I–69 in Port
Huron Township, replacing the existing
Welcome Center at Water Street.
4. The Township Alternative involves
the relocation of major plaza functions
to Port Huron Township, 1.5 miles west
of the current facility, on currently
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19:28 Sep 17, 2007
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undeveloped land. This site also would
include a new MDOT Welcome Center.
Existing I–94/I–69 lanes west of the
plaza and the Blue Water Bridge. The
M–25 Connector would be extended to
provide a local access road parallel to
the existing I–94/I–69 with full access to
Water Street and the Lapeer Connector.
The Black River Bridge in the Township
Alternative would be replaced and
expanded from four lanes to ten lanes.
While the current plaza footprint would
remain the same, local traffic would no
longer be able to exist at the existing
plaza or use Pine Grove Avenue to
access the plaza. Allow inspections
would occur at the new plaza in the
Township. The Township Alternative
would also include traffic related
improvements such as additional lanes
and turn lanes for key local roads
surrounding the existing plaza.
Issued on: September 12, 2007.
James J. Steele,
Division Administrator, Lansing Michigan.
[FR Doc. 07–4611 Filed 9–17–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–M
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement on West 11th
Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Corridor in
the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan
Area, OR
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and Lane Transit
District (LTD) intend to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for potential high-capacity transit
improvements, including possible bus
rapid transit (BRT) improvements, along
the West 11th Avenue Corridor in the
West Eugene area of the EugeneSpringfield metropolitan region. The
project’s purposes are to increase
mobility and improve safety in the
corridor, which runs between Eugene
Station and Green Hill Road. The EIS
will be prepared in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and in compliance with section
6002 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU). This
Notice alerts interested parties regarding
the plan to prepare the EIS, provides
information on the nature of the
proposed transit project, invites
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53281
participation in the EIS process
(including comments on the scope of
the EIS proposed in this notice), and
announces upcoming scoping meetings.
DATES: Comment due date: Written
comments on the scope of the EIS,
including the purpose and need for
transit improvements in the corridor,
the alternatives to be considered, the
environmental and community impacts
to be evaluated, or any other projectrelated issues should be sent by
November 2, 2007 to Lane Transit
District at the address below.
Scoping meeting dates: The first
public scoping meeting will be held on
October 8 at 3:00 p.m. at the location
described in ADDRESSES below. Oral and
written comments may be given at the
scoping meetings.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to Tom Schwetz, LTD Director
of Planning and Development, at PO
Box 7070, Eugene, OR 97401 (or by email: Tom.Schwetz@ltd.org; or fax: (541)
682–6111). Comments may also be
offered at the public scoping meetings.
The public scoping meetings will be:
The first public scoping meeting will
be: October 8, 2007, 3 to 7 p.m., Elks
Lodge #357, 2740 W. 11th Ave., Eugene,
OR.
There will be at least one additional
public meeting, in January 2008, at a
time and place to be announced.
These meeting places are accessible to
persons with disabilities. Any
individual with a disability who
requires special assistance, such as a
sign language interpreter, should
contact LTD at (541) 682–6100 or by email to Tom.Schwetz@ltd.org at least 48
hours in advance of the meeting. A
scoping information packet will be
available before the meeting on the Lane
Transit Web site (https://www.ltd.org) or
by calling Tom Schwetz, LTD, at (541)
682–6100, and copies will be available
at the public scoping meetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom
Radmilovich, Community Planner,
Federal Transit Administration, Region
10, (206) 220–4463 or
tom.radmilovich@dot.gov. The LTD Web
site, https://www.ltd.org, also has project
information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The proposed project: Known as the
West Eugene EmX Extension (WEEE),
this project consists of transit and safety
improvements from downtown Eugene
to about Green Hill Road. The West 11th
Avenue Corridor, the primary east/west
transit travelshed linking West Eugene
to the Eugene Station, contains several
major employment centers, large
commercial developments, a growing
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53282
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 18, 2007 / Notices
residential population, and valuable
natural resources.
The proposed project derives from a
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
(2001, updated 2004) which selected
BRT as the preferred transit strategy for
the twenty-year plan horizon. The RTP
generally identified a comprehensive
61-mile system of several BRT corridors.
The Franklin Corridor, already in
service, connects downtown Eugene
with the University of Oregon and
downtown Springfield. The Pioneer
Parkway Corridor, now in advanced
design, should be in service by 2010. In
January 2007, the Eugene City Council
and the LTD Board of Directors selected
the roughly six-mile-long West 11th
Avenue Corridor as the next BRT
priority corridor to pursue in Eugene.
Purposes of and need for the
proposed project: Recent studies show
the need to make improvements in the
West 11th Avenue Corridor. Its traffic
congestion and safety issues adversely
affect general purpose traffic as well as
transit. Recent and projected residential,
retail, and commercial growth in the
corridor make continued degradation
probable, although they also have made
the area a focus for local and regional
land use plans that emphasize nodal
and mixed-use development, all aimed
at maintaining and improving the area’s
livability.
The proposed project would: optimize
transit service in the West 11th Avenue
Corridor; help fulfill the regional
mandate for a comprehensive highcapacity transit system; support local
and regional land use planning goals
encouraging more efficient use of urban
land; and support economic
development opportunities in the
corridor. The project’s purpose and
need statement will be finalized, using
agency and public review and comment,
through the scoping process described
below.
Environmental process: In accordance
with NEPA, SAFETEA–LU section 6002,
and FTA’s section 5309 New Starts
requirements, the project’s
environmental process has been divided
into three general phases: Scoping;
Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS and
selection of the Locally Preferred
Alternative (LPA); and Final EIS.
(1) Scoping: LTD and FTA will use
the scoping process to identify
participating agencies, and to develop,
with the review and comment of
participating agencies and the public:
(a) The project’s purpose and need, (b)
the range of alternatives to be studied in
the Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS, and
(c) the evaluation methodology,
including a determination of the scope
of the environmental analysis to be
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19:28 Sep 17, 2007
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conducted for the EIS. The scoping
process will include a variety of public
and agency meetings, workshops, open
houses, and comment opportunities as
presented above under ADDRESSES.
Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU
requires that FTA and LTD do the
following: (1) Extend an invitation to
other federal and non-federal agencies
and Indian tribes that may have an
interest in the proposed project to
become participating agencies; (2)
provide an opportunity for involvement
by participating agencies and the public
in helping to define the purpose and
need for a proposed project, as well as
the range of alternatives for
consideration in the EIS; and (3)
establish a plan for coordinating public
and agency participation in and
comment on the environmental review
process. These section 6002
requirements will be wholly or partially
satisfied during the scoping process as
follows. Invitations to become a
participating agency will be sent to
agencies after the first Resource Agency
Coordination Meeting and Field Tour,
planned to occur during late September,
where agencies will receive project
information and have a chance to
determine their level of interest in the
project. LTD will create a
comprehensive public involvement
program and a public and agency
involvement Coordination and
Communication Plan. The coordination
plan will be posted on the project Web
site at the end of the scoping process.
The public involvement program will
include, in addition to the scoping
process described above: outreach to
local and county officials and
community and civic groups; periodic
meetings with various local agencies,
organizations, and committees; a public
hearing after release of the Draft EIS;
and distribution of project newsletters
and other information pieces.
(2) Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS:
During this phase, LTD and FTA will
analyze and document the
environmental benefits, costs, and
impacts of the alternatives that were
selected for further study as a result of
the scoping process. Also, the
Alternatives Analysis required for New
Starts and Small Starts projects will be
performed. A combined Alternatives
Analysis/Draft EIS documenting the
evaluation of alternatives and the
environmental evaluations required by
NEPA will be published during this
phase. Following a formal public
hearing on the Alternatives Analysis/
Draft EIS and consideration of the
comments received, this phase will
conclude with selection of the locally
preferred alternative, with public and
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participating agency input, by the
Metropolitan Policy Committee, the
Eugene City Council, and the LTD Board
of Directors.
(3) Final EIS: In preparing the Final
EIS, further study necessary to respond
to comments on the Draft EIS will be
conducted, responses to all comments
received will be prepared, and feasible
and prudent mitigation identified in the
Draft EIS for all adverse environmental
and community impacts will be further
designed and committed to.
Alternatives: LTD expects to analyze
at least three alternatives for the West
11th Avenue improvements. In
developing any potential alternative,
LTD would seek to enhance ridership
potential, reduce costs where feasible,
and avoid, minimize and mitigate
adverse environmental impacts. The
exact alignment of alternatives to be
studied will be determined as part of the
scoping process, but at a minimum will
include a bus-only alternative, an
alternative that would extend existing
BRT service from Eugene Station to
West Eugene, and a Future No-Build
Alternative. The alternatives could
include a variety of service
configurations, design options, and
infrastructure improvements. The
Future No-Build Alternative would
consist of the existing transportation
system plus non-BRT improvements to
the fixed-route transit system that are
planned for and programmed to be
implemented by 2030 (in other words,
included in the RTP Financially
Constrained Transportation Network).
The Future No-Build Alternative serves
as the NEPA baseline against which the
environmental effects of other
alternatives will be measured.
Probable effects: NEPA requires LTD
and FTA to evaluate the significant
impacts of the alternatives selected for
study in the Draft EIS. Primary issues
identified thus far include support of
state, regional and local land use and
transportation plans and policies,
neighborhood impacts, and
environmental sensitivity. The impacts
will be evaluated for both the
construction period and for the longterm period of operation. Measures to
mitigate adverse impacts will be
developed.
In accordance with FTA policy and
regulations, LTD and FTA will comply
with all Federal environmental laws,
regulations, and executive orders
applicable to the proposed project
during the environmental review
process to the maximum extent
practicable. These requirements
include, but are not limited to, the
regulations of the Council on
Environmental Quality and FTA
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 18, 2007 / Notices
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts
1500–1508, and 23 CFR Part 771), the
project-level air quality conformity
regulation of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR part
93), the section 404(b)(1) guidelines of
EPA (40 CFR part 230), the regulation
implementing section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (36
CFR Part 800), the regulation
implementing section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act (50 CFR part
402), section 4(f) of the DOT Act (23
CFR 771.135), and Executive Orders
12898 on environmental justice, 11988
on floodplain management, and 11990
on wetlands.
participation in the scoping process,
provides information on how to
participate, and serves as a notice of
preparation (NOP) for the purposes of
compliance with CEQA.
DATES: Material submitted in response
to the request for comments must be
received by the Docket Management
Facility or the CSLC by October 18,
2007 by 2 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
(see Request for Comments and
ADDRESSES for the address and
instructions on how to submit
comments). Public meeting dates are
October 3, 2007 in Oxnard, California,
and October 4, 2007 in Santa Clarita,
California.
Issued on: September 12, 2007.
R.F. Krochalis,
Regional Administrator, Region 10, Federal
Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–18339 Filed 9–17–07; 8:45 am]
ADDRESSES:
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
Performing Arts and Convention
Center, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard,
California 93030, Telephone: (805) 486–
2424.
Public Scoping Meetings: 1:30 p.m. to
3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.;
Open House: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
and 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[USCG–2007–28676]
Clearwater Port Liquefied Natural Gas
Deepwater Port License Application;
Preparation of Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact
Report
Maritime Administration, DOT.
Notice of intent; notice of public
meeting; request for comments.
AGENCY:
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration
and the U.S. Coast Guard, in
coordination with the California State
Lands Commission (CSLC), announce
their intent to prepare an environmental
impact statement/environmental impact
report (EIS/EIR), in connection with this
application for a proposed liquefied
natural gas (LNG) deepwater port (DWP)
that would be located in the Pacific
Ocean approximately 10.5 miles
offshore of Ventura County, California.
The EIS/EIR will be prepared in
coordination with the CSLC because the
applicant has filed a land lease
application with the CSLC for the
construction, use and maintenance of a
36-inch diameter subsea pipeline on
submerged lands in State waters to
deliver natural gas onshore. The EIS/EIR
will meet the requirements of both the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Publication of this notice begins a
scoping process that will help identify
and determine the scope of
environmental issues addressed in the
EIS/EIR. This notice requests public
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19:28 Sep 17, 2007
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The public meetings and
informational open houses will be held
at the following times and places:
October 3, 2007
October 4, 2007
Santa Clarita Activities Center, Santa
Clarita Room, 20880 Centre Pointe
Parkway, Santa Clarita, California
91350, Telephone: (661) 250–3701.
Public Scoping Meeting: 6 p.m. to 8
p.m.; Open House: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The public docket for USCG–2007–
28676 is maintained by the Department
of Transportation Docket Management
Facility. You may submit comments by
any of the following methods:
If filing comments by September 27,
2007, please use:
• Web Site: https://dms.dot.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting
comments on the Department of
Transportation Docket Management
System electronic docket site. No
electronic submissions will be accepted
between September 28, 2007, and
October 1, 2007.
If filing comments on or after October
1, 2007, use:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
Alternatively, you can file comments
using the following methods:
• Mail: Docket Management Facility:
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590–0001.
• Hand Delivery or Courier: West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
PO 00000
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53283
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
Instructions: Note that all comments
received will be posted without change
to https://dms.dot.gov or https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. Please
see the Privacy Act heading below.
Privacy Act: 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 Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR
19477–78).
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
dms.dot.gov until September 27, 2007,
or the street address listed above. The
DOT docket may be offline at times
between September 28 through
September 30 to migrate to the Federal
Docket Management System (FDMS).
On October 1, 2007, the internet access
to the docket will be https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for accessing the dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Contact Ray Martin, U.S. Coast Guard, at
(202) 372–1449 or e-mail at
Raymond.W.Martin@uscg.mil; Kevin
Tone, U.S. Coast Guard, at (202) 372–
1441 or Kevin.P.Tone@uscg.mil; Mr.
Scott Davies, U.S. Maritime
Administration, at (202) 366–2763 or
Scott.Davies@dot.gov; or contact Crystal
Spurr, located in the Sacramento, CA
office of the California State Lands
Commission, at (916) 574–0748 or email at spurrc@slc.ca.gov.
This public notice may be requested
in an alternative format, such as
Spanish translation, audiotape, large
print, or Braille by contacting Crystal
Spurr, CSLC, (916) 574–0748
(spurrc@slc.ca.gov).
The
Maritime Administration and the U.S.
Coast Guard, in coordination with the
California State Lands Commission
(CSLC), announce their intent to prepare
an environmental impact statement/
environmental impact report (EIS/EIR),
in connection with this application for
a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG)
deepwater port (DWP) that would be
located in the Pacific Ocean
approximately 10.5 miles offshore of
Ventura County, California. The EIS/EIR
will be prepared with the CSLC because
the applicant has filed a land lease
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53281-53283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18339]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on West 11th
Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Corridor in the Eugene-Springfield
Metropolitan Area, OR
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Lane Transit
District (LTD) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for potential high-capacity transit improvements, including
possible bus rapid transit (BRT) improvements, along the West 11th
Avenue Corridor in the West Eugene area of the Eugene-Springfield
metropolitan region. The project's purposes are to increase mobility
and improve safety in the corridor, which runs between Eugene Station
and Green Hill Road. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and in compliance with section
6002 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation
Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). This Notice alerts
interested parties regarding the plan to prepare the EIS, provides
information on the nature of the proposed transit project, invites
participation in the EIS process (including comments on the scope of
the EIS proposed in this notice), and announces upcoming scoping
meetings.
DATES: Comment due date: Written comments on the scope of the EIS,
including the purpose and need for transit improvements in the
corridor, the alternatives to be considered, the environmental and
community impacts to be evaluated, or any other project-related issues
should be sent by November 2, 2007 to Lane Transit District at the
address below.
Scoping meeting dates: The first public scoping meeting will be
held on October 8 at 3:00 p.m. at the location described in ADDRESSES
below. Oral and written comments may be given at the scoping meetings.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Tom Schwetz, LTD Director
of Planning and Development, at PO Box 7070, Eugene, OR 97401 (or by e-
mail: Tom.Schwetz@ltd.org; or fax: (541) 682-6111). Comments may also
be offered at the public scoping meetings. The public scoping meetings
will be:
The first public scoping meeting will be: October 8, 2007, 3 to 7
p.m., Elks Lodge 357, 2740 W. 11th Ave., Eugene, OR.
There will be at least one additional public meeting, in January
2008, at a time and place to be announced.
These meeting places are accessible to persons with disabilities.
Any individual with a disability who requires special assistance, such
as a sign language interpreter, should contact LTD at (541) 682-6100 or
by e-mail to Tom.Schwetz@ltd.org at least 48 hours in advance of the
meeting. A scoping information packet will be available before the
meeting on the Lane Transit Web site (https://www.ltd.org) or by calling
Tom Schwetz, LTD, at (541) 682-6100, and copies will be available at
the public scoping meetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Radmilovich, Community Planner,
Federal Transit Administration, Region 10, (206) 220-4463 or
tom.radmilovich@dot.gov. The LTD Web site, https://www.ltd.org, also has
project information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The proposed project: Known as the West Eugene EmX Extension
(WEEE), this project consists of transit and safety improvements from
downtown Eugene to about Green Hill Road. The West 11th Avenue
Corridor, the primary east/west transit travelshed linking West Eugene
to the Eugene Station, contains several major employment centers, large
commercial developments, a growing
[[Page 53282]]
residential population, and valuable natural resources.
The proposed project derives from a Regional Transportation Plan
(RTP) (2001, updated 2004) which selected BRT as the preferred transit
strategy for the twenty-year plan horizon. The RTP generally identified
a comprehensive 61-mile system of several BRT corridors. The Franklin
Corridor, already in service, connects downtown Eugene with the
University of Oregon and downtown Springfield. The Pioneer Parkway
Corridor, now in advanced design, should be in service by 2010. In
January 2007, the Eugene City Council and the LTD Board of Directors
selected the roughly six-mile-long West 11th Avenue Corridor as the
next BRT priority corridor to pursue in Eugene.
Purposes of and need for the proposed project: Recent studies show
the need to make improvements in the West 11th Avenue Corridor. Its
traffic congestion and safety issues adversely affect general purpose
traffic as well as transit. Recent and projected residential, retail,
and commercial growth in the corridor make continued degradation
probable, although they also have made the area a focus for local and
regional land use plans that emphasize nodal and mixed-use development,
all aimed at maintaining and improving the area's livability.
The proposed project would: optimize transit service in the West
11th Avenue Corridor; help fulfill the regional mandate for a
comprehensive high-capacity transit system; support local and regional
land use planning goals encouraging more efficient use of urban land;
and support economic development opportunities in the corridor. The
project's purpose and need statement will be finalized, using agency
and public review and comment, through the scoping process described
below.
Environmental process: In accordance with NEPA, SAFETEA-LU section
6002, and FTA's section 5309 New Starts requirements, the project's
environmental process has been divided into three general phases:
Scoping; Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS and selection of the Locally
Preferred Alternative (LPA); and Final EIS.
(1) Scoping: LTD and FTA will use the scoping process to identify
participating agencies, and to develop, with the review and comment of
participating agencies and the public: (a) The project's purpose and
need, (b) the range of alternatives to be studied in the Alternatives
Analysis/Draft EIS, and (c) the evaluation methodology, including a
determination of the scope of the environmental analysis to be
conducted for the EIS. The scoping process will include a variety of
public and agency meetings, workshops, open houses, and comment
opportunities as presented above under ADDRESSES.
Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU requires that FTA and LTD do the
following: (1) Extend an invitation to other federal and non-federal
agencies and Indian tribes that may have an interest in the proposed
project to become participating agencies; (2) provide an opportunity
for involvement by participating agencies and the public in helping to
define the purpose and need for a proposed project, as well as the
range of alternatives for consideration in the EIS; and (3) establish a
plan for coordinating public and agency participation in and comment on
the environmental review process. These section 6002 requirements will
be wholly or partially satisfied during the scoping process as follows.
Invitations to become a participating agency will be sent to agencies
after the first Resource Agency Coordination Meeting and Field Tour,
planned to occur during late September, where agencies will receive
project information and have a chance to determine their level of
interest in the project. LTD will create a comprehensive public
involvement program and a public and agency involvement Coordination
and Communication Plan. The coordination plan will be posted on the
project Web site at the end of the scoping process. The public
involvement program will include, in addition to the scoping process
described above: outreach to local and county officials and community
and civic groups; periodic meetings with various local agencies,
organizations, and committees; a public hearing after release of the
Draft EIS; and distribution of project newsletters and other
information pieces.
(2) Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS: During this phase, LTD and FTA
will analyze and document the environmental benefits, costs, and
impacts of the alternatives that were selected for further study as a
result of the scoping process. Also, the Alternatives Analysis required
for New Starts and Small Starts projects will be performed. A combined
Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS documenting the evaluation of
alternatives and the environmental evaluations required by NEPA will be
published during this phase. Following a formal public hearing on the
Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS and consideration of the comments
received, this phase will conclude with selection of the locally
preferred alternative, with public and participating agency input, by
the Metropolitan Policy Committee, the Eugene City Council, and the LTD
Board of Directors.
(3) Final EIS: In preparing the Final EIS, further study necessary
to respond to comments on the Draft EIS will be conducted, responses to
all comments received will be prepared, and feasible and prudent
mitigation identified in the Draft EIS for all adverse environmental
and community impacts will be further designed and committed to.
Alternatives: LTD expects to analyze at least three alternatives
for the West 11th Avenue improvements. In developing any potential
alternative, LTD would seek to enhance ridership potential, reduce
costs where feasible, and avoid, minimize and mitigate adverse
environmental impacts. The exact alignment of alternatives to be
studied will be determined as part of the scoping process, but at a
minimum will include a bus-only alternative, an alternative that would
extend existing BRT service from Eugene Station to West Eugene, and a
Future No-Build Alternative. The alternatives could include a variety
of service configurations, design options, and infrastructure
improvements. The Future No-Build Alternative would consist of the
existing transportation system plus non-BRT improvements to the fixed-
route transit system that are planned for and programmed to be
implemented by 2030 (in other words, included in the RTP Financially
Constrained Transportation Network). The Future No-Build Alternative
serves as the NEPA baseline against which the environmental effects of
other alternatives will be measured.
Probable effects: NEPA requires LTD and FTA to evaluate the
significant impacts of the alternatives selected for study in the Draft
EIS. Primary issues identified thus far include support of state,
regional and local land use and transportation plans and policies,
neighborhood impacts, and environmental sensitivity. The impacts will
be evaluated for both the construction period and for the long-term
period of operation. Measures to mitigate adverse impacts will be
developed.
In accordance with FTA policy and regulations, LTD and FTA will
comply with all Federal environmental laws, regulations, and executive
orders applicable to the proposed project during the environmental
review process to the maximum extent practicable. These requirements
include, but are not limited to, the regulations of the Council on
Environmental Quality and FTA
[[Page 53283]]
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508, and 23 CFR Part 771), the
project-level air quality conformity regulation of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR part 93), the section
404(b)(1) guidelines of EPA (40 CFR part 230), the regulation
implementing section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (36
CFR Part 800), the regulation implementing section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act (50 CFR part 402), section 4(f) of the DOT Act (23 CFR
771.135), and Executive Orders 12898 on environmental justice, 11988 on
floodplain management, and 11990 on wetlands.
Issued on: September 12, 2007.
R.F. Krochalis,
Regional Administrator, Region 10, Federal Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-18339 Filed 9-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
