Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Project in San Francisco, CA, 54318-54321 [07-4713]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 184 / Monday, September 24, 2007 / Notices
the FAA has decided to designate EWR
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understands EWR is currently Level 2
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airport’s operation.
DATES: Schedules must be submitted no
later than October 11, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Schedules may be
submitted by mail to Slot
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Issued in Washington, DC, on September
19th, 2007.
James W. Whitlow,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 07–4711 Filed 9–19–07; 2:26 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement:
Proposed Dickson Southwest Bypass
from US–70 to State Route 46 and/or
Interstate 40, Dickson County, TN
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) is issuing this
notice to advise the public that an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
will be prepared for a proposed
transportation project in Dickson
County, Tennessee.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Laurie S. Leffler, Assistant Division
Administrator, Federal Highway
Administration—Tennessee Division
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Office, 640 Grassmere Park Road, Suite
112, Nashville, TN 37211, or by phone
at 615–781–5770.
The
FHWA in cooperation with the
Tennessee Department of
Transportation will prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
on a proposal to construct a bypass
around the southwest side of the City of
Dickson, for a distance of approximately
10 miles.
Alternatives to be considered include:
(1) No-build; (2) a Transportation
System Management (TSM) alternative
(3) one or more build alternatives that
could include constructing a roadway
on a new location, upgrading existing
US–70 and State Route 46, or a
combination of both, and (4) other
alternatives that may arise from public
input. Public scoping meetings will be
held for the project corridor. As part of
the scoping process, federal, state, and
local agencies and officials; private
organizations; citizens; and interest
groups will have an opportunity to
identify issues of concern and provide
input on the purpose and need for the
project, range of alternatives,
methodology, and the development of
the Environmental Impact Statement. A
Coordination Plan will be developed to
include the public in the project
development process. This plan will
utilize the following outreach efforts to
provide information and solicit input:
Newsletters, an internet website, e-mail
and direct mail, informational meetings
and briefings, public hearings, and other
efforts as necessary and appropriate. A
public hearing will be held upon
completion of the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement and public notice will
be given of the time and place of the
hearing. The Draft EIS will be available
for public and agency review and
comment prior to the public hearings.
To ensure that the full range of issues
related to this proposed action are
identified and taken into account,
comments and suggestions are invited
from all interested parties. Comments
and questions concerning the proposed
action should be directed to the FHWA
contact person identified above at the
address provided above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning
and Construction. The regulations
implementing Executive Order 12372
regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this
proposed program).
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Issued on: September 18, 2007.
Laurie S. Leffler,
Assistant Division Administrator, Nashville,
TN.
[FR Doc. E7–18796 Filed 9–21–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Preparation of an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Van Ness
Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Project in
San Francisco, CA
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), Department of Transportation
(DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C)
of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), the Council of
Environmental Quality Regulations (40
CFR part 1505.6), and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Section 151710, the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), in cooperation
with the San Francisco County
Transportation Authority (SFCTA), will
prepare a joint Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report
(EIS/EIR) for the Van Ness Avenue Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) Project, an
approximately two-mile transit
improvement along Van Ness Avenue
through the City and County of San
Francisco, California. The Project would
create dedicated bus lanes from
approximately South Van Ness Avenue
and Mission Street (south end) to Van
Ness Avenue and Lombard Street (north
end). The project would also establish
high capacity stations with passenger
amenities and low-level boarding
platforms; real time bus arrival
information systems; proof-of-payment
fare verification; transit signal priority;
and modern, high-capacity, low-floor,
multi-door buses.
The EIS/EIR will evaluate the
following alternatives: (1) No-Project/
Baseline Alternative; (2) Van Ness
Avenue BRT Project, which will include
design options for the configuration of
the BRT transitway and stations; and (3)
any additional reasonable alternatives
that emerge from the study process. The
EIS will be prepared in accordance with
FTA regulations (23 CFR 771 et seq.)
implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as
well as provisions of the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for
Users (SAFETEA–LU). The EIR will be
prepared in accordance with the
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 184 / Monday, September 24, 2007 / Notices
California Environmental Quality Act
(California Code of Regulation, Title 14,
Chapter 3). As part of the EIS/EIR
process, an evaluation of potential
transit improvement alternatives will be
completed (‘‘alternatives analysis’’) in
accordance with 23 CFR Part 450 and
inform the development of project
alternatives.
Previous studies and documents
relevant to this action include the
recently completed Van Ness Avenue
BRT Feasibility Study (December 2006);
2005 Prop K Strategic Plan (March
2005); 2004 San Francisco Countywide
Transportation Plan (adopted July 20,
2004), and the New Transportation
Expenditure Plan for San Francisco
(Proposition K, approved November 4,
2003). These documents describe the
planning and funding for transportation
improvements in San Francisco,
including BRT in major bus corridors.
These documents can be downloaded at
the Web site www.sfcta.org, or requested
from the Authority.
EIS/EIR preparation will be initiated
through a formal NEPA scoping process,
which solicits input on issues and
potential project impacts to consider in
the environmental studies. Scoping will
be accomplished through meetings and
correspondence with interested persons,
organizations, the general public, and
Federal, State, and local agencies.
Letters describing the proposed action
and soliciting comments have been sent
to the appropriate Federal, State, and
local agencies, and to private
organizations and individuals.
Comments on issues and impacts to be
considered in preparation of the EIS/EIR
will be recorded in the project
information database.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written
comments on the scope of alternatives
and impacts to be considered must be
postmarked no later than October 18,
2007 and should be sent to SFTA at the
contact address below.
NEPA Scoping Meeting Date: The
public scoping meetings will be held on
October 2, 2007 at the Holiday Inn
Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness
Avenue, San Francisco, CA, from 6 p.m.
to 8 p.m. The meeting agenda will
include opportunities to speak with
project staff, viewing of information on
the project, a brief presentation of the
project purpose and alternatives, and
opportunity for meeting participants to
comment on issues of interest. The open
house will resume after the presentation
and comment period. Project staff will
be present to receive formal agency and
public input regarding the scope of the
environmental studies, key issues, and
other suggestions. The meeting room is
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accessible to persons with disabilities.
Any individual with a disability who
requires special assistance, such as a
sign language interpreter, or any
individual who requires English
language interpretation should contact
the SFCTA at 415–593–1423 at least 48
hours in advance of the meeting in order
for the SFCTA to make necessary
arrangements.
ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be
held at the locations identified in the
NEPA Scoping Meeting Date section
above. Written comments should be sent
to: Rachel Hiatt, Senior Transportation
Planner, San Francisco County
Transportation Authority; 100 Van Ness
Avenue, 26th Floor; San Francisco, CA
94612. Phone: 415–522–4809 or
Rachel.Hiatt@sfcta.org. To be added to
the mailing list for the Van Ness Avenue
BRT Project, contact Ms. Hiatt at the
address listed above. Persons with
special needs should leave a message at
the phone number above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Donna Turchie, Federal Transit
Administration, Office of Planning and
Program Development; 201 Mission
Street, Suite 1650; San Francisco, CA
94105. Phone: 415–744–2737 or
Donna.Turchie@dot.gov. Additional
information on the Van Ness Avenue
BRT Project can be found on the project
Web site at: https://www.vannessbrt.org/
and by contacting Rachel Hiatt at the
SFCTA.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Project Background
The proposed project would be
located in a key north-south
transportation corridor in the heart of
the City and County of San Francisco.
Van Ness Avenue is an important
roadway and transit route serving high
density commercial, residential, and
civic/institutional areas along its length
from the U.S. and State Highway Route
101 freeway on the south to San
Francisco Bay on the north. It is an atgrade continuation of U.S. and State
Highway Route 101 from the freeway to
Lombard Street, which continues west
to Doyle Drive and the Golden Gate
Bridge. The roadway serves as a major
thoroughfare for local traffic as well as
through traffic, carrying over 50,000
people in cars per day and about 4000
people in vehicles during the pm peak
hour. Transit service is provided by
Muni routes 47 and 49, and by Golden
Gate Transit (based in Marin County),
which operates commute service and
limited all-day service into San
Francisco on Van Ness Avenue. About
43,000 passengers use Muni Routes 47
and 49 and the Golden Gate Transit Van
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54319
Ness routes daily, with approximately
15,000 passengers riding daily within
the Van Ness Avenue segment of
service. A number of major east-west
transit routes cross Van Ness Avenue
and generate major bus-to-bus and busto-rail transfers with Van Ness Avenue
services, including the muni Metro lines
and the Muni lines 38 (Geary) and 38L
(Geary Limited).
Traffic congestion in mix-flow traffic
lanes and transit overcrowding result in
poor transit service reliability and low
average bus speeds, currently just 5 to
7 miles per hour during commute
periods. Bus reliability is poor, with
high variation in headways and bus
bunching. Transit mode shares are low
relative to the potential transit market
along this corridor, where housing
densities within one-quarter mile of Van
Ness Avenue average over 90 units per
acre, where 46% of households do not
own a car (relative to 29% citywide),
and where the city expects to add about
3,800 new housing units and 8,500 new
jobs by 2025.
Van Ness Avenue has been identified
as a high priority transit improvement
corridor in a number of planning studies
and funding actions by the City. The
Authority’s Four Corridors Plan (1995)
and Muni’s Vision for Rapid Transit
(2000) identified Van Ness as a priority
corridor for rapid transit improvements.
Along with two other key transit
corridors, Van Ness Avenue was
designated for BRT improvements in the
New Expenditure Plan for San
Francisco, approved by voters as
Proposition K, the reauthorization of the
City’s 1⁄2 cent transportation sales tax
measure, in November 2003. The
Expenditure Plan is the investment
component of the 2004 San Francisco
Countywide Transportation Plan, which
sets forth the city’s ‘‘blueprint to guide
the development of transportation
funding priorities and policy’’ with a
key objective being the promotion and
implementation of San Francisco’s
transit first policy through the
development of a network of fast,
reliable transit including bus rapid
transit. The Van Ness Avenue BRT
Feasibility Study was initiated in 2004,
completed in 2006, and evaluated the
feasibility of four alternative BRT
configurations on Van Ness Avenue.
Four BRT alternatives were developed
and compared with a No Project
scenario, in conjunction with a
comprehensive public and agency
participation program. The Feasibility
Study found that all four BRT
configurations are feasible on Van Ness
and recommended an environmental
analysis to identify a preferred
alternative. The alternatives form the
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foundation for the BRT improvements to
be evaluated in the proposed project
EIS/EIR.
II. Purpose and Need
The City and County of San Francisco
adopted as part of the 2004 Countywide
Transportation Plan and its investment
component, the New Expenditure Plan
for San Francisco, a bus rapid transit
strategy for expanding rapid transit
service in San Francisco. The BRT
network is intended to address the
following purpose:
1. Support the city’s growth and
development needs
2. Better serve existing transit riders
and stem and reverse the trend toward
transit mode share loss
3. Improve the operational efficiency
and cost effectiveness of the
transportation system.
A BRT network can meet those goals
by:—
• Improving transit levels of service
cost effectively.
• Strengthening rapid transit services
• Raising the cost effectiveness of
Muni service and operational efficiency
of transit preferential streets
• Contributing to livability of BRT
corridors
Specific Van Ness BRT project
purpose and need statements linked to
these goals were subsequently
established to guide the development of
a BRT project for the Van Ness Avenue
corridor. They guided preparation of the
Van Ness Avenue BRT Feasibility Study
(2005–2006), and include:
• Close the performance gap between
transit and automobile travel on Van
Ness Avenue. For transit, this means
reducing travel time (including wait
time); significantly increasing reliability
and reducing bunching; reducing
crowding; and improving connectivity
and safety.
• Raise the operational efficiency of
Van Ness Avenue. San Francisco has
limited roadway capacity and no space
to expand the network. It is also
difficult in many areas to travel by auto
given the obstacles—limited capacity
and resulting congestion on key
roadway segments. It is city policy to
encourage travel by higher capacity
modes to expand the transportation
network’s carrying capacity and use it
more efficiently. BRT offers a means to
expand the overall capacity of Van Ness
Avenue. However, transit buses must be
separated from the existing traffic and
pedestrian congestion and other
impediments to efficient, fast travel.
Transit infrastructure improvements
would allow Muni to operate buses
more efficiently and improve the
productivity of buses by enabling each
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bus to complete more runs per hour.
Frequent stops and starts and slowed,
sometimes uneven, operations in
congested conditions increase the wear
and tear on buses and also fuel
consumption. Improving average bus
speeds would lead to more efficient
operations and allow Muni to serve
more passengers at a lower cost per
passenger.
• Raise the level of amenities and
urban design of Van Ness Avenue. Van
Ness Avenue is currently not an
appealing urban environment for
pedestrians. The Van Ness Avenue BRT
Project incorporates elements that
enhance the urban design and identity
of Van Ness Avenue, especially at major
transit nodes such as Mission Street and
South Van Ness, Market Street, and
Geary and O’Farrell streets. Transit
capital improvements properly done
and integrated with other design
initiatives would make the street more
livable and attractive for residents and
commercial and institutional uses along
its length. The BRT on Van Ness
Avenue Project would incorporate
pedestrian safety and urban design
features and help transform Van ness
Avenue into a ‘‘signature Preferential
Transit Street and distinctive gateway
into San Francisco.’’
• Accommodate future mobility
needs. This need is linked to the
continuing growth in the San Francisco
and the region. More housing and more
households now exist than in 2000 and
they are projected to continue growing,
with population increasing almost 20
percent by 2030 (Association of Bay
Area Governments, Projections 2005;
San Francisco’s 2000 population was
776,733; 2030 population is projected to
be 924,600). Employment is forecast to
grown by 29 percent during the same
period, to 829,090 jobs available by
2030 (ABAG). Along the Van Ness
Avenue corridor itself, over 3,800 new
housing units and 8,500 new jobs are
anticipated. Transit priority and other
congestion management measures offer
an important way to accommodate the
resulting growth in travel demand,
which will be focused on the major
transportation corridors in the city. Van
Ness Avenue is one of these critical
corridors.
III. Alternatives
Alternatives to be reviewed in the
include a (1) No-Project/Baseline
Alternative, which would encompass
low cost improvements to corridor bus
services, such as bus stop amenities and
limited transit signal priority; (2) Van
Ness Avenue BRT Project, which would
provide a full complement of BRT
improvements in two or more cross-
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sectional configurations for Van Ness
Avenue between approximately Mission
Street and Lombard Street; and (3) any
other service, alignment or crosssectional alternatives that emerge from
the scoping and alternatives analysis
processes.
The No-Project Alternative assumes a
2030 condition of land use and
transportation capital and service
improvements that are programmed or
planned to be implemented by the San
Francisco Municipal Transportation
Agency (MTA, which includes San
Francisco Muni and the Department of
Parking and Traffic) and other transit
providers in the study area (e.g. Golden
Gate Transit, Caltrain, the commuter rail
service between San Francisco and San
Jose, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit
District, or BART, a regional rail service
provider). For transit, these include
upgraded bus stops and passenger
information/communication systems.
Other transportation system
improvements, such roadway traffic
management measures, street lighting
upgrades, and street resurfacing/
landscaping projects that would be the
responsibility of the San Francisco
Department of Public Works (DPW), the
Public Utilities Commission (PUC), or
the California State Department of
Transportation (Caltrans), will be
included in the 2030 No-Project
network. This network will also form
the background network for the build
alternatives.
The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project
would include, among other features,
dedicated transit lanes within the
existing Van Ness Avenue right-of-way;
sheltered, low-platform passenger
stations with real time bus arrival
passenger information signs, lighting,
and wayfinding; self-service fare
vending on station platforms and onboard proof-of-payment verification;
and advanced transit traffic signal
priority and traffic management systems
to reduce bus delays at signalized
intersections yet maintain acceptable
traffic flow. Passenger stations would be
spaced on average every 940 feet with
local bus service one block to the east.
BRT transitway and stations
improvements would be made entirely
within existing public rights-of-way;
improvements outside of existing public
rights of way are not anticipated with
the possible exception of required
improvements to existing Muni bus
storage and maintenance facilities and
to off-alignment intersections and
parking facilities for mitigation of
project impacts. Variations in the crosssection for the BRT transitway and the
locations of stations are anticipated and
would comprise design options for the
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basic BRT alignment. A two-way
transitway either in the median of Van
Ness Avenue or along the outside curbs
(one northbound BRT lane along the
east curb/parking lane; one southbound
BRT lane along the west curb/parking
lane) and, correspondingly, stations in
the median or as extensions of the
sidewalk were considered in the Van
Ness Avenue BRT Feasibility Study and
warrant further evaluation as part of the
EIS/EIR and alternatives analysis.
The SFCTA in association with Muni
will evaluate the procurement of
modern low-floor high-capacity vehicles
that would be assigned to the BRT
service and have added features, such as
two-sided multidoor access, passenger
station docking assist, and other
amenities. Streetscape improvements,
such as enhanced landscaping and
pedestrian access along Van Ness
Avenue, are also included in the
proposed BRT project.
IV. Probable Effects
FTA and SFCTA will evaluate the
transportation, environmental, social,
and economic impact of each
alternative. Effects of the Van Ness
Avenue BRT Project will be compared
to the No Project/Baseline. The overall
benefits of the Van Ness Avenue BRT
Project, including on transit speeds and
reliability, new riders, and
transportation system user benefits, will
be relative to the No Project/Baseline
Alternative. The Van Ness Avenue BRT
Project Alternative is expected to
improve transit speeds and increase
transit reliability; increase bus transit
ridership; improve access and mobility
for San Francisco residents, many of
whom are highly dependent on transit;
and provide competitive transit access
to major employment and activity
centers relative to the No Project/
Baseline Alternative.
Increased congestion and worsening
conditions for transit service along Van
Ness Avenue are expected without a
significant improvement. The No
Project/Baseline Alternatives would not
eliminate the main impediments to
efficient and effective service in the
corridor—auto/transit conflicts in
mixed-flow lanes. The Van Ness Avenue
BRT Project may affect the following
areas: Traffic operations; parking; local
access and circulation; visual and
aesthetic effects; historic and cultural
resources; disturbance of pre-existing
hazardous wastes; and temporary
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construction-phase impacts. Impacts of
the Van Ness Avenue BRT Project will
be evaluated for both the construction
period and for the long-term period of
operation. Mitigation measures will be
identified and evaluated for avoiding
and reducing adverse effects.
To ensure all significant issues related
to the proposed project are identified
and addressed in the ESI/EIR and
alternatives analysis, comments and
suggestions are invited from all
interested parties. Comments,
suggestions, and questions concerning
the proposed action should be directed
to the contacts listed above.
V. FTA Procedures
In accordance with the 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 and FTA
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts
1500–1508 and 23 CFR part 771); the
conformity requirements of the Clean
Air Act; section 4040 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
Act, will be addressed to the maximum
extent practicable during the NEPA
process. Prior transportation planning
studies may be pertinent to establishing
the purpose and need for the proposed
action and the range of alternatives to be
evaluated in detail in the EIS/EIR. The
Draft EIS/EIR will be prepared
simultaneously with conceptual
engineering for the alternatives,
including bus stop and alignment
options. The Draft EIS/EIR process will
address the potential use of Federal
funds for the proposed action, as well as
assessing social, economic, and
environmental impacts of the proposed
Van Ness Avenue BRT Project. The
Project will be refined to minimize and
mitigate any adverse impacts.
After publication, the Draft EIS/EIR
will be available for public and agency
review and comment, and a public
hearing will be held. Based on the Draft
EIS/EIR and comments received, the
San Francisco County Transportation
Authority Board will select a locally
preferred alternative (LPA) for further
assessment in the Final EIS/EIR, which
will be based on further engineering of
the LPA and other remaining
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54321
alternatives. SFCTA intends to request
FTA approval to enter Project
Development and secure funding under
the Small Starts program prior to
initiating further engineering (e.g.,
preliminary engineering) and preparing
the Final EIS/EIR.
Issued on September 19, 2007.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 07–4713 Filed 9–21–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–M
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Docket No. AB–43 (Sub-No. 180X)]
Illinois Central Railroad Company—
Abandonment Exemption—in Adams
County, MS
Illinois Central Railroad Company
(ICR) has filed a notice of exemption
under 49 CFR Part 1152 Subpart F—
Exempt Abandonments to abandon
approximately 0.46 miles of rail line,
between milepost 148.67 and milepost
148.21, in Natchez, Adams County, MS.
The line traverses United States Postal
Service Zip Code 39120.
ICR has certified that: (1) No local
traffic has moved over the line for at
least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead
traffic on the line to be rerouted; (3) no
formal complaint filed by a user of rail
service on the line (or by a state or local
government entity acting on behalf of
such user) regarding cessation of service
over the line either is pending with the
Surface Transportation Board or with
any U.S. District Court or has been
decided in favor of complainant within
the 2-year period; and (4) the
requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7
(environmental report), 49 CFR 1105.8
(historic report), 49 CFR 1105.11
(transmittal letter), 49 CFR 1105.12
(newspaper publication), and 49 CFR
1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental
agencies) have been met.
As a condition to this exemption, any
employee adversely affected by the
abandonment shall be protected under
Oregon Short Line R. Co.—
Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91
(1979). To address whether this
condition adequately protects affected
employees, a petition for partial
revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)
must be filed.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 184 (Monday, September 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54318-54321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4713]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the Van Ness
Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Project in San Francisco, CA
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40
CFR part 1505.6), and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Section 151710, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in
cooperation with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority
(SFCTA), will prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT) Project, an approximately two-mile transit improvement
along Van Ness Avenue through the City and County of San Francisco,
California. The Project would create dedicated bus lanes from
approximately South Van Ness Avenue and Mission Street (south end) to
Van Ness Avenue and Lombard Street (north end). The project would also
establish high capacity stations with passenger amenities and low-level
boarding platforms; real time bus arrival information systems; proof-
of-payment fare verification; transit signal priority; and modern,
high-capacity, low-floor, multi-door buses.
The EIS/EIR will evaluate the following alternatives: (1) No-
Project/Baseline Alternative; (2) Van Ness Avenue BRT Project, which
will include design options for the configuration of the BRT transitway
and stations; and (3) any additional reasonable alternatives that
emerge from the study process. The EIS will be prepared in accordance
with FTA regulations (23 CFR 771 et seq.) implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as well as provisions of the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy
for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The EIR will be prepared in accordance with the
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California Environmental Quality Act (California Code of Regulation,
Title 14, Chapter 3). As part of the EIS/EIR process, an evaluation of
potential transit improvement alternatives will be completed
(``alternatives analysis'') in accordance with 23 CFR Part 450 and
inform the development of project alternatives.
Previous studies and documents relevant to this action include the
recently completed Van Ness Avenue BRT Feasibility Study (December
2006); 2005 Prop K Strategic Plan (March 2005); 2004 San Francisco
Countywide Transportation Plan (adopted July 20, 2004), and the New
Transportation Expenditure Plan for San Francisco (Proposition K,
approved November 4, 2003). These documents describe the planning and
funding for transportation improvements in San Francisco, including BRT
in major bus corridors. These documents can be downloaded at the Web
site www.sfcta.org, or requested from the Authority.
EIS/EIR preparation will be initiated through a formal NEPA scoping
process, which solicits input on issues and potential project impacts
to consider in the environmental studies. Scoping will be accomplished
through meetings and correspondence with interested persons,
organizations, the general public, and Federal, State, and local
agencies. Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting
comments have been sent to the appropriate Federal, State, and local
agencies, and to private organizations and individuals. Comments on
issues and impacts to be considered in preparation of the EIS/EIR will
be recorded in the project information database.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives
and impacts to be considered must be postmarked no later than October
18, 2007 and should be sent to SFTA at the contact address below.
NEPA Scoping Meeting Date: The public scoping meetings will be held
on October 2, 2007 at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness
Avenue, San Francisco, CA, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The meeting agenda
will include opportunities to speak with project staff, viewing of
information on the project, a brief presentation of the project purpose
and alternatives, and opportunity for meeting participants to comment
on issues of interest. The open house will resume after the
presentation and comment period. Project staff will be present to
receive formal agency and public input regarding the scope of the
environmental studies, key issues, and other suggestions. The meeting
room is accessible to persons with disabilities. Any individual with a
disability who requires special assistance, such as a sign language
interpreter, or any individual who requires English language
interpretation should contact the SFCTA at 415-593-1423 at least 48
hours in advance of the meeting in order for the SFCTA to make
necessary arrangements.
ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at the locations identified
in the NEPA Scoping Meeting Date section above. Written comments should
be sent to: Rachel Hiatt, Senior Transportation Planner, San Francisco
County Transportation Authority; 100 Van Ness Avenue, 26th Floor; San
Francisco, CA 94612. Phone: 415-522-4809 or Rachel.Hiatt@sfcta.org. To
be added to the mailing list for the Van Ness Avenue BRT Project,
contact Ms. Hiatt at the address listed above. Persons with special
needs should leave a message at the phone number above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Turchie, Federal Transit
Administration, Office of Planning and Program Development; 201 Mission
Street, Suite 1650; San Francisco, CA 94105. Phone: 415-744-2737 or
Donna.Turchie@dot.gov. Additional information on the Van Ness Avenue
BRT Project can be found on the project Web site at: https://
www.vannessbrt.org/ and by contacting Rachel Hiatt at the SFCTA.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Project Background
The proposed project would be located in a key north-south
transportation corridor in the heart of the City and County of San
Francisco. Van Ness Avenue is an important roadway and transit route
serving high density commercial, residential, and civic/institutional
areas along its length from the U.S. and State Highway Route 101
freeway on the south to San Francisco Bay on the north. It is an at-
grade continuation of U.S. and State Highway Route 101 from the freeway
to Lombard Street, which continues west to Doyle Drive and the Golden
Gate Bridge. The roadway serves as a major thoroughfare for local
traffic as well as through traffic, carrying over 50,000 people in cars
per day and about 4000 people in vehicles during the pm peak hour.
Transit service is provided by Muni routes 47 and 49, and by Golden
Gate Transit (based in Marin County), which operates commute service
and limited all-day service into San Francisco on Van Ness Avenue.
About 43,000 passengers use Muni Routes 47 and 49 and the Golden Gate
Transit Van Ness routes daily, with approximately 15,000 passengers
riding daily within the Van Ness Avenue segment of service. A number of
major east-west transit routes cross Van Ness Avenue and generate major
bus-to-bus and bus-to-rail transfers with Van Ness Avenue services,
including the muni Metro lines and the Muni lines 38 (Geary) and 38L
(Geary Limited).
Traffic congestion in mix-flow traffic lanes and transit
overcrowding result in poor transit service reliability and low average
bus speeds, currently just 5 to 7 miles per hour during commute
periods. Bus reliability is poor, with high variation in headways and
bus bunching. Transit mode shares are low relative to the potential
transit market along this corridor, where housing densities within one-
quarter mile of Van Ness Avenue average over 90 units per acre, where
46% of households do not own a car (relative to 29% citywide), and
where the city expects to add about 3,800 new housing units and 8,500
new jobs by 2025.
Van Ness Avenue has been identified as a high priority transit
improvement corridor in a number of planning studies and funding
actions by the City. The Authority's Four Corridors Plan (1995) and
Muni's Vision for Rapid Transit (2000) identified Van Ness as a
priority corridor for rapid transit improvements. Along with two other
key transit corridors, Van Ness Avenue was designated for BRT
improvements in the New Expenditure Plan for San Francisco, approved by
voters as Proposition K, the reauthorization of the City's \1/2\ cent
transportation sales tax measure, in November 2003. The Expenditure
Plan is the investment component of the 2004 San Francisco Countywide
Transportation Plan, which sets forth the city's ``blueprint to guide
the development of transportation funding priorities and policy'' with
a key objective being the promotion and implementation of San
Francisco's transit first policy through the development of a network
of fast, reliable transit including bus rapid transit. The Van Ness
Avenue BRT Feasibility Study was initiated in 2004, completed in 2006,
and evaluated the feasibility of four alternative BRT configurations on
Van Ness Avenue. Four BRT alternatives were developed and compared with
a No Project scenario, in conjunction with a comprehensive public and
agency participation program. The Feasibility Study found that all four
BRT configurations are feasible on Van Ness and recommended an
environmental analysis to identify a preferred alternative. The
alternatives form the
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foundation for the BRT improvements to be evaluated in the proposed
project EIS/EIR.
II. Purpose and Need
The City and County of San Francisco adopted as part of the 2004
Countywide Transportation Plan and its investment component, the New
Expenditure Plan for San Francisco, a bus rapid transit strategy for
expanding rapid transit service in San Francisco. The BRT network is
intended to address the following purpose:
1. Support the city's growth and development needs
2. Better serve existing transit riders and stem and reverse the
trend toward transit mode share loss
3. Improve the operational efficiency and cost effectiveness of the
transportation system.
A BRT network can meet those goals by:--
Improving transit levels of service cost effectively.
Strengthening rapid transit services
Raising the cost effectiveness of Muni service and
operational efficiency of transit preferential streets
Contributing to livability of BRT corridors
Specific Van Ness BRT project purpose and need statements linked to
these goals were subsequently established to guide the development of a
BRT project for the Van Ness Avenue corridor. They guided preparation
of the Van Ness Avenue BRT Feasibility Study (2005-2006), and include:
Close the performance gap between transit and automobile
travel on Van Ness Avenue. For transit, this means reducing travel time
(including wait time); significantly increasing reliability and
reducing bunching; reducing crowding; and improving connectivity and
safety.
Raise the operational efficiency of Van Ness Avenue. San
Francisco has limited roadway capacity and no space to expand the
network. It is also difficult in many areas to travel by auto given the
obstacles--limited capacity and resulting congestion on key roadway
segments. It is city policy to encourage travel by higher capacity
modes to expand the transportation network's carrying capacity and use
it more efficiently. BRT offers a means to expand the overall capacity
of Van Ness Avenue. However, transit buses must be separated from the
existing traffic and pedestrian congestion and other impediments to
efficient, fast travel.
Transit infrastructure improvements would allow Muni to operate
buses more efficiently and improve the productivity of buses by
enabling each bus to complete more runs per hour. Frequent stops and
starts and slowed, sometimes uneven, operations in congested conditions
increase the wear and tear on buses and also fuel consumption.
Improving average bus speeds would lead to more efficient operations
and allow Muni to serve more passengers at a lower cost per passenger.
Raise the level of amenities and urban design of Van Ness
Avenue. Van Ness Avenue is currently not an appealing urban environment
for pedestrians. The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project incorporates elements
that enhance the urban design and identity of Van Ness Avenue,
especially at major transit nodes such as Mission Street and South Van
Ness, Market Street, and Geary and O'Farrell streets. Transit capital
improvements properly done and integrated with other design initiatives
would make the street more livable and attractive for residents and
commercial and institutional uses along its length. The BRT on Van Ness
Avenue Project would incorporate pedestrian safety and urban design
features and help transform Van ness Avenue into a ``signature
Preferential Transit Street and distinctive gateway into San
Francisco.''
Accommodate future mobility needs. This need is linked to
the continuing growth in the San Francisco and the region. More housing
and more households now exist than in 2000 and they are projected to
continue growing, with population increasing almost 20 percent by 2030
(Association of Bay Area Governments, Projections 2005; San Francisco's
2000 population was 776,733; 2030 population is projected to be
924,600). Employment is forecast to grown by 29 percent during the same
period, to 829,090 jobs available by 2030 (ABAG). Along the Van Ness
Avenue corridor itself, over 3,800 new housing units and 8,500 new jobs
are anticipated. Transit priority and other congestion management
measures offer an important way to accommodate the resulting growth in
travel demand, which will be focused on the major transportation
corridors in the city. Van Ness Avenue is one of these critical
corridors.
III. Alternatives
Alternatives to be reviewed in the include a (1) No-Project/
Baseline Alternative, which would encompass low cost improvements to
corridor bus services, such as bus stop amenities and limited transit
signal priority; (2) Van Ness Avenue BRT Project, which would provide a
full complement of BRT improvements in two or more cross-sectional
configurations for Van Ness Avenue between approximately Mission Street
and Lombard Street; and (3) any other service, alignment or cross-
sectional alternatives that emerge from the scoping and alternatives
analysis processes.
The No-Project Alternative assumes a 2030 condition of land use and
transportation capital and service improvements that are programmed or
planned to be implemented by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation
Agency (MTA, which includes San Francisco Muni and the Department of
Parking and Traffic) and other transit providers in the study area
(e.g. Golden Gate Transit, Caltrain, the commuter rail service between
San Francisco and San Jose, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, or
BART, a regional rail service provider). For transit, these include
upgraded bus stops and passenger information/communication systems.
Other transportation system improvements, such roadway traffic
management measures, street lighting upgrades, and street resurfacing/
landscaping projects that would be the responsibility of the San
Francisco Department of Public Works (DPW), the Public Utilities
Commission (PUC), or the California State Department of Transportation
(Caltrans), will be included in the 2030 No-Project network. This
network will also form the background network for the build
alternatives.
The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project would include, among other
features, dedicated transit lanes within the existing Van Ness Avenue
right-of-way; sheltered, low-platform passenger stations with real time
bus arrival passenger information signs, lighting, and wayfinding;
self-service fare vending on station platforms and on-board proof-of-
payment verification; and advanced transit traffic signal priority and
traffic management systems to reduce bus delays at signalized
intersections yet maintain acceptable traffic flow. Passenger stations
would be spaced on average every 940 feet with local bus service one
block to the east. BRT transitway and stations improvements would be
made entirely within existing public rights-of-way; improvements
outside of existing public rights of way are not anticipated with the
possible exception of required improvements to existing Muni bus
storage and maintenance facilities and to off-alignment intersections
and parking facilities for mitigation of project impacts. Variations in
the cross-section for the BRT transitway and the locations of stations
are anticipated and would comprise design options for the
[[Page 54321]]
basic BRT alignment. A two-way transitway either in the median of Van
Ness Avenue or along the outside curbs (one northbound BRT lane along
the east curb/parking lane; one southbound BRT lane along the west
curb/parking lane) and, correspondingly, stations in the median or as
extensions of the sidewalk were considered in the Van Ness Avenue BRT
Feasibility Study and warrant further evaluation as part of the EIS/EIR
and alternatives analysis.
The SFCTA in association with Muni will evaluate the procurement of
modern low-floor high-capacity vehicles that would be assigned to the
BRT service and have added features, such as two-sided multidoor
access, passenger station docking assist, and other amenities.
Streetscape improvements, such as enhanced landscaping and pedestrian
access along Van Ness Avenue, are also included in the proposed BRT
project.
IV. Probable Effects
FTA and SFCTA will evaluate the transportation, environmental,
social, and economic impact of each alternative. Effects of the Van
Ness Avenue BRT Project will be compared to the No Project/Baseline.
The overall benefits of the Van Ness Avenue BRT Project, including on
transit speeds and reliability, new riders, and transportation system
user benefits, will be relative to the No Project/Baseline Alternative.
The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project Alternative is expected to improve
transit speeds and increase transit reliability; increase bus transit
ridership; improve access and mobility for San Francisco residents,
many of whom are highly dependent on transit; and provide competitive
transit access to major employment and activity centers relative to the
No Project/Baseline Alternative.
Increased congestion and worsening conditions for transit service
along Van Ness Avenue are expected without a significant improvement.
The No Project/Baseline Alternatives would not eliminate the main
impediments to efficient and effective service in the corridor--auto/
transit conflicts in mixed-flow lanes. The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project
may affect the following areas: Traffic operations; parking; local
access and circulation; visual and aesthetic effects; historic and
cultural resources; disturbance of pre-existing hazardous wastes; and
temporary construction-phase impacts. Impacts of the Van Ness Avenue
BRT Project will be evaluated for both the construction period and for
the long-term period of operation. Mitigation measures will be
identified and evaluated for avoiding and reducing adverse effects.
To ensure all significant issues related to the proposed project
are identified and addressed in the ESI/EIR and alternatives analysis,
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties.
Comments, suggestions, and questions concerning the proposed action
should be directed to the contacts listed above.
V. FTA Procedures
In accordance with the 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 and
FTA implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508 and 23 CFR part 771); the
conformity requirements of the Clean Air Act; section 4040 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 Act, will be addressed
to the maximum extent practicable during the NEPA process. Prior
transportation planning studies may be pertinent to establishing the
purpose and need for the proposed action and the range of alternatives
to be evaluated in detail in the EIS/EIR. The Draft EIS/EIR will be
prepared simultaneously with conceptual engineering for the
alternatives, including bus stop and alignment options. The Draft EIS/
EIR process will address the potential use of Federal funds for the
proposed action, as well as assessing social, economic, and
environmental impacts of the proposed Van Ness Avenue BRT Project. The
Project will be refined to minimize and mitigate any adverse impacts.
After publication, the Draft EIS/EIR will be available for public
and agency review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. Based
on the Draft EIS/EIR and comments received, the San Francisco County
Transportation Authority Board will select a locally preferred
alternative (LPA) for further assessment in the Final EIS/EIR, which
will be based on further engineering of the LPA and other remaining
alternatives. SFCTA intends to request FTA approval to enter Project
Development and secure funding under the Small Starts program prior to
initiating further engineering (e.g., preliminary engineering) and
preparing the Final EIS/EIR.
Issued on September 19, 2007.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 07-4713 Filed 9-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-M
