Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on the Restoration of Rail Service in the Northern Branch Corridor, Bergen and Hudson Counties, NJ, 56123-56126 [E7-19434]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 2, 2007 / Notices
Avenue, SE., Docket Operations, M–30,
West Building, Ground Floor, Room
W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001.
4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Docket Operations, M–30,
West Building, Ground Floor, Room
W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Instructions: You must include the
agency name and docket number for this
notice at the beginning of your
comments. Submit two copies of your
comments if you submit them by mail.
For confirmation that FTA has received
your comments, include a selfaddressed stamped postcard. Note that
all comments received, including any
personal information, will be posted
and will be available to Internet users,
without change, to
www.regulations.gov. You may review
DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement
in the Federal Register published April
11, 2000, (65 FR 19477), or you may
visit www.regulations.gov. Docket: For
access to the docket to read background
documents and comments received, go
to www.regulations.gov at any time.
Background documents and comments
received may also be viewed at the U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Docket
Operations, M–30, West Building,
Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590–0001 between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
David Schneider, FTA Office of Program
Management 202–493–0175, fax: 202–
366–3475, or e-mail:
david.schneider@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested
parties are invited to send comments
regarding any aspect of this information
collection, including: (1) The necessity
and utility of the information collection
for the proper performance of the
functions of the FTA; (2) the accuracy
of the estimated burden; (3) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the collected information; and (4)
ways to minimize the collection burden
without reducing the quality of the
collected information. Comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval of this
information collection.
Title: 49 U.S.C. 5317, New Freedom
Program.
(OMB Number: 2132–NEW)
Background: 49 U.S.C. 5317, the New
Freedom Program, authorizes the
Secretary of Transportation to make
grants to states and designated
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recipients in urbanized areas of 200,000
persons or greater to reduce barriers to
transportation services and expand the
transportation mobility options
available to people with disabilities
beyond the requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
of 1990. Grant recipients are required to
make information available to the public
and to publish a program of projects
which identifies the subrecipients and
projects for which the State or
designated recipient is applying for
financial assistance. FTA uses the
information to determine eligibility for
funding and to monitor the grantees’
progress in implementing and
completing project activities. FTA
collects performance information from
designated recipients in rural areas,
small urbanized areas and other direct
recipients for small urbanized areas
annually and collects performance
information from designated recipients
in large urbanized areas on a quarterly
basis. The information submitted
ensures FTA’s compliance with
applicable federal laws and OMB
Circular A–102.
Respondents: State & local
government, private non-profit
organizations and public transportation
authorities.
Estimated Annual Burden on
Respondents: 251 hours for each of the
206 respondents.
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
122,374 hours.
Frequency: Annual and quarterly.
Issued: September 26, 2007.
Ann Linnertz,
Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–19420 Filed 10–1–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement on the Restoration of
Rail Service in the Northern Branch
Corridor, Bergen and Hudson
Counties, NJ
AGENCY:
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA).
Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the New
Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ
TRANSIT) intend to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement to
study the restoration of rail passenger
service on the Northern Branch rail
corridor between North Bergen, Hudson
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56123
County, and Tenafly, Bergen County.
The EIS will be prepared in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) of
1969 and the regulations implementing
NEPA set forth in 40 CFR Parts 1500–
1508 and 23 CFR Part 771, as well as
provisions of the recently enacted Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for
Users (SAFETEA–LU). The purpose of
this Notice is to alert interested parties
regarding the plan to prepare the EIS, to
provide information on the nature of the
proposed transit project, to invite
participation in the EIS process,
including comments on the scope of the
EIS proposed in this notice, and to
announce that public scoping meetings
will be conducted. This notice
supersedes the FTA notice of June 18,
2001 entitled ‘‘Major Investment Study/
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the Northern Branch Corridor,
Bergen County, New Jersey.’’
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of the EIS should be sent to Linda A.
Mosch, P.E., NJ TRANSIT Project
Manager, by November 7, 2007. Public
scoping meetings will be held on
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 3 to 5
p.m. and at 7 to 9 p.m. at locations
indicated under ADDRESSES below. An
interagency scoping meeting will be
scheduled after agencies with an
interest in the proposed project have
been identified.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
scope of the EIS should be sent to Linda
A. Mosch, P.E, Project Director—
Northern Branch EIS, NJ TRANSIT, One
Penn Plaza East, Newark, NJ 07105–
2246. Comments may also be offered at
the public scoping meetings. The
address for the public scoping meeting
is as follows: Crowne Plaza Englewood
Hotel, 401 S. Van Brunt St., Englewood,
NJ 07631.
This location is accessible by persons
with disabilities. If special translation or
signing services or other special
accommodations are needed, please
contact the Project Director, Linda A.
Mosch, P.E., at (973) 491–8481 least 48
hours before the meeting. A scoping
information packet is available on the
NJ TRANSIT Web site at https://
NorthernBranchCorridor.com or by
calling the Project Director, Linda A.
Mosch, P.E., at (973) 491–8481. Copies
will also be available at the scoping
meetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Rebecca Reyes-Alicea, Community
Planner, Federal Transit
Administration, One Bowling Green,
Room 429, New York, New York,
10004–1415, telephone (212) 668–2203.
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 2, 2007 / Notices
I. Scoping
In accordance with Section 6002 of
SAFETEA–LU, FTA and NJT invite
comment on the scope of the EIS,
specifically on project’s purpose and
need, the alternatives to be evaluated
that may address the purpose and need,
and the impacts of the alternatives
considered. To ensure that these issues
are identified, the scoping meetings will
begin with a formal presentation
followed by the opportunity for the
public to comment on the scope of the
EIS. Oral and written comments may be
given at the scoping meetings; a
stenographer will record all comments.
Those wishing to speak are required to
register at the meeting location.
Registration to speak will begin at 2:30
p.m. and will remain open until 4:30
p.m. for the afternoon session;
registration to speak will begin at 6:30
p.m. and will remain open until 8:30
p.m. for the evening session. Written
comments may be submitted at the
meeting or may be mailed to the project
manager at the address in ADDRESSES
above.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
II. Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Project
The purpose of the Northern Branch
project is to address the transportation
needs of the Northern Branch Corridor
through the re-introduction of rail
transit service. The project area is
heavily populated and is centrally
located in the New York/New Jersey
metropolitan area. The area is directly
west of the Hudson River, in close
proximity to Manhattan. The area’s
location relative to New York City has
played an important role in its
development and continues to be an
important factor in the economy of the
area.
Most of the transportation problems
in the project area are the result of the
great changes that have taken place
during the past 30 years. While Bergen
County’s population had not changed
significantly until 1990, there have been
other significant changes. The number
of households has grown, resulting in
smaller households and more workers
per household than in the past. Even
more significant has been the growth in
employment from 1960 to today. The
number of jobs only tells part of the
story about the project area’s economy.
The economy is diversifying. A growing
number of the jobs are now service
oriented, with fewer in the
manufacturing sector. This shift has
contributed to the area’s transportation
problems because service sector
businesses generate more trips than
manufacturing businesses, especially
during the off-peak travel periods.
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The growth in households and the
diversification of the economy have
caused an increase in travel in the
project area in recent years. The
increases have been during the peak
travel periods, the off-peak weekday
periods, and the weekend periods.
Congestion on the roads is a growing
problem, which is reducing overall
mobility in the area and could constrain
future economic growth, and may affect
the area’s very high standard of living.
While the transportation system
continues to provide a fairly high level
of mobility for some residents and
businesses, many parts of the system are
straining to accommodate the new
demands caused by a growing economy.
The area’s roadways provide the best
evidence of the strains on the system.
While more roads are congested for
longer periods, there are few
opportunities to expand local or
regional roadway capacity. The project
area has a substantial transit system.
However, there is evidence that the
system is not providing service for all of
the markets that could be served.
Further investments in transit would
improve mobility in Bergen County,
alleviating some traffic congestion, and
supporting continued economic growth.
Provision of new transportation service
in the Northern Branch Corridor would
address:
• Commuting to New York City
(trans-Hudson) from Bergen County;
• Inter- and intra-corridor
commuting, both to employment centers
within the project corridor, and from the
project corridor to employment
locations in other areas of New Jersey;
and,
• Non-work trips including business,
shopping, recreational, and education to
New York City, within the corridor, and
to destinations outside the corridor in
New Jersey.
Based on the needs identified in the
project area, goals and objectives in the
Northern Branch Corridor were
identified in the early planning studies
and are as follows.
Goal 1: Meet the Needs of Travelers in
the Project Area
Objectives:
• Attract riders to transit. A central
goal of the project is to attract more
riders to rail transit in the Northern
Branch corridor. In spite of its proximity
to New York, eastern Bergen County
continues to have high single occupancy
vehicle commutation. The goal of reintroducing rail transit is to encourage
a greater transit ridership both on
opening day and into the future.
• Improve travel time. Travelers in
the project area put a high value on their
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time, and are looking for travel options
that will improve their travel time and
reliability.
• Improve convenience. Travelers are
looking for new travel options that will
make traveling in the region more
convenient. They are looking for
frequent service, adequate parking at
stations, competitive travel times, and
convenient connections to other transit
services, such as ferries, PATH, and
feeder services.
• Provide more options for travelers.
Today, travelers are severely limited in
their travel options. Transit can be used
for only a very small portion of the
area’s travel needs. Travelers want more
travel options to meet their diverse
travel needs. Options could include
service to many destinations, including
Midtown, Lower Manhattan, the
Hudson River Waterfront, Newark, and
recreational areas, such as the Sports
Complex and the Jersey Shore,
especially on weekends and at night.
• Improve services for the lowincome/minority/transit dependent
travelers. Transit dependent residents in
the project area need good transit
options to more of the region’s jobs, not
only the jobs in Manhattan, but growing
employment centers in New Jersey, like
the Hudson River Waterfront area,
Newark, the Meadowlands, and Bergen
and Rockland employment centers.
Goal 2: Advance Cost-Effective Transit
Solutions
Objectives:
• Support favorable farebox recovery.
For the vast majority of transit systems,
fare revenue does not cover the cost of
providing service. However, higher
farebox recovery ratios allow transit
agencies to maximize the amount of
service that can be provided for the
same dollar of public operating subsidy.
One of the goals of the Northern Branch
project is to introduce rail transit to the
corridor in a manner that is sensitive to
the need to minimize the operating
subsidy required to run the service. This
will help ensure that the provision of
transit service in the corridor is
financially sustainable.
• Advance cost-effective transit
solutions. The objective is to advance a
project that, from a cost-benefit
perspective, provides the greatest
overall benefit at the lowest capital cost.
• Support future expansion,
scalability and affordability. The
Northern Branch project should allow
for future transit expansion while at the
same time provide a solution that is
affordable to construct. With limited
capital funds, the ability to advance
projects in phases helps to keep the
projects affordable. Project scalability
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 2, 2007 / Notices
allows projects to be constructed
without precluding future expansion
projects. One of the criteria on which
the Northern Branch project will be
evaluated is the degree to which one
phase of a project integrates into a more
global planning effort for transportation
improvement in the region.
Goal 3: Encourage Economic Growth
Objectives:
• Provide transportation capacity to
support growth. Population and
employment growth in and around
Bergen County and Hudson County is
expected to continue in the future.
Additional transportation capacity and
new travel options will be needed to
support this growth, providing access
between the jobs in the counties and
surrounding residential communities.
Growing congestion will continue to
have negative impacts on the area’s
economy in the future.
• Help attract new businesses.
Companies looking to locate new
facilities, or expand existing facilities in
Bergen County and Hudson County, will
be looking for assurances that steps are
being taken to provide the area with
new travel alternatives. One of the major
assets of this area is its proximity to
New York City and its role in sustaining
the strength of the State Plan’s
Metropolitan Planning Area. New
transportation choices that improve
access to New York and the rest of the
region will help Bergen County and
Hudson County to maintain its
competitive advantage in the region.
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Goal 4: Improve regional access
Objectives:
• Provide connections to a variety of
locations within the region. With the
one exception of Manhattan, Bergen
County’s access to the rest of the region
is almost entirely by auto, on highways
that are becoming increasingly
congested. With the completion of the
Secaucus Transfer, the areas served by
the Main, Bergen, and Pascack Valley
lines now benefit from rail access to the
growing Hudson River Waterfront area,
to Newark, to Trenton, and to the major
recreational attractions, like the
Meadowlands and the New Jersey
Shore.
Goal 5: Reduce Roadway Congestion
Objectives:
• Provide more travel options for
travelers trying to avoid highway
congestion. Major regional highways in
the project area are heavily congested.
There are a limited number of major
highways, each serving intra-county and
regional travel needs. Congestion in
Bergen County is a growing problem,
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which is likely to become more serious
in the future. Transit strategies are
unlikely to substantially reduce
congestion, but can provide useful new
travel alternatives for travelers trying to
avoid congestion.
Goal 6: Enhance the Transit Network
Objectives:
• Eliminate gaps in the rail network.
Bergen County’s transit share for trips to
Manhattan is lower than any other part
of northern New Jersey. This is due to
several gaps in the transit network
serving the area. For example, there is
no rail service in eastern Bergen County.
The closest rail line is the Pascack
Valley Line, which is west of the
Hackensack River. This inconvenient
and capacity-constrained line is not an
option for most residents of eastern
Bergen County. Also, rail service is
infrequent during off-peak periods. Rail
service is best to Lower Manhattan, via
PATH and ferry, less effective to the
Valley, between Canal Street and 34th
Street, via PATH, and most difficult to
Midtown.
• Eliminate gaps in the bus network.
The bus network in eastern Bergen
County also has some gaps. First, the
network only serves Midtown
Manhattan. Also, in the eastern most
parts of the county, there is little or no
bus service. In the more central parts of
the study area there are many bus
routes. However, these routes are
generally slow because they travel on
local roads and make many stops along
the route to pick up passengers.
III. Alternatives Proposed for
Consideration
It is proposed that the EIS evaluate a
Future No Build Alternative and Build
alternatives of two modes: dieselmultiple-unit service from North Bergen
to Tenafly, with a connection to the
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail at Tonnelle
Avenue in North Bergen; and an
extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light
Rail from its existing terminus at
Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen to
Tenafly. Additionally, the EIS will
evaluate both modal alternatives with a
terminus at NJ Route 4 in Englewood.
Future No Build Alternative: the
Future No Build consists of the
transportation system expected to be in
place in the project design year if the
proposed project were not built. It
includes all other projects currently in
the North Jersey Transportation
Authority’s 20-year metropolitan
transportation plan.
Diesel-multiple-unit vehicle: These
alternatives would involve
simultaneous operation of rail passenger
and freight operations using the
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56125
Northern Branch Corridor right-of-way.
Terminal stations would be located at
Tenafly, in the vicinity of Hudson
Avenue; or at NJ Route 4 in Englewood.
Light rail vehicle: These alternatives
would involve time-separated operation
of rail passenger and freight operations
using the Northern Branch Corridor
right-of-way. Rail passenger service
would operate between 5:30 a.m. and
10:30 p.m. with freight operations
between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Terminal
stations would be located at Tenafly, in
the vicinity of Hudson Avenue; or at NJ
Route 4 in Englewood. In order to
accommodate the shift of freight service
to nighttime operation, corridor
improvements would be constructed
between Tenafly and Northvale.
The build alternatives will involve
construction of new transportation
infrastructure, including tracks, stations
and yards. As many as 11 station
locations will be evaluated. Any
additional reasonable alternatives that
come to light during the scoping process
will also be evaluated.
IV. Probable Effects
The FTA and NJ TRANSIT will
evaluate both project-specific and
cumulative changes to the social,
economic and physical environment—
including land use and socioeconomic
conditions, ecology, water resources,
historic and archaeological resources,
visual character and aesthetics,
contaminated and hazardous materials,
transportation, air quality, noise and
vibration, and environmental justice
effects. Mitigation of all adverse impacts
will be considered.
V. FTA Procedures
In accordance with 23 CFR 771.105(a)
and 771.133, 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
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
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56126
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 2, 2007 / Notices
12898 on environmental justice, 11988
on floodplain management, and 11990
on wetlands.
Issued on: September 24, 2007.
Brigid Hynes-Cherin,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region 2.
[FR Doc. E7–19434 Filed 10–1–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for Proposed Transit
Improvements in the Crenshaw-Prairie
Transit Corridor, Los Angeles, CA
AGENCY:
Federal Transit Administration,
DOT.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the Los
Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
intend to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed
Crenshaw-Prairie Transit Corridor
Project. The proposed project would
provide for transit improvements within
the Crenshaw-Prairie Corridor, which
extends approximately 10 miles from
Wilshire Boulevard on the north to El
Segundo Boulevard on the south.
The study area for the project
includes portions of five jurisdictions:
the Cities of Los Angeles, Inglewood,
Hawthorne, El Segundo, as well as
portions of unincorporated Los Angeles
County, California. The study area is
generally defined as the area extending
north to Wilshire Boulevard, east to
Arlington Avenue, south to El Segundo
Boulevard, and west to Sepulveda and
La Tijera Boulevards. A variety of land
uses exist within the study area
including single- and multi-family
residences and commercial uses north
of the Interstate 10 (I–10) freeway and
south of Slauson Avenue, commercial
uses along Crenshaw Boulevard and in
Hawthorne, industrial and public land
uses in Inglewood and El Segundo, as
well as redevelopment areas in Los
Angeles, Inglewood, and Hawthorne.
The EIS will be prepared in
accordance with the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and its implementing
regulations. The Draft EIS will be
combined with the planning
Alternatives Analysis required by 49
U.S.C. 5309 for New Starts-funded
projects. LACMTA will also use the EIS
document to comply with the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),
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which requires an Environmental
Impact Report (EIR). The purpose of this
notice is to alert interested parties
regarding the intent to prepare the EIS,
to provide information on the nature of
the proposed project and possible
alternatives, to invite public
participation in the EIS process
(including providing comments on the
scope of the Alternatives Analysis/Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (AA/
DEIS), to announce that public scoping
meetings will be conducted, and to
identify participating and cooperating
agency contacts.
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of the EIS, including the project’s
purpose and need, the alternatives to be
considered, the impacts to be evaluated,
and the methodologies to be used in the
evaluations should be sent to LACMTA
on or before November 5, 2007 at the
address below. See ADDRESSES below for
the address to which written public
comments may be sent. Public scoping
meetings to accept comments on the
scope of the EIS/EIR will be held on the
following dates:
• Monday, October 15, 2007, from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m., at Darby Park, 3400 W.
Arbor Vitae Street, Inglewood, CA
90305.
• Wednesday, October 17, 2007, from
6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Nate Holden
Performing Arts Center, 4718 W.
Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
90016.
• Saturday, October 20, 2007, from 9
a.m. to 11 a.m., at Audubon Middle
School, 4120 11th Avenue, Los Angeles,
CA 90008.
The project’s purpose and need, and
the initial set of alternatives proposed
for study will be presented at these
meetings. The buildings used for the
scoping meetings are accessible to
persons with disabilities. Any
individual who requires special
assistance, such as a sign language
interpreter, to participate in a scoping
meeting should contact Ms. Susan
Gilmore, Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(LACMTA) at 213–922–7287, or
gilmores@metro.net.
Scoping materials will be available at
the meetings and are available on the
LACMTA Web site (www.metro.net/
crenshaw). Hard copies of the scoping
materials may also be obtained from Ms.
Susan Gilmore, Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(LACMTA) at 213–922–7287, or
gilmores@metro.net. An interagency
scoping meeting will be held on
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 from 1 p.m.
to 3 p.m. at LACMTA, One Gateway
Plaza (Gateway Conference Room, 3rd
Floor), Los Angeles, CA 90012.
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Written comments should
be sent to Mr. Alan Patashnick, Project
Manager and Director of South Bay Area
Team, Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, One Gateway
Plaza, Mail Stop: 99–22–3, Los Angeles,
California 90012, e-mail address
patashnickalan@metro.net. The
locations of the public scoping meetings
are given above under DATES.
ADDRESSES:
Mr.
Ray Tellis, Team Leader, Los Angeles
Metropolitan Office, Federal Transit
Administration, 888 South Figueroa
Street, Suite 1850, Los Angeles, CA
90017, phone (213) 202–3950, e-mail
ray.tellis@dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scoping
The FTA and LACMTA invite all
interested individuals and
organizations, public agencies, and
Native American Tribes to comment on
the scope of the EIS, including the
project’s purpose and need, the
alternatives to be studied, the impacts to
be evaluated, and the evaluation
methods to be used. Comments should
focus on: Alternatives that may be less
costly or have less environmental or
community impacts while achieving
similar transportation objectives, and
the identification of any significant
social, economic, or environmental
issues relating to the alternatives.
Purpose and Need for the Project
The project purpose is to improve
public transit service and mobility in
the Crenshaw-Prairie Corridor between
Wilshire and El Segundo Boulevards.
The overall goal of the proposed project
is to improve mobility in the corridor by
connecting with existing lines such as
the Metro Green Line or approved
transit lines, such as the Exposition
Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line (under
construction). The proposed project is
included in the current LACMTA LongRange Transportation Plan and in the
Southern California Association of
Governments’ 2004 Regional
Transportation Plan (https://
www.scag.ca.gov/rtp2004/2004/Final/
07RTPProjectList.xls).
Mobility issues in this corridor have
been well documented in many studies,
including the Crenshaw-Prairie Corridor
Preliminary Planning Study (1994), the
Route Refinement Study (2000), and the
Major Investment Study (MIS) (2003).
These reports are available for review on
the LACMTA Web site (https://
www.metro.net/crenshaw). Additional
considerations supporting the project’s
need include:
E:\FR\FM\02OCN1.SGM
02OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56123-56126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19434]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on the
Restoration of Rail Service in the Northern Branch Corridor, Bergen and
Hudson Counties, NJ
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the New Jersey
Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT) intend to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement to study the restoration of rail passenger service on
the Northern Branch rail corridor between North Bergen, Hudson County,
and Tenafly, Bergen County. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) of
1969 and the regulations implementing NEPA set forth in 40 CFR Parts
1500-1508 and 23 CFR Part 771, as well as provisions of the recently
enacted Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The purpose of this Notice is to
alert interested parties regarding the plan to prepare the EIS, to
provide information on the nature of the proposed transit project, to
invite participation in the EIS process, including comments on the
scope of the EIS proposed in this notice, and to announce that public
scoping meetings will be conducted. This notice supersedes the FTA
notice of June 18, 2001 entitled ``Major Investment Study/Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for the Northern Branch Corridor, Bergen
County, New Jersey.''
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to Linda
A. Mosch, P.E., NJ TRANSIT Project Manager, by November 7, 2007. Public
scoping meetings will be held on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 3 to 5
p.m. and at 7 to 9 p.m. at locations indicated under ADDRESSES below.
An interagency scoping meeting will be scheduled after agencies with an
interest in the proposed project have been identified.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to
Linda A. Mosch, P.E, Project Director--Northern Branch EIS, NJ TRANSIT,
One Penn Plaza East, Newark, NJ 07105-2246. Comments may also be
offered at the public scoping meetings. The address for the public
scoping meeting is as follows: Crowne Plaza Englewood Hotel, 401 S. Van
Brunt St., Englewood, NJ 07631.
This location is accessible by persons with disabilities. If
special translation or signing services or other special accommodations
are needed, please contact the Project Director, Linda A. Mosch, P.E.,
at (973) 491-8481 least 48 hours before the meeting. A scoping
information packet is available on the NJ TRANSIT Web site at https://
NorthernBranchCorridor.com or by calling the Project Director, Linda A.
Mosch, P.E., at (973) 491-8481. Copies will also be available at the
scoping meetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Rebecca Reyes-Alicea, Community
Planner, Federal Transit Administration, One Bowling Green, Room 429,
New York, New York, 10004-1415, telephone (212) 668-2203.
[[Page 56124]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Scoping
In accordance with Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU, FTA and NJT invite
comment on the scope of the EIS, specifically on project's purpose and
need, the alternatives to be evaluated that may address the purpose and
need, and the impacts of the alternatives considered. To ensure that
these issues are identified, the scoping meetings will begin with a
formal presentation followed by the opportunity for the public to
comment on the scope of the EIS. Oral and written comments may be given
at the scoping meetings; a stenographer will record all comments. Those
wishing to speak are required to register at the meeting location.
Registration to speak will begin at 2:30 p.m. and will remain open
until 4:30 p.m. for the afternoon session; registration to speak will
begin at 6:30 p.m. and will remain open until 8:30 p.m. for the evening
session. Written comments may be submitted at the meeting or may be
mailed to the project manager at the address in ADDRESSES above.
II. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Project
The purpose of the Northern Branch project is to address the
transportation needs of the Northern Branch Corridor through the re-
introduction of rail transit service. The project area is heavily
populated and is centrally located in the New York/New Jersey
metropolitan area. The area is directly west of the Hudson River, in
close proximity to Manhattan. The area's location relative to New York
City has played an important role in its development and continues to
be an important factor in the economy of the area.
Most of the transportation problems in the project area are the
result of the great changes that have taken place during the past 30
years. While Bergen County's population had not changed significantly
until 1990, there have been other significant changes. The number of
households has grown, resulting in smaller households and more workers
per household than in the past. Even more significant has been the
growth in employment from 1960 to today. The number of jobs only tells
part of the story about the project area's economy. The economy is
diversifying. A growing number of the jobs are now service oriented,
with fewer in the manufacturing sector. This shift has contributed to
the area's transportation problems because service sector businesses
generate more trips than manufacturing businesses, especially during
the off-peak travel periods.
The growth in households and the diversification of the economy
have caused an increase in travel in the project area in recent years.
The increases have been during the peak travel periods, the off-peak
weekday periods, and the weekend periods. Congestion on the roads is a
growing problem, which is reducing overall mobility in the area and
could constrain future economic growth, and may affect the area's very
high standard of living.
While the transportation system continues to provide a fairly high
level of mobility for some residents and businesses, many parts of the
system are straining to accommodate the new demands caused by a growing
economy. The area's roadways provide the best evidence of the strains
on the system. While more roads are congested for longer periods, there
are few opportunities to expand local or regional roadway capacity. The
project area has a substantial transit system. However, there is
evidence that the system is not providing service for all of the
markets that could be served. Further investments in transit would
improve mobility in Bergen County, alleviating some traffic congestion,
and supporting continued economic growth. Provision of new
transportation service in the Northern Branch Corridor would address:
Commuting to New York City (trans-Hudson) from Bergen
County;
Inter- and intra-corridor commuting, both to employment
centers within the project corridor, and from the project corridor to
employment locations in other areas of New Jersey; and,
Non-work trips including business, shopping, recreational,
and education to New York City, within the corridor, and to
destinations outside the corridor in New Jersey.
Based on the needs identified in the project area, goals and
objectives in the Northern Branch Corridor were identified in the early
planning studies and are as follows.
Goal 1: Meet the Needs of Travelers in the Project Area
Objectives:
Attract riders to transit. A central goal of the project
is to attract more riders to rail transit in the Northern Branch
corridor. In spite of its proximity to New York, eastern Bergen County
continues to have high single occupancy vehicle commutation. The goal
of re-introducing rail transit is to encourage a greater transit
ridership both on opening day and into the future.
Improve travel time. Travelers in the project area put a
high value on their time, and are looking for travel options that will
improve their travel time and reliability.
Improve convenience. Travelers are looking for new travel
options that will make traveling in the region more convenient. They
are looking for frequent service, adequate parking at stations,
competitive travel times, and convenient connections to other transit
services, such as ferries, PATH, and feeder services.
Provide more options for travelers. Today, travelers are
severely limited in their travel options. Transit can be used for only
a very small portion of the area's travel needs. Travelers want more
travel options to meet their diverse travel needs. Options could
include service to many destinations, including Midtown, Lower
Manhattan, the Hudson River Waterfront, Newark, and recreational areas,
such as the Sports Complex and the Jersey Shore, especially on weekends
and at night.
Improve services for the low-income/minority/transit
dependent travelers. Transit dependent residents in the project area
need good transit options to more of the region's jobs, not only the
jobs in Manhattan, but growing employment centers in New Jersey, like
the Hudson River Waterfront area, Newark, the Meadowlands, and Bergen
and Rockland employment centers.
Goal 2: Advance Cost-Effective Transit Solutions
Objectives:
Support favorable farebox recovery. For the vast majority
of transit systems, fare revenue does not cover the cost of providing
service. However, higher farebox recovery ratios allow transit agencies
to maximize the amount of service that can be provided for the same
dollar of public operating subsidy. One of the goals of the Northern
Branch project is to introduce rail transit to the corridor in a manner
that is sensitive to the need to minimize the operating subsidy
required to run the service. This will help ensure that the provision
of transit service in the corridor is financially sustainable.
Advance cost-effective transit solutions. The objective is
to advance a project that, from a cost-benefit perspective, provides
the greatest overall benefit at the lowest capital cost.
Support future expansion, scalability and affordability.
The Northern Branch project should allow for future transit expansion
while at the same time provide a solution that is affordable to
construct. With limited capital funds, the ability to advance projects
in phases helps to keep the projects affordable. Project scalability
[[Page 56125]]
allows projects to be constructed without precluding future expansion
projects. One of the criteria on which the Northern Branch project will
be evaluated is the degree to which one phase of a project integrates
into a more global planning effort for transportation improvement in
the region.
Goal 3: Encourage Economic Growth
Objectives:
Provide transportation capacity to support growth.
Population and employment growth in and around Bergen County and Hudson
County is expected to continue in the future. Additional transportation
capacity and new travel options will be needed to support this growth,
providing access between the jobs in the counties and surrounding
residential communities. Growing congestion will continue to have
negative impacts on the area's economy in the future.
Help attract new businesses. Companies looking to locate
new facilities, or expand existing facilities in Bergen County and
Hudson County, will be looking for assurances that steps are being
taken to provide the area with new travel alternatives. One of the
major assets of this area is its proximity to New York City and its
role in sustaining the strength of the State Plan's Metropolitan
Planning Area. New transportation choices that improve access to New
York and the rest of the region will help Bergen County and Hudson
County to maintain its competitive advantage in the region.
Goal 4: Improve regional access
Objectives:
Provide connections to a variety of locations within the
region. With the one exception of Manhattan, Bergen County's access to
the rest of the region is almost entirely by auto, on highways that are
becoming increasingly congested. With the completion of the Secaucus
Transfer, the areas served by the Main, Bergen, and Pascack Valley
lines now benefit from rail access to the growing Hudson River
Waterfront area, to Newark, to Trenton, and to the major recreational
attractions, like the Meadowlands and the New Jersey Shore.
Goal 5: Reduce Roadway Congestion
Objectives:
Provide more travel options for travelers trying to avoid
highway congestion. Major regional highways in the project area are
heavily congested. There are a limited number of major highways, each
serving intra-county and regional travel needs. Congestion in Bergen
County is a growing problem, which is likely to become more serious in
the future. Transit strategies are unlikely to substantially reduce
congestion, but can provide useful new travel alternatives for
travelers trying to avoid congestion.
Goal 6: Enhance the Transit Network
Objectives:
Eliminate gaps in the rail network. Bergen County's
transit share for trips to Manhattan is lower than any other part of
northern New Jersey. This is due to several gaps in the transit network
serving the area. For example, there is no rail service in eastern
Bergen County. The closest rail line is the Pascack Valley Line, which
is west of the Hackensack River. This inconvenient and capacity-
constrained line is not an option for most residents of eastern Bergen
County. Also, rail service is infrequent during off-peak periods. Rail
service is best to Lower Manhattan, via PATH and ferry, less effective
to the Valley, between Canal Street and 34th Street, via PATH, and most
difficult to Midtown.
Eliminate gaps in the bus network. The bus network in
eastern Bergen County also has some gaps. First, the network only
serves Midtown Manhattan. Also, in the eastern most parts of the
county, there is little or no bus service. In the more central parts of
the study area there are many bus routes. However, these routes are
generally slow because they travel on local roads and make many stops
along the route to pick up passengers.
III. Alternatives Proposed for Consideration
It is proposed that the EIS evaluate a Future No Build Alternative
and Build alternatives of two modes: diesel-multiple-unit service from
North Bergen to Tenafly, with a connection to the Hudson-Bergen Light
Rail at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen; and an extension of the
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail from its existing terminus at Tonnelle Avenue
in North Bergen to Tenafly. Additionally, the EIS will evaluate both
modal alternatives with a terminus at NJ Route 4 in Englewood.
Future No Build Alternative: the Future No Build consists of the
transportation system expected to be in place in the project design
year if the proposed project were not built. It includes all other
projects currently in the North Jersey Transportation Authority's 20-
year metropolitan transportation plan.
Diesel-multiple-unit vehicle: These alternatives would involve
simultaneous operation of rail passenger and freight operations using
the Northern Branch Corridor right-of-way. Terminal stations would be
located at Tenafly, in the vicinity of Hudson Avenue; or at NJ Route 4
in Englewood.
Light rail vehicle: These alternatives would involve time-separated
operation of rail passenger and freight operations using the Northern
Branch Corridor right-of-way. Rail passenger service would operate
between 5:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. with freight operations between 11
p.m. and 5 a.m. Terminal stations would be located at Tenafly, in the
vicinity of Hudson Avenue; or at NJ Route 4 in Englewood. In order to
accommodate the shift of freight service to nighttime operation,
corridor improvements would be constructed between Tenafly and
Northvale.
The build alternatives will involve construction of new
transportation infrastructure, including tracks, stations and yards. As
many as 11 station locations will be evaluated. Any additional
reasonable alternatives that come to light during the scoping process
will also be evaluated.
IV. Probable Effects
The FTA and NJ TRANSIT will evaluate both project-specific and
cumulative changes to the social, economic and physical environment--
including land use and socioeconomic conditions, ecology, water
resources, historic and archaeological resources, visual character and
aesthetics, contaminated and hazardous materials, transportation, air
quality, noise and vibration, and environmental justice effects.
Mitigation of all adverse impacts will be considered.
V. FTA Procedures
In accordance with 23 CFR 771.105(a) and 771.133, 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 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
[[Page 56126]]
12898 on environmental justice, 11988 on floodplain management, and
11990 on wetlands.
Issued on: September 24, 2007.
Brigid Hynes-Cherin,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region 2.
[FR Doc. E7-19434 Filed 10-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
