Early Scoping Notice for an Alternatives Analysis of Proposed Transit Improvements in the Regional Connector Transit Corridor of Los Angeles, CA, 61703-61706 [E7-21424]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 31, 2007 / Notices
NAICS code within 15 days after date of
publication in the Federal Register.
aside for small businesses; servicedisabled veteran-owned small
businesses or SBA’s 8(a) Business
Development Program.
Arthur E. Collins, Jr.,
Director for Government Contracting.
[FR Doc. E7–21407 Filed 10–30–07; 8:45 am]
Comments and source
information must be submitted
November 15, 2007.
DATES:
BILLING CODE 8025–01–P
You may submit comments
and source information to Pamela M.
Fenderson, Program Analyst, U.S. Small
Business Administration, Office of
Government Contracting, 409 3rd Street,
SW., Suite 8800, Washington, DC 20416.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATI0N CONTACT:
Pamela M. Fenderson, Program Analyst,
by telephone at (202) 205–7408; by Fax
at (202) 481–4783; or by e-mail at
Pamela.Fenderson@sba.gov.
Section
8(a)(17) of the Small Business Act (Act),
15 U.S.C. 637(a)(17), requires that
recipients of Federal contracts set aside
for small businesses, service-disabled
veteran-owned small businesses, or
SBA’s 8(a) Business Development
Program provide the product of a small
business manufacturer or processor, if
the recipient is other than the actual
manufacturer or processor of the
product. This requirement is commonly
referred to as the Nonmanufacturer
Rule. The SBA regulations imposing
this requirement are found at 13 CFR
121.406(b). Section 8(a)(17)(b)(iv) of the
Act authorizes SBA to waive the
Nonmanufacturer Rule for any ‘‘class of
products’’ for which there are no small
business manufacturers or processors
available to participate in the Federal
market.
As implemented in SBA’s regulations
at 13 CFR 121.1202(c), in order to be
considered available to participate in
the Federal market for a class of
products, a small business manufacturer
must have submitted a proposal for a
contract solicitation or received a
contract from the Federal government
within the last 24 months. The SBA
defines ‘‘class of products’’ based on a
six digit coding system. The coding
system is the Office of Management and
Budget North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS).
The SBA is currently processing a
request to waive the Nonmanufacturer
Rule for Irradiation Apparatus
Manufacturing North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) code
334517 product number (6525).
The public is invited to comment or
provide source information to SBA on
the proposed waivers of the
Nonmanufacturer Rule for this class of
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Summary Notice No. PE–2007–41]
Petitions for Exemption; Summary of
Petitions Received
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of petitions for
exemption received.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This notice contains a
summary of certain petitions seeking
relief from specified requirements of 14
CFR. The purpose of this notice is to
improve the public’s awareness of, and
participation in, this aspect of FAA’s
regulatory activities. Neither publication
of this notice nor the inclusion or
omission of information in the summary
is intended to affect the legal status of
any petition or its final disposition.
DATE: Comments on petitions received
must identify the petition docket
number involved and must be received
on or before November 20, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments
identified by Docket Number FAA–
2007–27018 using any of the following
methods:
• Government-wide rulemaking Web
site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov
and follow the instructions for sending
your comments electronically.
• Mail: Send comments to the Docket
Management Facility; U.S. Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., West Building Ground
Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC
20590.
• Fax: Fax comments to the Docket
Management Facility at 202–493–2251.
• Hand Delivery: Bring comments to
the Docket Management Facility in
Room W12–140 of the West Building
Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Docket: To read background
documents or comments received, go to
https://www.regulations.gov at any time
or to the Docket Management Facility in
Room W12–140 of the West Building
Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
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We will
post all comments we receive, without
change, to https://www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information you
provide. Using the search function of
our docket Web site, anyone can find
and read the comments received into
any of our dockets, including the name
of the individual sending the comment
(or signing the comment for an
association, business, labor union, etc.).
You may review DOT’s complete
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000
(65 FR 19477–78).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tyneka Thomas (202) 267–7626 or
Frances Shaver (202) 267–9681, Office
of Rulemaking, Federal Aviation
Administration, 800 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591.
This notice is published pursuant to
14 CFR 11.85.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Pamela Hamilton-Powell,
Director, Office of Rulemaking.
Petitions for Exemption
Docket No.: FAA–2007–27018.
Petitioner: NJI, Inc.
Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR
135.225(f)
Description of Relief Sought: To allow
NJI to make instrument flight rules
takeoffs from foreign and military
airports when the visibility is less than
1 statute-mile or make an instrument
approach when the visibility is less than
1⁄2 mile.
[FR Doc. E7–21426 Filed 10–30–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Early Scoping Notice for an
Alternatives Analysis of Proposed
Transit Improvements in the Regional
Connector Transit Corridor of Los
Angeles, CA
AGENCY:
Federal Transit Administration,
DOT.
ACTION:
Early Scoping Notice.
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the Los
Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
issue this early scoping notice to advise
other agencies and the public that they
intend to explore, in the context of the
Council on Environmental Quality’s
early scoping process, alternative means
of improving transit capacity and
service in and through the central core
of Los Angeles, California. The early
scoping process is part of a planning
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 31, 2007 / Notices
Alternatives Analysis (AA) required by
49 United States Code (U.S.C.) 5309 that
will lead to the selection of the
alternatives that will be subject to the
appropriate environmental process.
Early scoping meetings have been
planned and are announced below.
The proposed Regional Connector
would provide a link connecting several
light rail service lines in operation or in
construction (i.e., the Metro Gold Line
to Pasadena, the Metro Gold Line
Eastside Extension, the Metro Blue Line,
and the Metro Expo Line). This
connection would broaden and improve
the region’s public transit, mobility, and
accessibility. The project study area
within which various alternatives will
be considered for the Regional
Connector is situated in downtown Los
Angeles, generally encompassing the
area between the 101 Freeway on the
north, 9th Street/Los Angeles Street and
7th Street on south, the 110 Freeway on
the west, and Alameda Street on the
east.
After selection of the alternatives by
the LACMTA Board, the alternatives
will then be the subject of the
appropriate environmental review
under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). If
the alternatives have significant
impacts, an environmental impact
statement (EIS), combined with a
California environmental impact report
(EIR) would be initiated with a Notice
of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register
and distribution of a Notice of
Preparation (NOP) required under
CEQA and final public and agency
scoping of the EIS/EIR. In particular, the
purpose and need for the project, the
range of alternatives to be considered in
the EIS/EIR, the environmental and
community impacts to be evaluated, and
the methodologies to be used, would be
subject to public and interagency review
and comment, in accordance with 23
U.S.C. 139 and CEQA.
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of the planning Alternatives Analysis,
including the alternatives to be
considered and the impacts to be
assessed, should be sent to LACMTA at
the address below by November 21,
2007. See ADDRESSES below for the
address to which written public
comments may be sent. Early scoping
meetings to accept public comments on
the scope of the Alternatives Analysis
will be held on the following dates:
• Tuesday, November 6, 2007, from
11:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Central Library,
Meeting Room A, 630 W. 5th St., Los
Angeles, CA 90071.
• Wednesday, November 7, 2007,
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Japanese
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American National Museum, 369 East
First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
The draft purpose and need for the
project and the initial set of alternatives
proposed for study will be presented at
these meetings. The buildings and
facilities 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, LACMTA at 213–922–
7287 or Gilmores@metro.net.
Scoping materials will be available at
the meetings and are also available on
the LACMTA Web site at https://
www.metro.net. Hard copies of the
scoping materials are available from Ms.
Susan Gilmore, LACMTA at 213–922–
7287 or Gilmores@metro.net.
An interagency scoping meeting will
be held on Tuesday, October 30, 2007,
from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at LACMTA,
One Gateway Plaza, 3rd Floor, Board
Overflow Room, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Representatives of Native American
tribal governments and of all Federal,
State, and local agencies that may have
an interest in any aspect of the project
will be invited by phone letter, or email.
It should be noted that, in addition to
the early scoping meetings described
herein, the agency and scoping meetings
required under NEPA and CEQA to
identify the nature and scope of
environmental issues that should be
addressed in the EIS/EIR will be held
following issuance of the NOI and NOP.
The dates and locations for the EIR/EIS
scoping meetings will be announced at
that time and will be included in the
NOI and NOP, which will be distributed
in the same manner as this Early
Scoping Notice.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on this
Early Scoping Notice should be sent to
Ms. Dolores Roybal Saltarelli, AICP,
Project Manager, Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority,
One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA
90012, phone 213–922–3024, e-mail
roybald@metro.net. The locations of the
early scoping meetings are given above
under DATES.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Early Scoping
The FTA and LACMTA invite all
interested individuals and
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organizations, public agencies, and
Native American tribes to comment on
the scope of alternatives formulation,
including the purpose and need for
transit improvements in the corridor,
the alternatives to be considered, and
the types of impacts to be further
evaluated in the planning Alternatives
Analysis. Comments at this time should
focus on the purpose and need for
transit improvements in the corridor;
alternatives that may be less costly or
have less environmental impacts while
achieving similar transportation
objectives; and the identification of any
significant social, economic, or
environmental issues that should be
considered in defining a range of
alternatives.
Purpose and Need for the Project
The purpose of this project is to
improve the region’s public transit
service and mobility. The project would
provide a link connecting the light rail
service of the Metro Gold Line to
Pasadena, the Metro Gold Line Eastside
Extension, the Metro Blue Line and the
Metro Expo Line. This link will serve
communities across the region, allowing
greater accessibility while serving a
resurgent downtown Los Angeles. There
is a need for transportation
improvements within this study area.
Originally planned as a northern
extension of the Metro Blue Line to
Pasadena, the project was deferred due
to limited resources. Initial studies were
developed and completed in 1994 and
are available from LACMTA at One
Gateway Plaza, Records Management,
Los Angeles, CA 90012. At that time,
only the Metro Blue Line and a short
segment of the Metro Red Line Subway
were in construction or in operation in
downtown Los Angeles. By 2007, the
Metro rail system had grown
substantially, with lines in operation or
under construction extending over 60
miles from downtown Los Angeles. The
Metro Red Line from 7th Street Metro
Center to Union Station currently serves
as an interim connection between the
Metro Gold Line and Metro Blue Line.
With continued expansion and success
of the Metro fixed guide-way system,
considerations supporting the project’s
needs are as follows:
• Metro’s increased ridership due to
an expanding system will create
capacity issues on the Metro Red Line
Segment between the Metro Gold Line
and the Metro Blue Line.
• Improved travel times through the
downtown core will attract more riders
on the transit system throughout the
region.
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• The City of Los Angeles has
developed a ‘‘Centers Concept’’ Land
Use Policy which is transit based.
• There is existing, significant, dense,
private and public developments within
the study area that are regional activity
centers and destinations including City
Hall, Disney Hall, Caltrans
Headquarters, MOCA, Federal Courts,
County Courts, etc..
• Downtown Los Angeles is in the
midst of a resurgence that includes the
development of dense residential
developments in the form of mid-high
rise buildings, new entertainment
districts including LA Live and the
Grand Avenue Plan, and conversion of
older underutilized areas into new
commercial and residential uses, all in
construction within the study area.
• Local planning guidelines and
policies are supportive of sustainable
public transportation that provides for a
walkable, livable City of Los Angeles.
• The City of Los Angeles will
experience a significant overall increase
in population and job growth over the
next 20 years.
• Increased congestion through
downtown Los Angeles on the highway
network has created support for
improved high-capacity transit
alternatives.
• Continued expansion of the transit
system is creating a demand for
increased capacity.
• Improved connectivity of a transit
system has significant positive impacts
on ridership.
• Improved connectivity of the transit
system will improve operations.
Comments on the preliminary
purpose and need statements for the
proposed project are requested from the
public and participating agencies.
Comments will be given full
consideration.
Alternatives
A broad range of alternatives are being
considered in the AA process, including
various transit technologies, corridor
alignments, configurations and
operations, station types and locations,
and Transportation Systems
Management (TSM) improvements. In
addition to these various types of
actions, the implications of taking no
action (i.e., the ‘‘no build’’ alternative)
will be considered in the analysis. The
following summarizes the general types
of alternatives to be considered in the
analysis, understanding that a broad
variety of possible alternatives, and
combinations thereof, will be initially
identified and then undergo evaluation
to define the alternatives for
advancement to the environmental
process. Further description of this
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process is provided below under FTA
Procedures.
Alternative Technologies could
include proven transportation systems
based such as light rail, bus rapid
transit, people movers, or monorail.
Alignment Alternatives include fixed
guide-way, street running at-grade
systems, aerial and underground
configurations, center or side of street
operations, and at-grade, off street
alignments. Running north to south,
alignments could include the use of
some combination of Alameda Street,
Los Angeles St., Central Avenue, San
Pedro St., Main St., Spring St.,
Broadway, Hill St., Olive St., Grand
Avenue, Hope St., Flower St., Figueroa
St. Running east to west, alignments
could include some combination of
Aliso St., Temple St., 1st St., 2nd St.,
3rd St., 4th St., 5th St., 6th St., and 7th
St. Station Alternatives include
variations in the number, interval
distance, location, design including
whether above ground or below ground
and whether stand-alone or integrated
as part of another use, and operational
characteristics.
No Build Alternative includes only
‘‘committed’’ improvements—in the
current Metro Long Range
Transportation Plan and the 2030
Southern California Association of
Governments Regional Transportation
Plan—together with minor transit
service expansions and/or adjustments
that reflect a continuation of existing
service policies. For purposes of the
Alternatives Analysis, the major fixed
guideway investments under study for
the Exposition Transit Corridor Phase 2
and Crenshaw Transit Corridor projects
would not be included in the Future NoBuild Alternative. The completion of
the Metro Rapid Bus Program would be
included as well as possible additional
feeder bus networks to serve the region’s
major activity centers.
Transportation System Management
(TSM) Alternative enhances the No
Build Alternative and emphasizes
transportation system upgrades such as
intersection improvements, minor road
widening, traffic engineering actions,
bus route restructuring, shortened bus
headways, expanded use of articulated
buses, reserved bus lanes, contra-flow
lanes for buses and High Occupancy
Vehicles (HOVs) on freeways, special
bus ramps on freeways, expanded park/
ride facilities, express and limited-stop
service, signalization improvements,
and timed-transfer operations.
In addition to the alternatives
described above, other alternatives
identified through the early scoping
process will be considered for potential
inclusion in the Alternatives Analysis.
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61705
Alternative modes, vertical or horizontal
alignments, or station locations may
emerge from the early scoping process.
FTA Procedures
Early scoping is an optional element
of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) process that is particularly
useful in situations where, as here, a
proposed action (the locally preferred
alternative) has not been identified and
alternative modes and major alignment
variations are under consideration in a
broadly-defined corridor. While NEPA
scoping normally follows issuance of a
notice of intent, which describes the
proposed action, it ‘‘may be initiated
earlier, as long as there is appropriate
public notice and enough information
available on the proposal so that the
public and relevant agencies can
participate effectively.’’ See the Council
on Environmental Quality’s ‘‘Forty Most
Asked Questions Concerning CEQ’s
National Environmental Policy Act
Regulations,’’ 46 FR 18026, 18030
(1981). In this case, the available
information is more than adequate to
permit the public and relevant agencies
to participate effectively in early
scoping and the planning Alternatives
Analysis.
LACMTA may seek New Starts
funding for the proposed project under
49 U.S.C. § 5309 and will, therefore, be
subject to New Starts regulation (49
Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] part
611). The New Starts regulation requires
a planning Alternatives Analysis that
leads to the selection of a Locally
Preferred Alternative by LACMTA and
the inclusion of the locally preferred
alternative in the long-range
transportation plan adopted by the
Southern California Association of
Governments. The planning
Alternatives Analysis will examine
alignments, technologies, station
locations, costs, funding, ridership,
economic development, land use,
engineering feasibility, and
environmental factors in the corridor.
The New Starts regulation also requires
the submission of certain projectjustification information in support of a
request to initiate preliminary
engineering, and this information is
normally developed during the
Alternatives Analysis. After a reduction
of alternatives identified in the AA
process, if preparation of an
environmental impact statement is
warranted, an NOI will be published in
the Federal Register and the scoping of
the EIS/EIR will be completed by
soliciting and considering comments on
the purpose and need for the proposed
action, the range of alternatives to be
considered in the EIS/EIR, and the
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 31, 2007 / Notices
potentially significant environmental
and community impacts to be evaluated
in the EIS/EIR. Concurrent with
publication of the NOI pursuant to
NEPA, an NOP will be distributed
pursuant to CEQA. In conjunction with
this final scoping of the EIS/EIR and
consistent with provisions of 23 U.S.C.
139 and CEQA, invitations will be
extended to other Federal and nonFederal agencies that may have an
interest in this matter to be participating
agencies.
A plan for coordinating public and
agency participation in the
environmental review process and for
commenting on the issues under
consideration at various milestones of
the process will be prepared and posted
on the LACMTA Web site at https://
www.metro.net/regionalconnector.
Issued on: October 25, 2007.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator, Region IX, Federal
Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–21424 Filed 10–30–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Early Scoping Notice for an
Alternatives Analysis of Proposed
Transit Improvements in the Eastside
Extension Phase II Transit Corridor of
Los Angeles, CA
AGENCY:
Federal Transit Administration,
DOT.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
ACTION:
Early Scoping Notice.
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the Los
Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
issue this early scoping notice to advise
other agencies and the public that they
intend to explore, in the context of the
Council on Environmental Quality’s
early scoping process, alternative means
of improving transit capacity and
service in the Eastside Extension Phase
II Transit Corridor of Los Angeles,
California. The early scoping process is
part of a planning Alternatives Analysis
(AA) required by Title 49 United States
Code (U.S.C.) § 5309, that will lead to
the selection of the proposed action and
alternatives that will be subject to the
appropriate environmental process.
Early scoping meetings have been
planned and are announced below.
The Eastside Extensive Phase II
Transit Corridor is east-west oriented
and includes all or portions of the cities
of Montebello, Pico Rivera, Monterey
Park, Industry, Downey, Whittier,
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Commerce, Rosemead, South El Monte,
South San Gabriel, Sante Fe Springs,
Bell as well as unincorporated portions
of the County of Los Angeles. The study
area generally extends from Union
Station in downtown Los Angeles, north
to the Interstate 10 freeway, east to
approximately three miles east of the
State Route 605, and south to Interstate
5 freeway. The Alternatives Analysis
will study the extension of high
capacity transit service from the Metro
Gold Line Eastside Extension to
approximately 3 miles east of the State
Route 605.
The conclusion of the planning
Alternatives Analysis is expected to be
the selection of a Locally Preferred
Alternative (LPA) by the LACMTA and
the Southern California Association of
Governments, which is the official
metropolitan planning organization for
Los Angeles. The LPA will then be the
‘‘proposed action’’ that is subject to an
appropriate environmental review
under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). If the selected LPA
would have significant impacts, an
environmental impact statement (EIS),
combined with a California
environmental impact report (EIR)
would be initiated with a Notice of
Intent in the Federal Register and
distribution of a Notice of Preparation
(NOP) required under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Public and agency scoping of the EIS/
EIR would be conducted at that time. In
particular, the purpose and need for the
project, the range of alternatives to be
considered in the EIS/EIR, the
environmental and community impacts
to be evaluated, and the methodologies
to be used, would be subject to public
and interagency review and comment,
in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 139 and
CEQA.
Written comments on the scope
of the planning Alternatives Analysis,
including the alternatives to be
considered, should be sent to LACMTA
at the address below by November 30,
2007. See ADDRESS below for the address
to which written public comments may
be sent. Early scoping meetings to
accept public comments on the scope of
the planning Alternatives Analysis will
be held on the following dates:
• Thursday, November 8, 2007, from
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Palm Park, 5703
Palm Avenue, Whittier, CA 90601.
• Saturday, November 10, 2007, from
9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Senior Center at City
Park, 115 South Taylor Avenue,
Montebello, CA 90640.
• Wednesday, November 14, 2007,
from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Potrero
DATES:
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Heights Elementary School, 8026 East
Hill Drive, Rosemead, CA 91770.
• Thursday, November 15, 2007, from
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. North Park
Middle School/Cafeteria, 4450 Durfee
Avenue, Pico Rivera, CA 90660.
The draft purpose and need for the
project and the initial set of alternatives
proposed for study will be presented at
these meetings. The buildings and
facilities 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 Mr.
David Monks, LACMTA at 213 922–
7456 or Monksd@metro.net.
Scoping materials will be available at
the meetings and are also available on
the LACMTA Web site at https://
www.metro.net/eastside. Hard copies of
the scoping materials are available from
Mr. David Monks, LACMTA at 213 922–
7456 or Monksd@metro.net.
An interagency scoping meeting will
be held on Thursday, November 8, 2007,
from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at LACMTA,
One Gateway Plaza, 3rd Floor Board
Overflow Room, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Representatives of Native American
tribal governments and of all Federal,
State, and local agencies that may have
an interest in any aspect of the project
will be invited by phone, letter, or email.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on this
Early Scoping Notice should be sent to
Ms. Kimberly Yu, Project Manager, Los
Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, One Gateway
Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, phone
213–922–7910, e-mail yuki@metro.net.
The locations of the early scoping
meetings are given above under DATES.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Early Scoping
The FTA and LACMTA invite all
interested individuals and
organizations, public agencies, and
Native American tribes to comment on
the scope of the planning Alternatives
Analysis, including the purpose and
need for transit improvements in the
corridor, the alternatives transit modes
and alignments to be considered, and
the types of impacts to be evaluated.
Comments at this time should focus on
the purpose and need for transit
improvements in the corridor;
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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61703-61706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21424]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Early Scoping Notice for an Alternatives Analysis of Proposed
Transit Improvements in the Regional Connector Transit Corridor of Los
Angeles, CA
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Early Scoping Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) issue this early
scoping notice to advise other agencies and the public that they intend
to explore, in the context of the Council on Environmental Quality's
early scoping process, alternative means of improving transit capacity
and service in and through the central core of Los Angeles, California.
The early scoping process is part of a planning
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Alternatives Analysis (AA) required by 49 United States Code (U.S.C.)
5309 that will lead to the selection of the alternatives that will be
subject to the appropriate environmental process. Early scoping
meetings have been planned and are announced below.
The proposed Regional Connector would provide a link connecting
several light rail service lines in operation or in construction (i.e.,
the Metro Gold Line to Pasadena, the Metro Gold Line Eastside
Extension, the Metro Blue Line, and the Metro Expo Line). This
connection would broaden and improve the region's public transit,
mobility, and accessibility. The project study area within which
various alternatives will be considered for the Regional Connector is
situated in downtown Los Angeles, generally encompassing the area
between the 101 Freeway on the north, 9th Street/Los Angeles Street and
7th Street on south, the 110 Freeway on the west, and Alameda Street on
the east.
After selection of the alternatives by the LACMTA Board, the
alternatives will then be the subject of the appropriate environmental
review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). If the alternatives have
significant impacts, an environmental impact statement (EIS), combined
with a California environmental impact report (EIR) would be initiated
with a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register and distribution
of a Notice of Preparation (NOP) required under CEQA and final public
and agency scoping of the EIS/EIR. In particular, the purpose and need
for the project, the range of alternatives to be considered in the EIS/
EIR, the environmental and community impacts to be evaluated, and the
methodologies to be used, would be subject to public and interagency
review and comment, in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 139 and CEQA.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the planning Alternatives
Analysis, including the alternatives to be considered and the impacts
to be assessed, should be sent to LACMTA at the address below by
November 21, 2007. See ADDRESSES below for the address to which written
public comments may be sent. Early scoping meetings to accept public
comments on the scope of the Alternatives Analysis will be held on the
following dates:
Tuesday, November 6, 2007, from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Central Library, Meeting Room A, 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Japanese American National Museum, 369 East First Street, Los Angeles,
CA 90012.
The draft purpose and need for the project and the initial set of
alternatives proposed for study will be presented at these meetings.
The buildings and facilities 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, LACMTA at 213-
922-7287 or Gilmores@metro.net.
Scoping materials will be available at the meetings and are also
available on the LACMTA Web site at https://www.metro.net. Hard copies
of the scoping materials are available from Ms. Susan Gilmore, LACMTA
at 213-922-7287 or Gilmores@metro.net.
An interagency scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 30,
2007, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at LACMTA, One Gateway Plaza, 3rd Floor,
Board Overflow Room, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Representatives of Native
American tribal governments and of all Federal, State, and local
agencies that may have an interest in any aspect of the project will be
invited by phone letter, or e-mail.
It should be noted that, in addition to the early scoping meetings
described herein, the agency and scoping meetings required under NEPA
and CEQA to identify the nature and scope of environmental issues that
should be addressed in the EIS/EIR will be held following issuance of
the NOI and NOP. The dates and locations for the EIR/EIS scoping
meetings will be announced at that time and will be included in the NOI
and NOP, which will be distributed in the same manner as this Early
Scoping Notice.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on this Early Scoping Notice should be sent
to Ms. Dolores Roybal Saltarelli, AICP, Project Manager, Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, One Gateway Plaza, Los
Angeles, CA 90012, phone 213-922-3024, e-mail roybald@metro.net. The
locations of the early scoping meetings are given above under DATES.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Early Scoping
The FTA and LACMTA invite all interested individuals and
organizations, public agencies, and Native American tribes to comment
on the scope of alternatives formulation, including the purpose and
need for transit improvements in the corridor, the alternatives to be
considered, and the types of impacts to be further evaluated in the
planning Alternatives Analysis. Comments at this time should focus on
the purpose and need for transit improvements in the corridor;
alternatives that may be less costly or have less environmental impacts
while achieving similar transportation objectives; and the
identification of any significant social, economic, or environmental
issues that should be considered in defining a range of alternatives.
Purpose and Need for the Project
The purpose of this project is to improve the region's public
transit service and mobility. The project would provide a link
connecting the light rail service of the Metro Gold Line to Pasadena,
the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, the Metro Blue Line and the
Metro Expo Line. This link will serve communities across the region,
allowing greater accessibility while serving a resurgent downtown Los
Angeles. There is a need for transportation improvements within this
study area. Originally planned as a northern extension of the Metro
Blue Line to Pasadena, the project was deferred due to limited
resources. Initial studies were developed and completed in 1994 and are
available from LACMTA at One Gateway Plaza, Records Management, Los
Angeles, CA 90012. At that time, only the Metro Blue Line and a short
segment of the Metro Red Line Subway were in construction or in
operation in downtown Los Angeles. By 2007, the Metro rail system had
grown substantially, with lines in operation or under construction
extending over 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The Metro Red Line
from 7th Street Metro Center to Union Station currently serves as an
interim connection between the Metro Gold Line and Metro Blue Line.
With continued expansion and success of the Metro fixed guide-way
system, considerations supporting the project's needs are as follows:
Metro's increased ridership due to an expanding system
will create capacity issues on the Metro Red Line Segment between the
Metro Gold Line and the Metro Blue Line.
Improved travel times through the downtown core will
attract more riders on the transit system throughout the region.
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The City of Los Angeles has developed a ``Centers
Concept'' Land Use Policy which is transit based.
There is existing, significant, dense, private and public
developments within the study area that are regional activity centers
and destinations including City Hall, Disney Hall, Caltrans
Headquarters, MOCA, Federal Courts, County Courts, etc..
Downtown Los Angeles is in the midst of a resurgence that
includes the development of dense residential developments in the form
of mid-high rise buildings, new entertainment districts including LA
Live and the Grand Avenue Plan, and conversion of older underutilized
areas into new commercial and residential uses, all in construction
within the study area.
Local planning guidelines and policies are supportive of
sustainable public transportation that provides for a walkable, livable
City of Los Angeles.
The City of Los Angeles will experience a significant
overall increase in population and job growth over the next 20 years.
Increased congestion through downtown Los Angeles on the
highway network has created support for improved high-capacity transit
alternatives.
Continued expansion of the transit system is creating a
demand for increased capacity.
Improved connectivity of a transit system has significant
positive impacts on ridership.
Improved connectivity of the transit system will improve
operations.
Comments on the preliminary purpose and need statements for the
proposed project are requested from the public and participating
agencies. Comments will be given full consideration.
Alternatives
A broad range of alternatives are being considered in the AA
process, including various transit technologies, corridor alignments,
configurations and operations, station types and locations, and
Transportation Systems Management (TSM) improvements. In addition to
these various types of actions, the implications of taking no action
(i.e., the ``no build'' alternative) will be considered in the
analysis. The following summarizes the general types of alternatives to
be considered in the analysis, understanding that a broad variety of
possible alternatives, and combinations thereof, will be initially
identified and then undergo evaluation to define the alternatives for
advancement to the environmental process. Further description of this
process is provided below under FTA Procedures.
Alternative Technologies could include proven transportation
systems based such as light rail, bus rapid transit, people movers, or
monorail.
Alignment Alternatives include fixed guide-way, street running at-
grade systems, aerial and underground configurations, center or side of
street operations, and at-grade, off street alignments. Running north
to south, alignments could include the use of some combination of
Alameda Street, Los Angeles St., Central Avenue, San Pedro St., Main
St., Spring St., Broadway, Hill St., Olive St., Grand Avenue, Hope St.,
Flower St., Figueroa St. Running east to west, alignments could include
some combination of Aliso St., Temple St., 1st St., 2nd St., 3rd St.,
4th St., 5th St., 6th St., and 7th St. Station Alternatives include
variations in the number, interval distance, location, design including
whether above ground or below ground and whether stand-alone or
integrated as part of another use, and operational characteristics.
No Build Alternative includes only ``committed'' improvements--in
the current Metro Long Range Transportation Plan and the 2030 Southern
California Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan--
together with minor transit service expansions and/or adjustments that
reflect a continuation of existing service policies. For purposes of
the Alternatives Analysis, the major fixed guideway investments under
study for the Exposition Transit Corridor Phase 2 and Crenshaw Transit
Corridor projects would not be included in the Future No-Build
Alternative. The completion of the Metro Rapid Bus Program would be
included as well as possible additional feeder bus networks to serve
the region's major activity centers.
Transportation System Management (TSM) Alternative enhances the No
Build Alternative and emphasizes transportation system upgrades such as
intersection improvements, minor road widening, traffic engineering
actions, bus route restructuring, shortened bus headways, expanded use
of articulated buses, reserved bus lanes, contra-flow lanes for buses
and High Occupancy Vehicles (HOVs) on freeways, special bus ramps on
freeways, expanded park/ride facilities, express and limited-stop
service, signalization improvements, and timed-transfer operations.
In addition to the alternatives described above, other alternatives
identified through the early scoping process will be considered for
potential inclusion in the Alternatives Analysis. Alternative modes,
vertical or horizontal alignments, or station locations may emerge from
the early scoping process.
FTA Procedures
Early scoping is an optional element of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) process that is particularly useful in situations
where, as here, a proposed action (the locally preferred alternative)
has not been identified and alternative modes and major alignment
variations are under consideration in a broadly-defined corridor. While
NEPA scoping normally follows issuance of a notice of intent, which
describes the proposed action, it ``may be initiated earlier, as long
as there is appropriate public notice and enough information available
on the proposal so that the public and relevant agencies can
participate effectively.'' See the Council on Environmental Quality's
``Forty Most Asked Questions Concerning CEQ's National Environmental
Policy Act Regulations,'' 46 FR 18026, 18030 (1981). In this case, the
available information is more than adequate to permit the public and
relevant agencies to participate effectively in early scoping and the
planning Alternatives Analysis.
LACMTA may seek New Starts funding for the proposed project under
49 U.S.C. Sec. 5309 and will, therefore, be subject to New Starts
regulation (49 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] part 611). The New
Starts regulation requires a planning Alternatives Analysis that leads
to the selection of a Locally Preferred Alternative by LACMTA and the
inclusion of the locally preferred alternative in the long-range
transportation plan adopted by the Southern California Association of
Governments. The planning Alternatives Analysis will examine
alignments, technologies, station locations, costs, funding, ridership,
economic development, land use, engineering feasibility, and
environmental factors in the corridor. The New Starts regulation also
requires the submission of certain project-justification information in
support of a request to initiate preliminary engineering, and this
information is normally developed during the Alternatives Analysis.
After a reduction of alternatives identified in the AA process, if
preparation of an environmental impact statement is warranted, an NOI
will be published in the Federal Register and the scoping of the EIS/
EIR will be completed by soliciting and considering comments on the
purpose and need for the proposed action, the range of alternatives to
be considered in the EIS/EIR, and the
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potentially significant environmental and community impacts to be
evaluated in the EIS/EIR. Concurrent with publication of the NOI
pursuant to NEPA, an NOP will be distributed pursuant to CEQA. In
conjunction with this final scoping of the EIS/EIR and consistent with
provisions of 23 U.S.C. 139 and CEQA, invitations will be extended to
other Federal and non-Federal agencies that may have an interest in
this matter to be participating agencies.
A plan for coordinating public and agency participation in the
environmental review process and for commenting on the issues under
consideration at various milestones of the process will be prepared and
posted on the LACMTA Web site at https://www.metro.net/
regionalconnector.
Issued on: October 25, 2007.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator, Region IX, Federal Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-21424 Filed 10-30-07; 8:45 am]
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