Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Transit Improvements in the Draper Corridor of Metropolitan Salt Lake City, UT, 66024-66026 [E7-22913]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 226 / Monday, November 26, 2007 / Notices
packet on the Office of Analysis,
Research and Technology’s current
programs. While the forum will be open
to the public, space will be limited.
Individuals requiring special needs/
accommodations (sign, reader, etc.),
please call Erica Swartz, 202–334–1232,
or e-mail TRBMeetings@NAS.edu.
carrier safety programs and motor
carrier safety regulations. The advisory
committee operates in accordance with
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
U.S.C. App 2). The FMCSA
Administrator appointed 15 members to
serve on the advisory committee on
March 5, 2007.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Issued on: November 6, 2007.
Terry Shelton,
Associate Administrator for Research and
Information Technology.
[FR Doc. E7–22883 Filed 11–21–07; 8:45 am]
II. Meeting Participation
AGENCY:
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA–2007–0042]
Motor Carrier Safety Advisory
Committee Public Meeting
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Motor Carrier Safety
Advisory Committee Meeting.
AGENCY:
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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces that the
Motor Carrier Safety Advisory
Committee (MCSAC) will hold a
committee meeting. The meeting is open
to the public.
DATES: The meeting will be held from 1
p.m. to 5 p.m. on December 6, 2007, and
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on December 7, 2007.
Written comments must be received by
January 7, 2008.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place
at the U.S. Department of
Transportation, Media Center, West
Building, Ground Floor, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC
20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Greg Parks, Acting Chief, Strategic
Planning and Program Evaluation
Division, Office of Policy Plans and
Regulation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590,
(202) 366–5370, mcsac@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 4144 of the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU,
Pub. L. 109–59) required the Secretary
of the U.S. Department of
Transportation to establish in FMCSA, a
Motor Carrier Safety Advisory
Committee. The advisory committee
provides advice and recommendations
to the FMCSA Administrator on motor
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:03 Nov 23, 2007
Jkt 214001
The meeting is open to the public and
FMCSA invites participation by all
interested parties, including motor
carriers, drivers, and representatives of
motor carrier associations. Please note
that participants will need to be precleared in advance of the meeting in
order to enter the building. By
December 3, 2007, e-mail
mcsac@dot.gov if you plan to attend the
meeting to facilitate the pre-clearance
process. For information on facilities or
services for individuals with disabilities
or to request special assistance at the
meeting, e-mail mcsac@dot.gov. As a
general matter, the committee will make
one hour available for public comments
on Thursday, December 6, 2007, 4 p.m.
to 5 p.m. Individuals wishing to address
the committee should send an e-mail to
mcsac@dot.gov by noon on December 6,
2007. The time available will be
reasonably divided among those who
have signed up to address the
committee, but no one will have more
than 15 minutes. Individuals wanting to
present written materials to the
committee should submit written
comments identified by Federal Docket
Management System (FDMC) Docket
Number FMCSA–2007–0042 using any
of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Management Facility;
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building,
Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, S.E., Room W12–140,
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
Issued on: November 19, 2007.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy and
Program Development.
[FR Doc. E7–22915 Filed 11–23–07; 8:45 am]
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Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for Proposed Transit
Improvements in the Draper Corridor
of Metropolitan Salt Lake City, UT
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), Department of Transportation
(DOT).
Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement.
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and Utah Transit
Authority (UTA) intend to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to evaluate proposed public
transportation improvements to extend
fixed guideway transit service through
the cities of Sandy and Draper to the
southernmost part of Salt Lake County,
Utah. The Wasatch Front Regional
Council (WFRC) has adopted a longrange transportation plan, which is a
comprehensive system plan and
includes the full build-out of public
transportation improvements in several
corridors. The general alignments of the
corridors have been identified in the
approved plan. The Draper Transit
Corridor has been identified in the plan
as a two-track extension of the existing
North-South Light Rail Transit (LRT)
line from its current terminus at 10000
South in Sandy to about 14600 South in
Draper along the UTA owned right-ofway. The Draper Transit Corridor
Project, as defined in the WFRC longrange plan, was identified as the
preferred alternative at the conclusion
of a locally prepared alternatives
analysis. The EIS will build on the
results of the local alternatives analysis
and evaluate other reasonable
alternatives in accordance with
appropriate statutes and regulations.
The EIS will be prepared in
accordance with section 102(2)c of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA) and pursuant to the
Council on the Environmental Quality’s
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508),
FTA/FHWA joint regulations (23 CFR
771) as well as provisions of the 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 intent to prepare the EIS,
to provide information on the nature of
the proposed project and possible
alternatives, to invite public
participation in the NEPA process
(including providing comments on the
scope of the DEIS), and to announce that
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 226 / Monday, November 26, 2007 / Notices
a public scoping meeting will be
conducted.
The EIS will examine and evaluate a
number of transit alternatives in the
corridor including a Transportation
Systems Management (TSM)
Alternative. Any additional alternatives
generated by the scoping process as well
as the proposed station locations for the
Build alternatives will also be
considered. The alternatives will be
compared to a No-Action Alternative for
evaluation purposes.
Scoping of the EIS will be
accomplished through a public meeting,
correspondence with interested persons,
organizations and Federal, State and
local agencies, and through a meeting
with cooperating and participating
public agencies. A scoping information
packet will be posted on the UTA Web
site at https://www.rideuta.com and hard
copies of the packet will be distributed
on request.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Meeting Dates
Agency Coordination Meeting: An
agency coordination meeting will be
held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday December 11,
2007 at the Utah Transit Authority
Meadowbrook office located at 3500
South 700 West, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Public Scoping Meeting: A Public
Scoping meeting to accept comments on
the scope of the EIS will be held on
Wednesday, December 12, 2007, from 5
p.m. to 8 p.m., at Sprucewood
Elementary, located at 12025 South
1000 East, Sandy, Utah.
The project’s purpose and need, and
the initial set of alternatives proposed
for study will be presented at this
meeting. Comments may be given
verbally or in writing at the scoping
meeting. Every reasonable effort will be
made to meet special needs. The
meeting location will be accessible to
persons with disabilities. Individuals
who require special accommodations,
such as sign language interpreter, to
participate in the meeting should
contact Ms. Sherry L. Repscher, ADA
Compliance Officer, Utah Transit
Authority, 3600 South 700 West, Salt
Lake City, UT 84119–0810 or by
telephone at (801) 262–5626 or TDD at
(801) 287–4657.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to the following address by
December 26, 2007: Mary DeLoretto,
Utah Transit Authority, 3600 South 700
West, Salt Lake City, UT 84119 or
mdeloretto@rideuta.com. The location
of the public scoping meeting is given
above under ‘‘Meeting Dates’’.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Charmaine Knighton, Deputy Regional
Administrator, Region VIII, Federal
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:03 Nov 23, 2007
Jkt 214001
Transit Administration, 12300 West
Dakota Avenue, Suite 310, Denver, CO
80228. Telephone: 720–963–3327.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
The FTA and UTA 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, alternatives
to be evaluated to meet the purpose and
need; impacts to be evaluated, and the
evaluation methods to be used.
Comments should focus on refining the
purpose and need statement, developing
alternatives to meet the purpose and
need that have comparable or lower cost
and fewer adverse impacts, and on
identifying specific social, economic, or
environmental impacts to be evaluated.
II. Description of the Project Study Area
and Its Purpose and Need
The Draper Transit Corridor Project
study area begins in Sandy City just
south of the current end-of-line 10000
South station of the UTA TRAX NorthSouth LRT line. The study area is
generally bounded by 10000 South on
the north, along 1300 East and one mile
east and south of the UTA–owned
railroad right-of-way on the east and
south, and the western Draper City
limits and Jordan River on the west. It
is located primarily in the cities of
Sandy and Draper, and includes parts of
White City, South Jordan, and Bluffdale.
The primary purpose of the Draper
Transit Corridor Project is to extend
LRT transit service to the southernmost
geographic reach of the Salt Lake Valley.
The overall goal of the proposed project
is to improve mobility in the corridor by
extending the existing UTA rail transit
line in order to reduce congestion on
arterial streets and I–15 during peak
travel periods and improve reliability of
travel times. The UTA TRAX LRT
extension increases transportation
system capacity in South Salt Lake
County.
The public and participating and
cooperating agencies are invited to
consider and comment on this
preliminary statement of the purpose
and need for the proposed project.
III. Alternatives
In addition to a No-Action
Alternative, a range of reasonable
alternatives will be evaluated in the EIS
including, the locally preferred LRT
extension in the UTA–owned right-ofway South. Additional alternatives to be
considered include:
• Transportation Systems
Management (TSM) Alternative: This
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66025
alternative consists of the best transit
service that can be provided to meet the
project’s purpose and need without
building the LRT line extension.
• Other reasonable Build alternatives
resulting from the project scoping
process, including those that involve
other modes or alignments and that
satisfy the project purpose and need.
The location of stations will also be
developed and presented in the EIS for
each build alternative that is advanced.
IV. Probable Effects
The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate
the environmental consequences of
proposed alternatives for meeting the
purpose and need for transit in the
Draper corridor before committing
financial and other resources to
implementing the proposed project. The
EIS will examine the extent to which
the alternatives result in adverse
environmental impacts and identify
corresponding actions to eliminate,
reduce, or mitigate those impacts.
UTA and FTA will evaluate all
significant environmental, social, and
economic impacts of the alternatives
analyzed in the EIS. Impact areas to be
addressed include: Land use, zoning
and economic development; secondary
development; land acquisition,
displacements and relocations; cultural
resources (including impacts on
historical, archaeological and
paleontological resources); parklands/
recreational areas; visual and aesthetic
qualities; neighborhood compatibility;
environmental justice; natural resource
impacts (including air quality, wetlands,
water resources, geology/soils, wildlife,
threatened and endangered species;
noise and vibration; and hazardous
materials); energy; safety and security;
utilities; traffic and transportation
impacts and airport operations.
Potential impacts will be addressed for
the long-term operation of each
alternative and the short-term
construction period. Measures to avoid,
minimize, or mitigate all adverse
impacts will be identified, evaluated,
and adopted as appropriate.
V. FTA Procedures
The regulation implementing NEPA,
as well as provisions of the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for
Users (SAFETEA–LU), call for public
involvement in the NEPA process.
Section 6002 of SAFETEA–LU requires
that FTA and UTA do the following: (1)
Extend an invitation to other Federal
and non-Federal agencies and Native
American tribes that may have an
interest in the proposed project to
become ‘‘participating agencies;’’ (2)
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66026
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 226 / Monday, November 26, 2007 / Notices
provide an opportunity for involvement
by participating agencies and the public
to help define the purpose and need for
a proposed project, as well as the range
of alternatives for consideration in the
EIS; and (3) establish a plan for
coordinating public and agency
participation in, and comment on, the
environmental review process. An
invitation to become a participating or
cooperating agency, with scoping
materials appended, will be extended to
other Federal and non-Federal agencies
and Native American tribes that may
have an interest in the proposed project.
It is possible that FTA and UTA will not
be able to identify all Federal and nonFederal agencies and Native American
tribes that may have such an interest.
Any Federal or non-Federal agency or
Native American tribe interested in the
proposed project that does not receive
an invitation to become a participating
agency should notify the Project
Manager identified above under
ADDRESSES at the earliest opportunity.
UTA is seeking federal assistance
from the FTA to fund the proposed
project under 49 United States Code
5309 and will, therefore, be subject to
regulations (49 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) part 611) related to
New Starts projects.
The EIS will be prepared in
accordance with NEPA and its
implementing regulation issued by the
Council on Environmental Quality (40
CFR Parts 1500–1508) and with the
FTA/Federal Highway Administration
regulations ‘‘Environmental Impact and
Related Procedures’’ (23 CFR part 771).
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
environmental and public hearing
provisions of Federal transit laws (49
U.S.C. 5301(e), 5323(b), and 5324); 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 Department of
Transportation Act (23 CFR 771.135);
and Executive Orders 12898 on
environmental justice, 11988 on
floodplain management, and 11990 on
wetlands.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:03 Nov 23, 2007
Jkt 214001
Issued on: November 14, 2007.
Charmaine Knighton,
FTA Deputy Regional Administrator, Region
VIII.
[FR Doc. E7–22913 Filed 11–23–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA–2007–0039]
Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping
Requirements
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Request for public comment on
proposed revision of the previously
approved collection of information,
OMB # 2127–0646.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can
collect certain information from the
public, it must receive approval from
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). Under procedures established
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, before seeking OMB approval,
Federal agencies must solicit public
comment on proposed collections of
information, including extensions and
reinstatements of previously approved
collections.
This document describes the
collection of information for which
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before January 25, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments
to U.S. Department of Transportation
Dockets, 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE.,
Washington, DC 20590. Docket No.
NHTSA–2007–0039
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John
Siegler, Ph.D., Contracting Officer’s
Technical Representative, Office of
Behavioral Safety Research (NTI–132),
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave,
SE., Washington, DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
before an agency submits a proposed
collection of information to OMB for
approval, it must publish a document in
the Federal Register providing a 60-day
comment period and otherwise consult
with members of the public and affected
agencies concerning each proposed
collection of information. The OMB has
promulgated regulations describing
what must be included in such a
document. Under OMB’s regulations (at
5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask
for public comment on the following:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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(i) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(ii) the accuracy of the agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(iii) how to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(iv) how to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including the use
of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, and or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submissions of responses.
In compliance with these
requirements, NHTSA asks public
comment on the following proposed
revision of the previously approved
collection of information, OMB # 2127–
0646:
Evaluation Surveys for Impaired
Driving and Seat Belt Interventions
Type of Request—Revision of the
previously approved collection of
information.
OMB Clearance Number: 2127–0646.
Form Number: NHTSA1010.
Requested Expiration Date of
Approval—3 years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of
Information—The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
proposes to conduct telephone surveys
to evaluate interventions designed to
increase seat belt use and reduce
impaired driving. Sample sizes would
range from 200 to 2000 depending on
the geographic unit being surveyed
(Nation, Region, State, Community) and
the evaluation design for the
intervention (e.g., number of analytic
groups). Interview length would be 10
minutes. The surveys would collect
information on attitudes, awareness,
knowledge, and behavior related to the
intervention. The surveys would follow
a pre-post design where they are
administered prior to the
implementation of the intervention and
after its conclusion. Interim survey
waves may also be administered if the
duration of the intervention permits.
In conducting the proposed surveys,
the interviewers would use computerassisted telephone interviewing to
reduce interview length and minimize
recording errors. A Spanish Language
translation and bilingual interviewers
would be used to minimize language
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 226 (Monday, November 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66024-66026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22913]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed
Transit Improvements in the Draper Corridor of Metropolitan Salt Lake
City, UT
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Utah Transit
Authority (UTA) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) to evaluate proposed public transportation improvements to extend
fixed guideway transit service through the cities of Sandy and Draper
to the southernmost part of Salt Lake County, Utah. The Wasatch Front
Regional Council (WFRC) has adopted a long-range transportation plan,
which is a comprehensive system plan and includes the full build-out of
public transportation improvements in several corridors. The general
alignments of the corridors have been identified in the approved plan.
The Draper Transit Corridor has been identified in the plan as a two-
track extension of the existing North-South Light Rail Transit (LRT)
line from its current terminus at 10000 South in Sandy to about 14600
South in Draper along the UTA owned right-of-way. The Draper Transit
Corridor Project, as defined in the WFRC long-range plan, was
identified as the preferred alternative at the conclusion of a locally
prepared alternatives analysis. The EIS will build on the results of
the local alternatives analysis and evaluate other reasonable
alternatives in accordance with appropriate statutes and regulations.
The EIS will be prepared in accordance with section 102(2)c of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and pursuant to the
Council on the Environmental Quality's regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), FTA/FHWA joint regulations (23 CFR 771) as well as provisions of
the 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 intent to prepare the EIS, to provide
information on the nature of the proposed project and possible
alternatives, to invite public participation in the NEPA process
(including providing comments on the scope of the DEIS), and to
announce that
[[Page 66025]]
a public scoping meeting will be conducted.
The EIS will examine and evaluate a number of transit alternatives
in the corridor including a Transportation Systems Management (TSM)
Alternative. Any additional alternatives generated by the scoping
process as well as the proposed station locations for the Build
alternatives will also be considered. The alternatives will be compared
to a No-Action Alternative for evaluation purposes.
Scoping of the EIS will be accomplished through a public meeting,
correspondence with interested persons, organizations and Federal,
State and local agencies, and through a meeting with cooperating and
participating public agencies. A scoping information packet will be
posted on the UTA Web site at https://www.rideuta.com and hard copies of
the packet will be distributed on request.
Meeting Dates
Agency Coordination Meeting: An agency coordination meeting will be
held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday December 11, 2007 at the Utah Transit
Authority Meadowbrook office located at 3500 South 700 West, Salt Lake
City, Utah.
Public Scoping Meeting: A Public Scoping meeting to accept comments
on the scope of the EIS will be held on Wednesday, December 12, 2007,
from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Sprucewood Elementary, located at 12025 South
1000 East, Sandy, Utah.
The project's purpose and need, and the initial set of alternatives
proposed for study will be presented at this meeting. Comments may be
given verbally or in writing at the scoping meeting. Every reasonable
effort will be made to meet special needs. The meeting location will be
accessible to persons with disabilities. Individuals who require
special accommodations, such as sign language interpreter, to
participate in the meeting should contact Ms. Sherry L. Repscher, ADA
Compliance Officer, Utah Transit Authority, 3600 South 700 West, Salt
Lake City, UT 84119-0810 or by telephone at (801) 262-5626 or TDD at
(801) 287-4657.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the following address by
December 26, 2007: Mary DeLoretto, Utah Transit Authority, 3600 South
700 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84119 or mdeloretto@rideuta.com. The
location of the public scoping meeting is given above under ``Meeting
Dates''.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charmaine Knighton, Deputy Regional
Administrator, Region VIII, Federal Transit Administration, 12300 West
Dakota Avenue, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80228. Telephone: 720-963-3327.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
The FTA and UTA 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,
alternatives to be evaluated to meet the purpose and need; impacts to
be evaluated, and the evaluation methods to be used. Comments should
focus on refining the purpose and need statement, developing
alternatives to meet the purpose and need that have comparable or lower
cost and fewer adverse impacts, and on identifying specific social,
economic, or environmental impacts to be evaluated.
II. Description of the Project Study Area and Its Purpose and Need
The Draper Transit Corridor Project study area begins in Sandy City
just south of the current end-of-line 10000 South station of the UTA
TRAX North-South LRT line. The study area is generally bounded by 10000
South on the north, along 1300 East and one mile east and south of the
UTA-owned railroad right-of-way on the east and south, and the western
Draper City limits and Jordan River on the west. It is located
primarily in the cities of Sandy and Draper, and includes parts of
White City, South Jordan, and Bluffdale.
The primary purpose of the Draper Transit Corridor Project is to
extend LRT transit service to the southernmost geographic reach of the
Salt Lake Valley. The overall goal of the proposed project is to
improve mobility in the corridor by extending the existing UTA rail
transit line in order to reduce congestion on arterial streets and I-15
during peak travel periods and improve reliability of travel times. The
UTA TRAX LRT extension increases transportation system capacity in
South Salt Lake County.
The public and participating and cooperating agencies are invited
to consider and comment on this preliminary statement of the purpose
and need for the proposed project.
III. Alternatives
In addition to a No-Action Alternative, a range of reasonable
alternatives will be evaluated in the EIS including, the locally
preferred LRT extension in the UTA-owned right-of-way South. Additional
alternatives to be considered include:
Transportation Systems Management (TSM) Alternative: This
alternative consists of the best transit service that can be provided
to meet the project's purpose and need without building the LRT line
extension.
Other reasonable Build alternatives resulting from the
project scoping process, including those that involve other modes or
alignments and that satisfy the project purpose and need.
The location of stations will also be developed and presented in
the EIS for each build alternative that is advanced.
IV. Probable Effects
The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate the environmental
consequences of proposed alternatives for meeting the purpose and need
for transit in the Draper corridor before committing financial and
other resources to implementing the proposed project. The EIS will
examine the extent to which the alternatives result in adverse
environmental impacts and identify corresponding actions to eliminate,
reduce, or mitigate those impacts.
UTA and FTA will evaluate all significant environmental, social,
and economic impacts of the alternatives analyzed in the EIS. Impact
areas to be addressed include: Land use, zoning and economic
development; secondary development; land acquisition, displacements and
relocations; cultural resources (including impacts on historical,
archaeological and paleontological resources); parklands/recreational
areas; visual and aesthetic qualities; neighborhood compatibility;
environmental justice; natural resource impacts (including air quality,
wetlands, water resources, geology/soils, wildlife, threatened and
endangered species; noise and vibration; and hazardous materials);
energy; safety and security; utilities; traffic and transportation
impacts and airport operations. Potential impacts will be addressed for
the long-term operation of each alternative and the short-term
construction period. Measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate all
adverse impacts will be identified, evaluated, and adopted as
appropriate.
V. FTA Procedures
The regulation implementing NEPA, as well as provisions of the
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), call for public involvement in the NEPA
process. Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU requires that FTA and UTA do the
following: (1) Extend an invitation to other Federal and non-Federal
agencies and Native American tribes that may have an interest in the
proposed project to become ``participating agencies;'' (2)
[[Page 66026]]
provide an opportunity for involvement by participating agencies and
the public to help define the purpose and need for a proposed project,
as well as the range of alternatives for consideration in the EIS; and
(3) establish a plan for coordinating public and agency participation
in, and comment on, the environmental review process. An invitation to
become a participating or cooperating agency, with scoping materials
appended, will be extended to other Federal and non-Federal agencies
and Native American tribes that may have an interest in the proposed
project. It is possible that FTA and UTA will not be able to identify
all Federal and non-Federal agencies and Native American tribes that
may have such an interest. Any Federal or non-Federal agency or Native
American tribe interested in the proposed project that does not receive
an invitation to become a participating agency should notify the
Project Manager identified above under ADDRESSES at the earliest
opportunity.
UTA is seeking federal assistance from the FTA to fund the proposed
project under 49 United States Code 5309 and will, therefore, be
subject to regulations (49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 611)
related to New Starts projects.
The EIS will be prepared in accordance with NEPA and its
implementing regulation issued by the Council on Environmental Quality
(40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and with the FTA/Federal Highway
Administration regulations ``Environmental Impact and Related
Procedures'' (23 CFR part 771). 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
environmental and public hearing provisions of Federal transit laws (49
U.S.C. 5301(e), 5323(b), and 5324); 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
Department of Transportation Act (23 CFR 771.135); and Executive Orders
12898 on environmental justice, 11988 on floodplain management, and
11990 on wetlands.
Issued on: November 14, 2007.
Charmaine Knighton,
FTA Deputy Regional Administrator, Region VIII.
[FR Doc. E7-22913 Filed 11-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
