Early Scoping Notice for an Alternatives Analysis of Proposed Transit Improvements in the Harbor Subdivision Transit Corridor of Los Angeles, CA, 53682-53684 [E8-21615]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53682-53684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21615]



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Part III





Federal Transit Administration





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Early Scoping for an Alternatives Analysis of Proposed Transit 
Improvements in the Harbor Subdivision Transit Corridor of Los Angeles, 
CA; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 16, 2008 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Early Scoping Notice for an Alternatives Analysis of Proposed 
Transit Improvements in the Harbor Subdivision 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, methods of improving transit capacity and 
service in the Harbor Subdivision 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.) Sec.  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 Harbor Subdivision Transit Corridor is approximately 35 miles 
in length and includes; 26.36 miles of the Harbor Subdivision that is 
owned by LACMTA (BNSF Railway currently has some freight operations on 
the ROW), approximately 2.5 miles to the north of the LACMTA-owned 
portion right-of-way that would provide the connection to downtown Los 
Angeles, and approximately 3.5-6 miles south of the LACMTA-owned 
portion of the right-of-way that would provide a possible connection to 
the Metro Harbor Transitway, Metro Blue Line, Port of Los Angeles 
Waterfront Red Car Line or any other destinations or transit facilities 
that would attract potential ridership.
    The Metro-owned Harbor Subdivision Line extends 26.36 miles from 
Harbor Junction at the north, near downtown Los Angeles just east of 
the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue and Watson 
Yard at the south, in Wilmington just east of Pacific Coast Highway 
(U.S. Highway 1) and Alameda Street. The Harbor Subdivision connects or 
runs adjacent to major destinations and transportation hubs including 
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Metro Blue Line, Harbor 
Transitway and the Port of Los Angeles. The Corridor traverses twelve 
jurisdictions including the cities of Los Angeles, Vernon, Huntington 
Park, Inglewood, El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach, 
Redondo Beach, Torrance, Carson and the County of Los Angeles. As it 
passes through these communities, it traverses residential 
neighborhoods, commercial and warehousing districts and industrial 
areas including oil fields and refineries. LAX lies to the west of the 
rail line along Aviation Boulevard near Century Boulevard.
    The conclusion of the planning Alternatives Analysis is expected to 
be the selection of a set of alternatives by the LACMTA and the 
Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), which is the 
official metropolitan planning organization for Los Angeles. The set of 
alternatives will then be the ``proposed action'' that are subject to 
an appropriate environmental review under the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA). If the selected set of alternatives 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.

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 
October 9, 2008. See ADDRESSES below for the address to which written 
public comments may be sent. Early scoping meetings to accept comments 
on the scope of the Alternatives Analysis will be held on the following 
dates:
     Tuesday, September 23, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 
Torrance Cultural Arts Center, Nakano Theater, 3330 Civic Center Drive, 
Torrance, CA 90503.
     Wednesday, September 24, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 
Banning's Landing Community Center, Gertrude 2 Room, 100 E. 
Water Street, Wilmington, CA 90748.
     Thursday, September 25, 2008, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 
Westside Park Community Center, 2061 E. Gage Avenue, Huntington Park, 
CA 90255.
     Tuesday, September 30, 2008, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. El 
Segundo Public Library, Friends of the Library Meeting Room, 111 W. 
Mariposa Avenue, El Segundo, CA 90245.
    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 scoping should contact Ms. Devon Cichoski, LACMTA at 213-922-6446 or 
CICHOSKID@metro.net.
    Scoping materials will be available at the meetings and are also 
available on the LACMTA Web site at https://www.metro.net/
harborsubdivision. Hard copies of the scoping materials are available 
from Ms. Devon Cichoski, LACMTA at 213-922-6446 or CICHOSKID@metro.net.
    An interagency scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 
30, 2008, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at LACMTA, One Gateway Plaza, 
3rd Floor Union Station Conference 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 the selection 
of alternatives to go through the environmental process and issuance of 
the NOI and NOP. The dates and locations for the EIS/EIR 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. Kathleen McCune, Project Manager, Los Angeles County 
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, One Gateway Plaza MS 99-22-3, 
Los Angeles, CA 90012, phone 213-922-7241, e-mail MCCUNEK@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

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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 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; alternatives that may be less 
costly or have less environmental impact while achieving similar 
transportation objectives; and, the identification of any significant 
social, economic, or environmental issues that should be considered in 
developing the alternatives.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Harbor Subdivision project is expected to serve multiple 
transportation markets and address unmet mobility needs throughout Los 
Angeles County. Purposes of the project and needs of the community 
include:
     Improve mobility in southwestern Los Angeles County by 
introducing reliable, high-frequency transit service options.
     Enhance the regional transit network by interconnecting 
existing and planned rapid transit lines.
     Provide an alternative mode of transportation for 
commuters who currently use the congested I-405 and I-110 corridors.
     Encourage denser, transit-oriented development and land 
use policies around station areas.
     Improve transit accessibility for residents of underserved 
communities along the corridor.
     Encourage a mode shift to transit, reducing air pollution 
and greenhouse gas emissions.

Alternatives

    A broad range of alternatives are being considered 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 such as the following: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Light Rail 
Transit (LRT), Electric Multiple Unit (EMU), Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 
in which service must conform to Metro's Clean Fuel Policies, and 
Commuter Rail. In every case service would be along a portion or all of 
the Harbor Subdivision corridor. Alignment alternatives will generally 
follow the Harbor Subdivision corridor as much as possible. Other 
routings will also be examined as part of the planning Alternatives 
Analysis using a comparative methodology to evaluate their feasibility. 
Potential alignment and improvement options outside the immediate 
Harbor Subdivision corridor that will be studied in the planning 
Alternatives Analysis include a Northern Terminus option where the 
Harbor Subdivision's northern terminus is approximately 2.5 miles south 
of downtown Los Angeles. Consideration will be given for connections to 
Metrolink, Metro Gold, Red and Purple Lines at Los Angeles Union 
Station, or the Metro Blue, Red, Purple and Expo Lines in the downtown 
area, a Southern Terminus option where the southern terminus of the 
Harbor Subdivision ends in Watson Yard in Wilmington just north of the 
Port of Los Angeles. Analysis of alternatives will consider the most 
logical location for a southern terminus. Consideration will be given 
as to whether it should connect to the existing Metro Blue Line, Harbor 
Transitway, Downtown Torrance area, Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red 
Car Line, or some other transit facility or destination, and a Phased 
Segment option where the Harbor Subdivision is over 26 miles in length, 
so shorter alignment and modal alternatives will be considered in 
discrete segments that can operate as cost-effective stand alone 
projects. As part of the examination of discrete segments of the Harbor 
Subdivision, connections with the Crenshaw Transit Corridor, LAX and 
potential Metro Blue or Green Line interfaces will be evaluated. Rail & 
Bus Division Support Facilities where each modal alternative will 
require storage and maintenance facilities that can efficiently service 
the project. Locations and alternatives for such facilities will be 
identified in order that fair comparisons can be made. Station 
alternatives will 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.
    Future No-Build Alternative--The study will consider the 
transportation and environmental effects if no new major transit 
investments beyond those that have already been environmentally cleared 
or are implemented in this corridor. This alternative will include the 
highway and transit projects in the current Metro Long Range 
Transportation Plan and the 2008 Southern California Association of 
Governments Regional Transportation Plan through 2030. 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--The study will 
consider the effects of modest improvements in the highway and transit 
systems beyond those in the Future No-Build Alternative. The TSM 
Alternative would evaluate low-cost enhancements to the Future No-Build 
Alternative and would emphasize 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 reasonable 
alternatives identified through the early scoping process will be 
considered for potential inclusion in the planning 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

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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. After the 
identification of a proposed action at the conclusion of the planning 
Alternatives Analysis, if preparation of an environmental impact 
statement is warranted, a 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 
potentially significant environmental and community impacts to be 
evaluated in the EIS/EIR.
    Concurrent with publication of the NOI pursuant to NEPA, a 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/
harborsubdivision.

    Issued on: September 9, 2008.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator, Region IX, Federal Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-21615 Filed 9-15-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P