Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for Transit Improvements in the US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor in Metropolitan Houston, TX, 1501-1504 [2011-149]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 6 / Monday, January 10, 2011 / Notices
the past. As a condition of the
exemption, therefore, FMCSA will
impose requirements on the 16
individuals consistent with the
grandfathering provisions applied to
drivers who participated in the
Agency’s vision waiver program.
Those requirements are found at 49
CFR 391.64(b) and include the
following:
(1) That each individual be physically
examined every year (a) by an
ophthalmologist or optometrist who
attests that the vision in the better eye
continues to meet the standard in 49
CFR 391.41(b)(10), and (b) by a medical
examiner who attests that the individual
is otherwise physically qualified under
49 CFR 391.41; (2) that each individual
provide a copy of the ophthalmologist’s
or optometrist’s report to the medical
examiner at the time of the annual
medical examination; and (3) that each
individual provide a copy of the annual
medical certification to the employer for
retention in the driver’s qualification
file, or keep a copy in his/her driver’s
qualification file if he/she is selfemployed. The driver must also have a
copy of the certification when driving,
for presentation to a duly authorized
Federal, State, or local enforcement
official.
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Discussion of Comments
FMCSA received no comments in this
proceeding.
Conclusion
Based upon its evaluation of the 15
exemption applications, FMCSA
exempts, Robert W. Blankenship, Bryan
K. Deborde, Jr., Michael K. Engemann,
Peter R. Gonzalez, John W. Harbaugh,
Michael E. Herrera, Jr., William E.
Jacobs, Perry D. Jensen, Joseph L. Jones,
Gary L. Nicholas, James G. Pitchford,
Virgil R. Story, John A. Thomas, Jr.,
Richard L. Totels, and James B.
Woolwine from the vision requirement
in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), subject to the
requirements cited above (49 CFR
391.64(b)).
In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e)
and 31315, each exemption will be valid
for 2 years unless revoked earlier by
FMCSA. The exemption will be revoked
if: (1) The person fails to comply with
the terms and conditions of the
exemption; (2) the exemption has
resulted in a lower level of safety than
was maintained before it was granted; or
(3) continuation of the exemption would
not be consistent with the goals and
objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136 and 31315.
If the exemption is still effective at the
end of the 2-year period, the person may
apply to FMCSA for a renewal under
procedures in effect at that time.
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Issued on: December 29, 2010.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator, Office of Policy.
[FR Doc. 2011–240 Filed 1–7–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Preparation of Environmental Impact
Statement for Transit Improvements in
the US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor in
Metropolitan Houston, TX
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), Department of Transportation
(DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement.
AGENCY:
The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris
County (METRO) intend to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to
evaluate the proposed transit
improvements in the US 90A/Southwest
Rail corridor in the Houston
metropolitan area (Harris County). The
US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor
extends approximately eight miles from
the vicinity of the Fannin South Station
at the southern terminus of the existing
METRORail Red Line to West Sam
Houston Tollway (Beltway 8) in
Missouri City, Texas. The proposed
scope of the EIS, including the project’s
purpose and need, an initial set of
alternatives proposed for evaluation,
and the significant impacts to be
considered, are presented below. A
public scoping process seeking
comment on the scope of the EIS is
announced below.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written
comments on the scope of the EIS,
including the project’s purpose and
need, and the alternatives and impacts
to be considered should be sent to the
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris
County (METRO) no later than March
11, 2011. See ADDRESSES below.
Scoping Meeting Dates: Public
Scoping meetings for the US 90A/
Southwest Rail Corridor Transit Project
will be held on February 14, 2011,
February 15, 2011, February 16, 2011
and February 22, 2011. See ADDRESSES
below for meeting times and locations.
Presentation of the study corridor and
the proposed scope of the study will be
made at the meetings, followed by an
opportunity for the public to ask
question or make comments on the
project’s purpose and need, the
SUMMARY:
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alternatives to be evaluated and the
impacts to be assessed. Scoping
information material will be available
on the project Web site at https://
www.ridemetro.org and at the meeting
and may also be obtained in advance of
the meeting by contacting METRO at the
address identified in ADDRESSES below.
Any person who requires language
interpretation or special communication
accommodations is encouraged to
contact the METRO Community
Outreach Hotline at (713) 739–4018 at
least 72 hours prior to the scoping
meeting. The location for the meetings
will be accessible to persons with
disabilities.
Written comments should
be sent to:
Edmund Petry, Lead Environmental
Planner, METRO Infrastructure &
Service Development, 1900 Main Street,
Houston, Texas 77002.
You can also obtain information and
contact METRO about issues for the US
90A/Southwest Rail Corridor Transit
Project from the project Web site at
https://www.ridemetro.org. Scoping
meetings will be held at the following
locations:
Meeting 1: February 14, 2011 from 2
p.m. to 4 p.m.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
(Agency Scoping), 3777 Timmons,
Conference Room A 2nd Floor, Houston,
TX 77027.
Meeting 2: February 15, 2011 from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m.
´
Waterside Cafe, TMC Commons Area,
6550 Bertner STE: 1, Houston, TX
77030.
Meeting 3: February 15, 2011 from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m.
Missouri City Community Center,
1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, TX
77489.
Meeting 4: February 16, 2011 from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Power Center, Southeast
Ballroom, 12401 S. Post Oak Road,
Houston, TX 77045.
Meeting 5: February 22, 2011 from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m.
Westbury High School, Atrium, 11911
Chimney Rock, Houston, TX 77035.
FOR FURTHER INFORMTION CONTACT: Daisy
Mather, Environmental Protection
Specialist, FTA Region VI, 819 Taylor
Street, Ft. Worth, Texas 76102,
Telephone (817) 978–0550.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:
Scoping
METRO and FTA invite all interested
individuals and organizations, and
Federal, State, Native American Tribal,
regional, and local governmental
agencies to comment on the scope of the
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EIS, including the project’s purpose and
need, the alternatives to be studied, the
impacts to be evaluated, and the
assessment methods to be used.
Comments may address (1) the
project’s purpose and need, (2) feasible
alternatives that may better achieve the
project’s purpose and need with fewer
adverse impacts, and (3) any significant
environmental or community impacts
relating to the alternatives.
NEPA scoping (Title 40 of the Code of
Federal Regulations [CFR] 1501.7) has
specific and fairly limited objectives,
one of which is to identify the
significant issues associated with
alternatives that will be examined in
detail in the document, while
simultaneously limiting consideration
and development of issues that are not
truly significant. It is in the NEPA
scoping process that potentially
significant environmental and
community impacts—those that give
rise to the need to prepare an
environmental impact statement—
should be identified; impacts that are
deemed not to be significant need not be
developed extensively in the context of
the impact statement, thereby keeping
the statement focused on impacts of
consequence consistent with the
ultimate objectives of the NEPA
implementing regulations—‘‘to make the
environmental impact statement process
more useful to decision makers and the
public; and to reduce paperwork and
the accumulation of extraneous
background data, in order to emphasize
the need to focus on real environmental
issues and alternatives * * * [by
requiring] impact statements to be
concise, clear, and to the point, and
supported by evidence that agencies
have made the necessary environmental
analyses.’’ Executive Order 11991, May
24, 1977.
Once the scope of the environmental
study, including significant
environmental issues to be addressed, is
settled, an annotated outline of the
document will be prepared and shared
with interested agencies and the public.
The outline serves at least three worthy
purposes, including (1) documenting
the results of the scoping process; (2)
contributing to the transparency of the
process; and (3) providing a clear
roadmap for concise development of the
environmental document.
Purpose and Need for the Project
The US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor
Transit Project has been identified in
the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan
Update (2035 RTP Update) of the
Houston-Galveston Area Council (H–
GAC) and the METRO Solutions 2025
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Plan (METRO, August 2003) as a
priority transportation investment.
The US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor
continues to increase in population and
employment with limited traffic
capacity on existing streets and
highways resulting in increased travel
time, delays, and air pollution. Portions
of the US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor
are already densely developed. New
development and redevelopment is
occurring along the corridor and is
expected to generate increased travel
demand. In particular, high density,
mixed use developments are planned in
the corridor.
Travel patterns in the corridor are
influenced by US 59 as it connects the
southwestern end of the study area in
Fort Bend County to Downtown
Houston and the Texas Medical Center
(TMC). Much of the growth in traffic
along US 59 is a result of residential
growth in Fort Bend County, as well as
an increase in population and
employment in major activity centers in
Houston, including Downtown Houston
and the TMC. High levels of congestion
on US 59 result in traffic being diverted
onto US 90A and the local road
network.
Over the past few decades, both Fort
Bend County and Harris County have
experienced steady and significant
population and employment growth.
Future projections indicate that the rate
of growth will continue to be high over
the next 25–30 years, particularly in
Fort Bend County. By 2035, population
in the study area is projected to increase
by 46 percent from 21,903 to 31,897,
households by 49 percent from 8,079 to
12,039, and employment by 42 percent
from 24,157 to 34,242. H–GAC, 2008.
Growth is generating greater demand
than can be met by existing
transportation facilities and other
planned improvements. Transit
improvements in the US 90A/Southwest
Rail corridor will fill an important role
in meeting the overall mobility needs
for southwest Houston.
The strongest travel pattern in the US
90A/Southwest Rail corridor currently
exists to and from the TMC, with 27,174
daily trips. This relationship is
projected to continue and daily trips are
projected to increase to 31,855 by 2035.
There are also important existing travel
patterns between the study area and
destinations such as Uptown/Galleria
(18,752), Downtown (11,924), and
Greenway Plaza (10,642) and these are
all projected to increase substantially by
2035—to Uptown/Galleria (23,913),
Downtown (18,620), and Greenway
Plaza (15,166). H–GAC 2005 and 2035
Person Trip Tables.
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US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor
Transit Project would connect important
employment areas such as Downtown
Houston and the Texas Medical Center
(TMC) (with 130,000 and 74,000 jobs
respectively) with the cities of Missouri
City and Stafford (with a combined
population of nearly 100,000 residents
and 32,000 jobs) U.S. Census Bureau,
2007 and 2008. The US 90A/Southwest
Rail Project would also link Fort Bend
County/southwest Harris County and
other major activity centers currently
served by the existing METRORail Red
Line, including several college
campuses (the University of Houston,
Houston Community College and Rice
University) and cultural, sports and
entertainment complexes (Reliant Park,
Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, the
Houston Zoo, and the Museum District).
METRO does provide bus service in
the US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor;
however buses operate in mixed-flow
traffic on city streets for a portion of
their route. As a result, bus travel times
are influenced by roadway congestion
which is anticipated to increase. Peak
period bus travel times can be as much
as 30 percent longer than travel times
during off-peak periods. In addition to
slower peak period travel times, the
reliability of bus service in the US 90A/
Southwest Rail corridor is influenced by
traffic incident-induced congestion and
delays.
The Houston metropolitan area is a
severe nonattainment area for the eighthour ground level ozone standard for air
quality. At a minimum, transportation
improvements must not degrade air
quality and should strive to reduce
mobile source emissions in the future.
Providing alternatives to automobile
travel is a key ingredient in reducing
mobile source emissions.
The purpose of the proposed project
is to improve mobility, accessibility,
and system linkage between the major
residential areas in Missouri City and
Stafford with major employment
centers, such as Downtown Houston
and the TMC. The proposed transit
improvement would provide a high
speed transit alternative to the traffic
congestion in the corridor and further
the implementation of the METRO Rail
Expansion Program.
A key component of service in the US
90A/Southwest Rail Corridor Transit
Project would be the regional
connectivity that it would offer. The
proposed US 90A/Southwest Rail
corridor transit service would connect
to the existing METRORail Red Line,
which would provide access to
Downtown, Midtown, the Museum
District and other major activity centers.
Good connectivity to mainline transit
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service is important for maintaining and
expanding transit ridership. Without
convenient transit network access,
ridership in the US 90A/Southwest Rail
corridor would be adversely affected by
decreased bus speeds and increased
travel times directly attributable to
increased traffic congestion.
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Project Location and Environmental
Setting
The study area is located within the
Houston urban area and is defined as
being within the roughly 5-mile wide
travel corridor that contains US 90A/
Southwest Rail. The majority of the
study area is within Harris County, with
a small portion within Fort Bend
County. The corridor is about eight
miles long, linking the City of Houston
and the City of Missouri City. It extends
from the Fannin South Station at the
southern terminus of the existing
METRORail Red Line to West Sam
Houston Tollway (Beltway 8) and US
90A.
US 90A, a major northeast-tosouthwest highway, runs the length of
the study area. IH–610 borders the study
area on the north and Beltway 8 borders
the study area on the west. The study
area is bisected by the Union Pacific
(UP) freight railroad; the study area
parallels the UP Glidden subdivision
and is intersected by the UP Terminal
subdivision.
Alternatives
Preliminary alternatives identified
include a No Build Alternative and
various Build Alternatives. Additional
alternatives may emerge from comments
received during the scoping process.
Technology alternatives will be
addressed during the EIS process
including those alternatives that would
require use of Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) compliant rail
vehicles, such as would be case with
Build Alternative 3 below. The initial
list of alternatives proposed for
consideration is as follows:
No Build Alternative: This alternative
includes all transportation facilities and
services programmed for
implementation by 2030. This
alternative includes highway and
roadway improvements, as well as
transit facilities. The H–GAC 2035 RTP
serves as the basis for defining the
elements of the No Build Alternative.
The No Build Alternative proposes no
major transit or transportation
improvements in the US 90A/Southwest
Rail corridor.
Alternative 1—North of UP
Railroad—Buffalo Lakes/West Bellfort:
This light rail transit (LRT) alternative
begins in the vicinity of Beltway 8 and
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US 90A and runs northeast along the
north side of the UP Railroad right-ofway. It turns north and runs through the
future Buffalo Lakes development. At
West Bellfort Road, it turns east and
follows West Bellfort Road to Fannin
Street, where it turns north to connect
to the existing METRORail Red Line. A
Hillcroft/West Airport Alignment
Option turns north at Hillcroft Street
and then east onto West Airport
Boulevard. After crossing Chimney Rock
Road, it merges back along the north
side of the UP Railroad right-of-way.
Alternative 2—North of UP Railroad/
Fannin: This LRT alternative begins in
the vicinity of Beltway 8 and US 90A
and runs northeast along the north side
of the UP Railroad right-of way. At
Fannin Street it turns north to connect
to the existing METRORail Red Line. A
Hillcroft/West Airport Alignment
Option turns north at Hillcroft Street
and then east onto West Airport
Boulevard. After crossing Chimney Rock
Road, it merges back along the north
side of the UP Railroad right-of-way.
Alternative 3—UP Right-of-Way—
Fannin: This commuter rail alternative
begins in the vicinity of Beltway 8 and
US 90A and runs northeast within the
UP Railroad right-of-way. At Fannin, it
turns north to connect to the existing
METRORail Red Line.
Alternative 4—Between UP Railroad
and US 90A—Buffalo Lakes/West
Bellfort: This LRT alternative begins in
the vicinity of Beltway 8 and US 90A
and runs northeast between the UP
Railroad and US 90A. It turns north and
runs through the future Buffalo Lakes
development. At West Bellfort Road, it
turns east and follows West Bellfort
Road to Fannin Street, where it turns
north and connects to the existing
METRORail Red line.
Alternative 5—South of US 90A—
Buffalo Lakes/West Bellfort: This LRT
alternative begins in the vicinity of
Beltway 8 and US 90A and runs
northeast along the south side of the US
90A. It turns north and runs through the
future Buffalo Lakes development. At
West Bellfort Road, it turns east and
follows West Bellfort Road to Fannin
Street, where it turns north to connect
to the existing METRORail Red Line.
Possible Effects
The preliminary set of alternatives
that have been identified would use
UPRR ROW, TXDOT ROW, newly
acquired right-of-way, or a combination
of each. Each of the proposed
alternatives may pose different
environmental concerns for analysis.
Alignments using UPRR ROW could
have potential impacts in the areas of
freight rail operations, noise & vibration,
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hazardous materials, water quality,
floodplains, and aesthetics. Proposed
alignments that use TxDOT ROW of
South Main (US 90A) could have
impacts in the areas of noise &
vibration, water quality, traffic, and
floodplains. Newly acquired ROW could
have potential environmental impacts
on a broader range of categories such as
wetlands, floodplains, parkland,
residential and industrial property
displacements, noise & vibration,
threatened & endangered species, and
cultural resources. The proposed project
would occur in the Houston-Galveston
region, which is classified as a ‘‘severe’’
non-attainment area for ground level
zone; therefore, all alternatives would
be investigated for air quality impacts.
Environmental justice issues will be
examined for all alternatives, and
Limited English Proficiency and Title VI
requirements documented. The indirect
and cumulative effects of the proposed
project would also be analyzed in the
EIS.
The EIS will take into account both
positive and negative impacts, direct
and indirect impacts, short-term and
long-term impacts and site specific and
corridor wide impacts. The impact
evaluation will be consistent with all
Federal, State, and local criteria,
regulations and policies. The EIS will
identify measures to avoid, minimize,
and mitigate adverse environmental and
community impacts. To ensure that all
significant issues related to this
proposed action are identified and
addressed, scoping comments and
suggestions are invited from all
interested parties. In addition, a Public
Involvement Program will include
outreach to community and civic
groups; periodic meetings with various
local organizations; a public hearing on
release of the draft EIS; and
development and distribution of project
newsletters.
FTA Procedures
The EIS will be prepared in
accordance with NEPA and its
implementing regulations 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
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provisions of Federal transit laws (49
U.S.C. 5323(b), and 5324), the projectlevel 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 part 774),
and Executive Orders 12898 on
environmental justice, 11988 on
floodplain management, and 11990 on
the protection of the wetlands.
The FTA regulations implementing
NEPA, as well as provisions of the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for
Users (SAFETEA–LU), requires that
FTA and METRO (1) invite other
Federal and non-Federal agencies and
Native American Tribes that may have
an interest in the proposed project to
become ‘‘participating agencies;’’ (2)
provide an opportunity for involvement
by participating agencies and the public
to help define the purpose and need,
and the range of alternatives for
consideration; and (3) establish a plan
for coordinating public and agency
participation in, and comment on, the
environmental review. It is possible that
FTA and METRO 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 at the earliest
opportunity the Project Manager
identified above under ADDRESSES.
Paperwork Reduction
The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks,
in part, to minimize the cost to the
taxpayer of the creation, collection,
maintenance, use, dissemination, and
disposition of information. Consistent
with this goal and with principles of
economy and efficiency in government,
it is FTA policy to limit insofar as
possible distribution of complete
printed sets of environmental
documents. Accordingly, unless a
specific request for a complete printed
set of environmental documents is
received (preferably in advance of
printing), FTA and its grantees will
distribute only the executive summary
of the environmental document together
with a Compact Disc of the complete
environmental document. A complete
printed set of the environmental
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document will be available for review at
the libraries and governments offices in
the project area; an electronic copy of
the complete environmental document
will also be available on the project Web
site at https://www.ridemetro.org.
Blas M. Uribe,
FTA Deputy Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011–149 Filed 1–7–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA–2010–0381
Pipeline Safety: Establishing Maximum
Allowable Operating Pressure or
Maximum Operating Pressure Using
Record Evidence, and Integrity
Management Risk Identification,
Assessment, Prevention, and
Mitigation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA); DOT.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of Advisory
Bulletin.
AGENCY:
PHMSA is issuing an
Advisory Bulletin to remind operators
of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline
facilities of their responsibilities, under
Federal integrity management (IM)
regulations, to perform detailed threat
and risk analyses that integrate accurate
data and information from their entire
pipeline system, especially when
calculating Maximum Allowable
Operating Pressure (MAOP) or
Maximum Operating Pressure (MOP),
and to utilize these risk analyses in the
identification of appropriate assessment
methods, and preventive and mitigative
measures.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alan Mayberry by phone at 202–366–
5124 or by e-mail at
alan.mayberry@dot.gov. All materials in
this docket may be accessed
electronically at https://
www.regulations.gov. General
information about the PHMSA Office of
Pipeline Safety (OPS) can be obtained
by accessing OPS’s Internet home page
at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Background
PHMSA’s goal is to improve the
overall integrity of pipeline systems and
reduce risks. To adequately evaluate
risk, it is necessary to identify and
evaluate the physical and operational
characteristics of each individual
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pipeline system. To that end, the
Hazardous Liquid and Gas Transmission
Pipeline Integrity Management (IM)
Programs were created with the
following objectives:
• Ensuring the quality of pipeline
integrity in areas with a higher potential
for adverse consequences (high
consequence areas or HCAs);
• Promoting a more rigorous and
systematic management of pipeline
integrity and risk by operators;
• Maintaining the government’s
prominent role in the oversight of
pipeline operator integrity plans and
programs; and
• Increasing the public’s confidence
in the safe operation of the nation’s
pipeline network.
The IM regulations supplement
PHMSA’s prescriptive safety regulations
with requirements that are intelligent,
performance based and processoriented. One of the fundamental tenets
of the IM program is that pipeline
operators must be aware of the physical
attributes of their pipeline as well as the
physical environment that it
transverses. These programs reflect the
recognition that each pipeline is unique
and has its own specific risk profile that
is dependent upon the pipelines
attributes, its geographical location,
design, operating environment, the
commodity being transported, and many
other factors. This information is a vital
component in an operator’s ability to
identify and evaluate the risks to its
pipeline and identify the appropriate
assessment tools, set the schedule for
assessments of the integrity of the
pipeline segments and identify the need
for additional preventive and mitigative
measures such as lowering operating
pressures. If this information is
unknown, or unknowable, a more
conservative approach to operations is
dictated.
An IM program must go beyond
simply assessing pipeline segments and
repairing defects. Improving operator IM
programs, the analytical processes
involved in identifying and responding
to risk, and the application of
assessment and development of
preventive and mitigative measures is
also a critical objective. In addition, the
ability to integrate and analyze threat
and integrity related data from many
sources is essential for enhanced safety
and proactive integrity management.
However, some operators are not
sufficiently aware of their pipeline
attributes nor are they adequately or
consistently assessing threats and risks
as a part of their IM programs.
Over the past several years, PHMSA
inspections and investigations have
revealed deficiencies in individual
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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 6 (Monday, January 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1501-1504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-149]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for Transit
Improvements in the US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor in Metropolitan
Houston, TX
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metropolitan
Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) intend to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to evaluate the proposed transit
improvements in the US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor in the Houston
metropolitan area (Harris County). The US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor
extends approximately eight miles from the vicinity of the Fannin South
Station at the southern terminus of the existing METRORail Red Line to
West Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8) in Missouri City, Texas. The
proposed scope of the EIS, including the project's purpose and need, an
initial set of alternatives proposed for evaluation, and the
significant impacts to be considered, are presented below. A public
scoping process seeking comment on the scope of the EIS is announced
below.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the EIS,
including the project's purpose and need, and the alternatives and
impacts to be considered should be sent to the Metropolitan Transit
Authority of Harris County (METRO) no later than March 11, 2011. See
ADDRESSES below.
Scoping Meeting Dates: Public Scoping meetings for the US 90A/
Southwest Rail Corridor Transit Project will be held on February 14,
2011, February 15, 2011, February 16, 2011 and February 22, 2011. See
ADDRESSES below for meeting times and locations. Presentation of the
study corridor and the proposed scope of the study will be made at the
meetings, followed by an opportunity for the public to ask question or
make comments on the project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be
evaluated and the impacts to be assessed. Scoping information material
will be available on the project Web site at https://www.ridemetro.org
and at the meeting and may also be obtained in advance of the meeting
by contacting METRO at the address identified in ADDRESSES below. Any
person who requires language interpretation or special communication
accommodations is encouraged to contact the METRO Community Outreach
Hotline at (713) 739-4018 at least 72 hours prior to the scoping
meeting. The location for the meetings will be accessible to persons
with disabilities.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to:
Edmund Petry, Lead Environmental Planner, METRO Infrastructure &
Service Development, 1900 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002.
You can also obtain information and contact METRO about issues for
the US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor Transit Project from the project Web
site at https://www.ridemetro.org. Scoping meetings will be held at the
following locations:
Meeting 1: February 14, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Houston-Galveston Area Council (Agency Scoping), 3777 Timmons,
Conference Room A 2nd Floor, Houston, TX 77027.
Meeting 2: February 15, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Waterside Caf[eacute], TMC Commons Area, 6550 Bertner STE: 1,
Houston, TX 77030.
Meeting 3: February 15, 2011 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Missouri City Community Center, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City,
TX 77489.
Meeting 4: February 16, 2011 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Power Center, Southeast Ballroom, 12401 S. Post Oak Road,
Houston, TX 77045.
Meeting 5: February 22, 2011 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Westbury High School, Atrium, 11911 Chimney Rock, Houston, TX
77035.
FOR FURTHER INFORMTION CONTACT: Daisy Mather, Environmental Protection
Specialist, FTA Region VI, 819 Taylor Street, Ft. Worth, Texas 76102,
Telephone (817) 978-0550.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scoping
METRO and FTA invite all interested individuals and organizations,
and Federal, State, Native American Tribal, regional, and local
governmental agencies to comment on the scope of the
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EIS, including the project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be
studied, the impacts to be evaluated, and the assessment methods to be
used.
Comments may address (1) the project's purpose and need, (2)
feasible alternatives that may better achieve the project's purpose and
need with fewer adverse impacts, and (3) any significant environmental
or community impacts relating to the alternatives.
NEPA scoping (Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]
1501.7) has specific and fairly limited objectives, one of which is to
identify the significant issues associated with alternatives that will
be examined in detail in the document, while simultaneously limiting
consideration and development of issues that are not truly significant.
It is in the NEPA scoping process that potentially significant
environmental and community impacts--those that give rise to the need
to prepare an environmental impact statement--should be identified;
impacts that are deemed not to be significant need not be developed
extensively in the context of the impact statement, thereby keeping the
statement focused on impacts of consequence consistent with the
ultimate objectives of the NEPA implementing regulations--``to make the
environmental impact statement process more useful to decision makers
and the public; and to reduce paperwork and the accumulation of
extraneous background data, in order to emphasize the need to focus on
real environmental issues and alternatives * * * [by requiring] impact
statements to be concise, clear, and to the point, and supported by
evidence that agencies have made the necessary environmental
analyses.'' Executive Order 11991, May 24, 1977.
Once the scope of the environmental study, including significant
environmental issues to be addressed, is settled, an annotated outline
of the document will be prepared and shared with interested agencies
and the public. The outline serves at least three worthy purposes,
including (1) documenting the results of the scoping process; (2)
contributing to the transparency of the process; and (3) providing a
clear roadmap for concise development of the environmental document.
Purpose and Need for the Project
The US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor Transit Project has been
identified in the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan Update (2035 RTP
Update) of the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) and the METRO
Solutions 2025 Plan (METRO, August 2003) as a priority transportation
investment.
The US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor continues to increase in
population and employment with limited traffic capacity on existing
streets and highways resulting in increased travel time, delays, and
air pollution. Portions of the US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor are
already densely developed. New development and redevelopment is
occurring along the corridor and is expected to generate increased
travel demand. In particular, high density, mixed use developments are
planned in the corridor.
Travel patterns in the corridor are influenced by US 59 as it
connects the southwestern end of the study area in Fort Bend County to
Downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center (TMC). Much of the growth
in traffic along US 59 is a result of residential growth in Fort Bend
County, as well as an increase in population and employment in major
activity centers in Houston, including Downtown Houston and the TMC.
High levels of congestion on US 59 result in traffic being diverted
onto US 90A and the local road network.
Over the past few decades, both Fort Bend County and Harris County
have experienced steady and significant population and employment
growth. Future projections indicate that the rate of growth will
continue to be high over the next 25-30 years, particularly in Fort
Bend County. By 2035, population in the study area is projected to
increase by 46 percent from 21,903 to 31,897, households by 49 percent
from 8,079 to 12,039, and employment by 42 percent from 24,157 to
34,242. H-GAC, 2008.
Growth is generating greater demand than can be met by existing
transportation facilities and other planned improvements. Transit
improvements in the US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor will fill an
important role in meeting the overall mobility needs for southwest
Houston.
The strongest travel pattern in the US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor
currently exists to and from the TMC, with 27,174 daily trips. This
relationship is projected to continue and daily trips are projected to
increase to 31,855 by 2035. There are also important existing travel
patterns between the study area and destinations such as Uptown/
Galleria (18,752), Downtown (11,924), and Greenway Plaza (10,642) and
these are all projected to increase substantially by 2035--to Uptown/
Galleria (23,913), Downtown (18,620), and Greenway Plaza (15,166). H-
GAC 2005 and 2035 Person Trip Tables.
US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor Transit Project would connect
important employment areas such as Downtown Houston and the Texas
Medical Center (TMC) (with 130,000 and 74,000 jobs respectively) with
the cities of Missouri City and Stafford (with a combined population of
nearly 100,000 residents and 32,000 jobs) U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 and
2008. The US 90A/Southwest Rail Project would also link Fort Bend
County/southwest Harris County and other major activity centers
currently served by the existing METRORail Red Line, including several
college campuses (the University of Houston, Houston Community College
and Rice University) and cultural, sports and entertainment complexes
(Reliant Park, Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, the Houston Zoo, and
the Museum District).
METRO does provide bus service in the US 90A/Southwest Rail
corridor; however buses operate in mixed-flow traffic on city streets
for a portion of their route. As a result, bus travel times are
influenced by roadway congestion which is anticipated to increase. Peak
period bus travel times can be as much as 30 percent longer than travel
times during off-peak periods. In addition to slower peak period travel
times, the reliability of bus service in the US 90A/Southwest Rail
corridor is influenced by traffic incident-induced congestion and
delays.
The Houston metropolitan area is a severe nonattainment area for
the eight-hour ground level ozone standard for air quality. At a
minimum, transportation improvements must not degrade air quality and
should strive to reduce mobile source emissions in the future.
Providing alternatives to automobile travel is a key ingredient in
reducing mobile source emissions.
The purpose of the proposed project is to improve mobility,
accessibility, and system linkage between the major residential areas
in Missouri City and Stafford with major employment centers, such as
Downtown Houston and the TMC. The proposed transit improvement would
provide a high speed transit alternative to the traffic congestion in
the corridor and further the implementation of the METRO Rail Expansion
Program.
A key component of service in the US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor
Transit Project would be the regional connectivity that it would offer.
The proposed US 90A/Southwest Rail corridor transit service would
connect to the existing METRORail Red Line, which would provide access
to Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District and other major activity
centers. Good connectivity to mainline transit
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service is important for maintaining and expanding transit ridership.
Without convenient transit network access, ridership in the US 90A/
Southwest Rail corridor would be adversely affected by decreased bus
speeds and increased travel times directly attributable to increased
traffic congestion.
Project Location and Environmental Setting
The study area is located within the Houston urban area and is
defined as being within the roughly 5-mile wide travel corridor that
contains US 90A/Southwest Rail. The majority of the study area is
within Harris County, with a small portion within Fort Bend County. The
corridor is about eight miles long, linking the City of Houston and the
City of Missouri City. It extends from the Fannin South Station at the
southern terminus of the existing METRORail Red Line to West Sam
Houston Tollway (Beltway 8) and US 90A.
US 90A, a major northeast-to-southwest highway, runs the length of
the study area. IH-610 borders the study area on the north and Beltway
8 borders the study area on the west. The study area is bisected by the
Union Pacific (UP) freight railroad; the study area parallels the UP
Glidden subdivision and is intersected by the UP Terminal subdivision.
Alternatives
Preliminary alternatives identified include a No Build Alternative
and various Build Alternatives. Additional alternatives may emerge from
comments received during the scoping process. Technology alternatives
will be addressed during the EIS process including those alternatives
that would require use of Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
compliant rail vehicles, such as would be case with Build Alternative 3
below. The initial list of alternatives proposed for consideration is
as follows:
No Build Alternative: This alternative includes all transportation
facilities and services programmed for implementation by 2030. This
alternative includes highway and roadway improvements, as well as
transit facilities. The H-GAC 2035 RTP serves as the basis for defining
the elements of the No Build Alternative. The No Build Alternative
proposes no major transit or transportation improvements in the US 90A/
Southwest Rail corridor.
Alternative 1--North of UP Railroad--Buffalo Lakes/West Bellfort:
This light rail transit (LRT) alternative begins in the vicinity of
Beltway 8 and US 90A and runs northeast along the north side of the UP
Railroad right-of-way. It turns north and runs through the future
Buffalo Lakes development. At West Bellfort Road, it turns east and
follows West Bellfort Road to Fannin Street, where it turns north to
connect to the existing METRORail Red Line. A Hillcroft/West Airport
Alignment Option turns north at Hillcroft Street and then east onto
West Airport Boulevard. After crossing Chimney Rock Road, it merges
back along the north side of the UP Railroad right-of-way.
Alternative 2--North of UP Railroad/Fannin: This LRT alternative
begins in the vicinity of Beltway 8 and US 90A and runs northeast along
the north side of the UP Railroad right-of way. At Fannin Street it
turns north to connect to the existing METRORail Red Line. A Hillcroft/
West Airport Alignment Option turns north at Hillcroft Street and then
east onto West Airport Boulevard. After crossing Chimney Rock Road, it
merges back along the north side of the UP Railroad right-of-way.
Alternative 3--UP Right-of-Way--Fannin: This commuter rail
alternative begins in the vicinity of Beltway 8 and US 90A and runs
northeast within the UP Railroad right-of-way. At Fannin, it turns
north to connect to the existing METRORail Red Line.
Alternative 4--Between UP Railroad and US 90A--Buffalo Lakes/West
Bellfort: This LRT alternative begins in the vicinity of Beltway 8 and
US 90A and runs northeast between the UP Railroad and US 90A. It turns
north and runs through the future Buffalo Lakes development. At West
Bellfort Road, it turns east and follows West Bellfort Road to Fannin
Street, where it turns north and connects to the existing METRORail Red
line.
Alternative 5--South of US 90A--Buffalo Lakes/West Bellfort: This
LRT alternative begins in the vicinity of Beltway 8 and US 90A and runs
northeast along the south side of the US 90A. It turns north and runs
through the future Buffalo Lakes development. At West Bellfort Road, it
turns east and follows West Bellfort Road to Fannin Street, where it
turns north to connect to the existing METRORail Red Line.
Possible Effects
The preliminary set of alternatives that have been identified would
use UPRR ROW, TXDOT ROW, newly acquired right-of-way, or a combination
of each. Each of the proposed alternatives may pose different
environmental concerns for analysis. Alignments using UPRR ROW could
have potential impacts in the areas of freight rail operations, noise &
vibration, hazardous materials, water quality, floodplains, and
aesthetics. Proposed alignments that use TxDOT ROW of South Main (US
90A) could have impacts in the areas of noise & vibration, water
quality, traffic, and floodplains. Newly acquired ROW could have
potential environmental impacts on a broader range of categories such
as wetlands, floodplains, parkland, residential and industrial property
displacements, noise & vibration, threatened & endangered species, and
cultural resources. The proposed project would occur in the Houston-
Galveston region, which is classified as a ``severe'' non-attainment
area for ground level zone; therefore, all alternatives would be
investigated for air quality impacts.
Environmental justice issues will be examined for all alternatives,
and Limited English Proficiency and Title VI requirements documented.
The indirect and cumulative effects of the proposed project would also
be analyzed in the EIS.
The EIS will take into account both positive and negative impacts,
direct and indirect impacts, short-term and long-term impacts and site
specific and corridor wide impacts. The impact evaluation will be
consistent with all Federal, State, and local criteria, regulations and
policies. The EIS will identify measures to avoid, minimize, and
mitigate adverse environmental and community impacts. To ensure that
all significant issues related to this proposed action are identified
and addressed, scoping comments and suggestions are invited from all
interested parties. In addition, a Public Involvement Program will
include outreach to community and civic groups; periodic meetings with
various local organizations; a public hearing on release of the draft
EIS; and development and distribution of project newsletters.
FTA Procedures
The EIS will be prepared in accordance with NEPA and its
implementing regulations 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
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provisions of Federal transit laws (49 U.S.C. 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 part 774), and Executive Orders 12898 on
environmental justice, 11988 on floodplain management, and 11990 on the
protection of the wetlands.
The FTA regulations implementing NEPA, as well as provisions of the
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), requires that FTA and METRO (1) invite
other Federal and non-Federal agencies and Native American Tribes that
may have an interest in the proposed project to become ``participating
agencies;'' (2) provide an opportunity for involvement by participating
agencies and the public to help define the purpose and need, and the
range of alternatives for consideration; and (3) establish a plan for
coordinating public and agency participation in, and comment on, the
environmental review. It is possible that FTA and METRO 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 at the earliest opportunity the Project Manager
identified above under ADDRESSES.
Paperwork Reduction
The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to minimize the cost to
the taxpayer of the creation, collection, maintenance, use,
dissemination, and disposition of information. Consistent with this
goal and with principles of economy and efficiency in government, it is
FTA policy to limit insofar as possible distribution of complete
printed sets of environmental documents. Accordingly, unless a specific
request for a complete printed set of environmental documents is
received (preferably in advance of printing), FTA and its grantees will
distribute only the executive summary of the environmental document
together with a Compact Disc of the complete environmental document. A
complete printed set of the environmental document will be available
for review at the libraries and governments offices in the project
area; an electronic copy of the complete environmental document will
also be available on the project Web site at https://www.ridemetro.org.
Blas M. Uribe,
FTA Deputy Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-149 Filed 1-7-11; 8:45 am]
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