Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project in the City and County of San Francisco, CA, 19519-19522 [2011-8227]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 67 / Thursday, April 7, 2011 / Notices
responsibility for the incidents on the
acts or omissions of any person or
entity.
Two railroad employees, while each
riding the side of rolling equipment to
protect a shoving movement, were
fatally injured (in separate incidents)
when the equipment they were riding
struck other equipment that was left out
to foul. A common factor in both
accidents was that the equipment was
left in a location where it fouled an
adjacent track by the very employees
who were involved in the incidents.
The first incident occurred on
September 2, 2010, in Bridgeport, New
Jersey, when a conventional two-person
switching crew was shoving rolling
equipment into an industrial facility.
The locomotive engineer was in the
locomotive control compartment and
the conductor was positioned on the
leading end of a tank car directing the
shoving move. The conductor had one
foot on the end platform and the other
on the side ladder tread as he began to
pass a tank car that he had spotted at
that location the previous day.
Unfortunately, the car had been left in
the foul of the adjacent track and the
cars struck each other; the conductor
sustained fatal injuries.
The second incident occurred on
February 8, 2011, in Kankakee, Illinois.
A conventional switching crew that
consisted of a conductor, engineer, and
a conductor-in-training was switching
cars on a switching lead track and using
various other yard tracks. The crew had
left a car on one of the yard tracks in
a location where it was in the foul of an
adjacent track. Shortly thereafter, the
conductor and conductor-in-training
boarded opposite sides of the leading
end of a gondola car and began a
shoving movement. Subsequently, the
side of the gondola on which the
conductor was riding struck the car that
was previously left in the foul of the
adjacent track. The conductor was
crushed between the two cars and
sustained fatal injuries.
Although the preponderance of
incidents involving equipment that is
left in the foul of an adjacent track
fortunately only result in railroad
property damage, the potential for
injury or death in such instances is
always present. By issuing this safety
advisory, FRA is reminding all
stakeholders of the importance of
situational awareness and compliance
with all applicable operating and safety
rules, particularly those related to
leaving rolling equipment in a location
that is clear of adjacent tracks.
FRA Action: Despite the significant
reduction in train accidents caused by
equipment being left in the foul of an
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adjacent track, a review of FRA’s
inspection data relative to 49 CFR
218.101 indicates a disturbing trend.
From calendar year (CY) 2009 to CY
2010, violations of 49 CFR 218.101
recommended for prosecution by FRA
inspectors increased 124 percent. Based
on the results of inspection data for the
first 2 months of 2011, if trends
continue, violations recommended for
prosecution in 2011 versus 2010 would
increase by an additional 81 percent.
Whether the increase in violations is
due to greater vigilance by FRA or is
due to an actual increase in the number
of instances where equipment is being
left in such locations, FRA intends to
ensure that railroads take necessary
steps to prevent and reduce the
potential trend indicated by the
statistics noted above.
Over the next several months, FRA
intends to increase its inspection
activity to focus on compliance with
railroad operating rules that address all
of the requirements contained in
Subpart F. Particular emphasis will be
placed on the requirements contained in
49 CFR 218.101. FRA will also focus its
inspection efforts on railroad
operational testing activity, particularly
as it relates to Subpart F. FRA strongly
encourages railroad industry members
to reemphasize the importance of
leaving equipment in the clear as
frequently as possible, and to take such
other actions as may help ensure safety
on the Nation’s railroads.
Recommended Railroad Action: In
light of the recent accidents discussed
above, and in an effort to maintain the
safety of railroad employees on the
Nation’s rail system, FRA recommends
that railroads:
(1) Review with employees the
circumstances of the two most recent
fatal incidents;
(2) Reinstruct supervisors and
employees on the operating and safety
rules applicable to leaving rolling
equipment in a location that is clear of
adjacent tracks. Particular emphasis
should be placed on the procedures that
enable employees to identify clearance
points and the means to identify
locations where clearance points will
not permit a person to safely ride on the
side of a car;
(3) Increase operational testing on
those operating and safety rules that
pertain to leaving rolling equipment in
a location that is clear of adjacent tracks;
and
(4) Review current job briefing
procedures among coworkers and
determine if the procedures are
sufficient to encourage more effective
communication regarding switching
activities, specifically as the procedures
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19519
relate to the positioning of rolling
equipment so that the equipment is in
a location that is clear of adjacent tracks.
FRA encourages railroad industry
members to take action that is consistent
with the preceding recommendations
and to take other actions to help ensure
the safety of the Nation’s railroad
employees. FRA may modify this Safety
Advisory 2011–01, issue additional
safety advisories, or take other
appropriate action necessary to ensure
the highest level of safety on the
Nation’s railroads, including pursing
other corrective measures under its rail
safety authority.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 1,
2011.
Jo Strang,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety/
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011–8232 Filed 4–6–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Downtown
San Francisco Ferry Terminal
Expansion Project in the City and
County of San Francisco, CA
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS).
AGENCY:
The FTA, as the lead Federal
agency, and the San Francisco Bay Area
Water Emergency Transportation
Authority (WETA) are planning to
prepare an EIS for the proposed
expansion and improvements to the
Downtown San Francisco Ferry
Terminal at the Port of San Francisco
Ferry Building. The proposed project
would serve commuters, visitors, and
recreational users desiring an alternative
way to cross San Francisco Bay, and
reach nearby employment,
entertainment, and recreational
destinations in San Francisco. The
project expands the number of ferry
gates and improves ferry patron
circulation, boarding, and wayfinding in
and around the Ferry Building. In
addition, the project enhances
emergency response capabilities to
evacuate people from San Francisco
and/or mobilize first responders to San
Francisco via ferries if a catastrophic
event occurs. 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
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 67 / Thursday, April 7, 2011 / Notices
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regulations (40 Code of Federal
Regulations [CFR] parts 1500–08) as
well as provisions of the recently
enacted Safe, Accountable, Flexible
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU). The
purpose of this notice is to alert
interested parties regarding the intent to
prepare an EIS; provide information on
the proposed transit project; invite
participation in the EIS process,
including comments on the scope of the
EIS proposed in this notice; and
announce when the public scoping
meeting will be conducted.
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of the EIS should be sent to Mike
Gougherty, WETA Project Manager, by
May 16, 2011. A public scoping meeting
to accept comments on the scope of the
EIS will be held on the following date:
• April 26, 2011, from 5:30 p.m. to
7:30 p.m., at Pier 1, Bayside Conference
Room, San Francisco, California.
An interagency scoping meeting for
agencies with interest in the project will
be held on the following date:
• April 26, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
at the Pier 1, Bayside Conference Room,
San Francisco, California.
The meeting will be accessible to
persons with disabilities. If special
translation or signing services or other
special accommodations are needed,
please contact Mike Gougherty at (415)
364–3189 at least 48 hours before the
meeting. A scoping information packet
is available on the WETA Web site at
https://www.watertransit.org or by
calling Mike Gougherty at (415) 364–
3189. Copies will also be available at the
scoping meeting.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the scope of
the EIS will be accepted at the public
scoping meeting, or written comments
should be sent to Mike Gougherty,
WETA Project Manager, San Francisco
Bay Water Emergency Transportation
Authority, Pier 9, Suite 111, The
Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA, 94111.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Debra Jones, Environmental Protection
Specialist, FTA, San Francisco Regional
Office at (415) 744–3133.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scoping
The FTA and WETA invite all
interested individuals and
organizations, public agencies, and
Native American Tribes to comment on
the scope of the EIS, including the
project’s purpose and need, the
alternatives to be studied, the impacts to
be evaluated, and the evaluation
methods to be used. Comments should
address (1) feasible alternatives that may
better achieve the project’s need and
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purposes with fewer adverse impacts,
and (2) any significant environmental
impacts relating to the alternatives.
NEPA ‘‘scoping’’ (Title 40 of the 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 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, of May 24, 1977.
Once the scope of the environmental
study, including significant
environmental issues to be addressed, is
settled, a scoping report will be
prepared that: (1) Documents the results
of the scoping process; (2) contributes to
the transparency of the process; and (3)
provides a clear roadmap for concise
development of the environmental
document.
Purpose and Need for the Project
The purpose of the Downtown San
Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion
Project is to support and expand ferry
service on San Francisco Bay, as
established by WETA in its
Implementation and Operations Plan
(IOP), and in accordance with city and
regional policies to encourage transit
use. Furthermore, the project will
address deficiencies in the
transportation network that impede
ferry operation and ferry patron access
and circulation at the Downtown San
Francisco Ferry Terminal. The project
objectives include:
• Accommodate WETA’s projected
increase in ferry ridership and related
ferry arrivals and departures from the
Downtown San Francisco Ferry
Terminal;
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• Provide a viable alternative mode of
transportation that accommodates
projected increases in transbay trips,
and helps alleviates congestion over the
Bay Bridge and through the Bay Area
Rapid Transit (BART) Transbay Tube;
• Address WETA’s and the Port of
San Francisco’s (Port) emergency
response needs;
• Establish a circulation plan and
improved signage that provides clear
pedestrian routes for ferry to bus and
ferry to rail transfers, as well as safe
routes for bikes, emergency vehicles,
and delivery trucks to enter, park and
exit the area;
• Provide necessary landside
improvements, such as designated
weather-protected areas for waiting and
queuing, ticket machines and fare
collection equipment, improved
lighting, and improved boarding and
arrival/departure information to serve
ferry patrons and to enhance the Ferry
Building as the central point of
embarkation for ferries on San Francisco
Bay; and
• Enhance the area’s public access
and open space with design features
that create attractive, safe daytime and
nighttime public spaces for both ferry
patrons and other users of the Ferry
Building area;
• Recognize the Port’s land use
planning and development proposals in
and around the Ferry Building so as not
to preclude, conflict with, or inhibit
proposed development plans in the
project vicinity.
WETA recognizes and supports the
Port of San Francisco’s land use
planning and development proposals in
and around the Ferry Building,
including the historic renovation of the
Agricultural Building and
enhancements to the Ferry Plaza area.
These Port initiatives are being planned
and funded independent of the WETA
project and, as a result, are not included
as project elements. WETA will stage
construction and manage and operate
ferry services so they do not preclude,
conflict with, or inhibit the Port’s
proposed development plans in the
project vicinity.
Project Location and Environmental
Setting
The project is located in the
northeastern section of San Francisco,
California, at the San Francisco Ferry
Building, situated at the foot of Market
Street. The study area encompasses Port
of San Francisco property between Pier
1 on the north and Pier 14 on the south,
and includes the Ferry Building, ferry
gates, and the Ferry Plaza.
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Possible Alternatives
A study of potential ferry terminal
improvements at the San Francisco
Ferry Building was completed by the
Port in 1994. The planning process,
summarized in the Downtown San
Francisco Ferry Terminal Project,
Concept Design—Stage 1 Final Report,
addressed deficiencies in the circulation
of pedestrians across the Embarcadero
and through the Ferry Building;
constraints imposed by previous design
modifications of the Ferry Building that
obscured wayfinding to the ferry gates;
limited opportunities for public
gathering and access to the Bay; and
restricted commercial development
within the building. A variety of design,
configuration, and circulation
improvements were considered. The
Port selected those improvements that
best met its long-term public service and
facility objectives, and completed those
projects, including construction of Gates
B and E and the south basin breakwater
at Pier 14, as Phase 1 of the Downtown
San Francisco Ferry Terminal Project in
2003. This project builds on the
previous improvements, described
under the Action Alternative below. In
addition to the Action Alternative,
WETA considers the effects of doing
nothing, identified as the No Action
Alternative. Both the Action and No
Action Alternatives are being
considered in the EIS, as described
below.
No Action Alternative. Six ferry
routes currently serve the Downtown
San Francisco Ferry Terminal. Today,
the Downtown San Francisco Ferry
Terminal has approximately 130 ferry
arrivals and departures daily, serving
more than 10,000 daily ferry patrons.
The existing Ferry Terminal gate
configuration serves current ferry
operations and provides the circulation
areas to access these gates. The No
Action Alternative maintains the
existing ferry services, gate
configuration, and circulation areas,
including the function, uses, and design
of the Ferry Building, which also serves
as an important public space in San
Francisco. No new gates or additional
boarding capacity to accommodate new
ferry services would occur as part of the
No Action Alternative. Similarly,
circulation and boarding improvements
to respond to emergency planning
requirements would not be
implemented.
The No Action Alternative retains
vehicle circulation and drop-off areas
near the Ferry Building as well as the
current circulation patterns for ferry
patrons to access the ferry boarding
areas. Pedestrian pathways to boarding
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locations for San Francisco Municipal
Railway (Muni) bus and streetcar lines
and the Amtrak bus would remain
unchanged. Programmed Transbay bus
and rail transit improvements identified
in the Regional Transportation Plan
would be implemented as part of the No
Action Alternative. This alternative
serves as the baseline against which the
environmental effects of the other
alternatives are measured.
Action Alternative. The Action
Alternative incorporates modifications
and improvements to the Ferry
Terminal gates and ferry boarding areas
to accommodate future WETA service
and increased ferry patronage. Current
estimates for 2025 projected daily
ridership at the Ferry Terminal are
approximately 35,000 passengers. The
ridership projections account for
existing service, plus new ferry services
from downtown San Francisco to
Berkeley, Treasure Island, Hercules,
Richmond, Redwood City, Martinez,
and Antioch to be initiated between
2014 and 2030. Service frequencies
during the day and evenings would
reflect the travel demand for commute
and non-commute periods. Existing
services operated by others (i.e.,
Sausalito, Larkspur, and Tiburon), and
existing services operated by WETA
(i.e., Vallejo, Alameda/Oakland, and
Alameda Harbor Bay) would remain, but
the access and boarding environments
for these services would be improved by
the project.
In addition, landside improvements to
allow staging and circulation for
possible emergency evacuation at the
Ferry Building are included in the
Action Alternative. The modifications
and improvements are the responsibility
of WETA in cooperation with the Port
of San Francisco, with funding coming
from Regional Measure 2, State
Proposition 1B, and FTA.
The WETA-sponsored improvements
represent sequential construction
phases (Phase 2 and Phase 3). As noted
previously, the Phase 2 and Phase 3
improvements build on those elements
already completed by the Port in 2003
during Phase 1. Phase 2, which is
expected to be completed by 2017, will
include:
• Demolition and removal of Pier c
and Pier 2;
• Construction of Gate A in the north
basin, and Gates F and G in the south
basin;
• Installation of boarding area
amenities such as weather-protected
areas for queuing, ticket machines and
fare collection equipment, improved
lighting, and ferry boarding and arrival/
departure information signs;
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19521
• Widening of ferry access pathways
along existing pedestrian promenades,
and separation of ferry patron queuing
from other pedestrian and vehicular
movements where possible;
• Improved wayfinding signage in the
vicinity of the Ferry Building, which
will indicate ferry boarding areas and
transit connections; and
• Filling in the lagoon to prepare for
and accommodate staging and
circulation of evacuees following a
catastrophic event.
As new ferry gates are constructed,
existing ferry services would relocate to
new gates. Pier demolition and
construction activities would be staged
and sequenced to allow continuity of
existing ferry services during
construction. Demolition of Pier 1⁄2
would precede construction of Gate A.
Similarly, demolition of Pier 2 would
precede construction of Gate F. Gate G,
which is designated for ferry services
not expected to operate until 2020 or
later, would serve as a vessel layover
location, temporary storage area, and
emergency boarding location in the
interim. WETA’s capital improvement
plan synchronizes the purchase or
leasing of vessels to meet future service
and emergency response requirements.
Phase 3 is contingent on the
implementation of the Treasure Island
Redevelopment Plan. At full build-out,
expected to occur sometime between
2020 and 2030, new commercial,
recreational, and residential facilities on
Treasure Island would require
additional ferry capacity to serve
substantial numbers of visitors and
residents. The additional capacity
would be provided by larger, bowloading vessels purchased by the
Treasure Island developer, and operated
by WETA. The bow-loading vessels
would necessitate the redesign of Gate
E to accommodate the larger ferries.
Possible Effects
The purpose of this EIS process is to
study, in a public setting, the potentially
significant effects of the proposed
project on the quality of the human
environment. Primary areas of
investigation for this project include,
but are not limited to: land use,
development potential, displacements,
historic resources, visual and aesthetic
qualities, air quality, noise and
vibration, dredging and bay fill
requirements, hazardous materials
resulting from demolition and
construction activities, traffic
circulation and transportation linkages,
pedestrian circulation, safety, security,
and emergency response, bay habitat,
and cumulative impacts. The
environmental analysis may reveal that
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 67 / Thursday, April 7, 2011 / Notices
the proposed project will not affect, or
affect substantially, many of those areas.
However, if any adverse impacts are
identified, measures to avoid, minimize,
or mitigate those adverse impacts will
be proposed.
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FTA Procedures
Regulations 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 EIS process. Section
6002 of SAFETEA–LU (23 U.S.C. 139)
requires that FTA and WETA 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)
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 WETA 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.
A comprehensive public involvement
program for public and interagency
involvement will be developed for the
project and posted on WETA’s Web site:
https://www.watertransit.org. The public
involvement program includes a full
range of activities including maintaining
the project Web page on the WETA Web
site and outreach to local officials,
community and civic groups, and the
public.
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
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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 grantee’s offices and elsewhere; an
electronic copy of the complete
environmental document will also be
available on the grantee’s Web site.
Other
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).
Issued on: March 31, 2011.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator, FTA, Region 9.
[FR Doc. 2011–8227 Filed 4–6–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Limitation on Claims Against
Proposed Public Transportation
Projects
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), DOT.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice of limitation on claims.
This notice announces final
environmental actions taken by the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
for the following projects: (1) Hatcher
Pass Recreational Area Access, Trails,
and Transit Facilities Project,
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Hatcher
Pass, AK; (2) Bus Rapid Transit Project,
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority,
Pitkin, Eagle, and Garfield Counties, CO;
(3) Second Avenue Subway Project,
Metropolitan Transportation Authority,
New York, NY; and (4) Sugar House
Streetcar Project, Utah Transit
Authority, South Salt Lake and Salt
Lake City, Salt Lake County, UT. The
purpose of this notice is to announce
publicly the environmental decisions by
FTA on the subject projects and to
activate the limitation on any claims
that may challenge these final
environmental actions.
SUMMARY:
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By this notice, FTA is advising
the public of final agency actions
subject to Section 139(l) of Title 23,
United States Code (U.S.C.). A claim
seeking judicial review of the FTA
actions announced herein for the listed
public transportation projects will be
barred unless the claim is filed on or
before September 30, 2011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katie Grasty, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Office of Planning and
Environment, 202–366–9139, or
Christopher Van Wyk, AttorneyAdvisor, Office of Chief Counsel, 202–
366–1733. FTA is located at 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC
20590. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to
5:30 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given that FTA has taken final
agency actions by issuing certain
approvals for the public transportation
projects listed below. The actions on
these projects, as well as the laws under
which such actions were taken, are
described in the documentation issued
in connection with each project to
comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
in other documents in the FTA
administrative record for the project.
Interested parties may contact either the
project sponsor or the relevant FTA
Regional Office for more information on
these projects. Contact information for
FTA’s Regional Offices may be found at
https://www.fta.dot.gov.
This notice applies to all FTA
decisions on the listed projects as of the
issuance date of this notice and all laws
under which such actions were taken,
including, but not limited to, NEPA [42
U.S.C. 4321–4375], Section 4(f) of the
Department of Transportation Act of
1966 [49 U.S.C. 303], Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act [16
U.S.C. 470f], and the Clean Air Act [42
U.S.C. 7401–7671q]. This notice does
not, however, alter or extend the
limitation period of 180 days for
challenges of project decisions subject
to previous notices published in the
Federal Register. For example, this
notice does not extend the limitation on
claims announced for earlier decisions
on the Second Avenue Subway project.
The projects and actions that are the
subject of this notice are:
1. Project name and location: Hatcher
Pass Recreational Area Access, Trails,
and Transit Facilities Project, Hatcher
Pass, AK. Project sponsor: MatanuskaSusitna Borough. Project description:
The project consists of the development
of transportation access and transitrelated infrastructure to improve access
DATES:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 67 (Thursday, April 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19519-19522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8227]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project in the City and
County of San Francisco, CA
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: The FTA, as the lead Federal agency, and the San Francisco Bay
Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) are planning to
prepare an EIS for the proposed expansion and improvements to the
Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal at the Port of San Francisco
Ferry Building. The proposed project would serve commuters, visitors,
and recreational users desiring an alternative way to cross San
Francisco Bay, and reach nearby employment, entertainment, and
recreational destinations in San Francisco. The project expands the
number of ferry gates and improves ferry patron circulation, boarding,
and wayfinding in and around the Ferry Building. In addition, the
project enhances emergency response capabilities to evacuate people
from San Francisco and/or mobilize first responders to San Francisco
via ferries if a catastrophic event occurs. 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
[[Page 19520]]
regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] parts 1500-08) as
well as provisions of the recently enacted Safe, Accountable, Flexible
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).
The purpose of this notice is to alert interested parties regarding the
intent to prepare an EIS; provide information on the proposed transit
project; invite participation in the EIS process, including comments on
the scope of the EIS proposed in this notice; and announce when the
public scoping meeting will be conducted.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to Mike
Gougherty, WETA Project Manager, by May 16, 2011. A public scoping
meeting to accept comments on the scope of the EIS will be held on the
following date:
April 26, 2011, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Pier 1,
Bayside Conference Room, San Francisco, California.
An interagency scoping meeting for agencies with interest in the
project will be held on the following date:
April 26, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pier 1,
Bayside Conference Room, San Francisco, California.
The meeting will be accessible to persons with disabilities. If
special translation or signing services or other special accommodations
are needed, please contact Mike Gougherty at (415) 364-3189 at least 48
hours before the meeting. A scoping information packet is available on
the WETA Web site at https://www.watertransit.org or by calling Mike
Gougherty at (415) 364-3189. Copies will also be available at the
scoping meeting.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the scope of the EIS will be accepted at the
public scoping meeting, or written comments should be sent to Mike
Gougherty, WETA Project Manager, San Francisco Bay Water Emergency
Transportation Authority, Pier 9, Suite 111, The Embarcadero, San
Francisco, CA, 94111.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Jones, Environmental Protection
Specialist, FTA, San Francisco Regional Office at (415) 744-3133.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scoping
The FTA and WETA invite all interested individuals and
organizations, public agencies, and Native American Tribes to comment
on the scope of the EIS, including the project's purpose and need, the
alternatives to be studied, the impacts to be evaluated, and the
evaluation methods to be used. Comments should address (1) feasible
alternatives that may better achieve the project's need and purposes
with fewer adverse impacts, and (2) any significant environmental
impacts relating to the alternatives.
NEPA ``scoping'' (Title 40 of the 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 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[hellip] [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, of
May 24, 1977.
Once the scope of the environmental study, including significant
environmental issues to be addressed, is settled, a scoping report will
be prepared that: (1) Documents the results of the scoping process; (2)
contributes to the transparency of the process; and (3) provides a
clear roadmap for concise development of the environmental document.
Purpose and Need for the Project
The purpose of the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion
Project is to support and expand ferry service on San Francisco Bay, as
established by WETA in its Implementation and Operations Plan (IOP),
and in accordance with city and regional policies to encourage transit
use. Furthermore, the project will address deficiencies in the
transportation network that impede ferry operation and ferry patron
access and circulation at the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal.
The project objectives include:
Accommodate WETA's projected increase in ferry ridership
and related ferry arrivals and departures from the Downtown San
Francisco Ferry Terminal;
Provide a viable alternative mode of transportation that
accommodates projected increases in transbay trips, and helps
alleviates congestion over the Bay Bridge and through the Bay Area
Rapid Transit (BART) Transbay Tube;
Address WETA's and the Port of San Francisco's (Port)
emergency response needs;
Establish a circulation plan and improved signage that
provides clear pedestrian routes for ferry to bus and ferry to rail
transfers, as well as safe routes for bikes, emergency vehicles, and
delivery trucks to enter, park and exit the area;
Provide necessary landside improvements, such as
designated weather-protected areas for waiting and queuing, ticket
machines and fare collection equipment, improved lighting, and improved
boarding and arrival/departure information to serve ferry patrons and
to enhance the Ferry Building as the central point of embarkation for
ferries on San Francisco Bay; and
Enhance the area's public access and open space with
design features that create attractive, safe daytime and nighttime
public spaces for both ferry patrons and other users of the Ferry
Building area;
Recognize the Port's land use planning and development
proposals in and around the Ferry Building so as not to preclude,
conflict with, or inhibit proposed development plans in the project
vicinity.
WETA recognizes and supports the Port of San Francisco's land use
planning and development proposals in and around the Ferry Building,
including the historic renovation of the Agricultural Building and
enhancements to the Ferry Plaza area. These Port initiatives are being
planned and funded independent of the WETA project and, as a result,
are not included as project elements. WETA will stage construction and
manage and operate ferry services so they do not preclude, conflict
with, or inhibit the Port's proposed development plans in the project
vicinity.
Project Location and Environmental Setting
The project is located in the northeastern section of San
Francisco, California, at the San Francisco Ferry Building, situated at
the foot of Market Street. The study area encompasses Port of San
Francisco property between Pier 1 on the north and Pier 14 on the
south, and includes the Ferry Building, ferry gates, and the Ferry
Plaza.
[[Page 19521]]
Possible Alternatives
A study of potential ferry terminal improvements at the San
Francisco Ferry Building was completed by the Port in 1994. The
planning process, summarized in the Downtown San Francisco Ferry
Terminal Project, Concept Design--Stage 1 Final Report, addressed
deficiencies in the circulation of pedestrians across the Embarcadero
and through the Ferry Building; constraints imposed by previous design
modifications of the Ferry Building that obscured wayfinding to the
ferry gates; limited opportunities for public gathering and access to
the Bay; and restricted commercial development within the building. A
variety of design, configuration, and circulation improvements were
considered. The Port selected those improvements that best met its
long-term public service and facility objectives, and completed those
projects, including construction of Gates B and E and the south basin
breakwater at Pier 14, as Phase 1 of the Downtown San Francisco Ferry
Terminal Project in 2003. This project builds on the previous
improvements, described under the Action Alternative below. In addition
to the Action Alternative, WETA considers the effects of doing nothing,
identified as the No Action Alternative. Both the Action and No Action
Alternatives are being considered in the EIS, as described below.
No Action Alternative. Six ferry routes currently serve the
Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal. Today, the Downtown San
Francisco Ferry Terminal has approximately 130 ferry arrivals and
departures daily, serving more than 10,000 daily ferry patrons.
The existing Ferry Terminal gate configuration serves current ferry
operations and provides the circulation areas to access these gates.
The No Action Alternative maintains the existing ferry services, gate
configuration, and circulation areas, including the function, uses, and
design of the Ferry Building, which also serves as an important public
space in San Francisco. No new gates or additional boarding capacity to
accommodate new ferry services would occur as part of the No Action
Alternative. Similarly, circulation and boarding improvements to
respond to emergency planning requirements would not be implemented.
The No Action Alternative retains vehicle circulation and drop-off
areas near the Ferry Building as well as the current circulation
patterns for ferry patrons to access the ferry boarding areas.
Pedestrian pathways to boarding locations for San Francisco Municipal
Railway (Muni) bus and streetcar lines and the Amtrak bus would remain
unchanged. Programmed Transbay bus and rail transit improvements
identified in the Regional Transportation Plan would be implemented as
part of the No Action Alternative. This alternative serves as the
baseline against which the environmental effects of the other
alternatives are measured.
Action Alternative. The Action Alternative incorporates
modifications and improvements to the Ferry Terminal gates and ferry
boarding areas to accommodate future WETA service and increased ferry
patronage. Current estimates for 2025 projected daily ridership at the
Ferry Terminal are approximately 35,000 passengers. The ridership
projections account for existing service, plus new ferry services from
downtown San Francisco to Berkeley, Treasure Island, Hercules,
Richmond, Redwood City, Martinez, and Antioch to be initiated between
2014 and 2030. Service frequencies during the day and evenings would
reflect the travel demand for commute and non-commute periods. Existing
services operated by others (i.e., Sausalito, Larkspur, and Tiburon),
and existing services operated by WETA (i.e., Vallejo, Alameda/Oakland,
and Alameda Harbor Bay) would remain, but the access and boarding
environments for these services would be improved by the project.
In addition, landside improvements to allow staging and circulation
for possible emergency evacuation at the Ferry Building are included in
the Action Alternative. The modifications and improvements are the
responsibility of WETA in cooperation with the Port of San Francisco,
with funding coming from Regional Measure 2, State Proposition 1B, and
FTA.
The WETA-sponsored improvements represent sequential construction
phases (Phase 2 and Phase 3). As noted previously, the Phase 2 and
Phase 3 improvements build on those elements already completed by the
Port in 2003 during Phase 1. Phase 2, which is expected to be completed
by 2017, will include:
Demolition and removal of Pier [frac12] and Pier 2;
Construction of Gate A in the north basin, and Gates F and
G in the south basin;
Installation of boarding area amenities such as weather-
protected areas for queuing, ticket machines and fare collection
equipment, improved lighting, and ferry boarding and arrival/departure
information signs;
Widening of ferry access pathways along existing
pedestrian promenades, and separation of ferry patron queuing from
other pedestrian and vehicular movements where possible;
Improved wayfinding signage in the vicinity of the Ferry
Building, which will indicate ferry boarding areas and transit
connections; and
Filling in the lagoon to prepare for and accommodate
staging and circulation of evacuees following a catastrophic event.
As new ferry gates are constructed, existing ferry services would
relocate to new gates. Pier demolition and construction activities
would be staged and sequenced to allow continuity of existing ferry
services during construction. Demolition of Pier \1/2\ would precede
construction of Gate A. Similarly, demolition of Pier 2 would precede
construction of Gate F. Gate G, which is designated for ferry services
not expected to operate until 2020 or later, would serve as a vessel
layover location, temporary storage area, and emergency boarding
location in the interim. WETA's capital improvement plan synchronizes
the purchase or leasing of vessels to meet future service and emergency
response requirements.
Phase 3 is contingent on the implementation of the Treasure Island
Redevelopment Plan. At full build-out, expected to occur sometime
between 2020 and 2030, new commercial, recreational, and residential
facilities on Treasure Island would require additional ferry capacity
to serve substantial numbers of visitors and residents. The additional
capacity would be provided by larger, bow-loading vessels purchased by
the Treasure Island developer, and operated by WETA. The bow-loading
vessels would necessitate the redesign of Gate E to accommodate the
larger ferries.
Possible Effects
The purpose of this EIS process is to study, in a public setting,
the potentially significant effects of the proposed project on the
quality of the human environment. Primary areas of investigation for
this project include, but are not limited to: land use, development
potential, displacements, historic resources, visual and aesthetic
qualities, air quality, noise and vibration, dredging and bay fill
requirements, hazardous materials resulting from demolition and
construction activities, traffic circulation and transportation
linkages, pedestrian circulation, safety, security, and emergency
response, bay habitat, and cumulative impacts. The environmental
analysis may reveal that
[[Page 19522]]
the proposed project will not affect, or affect substantially, many of
those areas. However, if any adverse impacts are identified, measures
to avoid, minimize, or mitigate those adverse impacts will be proposed.
FTA Procedures
Regulations 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 EIS process.
Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU (23 U.S.C. 139) requires that FTA and WETA
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)
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 WETA 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.
A comprehensive public involvement program for public and
interagency involvement will be developed for the project and posted on
WETA's Web site: https://www.watertransit.org. The public involvement
program includes a full range of activities including maintaining the
project Web page on the WETA Web site and outreach to local officials,
community and civic groups, and the public.
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 grantee's offices and elsewhere; an electronic copy
of the complete environmental document will also be available on the
grantee's Web site.
Other
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).
Issued on: March 31, 2011.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator, FTA, Region 9.
[FR Doc. 2011-8227 Filed 4-6-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
