Early Scoping Notice, 60585-60587 [2011-25060]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 189 (Thursday, September 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60585-60587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25060]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Early Scoping Notice

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Early Scoping for the Southwest Corridor Plan in Metropolitan 
Portland, OR.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metro 
(Oregon) regional government issue this early scoping notice to advise 
other agencies and the public that they intend to explore alternatives 
for improving transit service between downtown Portland and Sherwood, 
in Multnomah and Washington counties. The early scoping is occurring 
within the context of the Council on Environmental Quality's 
regulations for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA). Several alternatives will be examined to explore their 
potential for implementation of a major transit capital investment 
under the New Starts funding program including light rail, bus rapid 
transit, rapid streetcar, high occupancy vehicle lanes, high occupancy 
toll lanes and a transportation system management (TSM) alternative. 
Public workshops have been planned and are described below. The FTA 
Alternatives Analysis (AA) process, as described in 49 U.S.C. 5309 (a) 
(1), will assess a wide range of public transportation alternatives 
designed to address the transportation problems within the corridor. 
This process will involve a more robust and detailed level of 
alternatives and will ultimately lead to the selection of a locally 
preferred alternative.
    The initial phase of AA will provide adequate information to 
determine which alternative(s) to pursue for further analysis for 
implementation and what level of environmental analysis would be 
necessary for project implementation. In the second phase, the project 
may solicit [or obtain] additional public, agency, and tribal input to 
identify the nature and scope of the environmental issues that should 
be addressed during NEPA review, following appropriate public notice 
(anticipated in 2013). This NEPA scoping process will vary depending on 
whether the project requires an environmental assessment or an 
environmental impact statement. Metro and FTA will notify the public of 
NEPA scoping after that decision has been made.
    Information about upcoming public meetings and about the project's 
purpose is set forth below.

DATES: Six public events will be held to accept comments on the 
following dates and locations:

SW Corridor Plan/Tigard Open House/Barbur Concept Plan, 6:30 to 8:30 
p.m., September 28, 2011, Tigard Library, Tigard.
PSU Farmers' Market, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., October 8, 2011, West Park 
Avenue and Southwest Montgomery Street, Portland.
King City/Tigard Area Farmers' Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., October 16, 
2011, 11831 SW., Pacific Hwy @ Hwy 99 & 217.
24th Annual Great Onion Festival, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, October 16, 2011, 
Archer Glen Elementary School, 16155 SW Sunset Blvd. Sherwood.
8th Annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., October 
22, 2011, Tualatin Commons, Tualatin.

    The public meetings will have information and staff available to 
discuss the project and answer questions, and there will be 
opportunities for spoken and written comments. Information is also 
available on the Metro Web site at: https://www.swcorridorplan.org. 
Written scoping comments are requested by October 28, 2011 and can be 
sent or emailed to the address below, submitted at the public meetings, 
or provided via the online comment form available at https://www.swcorridorplan.org.
    Any individual who requires special assistance, such as a sign 
language interpreter, to participate in a public workshop should 
contact Jenn Tuerk at (503) 797-1756 or trans@oregonmetro.gov.
    Interagency and Tribal Coordination Meetings:

[[Page 60586]]

    Interagency and Tribal coordination meetings will occur at various 
times throughout this study to identify evaluation criteria, and to 
assist in developing and screening alternatives during this planning 
process.

ADDRESSES: Written comments to inform the scope of this project should 
be submitted by October 28, 2011 to Jenn Tuerk, Metro, 600 NE Grand 
Ave., Portland, OR 97232. Telephone: (503) 797-1756. E-mail: 
jenn.tuerk@oregonmetro.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Witmer, Community Planner, 
Federal Transit Administration, Region 10, 915 Second Ave., Room 3142, 
Seattle, WA 98174. Telephone: (206) 220-7964; E-mail: 
John.Witmer@dot.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Early Scoping

    Early scoping is a NEPA process that is particularly useful in 
situations where, as here, a proposed action (the locally preferred 
alternative) has not been identified and several broad alternatives are 
under consideration. While scoping generally follows issuance of a 
notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), 
which must describe the proposed action, it ``may be initiated earlier, 
as long as there is appropriate public notice and enough information on 
the proposal so that the public and relevant agencies can participate 
effectively.'' Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), ``Forty Most 
Asked Questions Concerning CEQ's NEPA Regulations,'' 46 CFR parts 
18026, 18030 (1981) (answer to question 13). In this case, available 
information is adequate to permit the public and agencies to 
participate effectively. Early scoping provides a way to avoid 
duplication, waste and delay.

New Starts Planning

    New Starts is a discretionary FTA funding program for major capital 
investments in transit. Planning for an anticipated transit project in 
the Southwest Corridor will adhere to New Starts' required Alternatives 
Analysis process as outlined in 49 U.S.C. 5309(a)(1). The alternatives 
analysis process requires a broad evaluation of alternatives by 
examining several options of mode and alignment that could address 
defined mobility needs, in order to determine which particular 
investment strategy should be advanced for more focused study and 
development. The result is a clearly defined project problem statement 
and an analysis of planning-level alternatives, which are helpful 
precursors to NEPA's required statement of purpose and need and 
consideration of specific project alternatives. Where state and local 
planning can lead toward a well defined purpose and need statement and 
satisfy the requirements for NEPA, including scoping, it should not 
have to be duplicated later in that process. See 40 CFR 1506.2(b). 
Accordingly, in the Southwest Corridor AA, Metro will explore 
alternative configurations of mode, alignment, and stations, and will 
examine costs, funding, ridership, economic development, land use, 
engineering feasibility, and environmental factors associated with 
each. All alternatives will be compared to (i) A ``No-Build'' 
alternative, which represents the future transportation system through 
the year 2035 without Southwest Corridor transit improvements, and (ii) 
a Transportation Systems Management (TSM) alternative, which will 
examine methods for improving transit in the Southwest Corridor without 
significant new capital investment (for instance, more frequent bus 
service, new or expanded park and ride capacity, and/or freeway or 
arterial transit priority improvements). Following this analysis, a 
locally preferred alternative--the ``proposed action''--will be 
determined, as will the appropriate level of NEPA review (environmental 
assessment or EIS). If an EIS is warranted, FTA will publish a notice 
of intent in the Federal Register and will invite and consider comments 
on the proposed action's purpose and need, the range of alternatives to 
be considered, and the potentially significant environmental impacts.

The Southwest Corridor and Regional Planning

    The Southwest Corridor runs 15 miles from Portland, Oregon to 
Sherwood, Oregon. It generally follows Interstate 5 (I-5) and State 
Highway OR 99W (99W). The two highways parallel each other closely from 
Portland to Tigard, where they diverge. I-5 and 99W serve as the main 
travel routes between Portland, Tigard and Tualatin; 99W is the main 
travel route to the cities of King City and Sherwood. Arterials and bus 
service support movements in and through the corridor. The arterial, 
collector, and local street network in the vicinity of much of the 
corridor is winding and discontinuous because of the varying topography 
and suburban style development patterns. Pedestrian connectivity is 
limited, much of the area lacks sidewalks and crosswalks, and bicycle 
paths are discontinuous.
    The Southwest Corridor Plan seeks to create livable and sustainable 
communities by simultaneously planning for synergistic investments and 
policies in land use and transportation. The resulting projects and 
policies from the plan will leverage public investments for improved 
mobility and increased access to employment, housing, education, and 
other services. The Southwest Corridor Plan calls for local land use 
planning, which will identify land use actions and investments 
(including transit) to support livable communities; a Corridor 
Refinement Plan to examine the function, mode, and general location of 
transportation improvements; and the New Starts Alternatives Analysis 
(AA).
    The Southwest Corridor Plan implements the 2040 Growth Concept, 
adopted in 1995, and the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), 
adopted in 2010. In 2008, the Metro Council adopted six desired 
outcomes that describe a sustainable and prosperous region; those 
outcomes, along with the DOT/HUD/EPA Partnership for Sustainable 
Communities livability principles, guide the Southwest Corridor Plan. 
The RTP identified the Southwest Corridor as the corridor with the 
greatest need for multimodal regional transportation investments, and 
identified the Southwest Corridor as the region's next priority for 
transit investment measured by 25 evaluation criteria, including the 
potential to improve transit service for the highest number of new and 
existing riders. The corridor ranked highest among the 55 corridors 
examined.

Purposes of the Southwest Corridor AA

    The Southwest Corridor AA will determine how a transit investment 
could best meet livability and community needs, provide environmental 
benefits, and support the economy. The plan will evaluate the potential 
for implementation based on costs, benefits and efficiencies of 
operations. In this corridor, a transit investment should:
     Increase economic opportunities by improving movement/
access between markets.
     Increase access to major regional destinations and 
activity centers; regionally significant employment, educational and 
commercial centers; and affordable housing.
     Address increasing growth in an already congested corridor 
by providing affordable transportation options for households and 
businesses.
     Improve safety and efficiency for all modes of travel .
     Develop solutions to the constraints of the existing 
landscape.
     Limit carbon and other air pollutant emissions by planning 
for efficient and

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complementary land use and transportation solutions .
     Be fiscally sustainable.
     Avoid or minimize environmental impacts of the 
transportation system.
     Enhance the natural environment and access to natural 
areas.

    Issued on: September 19, 2011.
R.F. Krochalis,
Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2011-25060 Filed 9-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P