Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the Redlands; Passenger Rail Project in the Cities of San Bernardino and Redlands, CA, 45415-45417 [2012-18636]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 147 (Tuesday, July 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45415-45417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18636]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Redlands; Passenger Rail Project in the Cities of San Bernardino and 
Redlands, CA

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR).

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SUMMARY: FTA and San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) intend 
to prepare an EIS/EIR for the Redlands Passenger Rail Project (RPRP or 
Project). Early in 2012, FTA and SANBAG began the preparation of an 
Environmental Assessment (EA)/EIR for the RPRP and conducted two 
scoping meetings; one on April 24 in the City of Redlands and the other 
on May 2 in the City of San Bernardino. Based on the input received 
from the community, including written comment letters, and preliminary 
findings from ongoing technical studies, FTA determined that an EIS is 
required. The EIS/EIR will be prepared in accordance with regulations 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA: 42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.) of 1969 and the regulations implementing NEPA set forth 
in 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 and 23 CFR Part 771, as well as provisions of 
the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The purpose of this Notice is to:
     Advise the public that FTA is the lead Federal agency;
     Provide information about the proposed project, purpose 
and need for the project, and alternatives to be considered; and
     Invite public and agency participation in the EIS process.
    The EIS/EIR will examine alternatives to provide a cost-effective, 
alternative travel option for communities located along the Redlands 
Corridor in a way that improves transit mobility, travel times, and 
corridor safety.

DATES: The date, time, and location for the public scoping meetings are 
as follows:

August 14, 2012

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

ESRI Caf[eacute], 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373.
August 15, 2012

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

San Bernardino Hilton, 1755 South Waterman Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 
92408.

    These locations are accessible by persons with disabilities. If 
special translation or signing services or other special accommodations 
are needed, please contact Robert Chevez at Westbound Communications 
(909-384-8188) at least 48 hours before the meeting.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted to Mitchell A. Alderman, 
P.E., Director of Transit & Rail Programs, SANBAG, 1170 W. 3rd St, 2nd 
Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92410, or emailed to RPRP_Public_Comments@sanbag.ca.gov. Written comments may also be submitted to Mr. 
Hymie Luden, City and Regional Planner, FTA, Region 9, 201 Mission 
Street, Suite 1650 San Francisco, CA 94105.
    In accordance with Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU, FTA and SANBAG 
invite comment on the scope of the EIS/EIR, specifically on the 
Project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be evaluated that may 
address the purpose and need, and the potential impacts of the 
alternatives considered. Comments on scope of the EIS/EIR must be 
received no later than 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on August 31, 
2012. A scoping information packet is available on the Web site at: 
https://sanbag.ca.gov/projects/redlands-transit.html or by calling Jane 
Dreher, SANBAG's Public Information Officer (909-884-8276). Copies will 
also be available at the scoping meetings.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Purpose and Need for the Project: The overall purpose of the 
Project is to provide a cost-effective, travel alternative for 
communities located along the Redlands Corridor that would improve 
transit mobility, travel times, and corridor safety while minimizing 
adverse environmental impacts. The RPRP would provide travelers and 
commuters with a new mobility option that would achieve more-efficient 
travel times than automobiles or other transit alternatives within an 
existing corridor. The Project is needed because population growth has 
increased roadway congestion, which has increased commute travel times 
for work and recreational purposes, increased the number of hours of 
lost productivity, increased fuel consumption, contributed to air 
pollution, interfered with emergency response vehicles, and caused 
spillover effects onto secondary and alternative routes. SANBAG also 
needs to maintain existing freight service along the corridor per its 
purchase agreement with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) 
Railroad.
    Project Location and Environmental Setting: The RPRP would 
introduce passenger rail service along an existing railroad right-of-
way (ROW) from the City of San Bernardino on the west to the City of 
Redlands on the east. This existing ROW is commonly referred to as the 
Redlands Corridor, an approximately 9-mile rail spur segment that 
extends east from E Street in the City of San Bernardino. Passenger 
rail service would serve passengers from five platforms located at E 
Street, Tippecanoe Avenue, New York Street, Orange Street, and 
University Street. SANBAG proposes the construction of a single track 
within a ROW 50 feet wide, with a passing siding one-mile long located 
near the midpoint of the alignment. Project components would include 
track improvements; boarding platforms; passenger amenities such as 
ticket vending machines, shade canopies with seating; pedestrian access 
to the public ROW, lighting, parking areas; grade crossing 
improvements; utility and traffic improvements; and construction of a 
train layover facility. The proposed Project would not include the 
purchase of additional vehicles. Passenger rail operations would start 
in 2018.
    Possible Alternatives: The EIS/EIR will consider alternatives to 
the proposed Project consistent with the requirements of NEPA. SANBAG 
anticipates that this may include consideration of Alternative 1--No 
Build, Alternative 2--Preferred Project, Alternative 3--Reduced Project 
Footprint, Alternative 4--Light Rail Transit, Alternative 5--Bus Rapid

[[Page 45416]]

Transit, Design Option 1--Train Layover Facility (Waterman Avenue), and 
Design Option 2--Use of Existing Train Layover Facilities. Other 
alternatives and/or design options may also be considered. These 
alternatives are described further as follows:
     Alternative 1--No Build: Track improvements and 
facilities would not be constructed to facilitate passenger rail 
service between San Bernardino and the University of Redlands. Under 
this alternative, track maintenance and rehabilitation of existing 
bridge structures would be required throughout the western 3.5 miles of 
the rail corridor to facilitate continued freight service.
     Alternative 2--Preferred Project: SANBAG would 
construct track and grade crossing improvements, bridge replacements, 
rail platform, and new train layover facilities to facilitate passenger 
rail service along the 9-mile corridor.
     Alternative 3--Reduced Project Footprint: Track 
improvements and facilities would be constructed as described for the 
Preferred Project but they would be constructed within a narrower 
permanent easement, where feasible, to minimize direct impacts on 
sensitive biological, cultural, and public park resources. Alternative 
bridge structures would be constructed at Warm Creek and the Santa Ana 
River.
     Alternative 4--Light Rail Transit: This 
alternative would involve development of the rail corridor with new 
tracking and an overhead catenary system to power the light rail 
transit (LRT) vehicles.
     Alternative 5--Bus Rapid Transit: Under this 
alternative, a new bus rapid transit (BRT) guideway would be 
constructed adjacent to the existing freight track, which will be used 
solely by BRT vehicles. Signalization would be required at all existing 
grade crossings as opposed to the use of crossing gates.
     Design Option 1--Train Layover Facility 
(Waterman Avenue): Track improvements and facilities would be 
constructed as described for the Preferred Project but the Train 
Layover Facility would be constructed at a different location, west of 
the Santa Ana River, east of Waterman Avenue, and immediately north of 
the rail corridor.
     Design Option 2--Use of Existing Train Layover 
Facilities: Track improvements and facilities would be constructed as 
described for the Preferred Project. However, instead of constructing 
new layover facilities as described for the Preferred Project and 
Alternative 3, the project would not construct layover facilities but 
use the existing Metrolink layover facilities located west of E Street.
    Areas of investigation include, but are not limited to, land use, 
land acquisitions, displacements, and relocations, community and 
neighborhood character, transportation, visual quality and aesthetics, 
air quality, greenhouse gases, and global climate change, noise and 
vibration, biological and wetland resources (including threatened and 
endangered species), agricultural resources, floodplains and hydrology, 
geology, soils, and seismicity, hazardous waste and materials, water 
quality, energy use, utilities, cultural and historic resources, 
parklands, community services and facilities, safety and security, 
socioeconomics, environmental justice, and cumulative effects. Measures 
to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any significant adverse impacts will be 
identified.
    Probable Effects: The EIS/EIR will consider in detail the potential 
environmental effects of the alternatives under consideration based on 
the current scoping efforts. The Draft EIS/EIR and Final EIS/EIR will 
summarize the results of coordination with federal, state, and local 
agencies and the public at large; present the appropriate federal, 
state, and local regulations and policies; inventory and compile 
previous studies pertinent to the project; describe the methodology 
used to assess impacts; identify and describe the affected environment; 
analyze and document the construction related (short-term) and 
operational (long-term) environmental consequences (direct, indirect, 
and cumulative) of the project alternatives; and identify opportunities 
and measures that mitigate any identified adverse impacts. The specific 
scope of analysis and study areas used to undertake the analysis in the 
EIS/EIR will be established during the public and agency scoping 
process.
    FTA Procedures: The EIS/EIR is being prepared in accordance with 
the NEPA of 1969, as amended, and implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), FHWA 
environmental impact regulations (49 CFR part 622, 23 CFR part 771, and 
23 CFR part 774), and Section 6002 of the SAFETEA-LU of 2005. The EIS/
EIR will also comply with requirements of Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, Section 4(f) of the U.S. 
Department of Transportation Act of 1966, the 1990 Clean Air Act 
Amendments, Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions to Address 
Environmental Justice in Minority and Low-Income Populations), 
Executive Order 11990 (Protection of Wetlands), and other applicable 
federal laws, rules, and regulations. The EIS/EIR will also satisfy 
environmental review requirements of the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA). Regulations implementing NEPA, as well as 
provisions of SAFETEA-LU, call for public involvement in the EIS 
process. Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU requires that FTA and SANBAG do the 
following: (1) Extend an invitation to other Federal and non-Federal 
agencies and Indian 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 in 
helping to define the purpose and need for a proposed project, as well 
as the range of alternatives for consideration in the impact statement, 
and (3) establish a plan for coordinating public and agency 
participation and comments on the environmental review process. An 
invitation to become a participating agency, with the scoping 
information packet appended, will be extended to other Federal and non-
Federal agencies and Indian tribes that may have an interest in the 
proposed project. It is possible that we may not be able to identify 
all Federal and non-Federal agencies and Indian tribes that may have 
such an interest. Any Federal or non-Federal agency or Indian 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 Managers identified above under ADDRESSES.
    A comprehensive public involvement program has been developed and a 
public and agency involvement Coordination Plan will be created. The 
program includes, among other things, a Project Web site (https://sanbag.ca.gov/projects/redlands-transit.html); outreach to local and 
county officials and community and civic groups; a public scoping 
process to define the issues of concern among all parties interested in 
the Project; establishment of a community advisory committee and 
organizing periodic meetings with that committee; a public hearing on 
release of the Draft EIS/EIR; and development and distribution of 
Project newsletters.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Mr. Mitchell A. Alderman, P.E., 
Director of Transit & Rail Programs, SANBAG, 1170 W. 3rd St, 2nd Floor, 
San Bernardino, CA 92410, (909) 884-8276. You may also contact Mr. 
Hymie Luden, City and Regional Planner, FTA, Region 9, 201 Mission 
Street, Suite 1650 San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 744-2732.


[[Page 45417]]


    Issued On: July 25, 2012.
Edward Carranza, Jr.,
Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 9.
[FR Doc. 2012-18636 Filed 7-30-12; 8:45 am]
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