Early Scoping Notification for the Alternatives Analysis of the Federal Way Transit Extension From SeaTac to Federal Way, WA, 63413-63415 [2012-25414]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2012 / Notices
diabetic retinopathy. He holds a Class B
CDL from Illinois.
John F. Robinson
Mr. Robinson, 51, has had ITDM since
2006. His endocrinologist examined him
in 2012 and certified that he has had no
severe hypoglycemic reactions resulting
in loss of consciousness, requiring the
assistance of another person, or
resulting in impaired cognitive function
that occurred without warning in the
past 12 months and no recurrent (2 or
more) severe hypoglycemic episodes in
the last 5 years. His endocrinologist
certifies that Mr. Robinson understands
diabetes management and monitoring,
has stable control of his diabetes using
insulin, and is able to drive a CMV
safely. Mr. Robinson meets the vision
requirements of 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10).
His ophthalmologist examined him in
2012 and certified that he does not have
diabetic retinopathy. He holds a Class B
CDL from South Carolina.
Mark A. Welch, Jr.
Mr. Welch, 33, has had ITDM since
1992. His endocrinologist examined him
in 2012 and certified that he has had no
severe hypoglycemic reactions resulting
in loss of consciousness, requiring the
assistance of another person, or
resulting in impaired cognitive function
that occurred without warning in the
past 12 months and no recurrent (2 or
more) severe hypoglycemic episodes in
the last 5 years. His endocrinologist
certifies that Mr. Welch understands
diabetes management and monitoring,
has stable control of his diabetes using
insulin, and is able to drive a CMV
safely. Mr. Welch meets the vision
requirements of 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10).
His optometrist examined him in 2012
and certified that he does not have
diabetic retinopathy. He holds a Class B
CDL from Pennsylvania.
Cody R. Sheehan
Mr. Sheehan, 21, has had ITDM since
2001. His endocrinologist examined him
in 2012 and certified that he has had no
severe hypoglycemic reactions resulting
in loss of consciousness, requiring the
assistance of another person, or
resulting in impaired cognitive function
that occurred without warning in the
past 12 months and no recurrent (2 or
more) severe hypoglycemic episodes in
the last 5 years. His endocrinologist
certifies that Mr. Sheehan understands
diabetes management and monitoring,
has stable control of his diabetes using
insulin, and is able to drive a CMV
safely. Mr. Sheehan meets the vision
requirements of 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10).
His ophthalmologist examined him in
2012 and certified that he does not have
diabetic retinopathy. He holds a Class D
operator’s license from Massachusetts.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
diabetic retinopathy. He holds a Class A
CDL from Pennsylvania.
Request for Comments
In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e)
and 31315, FMCSA requests public
comment from all interested persons on
the exemption petitions described in
this notice. We will consider all
comments received before the close of
business on the closing date indicated
in the date section of the notice.
FMCSA notes that section 4129 of the
Safe, Accountable, Flexible and
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users requires the Secretary
to revise its diabetes exemption program
established on September 3, 2003 (68 FR
52441).1 The revision must provide for
individual assessment of drivers with
diabetes mellitus, and be consistent
with the criteria described in section
4018 of the Transportation Equity Act
for the 21st Century (49 U.S.C. 31305).
Section 4129 requires: (1) Elimination
of the requirement for 3 years of
experience operating CMVs while being
treated with insulin; and (2)
establishment of a specified minimum
period of insulin use to demonstrate
stable control of diabetes before being
allowed to operate a CMV.
In response to section 4129, FMCSA
made immediate revisions to the
diabetes exemption program established
by the September 3, 2003 notice.
FMCSA discontinued use of the 3-year
driving experience and fulfilled the
requirements of section 4129 while
continuing to ensure that operation of
CMVs by drivers with ITDM will
Michael D. Suchecki
Mr. Suchecki, 38, has had ITDM since
2005. His endocrinologist examined him
in 2012 and certified that he has had no
severe hypoglycemic reactions resulting
in loss of consciousness, requiring the
assistance of another person, or
resulting in impaired cognitive function
that occurred without warning in the
past 12 months and no recurrent (2 or
more) severe hypoglycemic episodes in
the last 5 years. His endocrinologist
certifies that Mr. Suchecki understands
diabetes management and monitoring,
has stable control of his diabetes using
insulin, and is able to drive a CMV
safely. Mr. Suchecki meets the vision
requirements of 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10).
His ophthalmologist examined him in
2012 and certified that he does not have
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:06 Oct 15, 2012
Jkt 229001
1 Section 4129(a) refers to the 2003 notice as a
‘‘final rule.’’ However, the 2003 notice did not issue
a ‘‘final rule’’ but did establish the procedures and
standards for issuing exemptions for drivers with
ITDM.
PO 00000
Frm 00126
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
63413
achieve the requisite level of safety
required of all exemptions granted
under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e).
Section 4129(d) also directed FMCSA
to ensure that drivers of CMVs with
ITDM are not held to a higher standard
than other drivers, with the exception of
limited operating, monitoring and
medical requirements that are deemed
medically necessary.
The FMCSA concluded that all of the
operating, monitoring and medical
requirements set out in the September 3,
2003 notice, except as modified, were in
compliance with section 4129(d).
Therefore, all of the requirements set
out in the September 3, 2003 notice,
except as modified by the notice in the
Federal Register on November 8, 2005
(70 FR 67777), remain in effect.
Issued on: October 2, 2012.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2012–25372 Filed 10–15–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Early Scoping Notification for the
Alternatives Analysis of the Federal
Way Transit Extension From SeaTac to
Federal Way, WA
AGENCY:
Federal Transit Administration,
DOT.
Notification of early scoping
meetings.
ACTION:
The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the Central
Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority
(Sound Transit) issue this early scoping
notice to advise other agencies and the
public that they intend to explore
potential alternatives for improving
public transit service between the cities
of SeaTac and Federal Way in King
County, Washington to improve
connections to the regional transit
system and major activity centers.
The early scoping notice is intended
to invite public comments on the scope
of the alternatives analysis study,
including the project’s purpose and
need, transportation problems to be
addressed, the range of alternatives, the
transportation and community impacts
and benefits to be considered, the
capital and operating costs, and other
factors that the public and agencies
believe should be considered in
analyzing the alternatives. If preparation
of an environmental impact statement
(EIS) is warranted following the
completion of the alternatives analysis,
SUMMARY:
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63414
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2012 / Notices
a notice of intent to prepare an EIS will
be published.
The early scoping process is intended
to support the alternatives analysis and
a future National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) scoping process, as
appropriate. In addition, it supports
FTA planning requirements associated
with the New Starts (‘‘Section 5309’’)
funding program for certain kinds of
major capital investments. While recent
legislation may lead to changes in the
New Starts process, Sound Transit will
comply with relevant FTA requirements
relating to planning and project
development to help it analyze and
screen alternatives in preparation for the
NEPA process.
Public meeting times and locations
are described immediately below.
Following that is a more detailed
discussion of the project and the early
scoping process.
DATES: Two public scoping meetings
and one tribal/agency scoping meeting
will be held at the following times and
locations:
1. November 8, 2012, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00
p.m., Highline Community College,
Building 2, 2400 S. 240th Street, Des
Moines, WA 98198.
2. November 13, 2012, 4:00 p.m. to
7:00 p.m., Harry S. Truman High
School, Gymnasium, 31455 28th
Avenue, Federal Way, WA 98003.
3. (Agency and Tribal Meeting),
November 7, 2012, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00
p.m.
The agency and tribal meeting will be
conducted in a webinar format,
accessible via the internet and by
teleconference. Invitations to the on-line
agency scoping meeting and the public
scoping meetings will be sent to the
appropriate federal, tribal, state, and
local governmental units. Invitations
will include details on how to
participate in the on-line meeting.
Supplemental information about the
project is provided below. Also, Sound
Transit will provide information on the
alternatives analysis at the public
meetings, along with opportunities for
spoken or written comments. Additional
information is available on Sound
Transit’s Web site at: https://
www.soundtransit.org/FWextension.
Written scoping comments are
requested by November 19, 2012 and
can be sent or emailed to the address
below, submitted at the public meetings,
or provided at the Web site address
above.
Federal Way Transit
Extension (c/o Kent Hale, Senior
Environmental Planner), Sound Transit,
401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:06 Oct 15, 2012
Jkt 229001
98104–2826, or by email to
FWTE@soundtransit.org.
J.
Steve Saxton, Transportation Program
Specialist, FTA Region 10, email:
fta.tro10mail@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Early Scoping. Early scoping is
intended to generate public comments
on the scope of a planning effort called
‘‘alternatives analysis.’’ The alternatives
analysis lets an agency evaluate the
costs, benefits, and impacts of a range of
transportation alternatives designed to
address mobility problems and other
locally identified objectives in a defined
transportation corridor, and helps the
agency determine which particular
investment strategy should receive more
focused study and development. Early
scoping for the Federal Way Transit
Extension is being conducted in support
of NEPA requirements and in
accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality’s and FTA’s
regulations and guidance for
implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1501.2
through 8 and 23 CFR 771.111), which
encourage federal agencies to initiate
NEPA early in their planning processes.
Early scoping allows the scoping
process to begin as soon as there is
enough information to describe the
proposal so that the public and relevant
agencies can participate effectively. This
is particularly useful in situations when
a proposed action involves a broadly
defined corridor with an array of
alignment alternatives under
consideration. This early scoping notice
invites the public to comment on the
scope of the planning alternatives
analysis, including (a) the purpose and
need for the project, (b) the range of
alternatives to study, and (c) the
environmental, transportation and
community impacts and benefits to
consider.
The Federal Way Transit Extension
and the Regional Transit System. The
Federal Way Transit Extension corridor
is approximately 7.6 miles long and
extends from the future S. 200th Street
Link light rail station in SeaTac to the
Federal Way Transit Center. It parallels
State Route 99 (SR 99) and Interstate 5
(I–5) and generally follows a
topographic ridge between Puget Sound
and the Green River Valley where the
city limits of SeaTac, Des Moines, Kent,
and Federal Way meet.
Sound Move, the first phase of
regional transit investments, was
approved and funded by voters in 1996.
Sound Transit is now completing its
implementation. It includes light rail,
commuter rail and regional express bus
infrastructure and service, including the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
PO 00000
Frm 00127
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Central Link light rail system. In 2009,
Sound Transit began light rail
operations between downtown Seattle
and Sea-Tac Airport, and an extension
to the University of Washington is
under construction and scheduled to
open in 2016.
In 2004, Sound Transit began
planning for the next phase of
investment to follow Sound Move. This
work included updating Sound Transit’s
Long-Range Plan and associated
environmental review. After several
years of Sound Transit system planning
work, voters in 2008 authorized funding
to extend light rail south to Federal Way
as part of the Sound Transit 2 (ST2)
Plan. Link light rail south from Sea-Tac
Airport to S. 200th Street is now under
construction and is scheduled to open
in 2016. The ST2 Plan also extends light
rail from downtown Seattle east to
Bellevue and Redmond, and from the
University of Washington north to
Northgate and Lynnwood.
The Purpose of and Need for the
Federal Way Transit Extension. The
purposes of the project are to:
• Provide a reliable and efficient twoway, peak and off-peak transit service of
sufficient capacity to meet the projected
demand between the communities and
activity centers between the cities of
SeaTac and Federal Way and the other
urban centers in the Central Puget
Sound area;
• Provide a mobility alternative to
travel on congested roadways and
improve connections to the Central
Puget Sound regional multimodal
transportation system;
• Support South King County
communities and the region’s adopted
vision for land use, transportation and
economic development, a vision that
promotes the well-being of people and
communities, ensures economic vitality
and preserves a healthy environment;
• Support the long-range vision,
goals, and objectives for transit service
established by Sound Transit’s Regional
Transit Long-Range Plan for high quality
regional transit service between Seattle
and Tacoma.
The project is needed to:
• Meet the growing needs of the
corridor and of the region’s future
residents and workers by increasing
mobility, access, and transportation
capacity connecting regional growth and
activity centers in the study area and the
rest of the region, as called for in the
region’s adopted plans, including the
PSRC’s VISION 2040 and
Transportation 2040, as well as related
county and city comprehensive plans;
• Address the problems of increasing
and unreliable travel times for transit
users in the study area, who are now
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2012 / Notices
dependent on the corridor’s highly
congested roadway and HOV systems;
• Provide an alternative to
automobile trips on I–5 and SR 99, the
two primary highways serving the
corridor, which provide unreliable
travel times throughout the day;
• Help implement Sound Transit’s
Regional Transit Long-Range Plan and
allow the future extension of HCT south
to Tacoma;
• Expand and enhance transit options
serving transit-dependent residents and
low-income and minority populations
concentrated in the study area;
• Provide the transit infrastructure
needed to support SeaTac and Federal
Way, two designated regional growth
centers that provide housing,
employment, public services, and
multimodal transportation connections;
• Help the state and region reduce
transportation-related energy
consumption and greenhouse gas
emissions, consistent with goals
established in RCW 47.01.440, and
Chapter 70.235 RCW.
Potential Alternatives. Previous
planning work for the ST2 Plan
examined conceptual light rail
alignments between SeaTac and Federal
Way along portions of SR 99 and I–5 to
help develop cost estimates and
establish ridership potential for transit
improvements in the project corridor.
General station locations near Highline
Community College, Redondo/Star Lake
park-and-ride lots, and the Federal Way
Transit Center were identified. Sound
Transit invites comments on the
alternative transit alignments, and
station locations to be studied, and on
the proposed evaluation framework and
criteria to be used to compare
alternatives.
As part of this alternatives analysis,
Sound Transit will explore alternative
alignment, station, and design
configurations that could meet the
project’s purpose and need. Alternatives
could include alternatives on SR 99 or
I–5, or other alternatives that arise
during the early scoping comment
period. The alternatives will reflect a
range of high- and low-cost capital
improvements, including a ‘‘no-build’’
alternative which can serve as a
‘‘baseline’’ for measuring the merits of
higher level investments. Sound Transit
will identify measures for evaluating the
relative merits of alternatives, and
technical methodologies for generating
the information used to support such
measures. These measures typically
include disciplines such as travel
forecasting, capital and operations and
maintenance costs, and corridor-level
environmental and land use analyses.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:06 Oct 15, 2012
Jkt 229001
At the end of the alternatives analysis
process, Sound Transit and the FTA
anticipate narrowing the range of
alternatives for further evaluation in a
NEPA document. If the resulting range
of alternatives involves the potential for
significant environmental impacts
requiring an environmental impact
statement (EIS), FTA and Sound Transit
will publish a Notice of Intent to
Prepare an EIS in the Federal Register,
and invite public and agency comment
on the scope of the EIS at that time.
Issued on: October 10, 2012.
Richard Krochalis,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012–25414 Filed 10–15–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA–2012–0074; Notice 1]
BMW of North America, LLC, a
Subsidiary of BMW AG, Receipt of
Petition for Decision of
Inconsequential Noncompliance
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Receipt of petition.
AGENCY:
BMW North America, LLC,1 a
subsidiary of BMW AG. (collectively
referred to as BMW) 2 has determined
that certain model year 2012 BMW X3
SAV multi-purpose passenger vehicles
manufactured between April 1, 2011
and March 14, 2012, do not fully
comply with paragraph S4.3.3 of
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) No. 110, Tire selection and
rims and motor home/recreation vehicle
trailer load carrying capacity
information for motor vehicles with a
GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000
pounds) or less. BMW has filed an
appropriate report dated March 28,
2012, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573,
Defect and Noncompliance
Responsibility and Reports.
Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and
30120(h) (see implementing rule at 49
CFR part 556), BMW submitted a
petition for an exemption from the
notification and remedy requirements of
49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 on the basis that
this noncompliance is inconsequential
to motor vehicle safety.
This notice of receipt of BMW’s
petition is published under 49 U.S.C.
SUMMARY:
1 BMW North America, LLC, is a U.S. company
that manufactures and imports motor vehicles.
2 BMW AG, is a German company that
manufactures motor vehicles.
PO 00000
Frm 00128
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
63415
30118 and 30120 and does not represent
any agency decision or other exercise of
judgment concerning the merits of the
petition.
Vehicles Involved: Affected are
approximately 1,409 model year 2012
BMW X3 SAV multipurpose passenger
vehicles manufactured between April 1,
2011 through March 14, 2012.
NHTSA notes that the statutory
provisions (49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and
30120(h)) that permit manufacturers to
file petitions for a determination of
inconsequentiality allow NHTSA to
exempt manufacturers only from the
duties found in sections 30118 and
30120, respectively, to notify owners,
purchasers, and dealers of a defect or
noncompliance and to remedy the
defect or noncompliance. Therefore,
these provisions only apply to the
subject 1,409 3 vehicles that BMW no
longer controlled at the time it
determined that the noncompliance
existed.
Noncompliance: BMW’s explained
that the noncompliance is that the
certification label required by 49 CFR
part 567 does not list rim information
for the tires installed on the vehicles as
original equipment as required by
paragraph S4.3.3 of FMVSS No. 110.
Rule Text: Paragraph S4.3.3 of FMVSS
No. 110 requires in pertinent part:
S4.3.3 Additional labeling information
for vehicles other than passenger cars. Each
vehicle shall show the size designation and,
if applicable, the type designation of rims
(not necessarily those on the vehicle)
appropriate for the tire appropriate for use on
that vehicle, including the tire installed as
original equipment on the certification label
required by part 567.4 or part 567.5 of this
chapter. This information shall be in the
English language, lettered in block capitals
and numerals not less than 2.4 millimeters
high and in the following format:
GVWR: 2,441 kilograms (5381 pounds).
GAWR: Front—1,299 kilograms (2,864
pounds) with P265/70R16 tires, 16 x 8.0
rims at 248 kPa (36 psi) cold single.
GAWR: Rear—1,299 kilograms (2,864
pounds) with P265/70R16 tires, 16 x 8.00
rims, at 248 kPa (36 psi) cold single.
Summary of BMW’s Analysis and
Arguments
BMW states that while the
certification label required by 49 CFR
3 BMW’s petition, which was filed under 49 CFR
part 556, requests an agency decision to exempt
BMW as a vehicle manufacturer from the
notification and recall responsibilities of 49 CFR
part 573 for the 1,409 affected vehicles. However,
a decision on this petition will not relieve vehicle
distributors and dealers of the prohibitions on the
sale, offer for sale, introduction or delivery for
introduction into interstate commerce of the
noncompliant vehicles under their control after
BMW notified them that the subject noncompliance
existed.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63413-63415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25414]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Early Scoping Notification for the Alternatives Analysis of the
Federal Way Transit Extension From SeaTac to Federal Way, WA
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notification of early scoping meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Central Puget
Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) issue this early
scoping notice to advise other agencies and the public that they intend
to explore potential alternatives for improving public transit service
between the cities of SeaTac and Federal Way in King County, Washington
to improve connections to the regional transit system and major
activity centers.
The early scoping notice is intended to invite public comments on
the scope of the alternatives analysis study, including the project's
purpose and need, transportation problems to be addressed, the range of
alternatives, the transportation and community impacts and benefits to
be considered, the capital and operating costs, and other factors that
the public and agencies believe should be considered in analyzing the
alternatives. If preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS)
is warranted following the completion of the alternatives analysis,
[[Page 63414]]
a notice of intent to prepare an EIS will be published.
The early scoping process is intended to support the alternatives
analysis and a future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping
process, as appropriate. In addition, it supports FTA planning
requirements associated with the New Starts (``Section 5309'') funding
program for certain kinds of major capital investments. While recent
legislation may lead to changes in the New Starts process, Sound
Transit will comply with relevant FTA requirements relating to planning
and project development to help it analyze and screen alternatives in
preparation for the NEPA process.
Public meeting times and locations are described immediately below.
Following that is a more detailed discussion of the project and the
early scoping process.
DATES: Two public scoping meetings and one tribal/agency scoping
meeting will be held at the following times and locations:
1. November 8, 2012, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Highline Community
College, Building 2, 2400 S. 240th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198.
2. November 13, 2012, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Harry S. Truman High
School, Gymnasium, 31455 28th Avenue, Federal Way, WA 98003.
3. (Agency and Tribal Meeting), November 7, 2012, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00
p.m.
The agency and tribal meeting will be conducted in a webinar
format, accessible via the internet and by teleconference. Invitations
to the on-line agency scoping meeting and the public scoping meetings
will be sent to the appropriate federal, tribal, state, and local
governmental units. Invitations will include details on how to
participate in the on-line meeting.
Supplemental information about the project is provided below. Also,
Sound Transit will provide information on the alternatives analysis at
the public meetings, along with opportunities for spoken or written
comments. Additional information is available on Sound Transit's Web
site at: https://www.soundtransit.org/FWextension. Written scoping
comments are requested by November 19, 2012 and can be sent or emailed
to the address below, submitted at the public meetings, or provided at
the Web site address above.
ADDRESSES: Federal Way Transit Extension (c/o Kent Hale, Senior
Environmental Planner), Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle,
WA 98104-2826, or by email to FWTE@soundtransit.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. Steve Saxton, Transportation
Program Specialist, FTA Region 10, email: fta.tro10mail@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Early Scoping. Early scoping is intended to generate public
comments on the scope of a planning effort called ``alternatives
analysis.'' The alternatives analysis lets an agency evaluate the
costs, benefits, and impacts of a range of transportation alternatives
designed to address mobility problems and other locally identified
objectives in a defined transportation corridor, and helps the agency
determine which particular investment strategy should receive more
focused study and development. Early scoping for the Federal Way
Transit Extension is being conducted in support of NEPA requirements
and in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's and FTA's
regulations and guidance for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1501.2 through 8
and 23 CFR 771.111), which encourage federal agencies to initiate NEPA
early in their planning processes. Early scoping allows the scoping
process to begin as soon as there is enough information to describe the
proposal so that the public and relevant agencies can participate
effectively. This is particularly useful in situations when a proposed
action involves a broadly defined corridor with an array of alignment
alternatives under consideration. This early scoping notice invites the
public to comment on the scope of the planning alternatives analysis,
including (a) the purpose and need for the project, (b) the range of
alternatives to study, and (c) the environmental, transportation and
community impacts and benefits to consider.
The Federal Way Transit Extension and the Regional Transit System.
The Federal Way Transit Extension corridor is approximately 7.6 miles
long and extends from the future S. 200th Street Link light rail
station in SeaTac to the Federal Way Transit Center. It parallels State
Route 99 (SR 99) and Interstate 5 (I-5) and generally follows a
topographic ridge between Puget Sound and the Green River Valley where
the city limits of SeaTac, Des Moines, Kent, and Federal Way meet.
Sound Move, the first phase of regional transit investments, was
approved and funded by voters in 1996. Sound Transit is now completing
its implementation. It includes light rail, commuter rail and regional
express bus infrastructure and service, including the Central Link
light rail system. In 2009, Sound Transit began light rail operations
between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport, and an extension to the
University of Washington is under construction and scheduled to open in
2016.
In 2004, Sound Transit began planning for the next phase of
investment to follow Sound Move. This work included updating Sound
Transit's Long-Range Plan and associated environmental review. After
several years of Sound Transit system planning work, voters in 2008
authorized funding to extend light rail south to Federal Way as part of
the Sound Transit 2 (ST2) Plan. Link light rail south from Sea-Tac
Airport to S. 200th Street is now under construction and is scheduled
to open in 2016. The ST2 Plan also extends light rail from downtown
Seattle east to Bellevue and Redmond, and from the University of
Washington north to Northgate and Lynnwood.
The Purpose of and Need for the Federal Way Transit Extension. The
purposes of the project are to:
Provide a reliable and efficient two-way, peak and off-
peak transit service of sufficient capacity to meet the projected
demand between the communities and activity centers between the cities
of SeaTac and Federal Way and the other urban centers in the Central
Puget Sound area;
Provide a mobility alternative to travel on congested
roadways and improve connections to the Central Puget Sound regional
multimodal transportation system;
Support South King County communities and the region's
adopted vision for land use, transportation and economic development, a
vision that promotes the well-being of people and communities, ensures
economic vitality and preserves a healthy environment;
Support the long-range vision, goals, and objectives for
transit service established by Sound Transit's Regional Transit Long-
Range Plan for high quality regional transit service between Seattle
and Tacoma.
The project is needed to:
Meet the growing needs of the corridor and of the region's
future residents and workers by increasing mobility, access, and
transportation capacity connecting regional growth and activity centers
in the study area and the rest of the region, as called for in the
region's adopted plans, including the PSRC's VISION 2040 and
Transportation 2040, as well as related county and city comprehensive
plans;
Address the problems of increasing and unreliable travel
times for transit users in the study area, who are now
[[Page 63415]]
dependent on the corridor's highly congested roadway and HOV systems;
Provide an alternative to automobile trips on I-5 and SR
99, the two primary highways serving the corridor, which provide
unreliable travel times throughout the day;
Help implement Sound Transit's Regional Transit Long-Range
Plan and allow the future extension of HCT south to Tacoma;
Expand and enhance transit options serving transit-
dependent residents and low-income and minority populations
concentrated in the study area;
Provide the transit infrastructure needed to support
SeaTac and Federal Way, two designated regional growth centers that
provide housing, employment, public services, and multimodal
transportation connections;
Help the state and region reduce transportation-related
energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, consistent with goals
established in RCW 47.01.440, and Chapter 70.235 RCW.
Potential Alternatives. Previous planning work for the ST2 Plan
examined conceptual light rail alignments between SeaTac and Federal
Way along portions of SR 99 and I-5 to help develop cost estimates and
establish ridership potential for transit improvements in the project
corridor. General station locations near Highline Community College,
Redondo/Star Lake park-and-ride lots, and the Federal Way Transit
Center were identified. Sound Transit invites comments on the
alternative transit alignments, and station locations to be studied,
and on the proposed evaluation framework and criteria to be used to
compare alternatives.
As part of this alternatives analysis, Sound Transit will explore
alternative alignment, station, and design configurations that could
meet the project's purpose and need. Alternatives could include
alternatives on SR 99 or I-5, or other alternatives that arise during
the early scoping comment period. The alternatives will reflect a range
of high- and low-cost capital improvements, including a ``no-build''
alternative which can serve as a ``baseline'' for measuring the merits
of higher level investments. Sound Transit will identify measures for
evaluating the relative merits of alternatives, and technical
methodologies for generating the information used to support such
measures. These measures typically include disciplines such as travel
forecasting, capital and operations and maintenance costs, and
corridor-level environmental and land use analyses.
At the end of the alternatives analysis process, Sound Transit and
the FTA anticipate narrowing the range of alternatives for further
evaluation in a NEPA document. If the resulting range of alternatives
involves the potential for significant environmental impacts requiring
an environmental impact statement (EIS), FTA and Sound Transit will
publish a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS in the Federal Register,
and invite public and agency comment on the scope of the EIS at that
time.
Issued on: October 10, 2012.
Richard Krochalis,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-25414 Filed 10-15-12; 8:45 am]
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