Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Increased Transit Service to King of Prussia, PA, 38796-38798 [2013-15411]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38796-38798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15411]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Increased 
Transit Service to King of Prussia, PA

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement and Section 4(f) Evaluation.

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SUMMARY: The FTA and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation 
Authority (SEPTA) are planning to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation for increased transit 
service to King of Prussia, PA. The EIS will be prepared in accordance 
with regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), as well as FTA's regulations and guidance for implementing NEPA 
(40 CFR 1501.2 through 8 and 23 CFR 771.111). FTA is issuing this 
notice to solicit public and agency input regarding the scope of the 
EIS and to advise the public and agencies that outreach activities 
conducted by SEPTA and its representatives will be considered in the 
preparation of the EIS. SEPTA is undertaking this Draft EIS under 
current FTA regulations and guidance. SEPTA has indicated that it 
intends to seek FTA New Starts funding.

DATES: An Agency Scoping Meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 
at 10:00 a.m., at the Radisson Hotel at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, 
South Ballroom, 1160 First Avenue, King of Prussia, PA, 19406. Persons 
should enter the hotel entrance to reach the South Ballroom. 
Representatives from federal, state, regional, tribal, and local 
agencies that may have an interest in the project will be invited to 
serve as either participating or cooperating agencies. A Public Scoping 
Meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. 
at the Radisson Hotel at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, 1160 First 
Avenue, King of Prussia, PA, 19406. Persons should enter the hotel 
entrance to reach the South Ballroom. An informational presentation 
explaining the proposed project will be held at 6:00 p.m. All persons 
are invited to provide oral comments on the scope of the EIS throughout 
the Scoping Meeting. Individuals wishing to speak are required to 
register as they sign in. Anyone needing special assistance should 
contact Mr. John Mullen, Outreach Coordinator at (215) 592-4200 or via 
email at info@kingofprussiarail.com, in advance of the meeting. Spanish 
and sign language interpreters will be available at the Public Scoping 
Meeting.
    Written comments on the scope of the EIS, including the project's 
purpose and need, the alternatives to be considered, and the impacts to 
be evaluated should be sent on or before August 14, 2013 via mail, fax 
or email to: Mr. Sheldon Fialkoff, Project Manager, AECOM, 1700 Market 
Street, Suite 1600, Philadelphia, PA 19103, 215-735-0883 (fax), 
Shelly.Fialkoff@aecom.com.
    Written comments regarding the scope of the EIS can also be made 
via the project's Web site at www.kingofprussiarail.com on or before 
August 14, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tony Cho, Community Planner, 
Federal Transit Administration, 1760 Market Street, Suite 500, 
Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 656-7250; or Mr. Byron Comati, Project 
Director, SEPTA, 1234 Market Street, 9th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 
(215) 580-3781. Additional project information and scoping materials 
will be available at the meetings and on the project Web site (https://www.kingofprussiarail.com).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Scoping

    FTA and SEPTA will undertake a scoping process that will allow the 
public and interested agencies to comment on the scope of the 
environmental review process. Scoping is the process of determining the 
scope, focus, and content of an EIS. NEPA scoping has specific 
objectives, identifying the significant issues that will be examined in 
detail during the EIS, while simultaneously limiting consideration and 
development of issues that are not truly significant. FTA and SEPTA 
invite all interested individuals and organizations, public agencies, 
and Native American tribes to comment on the scope of the Draft EIS. To 
facilitate public and agency comment, a Draft Scoping Document will be 
prepared for review and will be available at the meeting. Included in 
this document will be draft descriptions of the purpose and need for 
the project; the alternatives proposed; the impacts to be assessed; 
early alternatives that are currently not being considered; and the 
public outreach and agency coordination process.

Description of Study Area and Proposed Project

    The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL) currently provides passenger 
rail service between the 69th Street Transportation Center (in Upper 
Darby)

[[Page 38797]]

and the Norristown Transportation Center (in the Municipality of 
Norristown), serving the Main Line area in Delaware and Montgomery 
Counties, Pennsylvania. At the 69th Street Transportation Center, 
connections can be made to Center City Philadelphia via SEPTA's Market-
Frankford Line, SEPTA's Route 101 and 102 Trolleys, and 18 SEPTA bus 
routes. Besides service to Norristown, Upper Darby and on to 
Philadelphia, the NHSL serves a number of important origins and 
destinations along its line such as Haverford College, Bryn Mawr 
College, Villanova University, Eastern University, Cabrini College, 
Rosemont College, as well as Bryn Mawr Hospital.
    Even though the NHSL passes through Upper Merion Township, which 
includes the King of Prussia area, the rail line runs about two to 
three miles east of many major activity centers in the area, including 
the King of Prussia Mall. Reaching the King of Prussia area from the 
NHSL currently requires a transfer to bus service. Six SEPTA bus routes 
serve the area and ridership has been increasing over the past several 
years. The area is at the confluence of several major highways; the 
Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway), Route 422, and 
Route 202. These highways suffer from growing congestion and delays; 
bus travel on these roadways is subject to the same congestion and 
delays.
    In addition to the King of Prussia Mall, the study area encompasses 
other major destinations that are focal points of employment density, 
residential density, and/or trip attractions. The study area is bounded 
roughly by the Schuylkill River, Route 422, I-76 (Schuylkill 
Expressway) and the existing NHSL. The study area has a large amount of 
commercial activity, including business, hotel and light industrial 
warehouse uses and is home to employers such as Lockheed Martin, GSI 
and Arkema. Additionally, the study area contains the Valley Forge 
Convention Center and Casino Resort and Valley Forge National 
Historical Park, which are regional destinations.

Project Background

    The concept of providing improved transit access to the King of 
Prussia and Valley Forge areas dates back many years. A deficiency in 
rail transit services to the study area has been identified in various 
forms for more than 20 years in regional transportation studies and in 
Upper Merion Township's adopted Land Use Plan. In 2003, SEPTA completed 
the Route 100 Extension Draft Alternatives Analysis (AA). This study, 
conducted in accordance with FTA guidelines, identified a full range of 
alternatives, screened alternatives and evaluated the feasibility and 
costs of alternatives to extend the NHSL to the study area. The study 
identified and evaluated four different alignments between the NHSL and 
the King of Prussia Mall, and it identified a feasible alignment beyond 
the mall. The study was coordinated with other studies then occurring 
for SEPTA's proposed Cross-County Metro and Schuylkill Valley Metro 
services. Copies of these previous studies are available at SEPTA, 1234 
Market Street, 9th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107, (215) 580-7919 or 
(215) 580-3781.

Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Project

    The purpose of the proposed project is to provide a faster, more 
reliable public transit service that offers improved transit 
connections to the King of Prussia/Valley Forge area from communities 
along the existing Norristown High Speed Line, Norristown and 
Philadelphia; improve connectivity between major destinations within 
the King of Prussia/Valley Forge area; better serve existing transit 
riders; and accommodate new transit patrons. The project need stems 
from deficiencies of current transit services in terms of long travel 
times, delays due to roadway congestion, required transfers leading to 
two or more seat trips, and destinations underserved, or currently not 
served, by public transit. These needs are strengthened by growing 
travel demands in the King of Prussia and Valley Forge areas generated 
by existing and future economic development opportunities.

Proposed Alternatives

    The Draft EIS will evaluate various alternative transit alignments 
to make the connection between the NHSL and destinations in King of 
Prussia. The preliminary list of alternatives to be considered in the 
Draft EIS will include the following No Build Alternative and various 
Build Alternatives:
     No Build Alternative: Represents future conditions in the 
EIS analysis year of 2040 without the proposed project. The No Build 
Alternative includes the existing transit and transportation system in 
the region plus all projects in the region's fiscally constrained long 
range transportation plan. The No Build Alternative is included in the 
Draft EIS as a means of comparing and evaluating the impacts and 
benefits of the Build Alternatives.
     Build Alternatives: The Build Alternatives are based on an 
initial feasibility analysis. Build Alternatives will include 
alternative transit alignments, station locations, and design 
configurations that could meet the project's purpose and need. The 
range of Build Alternatives will include those reasonable alternatives 
uncovered during public scoping and are to be the outcome of a tiered 
screening and alternatives definition process that will primarily use 
existing transportation or utility rights of way. These rights of way 
include elevated rail service along a PECO energy alignment, alignments 
along Route 202 and Interstate 276, as well as alignments along 
inactive freight rail tracks and other public streets north of the King 
of Prussia Mall. The full range of alternatives will be subjected to 
this tiered screening and alternatives definition process in order to 
arrive at the subset of the most reasonable Build Alternatives that 
will undergo detailed study and evaluation within the DEIS.
     No bus alternatives on existing travel lanes will be 
studied in the DEIS because SEPTA already provides 6 different bus 
routes to the King of Prussia/Valley Forge areas, including express bus 
service from Center City Philadelphia. Given the study area's extensive 
road congestion, additional bus service is not a feasible alternative. 
Bus riders are subject to the same congestion delays as motorists, as 
buses share the roadway travel lanes. In particular, increased or 
improved bus service is not feasible on I-76, the primary highway 
corridor from Center City Philadelphia, because of high levels of 
congestion and limitations of the terrain do not allow for additional 
lane capacity. For example, two of the current SEPTA bus routes, which 
run the longest distance on I-76, have the lowest cumulative on-time 
performance in the entire SEPTA bus system.

Probable Effects

    FTA and SEPTA will evaluate project-specific direct, indirect, and 
cumulative effects to the existing physical, social, economic, and 
environmental setting in which the Build Alternatives could be located. 
The permanent, long-term effects to the region could include effects to 
traffic and transportation, land use and socio-economics, visual 
character and aesthetics, noise and vibration, historical and 
archaeological resources, community impacts, and natural resources. 
Temporary impacts during construction of the project could include 
effects to transportation patterns, air quality, noise and vibration, 
natural resources, and contaminated and hazardous materials. The 
analysis will be undertaken in conformity with all Federal 
environmental laws, regulations, and

[[Page 38798]]

executive orders applicable to the proposed project during the 
environmental review process to the maximum extent practicable. These 
requirements include, but are not limited to NEPA, Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations, FTA guidance and relevant 
environmental guidelines, Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act, 
Executive Order 12898 regarding minority and low-income populations, 
Executive Order 11990 regarding the protection of wetlands, the Clean 
Water Act, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Clean Air Act of 
1970, along with other applicable Federal and State regulations. 
Opportunities for comment on the potential effects will be provided to 
the public and agencies, and comments received will be considered in 
the development of the final scope and content of the EIS.

Public and Agency Involvement Procedures

    The regulations implementing NEPA and FTA guidance call for public 
involvement in the EIS process. In accordance with these regulations 
and guidance, FTA/SEPTA will:
    (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 (any interested agency that 
does not receive an invitation can notify any of the contact persons 
listed earlier in this NOI);
    (2) Provide opportunity for involvement by participating agencies 
and the public to help define the purpose and need for the 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.
    Input on a Public Involvement Plan and Agency Coordination Plan 
will be solicited at the scoping meeting and on the Web site. The 
documents will outline public and agency involvement for the project. 
Once completed, these documents will be available on the project Web 
site or through written request.

The Paperwork Reduction Act

    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 NEPA documents. Accordingly, unless a specific request 
for a complete printed set of the NEPA document is received before the 
document is printed, FTA and its grant applicants will distribute only 
electronic copies of the NEPA document. A complete printed set of the 
environmental document will be available for review at the grant 
applicant's offices and elsewhere; an electronic copy of the complete 
environmental document will be available on the grant applicant's 
project Web site, https://www.kingofprussiarail.com.

Summary/Next Steps

    With the publication of this NOI, the scoping process and the 
public comment period for the project begins, allowing the public to 
offer input on the scope of the EIS until August 14, 2013. Public 
comments will be received through those methods explained earlier in 
this NOI and will be incorporated into a Final Scoping Document. This 
document will detail the scope of the EIS and the potential 
environmental effects that will be considered during the study period. 
After the completion of the Draft EIS, another public comment period 
will allow for input on the Draft EIS, and these comments will be 
incorporated into the Final EIS report prior to publication.

    Issued on: June 21, 2013.
Reginald B. Lovelace,
Deputy Regional Administrator, FTA Region 3.
[FR Doc. 2013-15411 Filed 6-26-13; 8:45 am]
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