Environmental Impact Statement; Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, California; Notice of Intent, 46676-46677 [2013-18515]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 148 / Thursday, August 1, 2013 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement; Los
Angeles and San Bernardino Counties,
California; Notice of Intent
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (NOI).
AGENCY:
The FHWA, on behalf of the
California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans), is issuing this Revised Notice
of Intent to inform the public of changes
to the proposed High Desert Corridor
project in Los Angeles and San
Bernardino Counties, California. The
Federal Railroad Administration has
also been added as a Cooperating
Agency.
DATES: Public scoping meetings were
previously conducted as follows:
(1) Palmdale, CA on September 27,
2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(2) Lancaster, CA on September 28,
2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(3) Apple Valley, CA on September
29, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(4) Victorville, CA on September 30,
2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Meetings have also been held at
various locations along the proposed
corridor during April 2011 and January,
February and December 2012 to keep
the public, agencies, and elected
officials appraised of the status of the
project, including the modification of
two project alternatives to include high
speed rail. Additional meetings will be
held in July of 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ronald Kosinski, Deputy District
Director, California Department of
Transportation District 7 Division of
Environmental Planning, 100 South
Main Street, Mail Stop 16A, Los
Angeles, CA 90012.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective
July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned, and
Caltrans assumed, environmental
responsibilities for these projects
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans, as
the delegated National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) lead agency, initiated
studies on the High Desert Corridor
project. The NOI was published in the
Federal Register on October 12, 2007
(Vol. 72, No. 197) and a revised NOI was
published on September 24, 2010 (Vol.
75, No. 185).
A draft Environmental Impact
Statement will be prepared for a
proposal to construct the High Desert
Corridor, a new freeway/expressway,
and possible toll way, extending
approximately 63 miles between SR–14
in Los Angeles County and SR–18 in
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SUMMARY:
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17:02 Jul 31, 2013
Jkt 229001
San Bernardino County. On March 22,
2012, the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(Metro) Board of Directors took action to
recognize this project as a Strategic
Multipurpose Corridor, which provides
mobility, as well as economic and
environmental benefits. To satisfy this
directive, the proposed corridor is being
evaluated for potential inclusion of the
highway (freeway/expressway), a toll
way, a bike path, energy production
and/or transmission facilities, and a
high speed rail feeder service line. The
proposed route would run primarily in
an east-west direction and would
roughly follow the alignment of the
Avenue P–8 corridor near SR–14 in Los
Angeles County and Air Expressway
near I–15 in San Bernardino County.
East of I–15, the proposed route would
curve south until it terminates at SR–18.
The development of this corridor is
considered necessary to provide for the
existing and projected traffic demand
attributed to large-scale growth and
increasing population in the Antelope,
Victor and Apple Valley areas of Los
Angeles and San Bernardino Counties.
This growth has resulted in inadequate
capacity and accessibility along the
existing east-west trending roadways as
well as an increase in demand for goods
movement corridors and access to
regional airports. Alternatives under
consideration are: (1)—No-Build; (2)—
Transportation System Management/
Transportation Demand Management
(TSM/TDM). This includes several key
elements under consideration: An eightlane grade-separated freeway from
SR–14 to 30th Street East; a transition to
a four-lane at-grade expressway from
30th Street East to Longview Road; a
four-lane at-grade highway connecting
to SR–138 and extending east to US–395
along SR–18; a six-lane arterial highway
along SR–18 (Palmdale Road) from US–
395 to I–15; and minor roadway and
signal improvements along SR–18 from
I–15 to Bear Valley Road. These TSM/
TDM roadway improvements would
maintain at-grade intersections with
local roads and driveway access; (3)—
Freeway/Expressway (Avenue P–8, I–15
and SR–18). This would consist of a
route with a controlled-access freeway
in some areas and an expressway in
others, depending on what is warranted
by traffic demand. Interchange locations
will be determined based upon traffic
projections. This alternative generally
follows Avenue P–8 in Los Angeles
County and runs just south of El Mirage
Road in San Bernardino County and
then extends to Air Expressway Road
near I–15 and curves south terminating
at Bear Valley Road. The incorporation
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
of green energy technologies and a bike
path along the alternative will also be
considered. Four variations along the
main alignment of this alternative will
be considered. In Variation A, the
freeway/expressway would run slightly
south of the main alignment,
approximately between 15th Street East
and Little Rock Wash near Palmdale. In
Variation B, the freeway/expressway
would run slightly south of the main
alignment between Oasis Road and
Caughlin Road east of the county line.
In Variation D, the freeway/expressway
would swing south of the main
alignment just south of Avenue R
approximately between 180th Street
East and 230th Street East near the
community of Lake Los Angeles. In
Variation E, the freeway/expressway
would swing south of the federal prison
near the cities of Adelanto and
Victorville; (4)—Freeway/Toll Way
(Avenue P–8, I–15 and SR–18). This
would consist of engineering geometrics
similar to Alternative 3 with alterations
made in coordination with a Public
Private Partnership (P3) analysis.
Variations A, B, D and E would also be
considered; (5)—Freeway/Expressway
with High Speed Rail Feeder Service.
This Alternative is the same as the
Alternative 3 (including Variations A, D,
B and E) and includes a High Speed Rail
(HSR) Feeder Service between Palmdale
and Victorville. The HSR Feeder Service
would utilize proven steel wheel on
steel track technology and have a
maximum operating speed of 180 miles
per hour. Additional details of this
operating feature, including the type of
train technology (electric vs. dieselelectric), its location in relation to the
HDC and its connections to existing and
proposed rail stations are being
evaluated as part of the ongoing PublicPrivate Partnership analysis and
Alternatives Analysis. The
incorporation of green energy
technologies and a bike path will also be
considered; (6)—Freeway/Tollway with
High Speed Rail Feeder Service. This
would consist of engineering geometrics
similar to Alternative 4 with the
consideration of additional right-of-way
for a High Speed Rail (HSR) facility. The
HSR Feeder Service would utilize
proven steel wheel on steel track
technology and have a maximum
operating speed of 180 miles per hour.
Additional details of this operating
feature, including the type of train
technology (electric vs. diesel-electric),
its location in relation to the HDC and
its connections to existing and proposed
rail stations are being evaluated as part
of the ongoing P3 analysis and
Alternatives Analysis. The
E:\FR\FM\01AUN1.SGM
01AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 148 / Thursday, August 1, 2013 / Notices
incorporation of green energy
technologies and a bike path will also be
considered; and (7)—Hybrid Corridor.
This would consist of a combination of
the previously identified alternatives,
whose elements (TSM/TDM, Freeway,
Expressway, Tollway, HSR Feeder
Service, Green Energy Technologies,
bike path) would be pieced together to
best fit the needs of each section of the
corridor. The determination of which
elements to use, and at which locations,
would be based on the results of the
traffic study, environmental studies and
public input. It is anticipated that the
proposed project may require the
following federal approvals and permits:
A Biological Opinion from the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service;
approval of a PM10 and PM2.5 Hot Spot
Analysis determination by the
Conformity Working Group for
transportation conformity under the
Clean Air Act; Section 401, 402 and 404
permits under the Clean Water Act; and
a Farmland Conversion Impact Rating
under the Farmland Protection Policy
Act.
Letters describing the proposed action
and soliciting comments will be sent to
appropriate Federal, State and local
agencies, Participating Agencies, Tribal
governments, and to private
organizations and citizens who have
previously expressed or are known to
have an interest in this proposal. To
ensure that the full range of issues
related to this proposed action are
addressed and all significant issues
identified, comments and suggestions
are invited from all interested parties.
Comments or questions concerning this
proposed action and the draft EIS
should be directed to Caltrans at the
address provided above.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning
and Construction. The regulations
implementing Executive Order 12372
regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this
program.)
Issued on: July 22, 2013.
Matt Schmitz,
Director State Programs, Federal Highway
Administration, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2013–18515 Filed 7–31–13; 8:45 am]
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement;
Calcasieu Parish, LA
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
AGENCY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:02 Jul 31, 2013
Jkt 229001
ACTION:
Notice of intent.
The Federal Highway
Administration is issuing this notice to
advise the public that an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared
for a proposed transportation project in
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
FHWA Carl Highsmith, Project Delivery
Team Leader, FHWA, 5304 Flanders
Drive, Suite A, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
70808. Project information can be found
at the project Web site https://
www.i10lakecharles.com.
SUMMARY:
The
FHWA, in cooperation with the DOTD,
will prepare an EIS on alternatives for
additional capacity along I–10 in the
Lake Charles region between the I–210
interchanges including the Calcasieu
River Bridge. A feasibility and
environmental study was previously
conducted in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) for this project. The feasibility
study involved four phases: (1)
Information and Data Gathering; (2)
Preliminary Study; (3) Refined
Alternatives; and (4) Preparation and
Submission of a Final Report. Based on
the preliminary studies which included
input from the local community, four
feasible alternatives have been
recommended for further study. A nobuild alternative will also be evaluated
in accordance with NEPA. The
preliminary studies were completed in
spring 2004; however the proposed
project was placed on hold to evaluate
the bridge height and due to the
discovery of hazardous materials
contamination within the proposed
right-of-way. Because of the potential
for impacts and issues associated with
various socioeconomic and
environmental resources and the highlevel of public interest, FHWA will
prepare an EIS. The total project length
is approximately 9 miles. In addition to
bridge alternatives, improvements to be
investigated within the study limits
include: A redesign of Sampson Street
from Sulphur Avenue to I–10 to provide
grade separations with existing
railroads; a redesign of the access to and
from I–10 on the west side of the bridge
between Sampson Street and PPG Drive;
a redesign of the access to and from I–
10 near the east end of the bridge; and
consideration of the implementation of
one-way frontage roads from PPG Drive
to US 90 East. Consideration will be
given to using the existing bridge for the
frontage roads. Proposed changes to the
existing bridge to be investigated
include: (a) Designing the proposed
bridge structure to accommodate three
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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46677
travel lanes and one auxiliary lane, with
inside and outside shoulders and two
frontage roads in each direction, (b) a
reduction in navigational clearance, (c)
reducing the existing 420 foot truss span
to two main spans, and (d) determining
if the existing vertical clearance for
marine traffic can be reduced. Letters
describing the proposed project and
soliciting comments will be sent to
appropriate Federal, State, and local
agencies, and to private organizations
and the public who have previously
expressed or are known to have interest
in this project. Numerous public
meetings will be held throughout the
term of the project. The first of these
meetings, a series of public scoping
meetings, will be conducted to provide
the public information about the project
and an opportunity to assist in
formulating and revising the scope of
the study. The public scoping meetings
will be scheduled in the future and will
be posted to the project Web site
https://www.i10lakecharles.com.
In addition, a public hearing will be
held. Public notice will be given of the
time and place of the meetings and
hearing.
To ensure that the full range of issues
related to this proposed project are
addressed and all significant issues
identified, comments and suggestions
are invited from all interested parties.
Comments or questions concerning this
proposed action and the EIS should be
directed to the FHWA at the address
provided above.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Number 20.205, Highway Research,
Planning, and Construction. The regulations
implementing Executive Order 12372
regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this
program.)
Issued on: July 25, 2013.
Charles Bolinger,
Division Administrator, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana.
[FR Doc. 2013–18531 Filed 7–31–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA–2013–0051]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; New Information Collection
Request: Commercial Motor Vehicle
Marking Requirements
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
AGENCY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 148 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46676-46677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18515]
[[Page 46676]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement; Los Angeles and San Bernardino
Counties, California; Notice of Intent
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (NOI).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this Revised Notice of Intent to
inform the public of changes to the proposed High Desert Corridor
project in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, California. The
Federal Railroad Administration has also been added as a Cooperating
Agency.
DATES: Public scoping meetings were previously conducted as follows:
(1) Palmdale, CA on September 27, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(2) Lancaster, CA on September 28, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(3) Apple Valley, CA on September 29, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(4) Victorville, CA on September 30, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Meetings have also been held at various locations along the
proposed corridor during April 2011 and January, February and December
2012 to keep the public, agencies, and elected officials appraised of
the status of the project, including the modification of two project
alternatives to include high speed rail. Additional meetings will be
held in July of 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald Kosinski, Deputy District
Director, California Department of Transportation District 7 Division
of Environmental Planning, 100 South Main Street, Mail Stop 16A, Los
Angeles, CA 90012.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned,
and Caltrans assumed, environmental responsibilities for these projects
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans, as the delegated National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lead agency, initiated studies on the
High Desert Corridor project. The NOI was published in the Federal
Register on October 12, 2007 (Vol. 72, No. 197) and a revised NOI was
published on September 24, 2010 (Vol. 75, No. 185).
A draft Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for a
proposal to construct the High Desert Corridor, a new freeway/
expressway, and possible toll way, extending approximately 63 miles
between SR-14 in Los Angeles County and SR-18 in San Bernardino County.
On March 22, 2012, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (Metro) Board of Directors took action to recognize this
project as a Strategic Multipurpose Corridor, which provides mobility,
as well as economic and environmental benefits. To satisfy this
directive, the proposed corridor is being evaluated for potential
inclusion of the highway (freeway/expressway), a toll way, a bike path,
energy production and/or transmission facilities, and a high speed rail
feeder service line. The proposed route would run primarily in an east-
west direction and would roughly follow the alignment of the Avenue P-8
corridor near SR-14 in Los Angeles County and Air Expressway near I-15
in San Bernardino County. East of I-15, the proposed route would curve
south until it terminates at SR-18.
The development of this corridor is considered necessary to provide
for the existing and projected traffic demand attributed to large-scale
growth and increasing population in the Antelope, Victor and Apple
Valley areas of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. This growth
has resulted in inadequate capacity and accessibility along the
existing east-west trending roadways as well as an increase in demand
for goods movement corridors and access to regional airports.
Alternatives under consideration are: (1)--No-Build; (2)--
Transportation System Management/Transportation Demand Management (TSM/
TDM). This includes several key elements under consideration: An eight-
lane grade-separated freeway from SR-14 to 30th Street East; a
transition to a four-lane at-grade expressway from 30th Street East to
Longview Road; a four-lane at-grade highway connecting to SR-138 and
extending east to US-395 along SR-18; a six-lane arterial highway along
SR-18 (Palmdale Road) from US-395 to I-15; and minor roadway and signal
improvements along SR-18 from I-15 to Bear Valley Road. These TSM/TDM
roadway improvements would maintain at-grade intersections with local
roads and driveway access; (3)--Freeway/Expressway (Avenue P-8, I-15
and SR-18). This would consist of a route with a controlled-access
freeway in some areas and an expressway in others, depending on what is
warranted by traffic demand. Interchange locations will be determined
based upon traffic projections. This alternative generally follows
Avenue P-8 in Los Angeles County and runs just south of El Mirage Road
in San Bernardino County and then extends to Air Expressway Road near
I-15 and curves south terminating at Bear Valley Road. The
incorporation of green energy technologies and a bike path along the
alternative will also be considered. Four variations along the main
alignment of this alternative will be considered. In Variation A, the
freeway/expressway would run slightly south of the main alignment,
approximately between 15th Street East and Little Rock Wash near
Palmdale. In Variation B, the freeway/expressway would run slightly
south of the main alignment between Oasis Road and Caughlin Road east
of the county line. In Variation D, the freeway/expressway would swing
south of the main alignment just south of Avenue R approximately
between 180th Street East and 230th Street East near the community of
Lake Los Angeles. In Variation E, the freeway/expressway would swing
south of the federal prison near the cities of Adelanto and
Victorville; (4)--Freeway/Toll Way (Avenue P-8, I-15 and SR-18). This
would consist of engineering geometrics similar to Alternative 3 with
alterations made in coordination with a Public Private Partnership (P3)
analysis. Variations A, B, D and E would also be considered; (5)--
Freeway/Expressway with High Speed Rail Feeder Service. This
Alternative is the same as the Alternative 3 (including Variations A,
D, B and E) and includes a High Speed Rail (HSR) Feeder Service between
Palmdale and Victorville. The HSR Feeder Service would utilize proven
steel wheel on steel track technology and have a maximum operating
speed of 180 miles per hour. Additional details of this operating
feature, including the type of train technology (electric vs. diesel-
electric), its location in relation to the HDC and its connections to
existing and proposed rail stations are being evaluated as part of the
ongoing Public-Private Partnership analysis and Alternatives Analysis.
The incorporation of green energy technologies and a bike path will
also be considered; (6)--Freeway/Tollway with High Speed Rail Feeder
Service. This would consist of engineering geometrics similar to
Alternative 4 with the consideration of additional right-of-way for a
High Speed Rail (HSR) facility. The HSR Feeder Service would utilize
proven steel wheel on steel track technology and have a maximum
operating speed of 180 miles per hour. Additional details of this
operating feature, including the type of train technology (electric vs.
diesel-electric), its location in relation to the HDC and its
connections to existing and proposed rail stations are being evaluated
as part of the ongoing P3 analysis and Alternatives Analysis. The
[[Page 46677]]
incorporation of green energy technologies and a bike path will also be
considered; and (7)--Hybrid Corridor. This would consist of a
combination of the previously identified alternatives, whose elements
(TSM/TDM, Freeway, Expressway, Tollway, HSR Feeder Service, Green
Energy Technologies, bike path) would be pieced together to best fit
the needs of each section of the corridor. The determination of which
elements to use, and at which locations, would be based on the results
of the traffic study, environmental studies and public input. It is
anticipated that the proposed project may require the following federal
approvals and permits: A Biological Opinion from the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service; approval of a PM10 and
PM2.5 Hot Spot Analysis determination by the Conformity
Working Group for transportation conformity under the Clean Air Act;
Section 401, 402 and 404 permits under the Clean Water Act; and a
Farmland Conversion Impact Rating under the Farmland Protection Policy
Act.
Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will
be sent to appropriate Federal, State and local agencies, Participating
Agencies, Tribal governments, and to private organizations and citizens
who have previously expressed or are known to have an interest in this
proposal. To ensure that the full range of issues related to this
proposed action are addressed and all significant issues identified,
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties.
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the draft EIS
should be directed to Caltrans at the address provided above.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)
Issued on: July 22, 2013.
Matt Schmitz,
Director State Programs, Federal Highway Administration, Sacramento,
California.
[FR Doc. 2013-18515 Filed 7-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
