Notice of Scoping Meetings on Regional Planning Effort To Improve Public Transportation in the Central Wasatch Mountains in Salt Lake and Summit Counties, UT, 1912-1914 [2014-00230]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 7 / Friday, January 10, 2014 / Notices
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. The Agency will consider all
comments received before the close of
business February 10, 2014. Comments
will be available for examination in the
docket at the location listed under the
ADDRESSES section of this notice. The
Agency will file comments received
after the comment closing date in the
public docket, and will consider them to
the extent practicable.
In addition to late comments, FMCSA
will also continue to file, in the public
docket, relevant information that
becomes available after the comment
closing date. Interested persons should
monitor the public docket for new
material.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Submitting Comments
You may submit your comments and
material online or by fax, mail, or hand
delivery, but please use only one of
these means. FMCSA recommends that
you include your name and a mailing
address, an email address, or a phone
number in the body of your document
so that FMCSA can contact you if there
are questions regarding your
submission.
To submit your comment online, go to
https://www.regulations.gov and in the
search box insert the docket number
FMCSA–2013–0174 and click the search
button. When the new screen appears,
click on the blue ‘‘Comment Now!’’
button on the right hand side of the
page. On the new page, enter
information required including the
specific section of this document to
which each comment applies, and
provide a reason for each suggestion or
recommendation. If you submit your
comments by mail or hand delivery,
submit them in an unbound format, no
larger than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, suitable for
copying and electronic filing. If you
submit comments by mail and would
like to know that they reached the
facility, please enclose a stamped, selfaddressed postcard or envelope.
We will consider all comments and
material received during the comment
period and may change this proposed
rule based on your comments. FMCSA
may issue a final rule at any time after
the close of the comment period.
Viewing Comments and Documents
To view comments, as well as any
documents mentioned in this preamble,
To submit your comment online, go to
https://www.regulations.gov and in the
search box insert the docket number
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16:40 Jan 09, 2014
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FMCSA–2013–0174 and click ‘‘Search.’’
Next, click ‘‘Open Docket Folder’’ and
you will find all documents and
comments related to the proposed
rulemaking.
Issued On: December 30, 2013.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2014–00231 Filed 1–9–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Scoping Meetings on
Regional Planning Effort To Improve
Public Transportation in the Central
Wasatch Mountains in Salt Lake and
Summit Counties, UT
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notification of Early Scoping
Meeting.
AGENCY:
The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the Utah
Transit Authority (UTA) issue this early
scoping notice to advise other agencies
and the public that they intend to
explore potential alternatives for
improving public transportation service
to and within the central Wasatch
Mountains of Salt Lake County and
Summit County, Utah. UTA is
conducting this work through formal
agreement and partnership with
numerous state and local agencies,
including Salt Lake County, Summit
County, Wasatch Front Regional
Council, Salt Lake City, Cottonwood
Heights, Sandy City, Park City, Town of
Alta, and others. This early scoping
process is part of a regional planning
effort to examine regional connectivity
for the central Wasatch Mountains. This
notice invites the public to help frame
transportation improvements, while
considering the inherent
interdependence of watershed
protection, wilderness protection, landuse planning, and economic
opportunities in the central Wasatch
Mountains. This process builds upon
prior planning efforts contained in Salt
Lake County’s ‘‘Wasatch Canyons
Tomorrow’’ study and ‘‘Mountain
Transportation Study’’ completed in
September 2010 and November 2012,
respectively.
The early scoping process is intended
to support a future National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
scoping process, as appropriate.
DATES: Two public scoping meetings
and one agency scoping meeting, where
agencies and the public can learn more
SUMMARY:
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about and comment on the proposal,
will be held at the following times and
locations:
• Public scoping meeting: Tuesday,
February 4, 2014, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30
p.m. at Park City High cafeteria, 1750
Kearns Blvd., Park City, UT
• Public scoping meeting:
Wednesday, February 5, 2014, from 4:30
p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Skyline High School
cafeteria, 3251 East 3760 South, Salt
Lake City, UT
• Agency scoping meeting: Monday,
February 3, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to
12:00 p.m., Utah Transit Authority, 669
West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT
At the public and agency scoping
meetings, Utah Transit Authority will
provide information on the extent of the
study area; transportation issues;
community and environmental impacts
and benefits. Materials will also be
available beginning January 21, 2014 on
UTA’s Web site at www.rideuta.com on
the ‘‘Wasatch Summit Program’’ project
tab. Scoping materials will also include
project background information and the
proposed approaches for moving
forward. Written scoping comments are
requested by March 7, 2014 and can be
sent or emailed to the address below,
submitted at a public meeting or sent
via the comment form to
www.rideuta.com.
ADDRESSES: Mary DeLoretto, Senior
Program Manager, Utah Transit
Authority, 669 West 200 South, Salt
Lake City, UT 84101; phone: (801) 741–
8808; or emailed to mdeloretto@
rideuta.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeffrey Jordan, FTA Environmental
Specialist, 12300 West Dakota Avenue,
Suite 310, Lakewood, CO 80228; phone:
(720) 963–3307; email:
jeffrey.jordan.ctr@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Early Scoping
The early scoping process provides a
venue for evaluating the costs, benefits,
and preliminary impact identification
for a range of transportation alternatives
designed to address mobility problems
and other locally-identified objectives in
the proposed study area. Early scoping
for the project will be conducted in
accordance with NEPA polices pursuant
to the Council on Environmental
Quality’s regulations and guidance for
implementing NEPA, which encourage
federal agencies to initiate NEPA early
in their planning process, per 40 CFR
subsection 1501.2 through 8. The
scoping process may begin as soon as
there is enough information to describe
the proposed alternatives so that the
public and relevant agencies can
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 7 / Friday, January 10, 2014 / Notices
participate effectively. This process is
useful when a proposed action involves
a broadly defined corridor or study area
with an array of modal and alignment
alternatives. This early scoping notice
solicits public comments on the
planning analysis, including the
purpose and need for the project, the
range of alternatives, and the
environmental, transportation and
community impacts and benefits to be
considered.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Utah Transit Authority, Park City
Transit and the Regional
Transportation System
Existing conditions: UTA provides 30
minute bus service from the 7200 South
and 4500 South TRAX stations to the
resorts in the Cottonwood Canyons and
once daily bus service between the
resorts and downtown Salt Lake City,
the University of Utah, and West Valley.
This service usually runs from midDecember to mid-April, with no transit
service outside the ski season. The PC–
SLC Connect, a public bus service
connecting Park City and Salt Lake City,
runs year long, four times a day Monday
through Friday with no service on the
weekends. There are currently no public
transit options between Summit County
and the Cottonwood Canyons.
Transportation Purpose of the Project
UTA invites comments on the
following preliminary statement of the
project’s purpose and need.
The purpose of the project is to
improve regional transportation
connectivity and to facilitate safe,
convenient, and reliable year-round
transportation to destinations within the
central Wasatch Mountains from the
population bases, recreational
destinations, and the regional transit
networks in the Salt Lake Valley and
Park City/Summit County. The need for
the project arises from:
• The need to meet the growing
connectivity needs of the central
Wasatch Mountains for the region’s
workers and recreationalists by
increasing mobility, access and
transportation capacity to and from
activity centers in the region, as called
for by the Utah Unified Transportation
Plan, as well as other plans including
related county and city comprehensive
transportation plans.
• The need to serve increasing worker
and recreational trips between Salt Lake
City environs and Wasatch Mountain
locations in Salt Lake and Summit
Counties. There are diverse recreation
opportunities in the central Wasatch
Mountains in both Salt Lake and
Summit Counties, including hiking,
picnicking, camping, rock climbing,
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16:40 Jan 09, 2014
Jkt 232001
bird watching, mountain biking, road
biking, fishing, skiing (resort, back
country, cross-country), snowshoeing,
and ice climbing. The demand for
improving the transportation options to
access these opportunities continues to
grow as documented in the Utah
Unified Transportation Plan.
• The need to support source water
protection goals. The Central Wasatch
Mountains, including Big Cottonwood
Canyon, Little Cottonwood Canyon, and
Parleys Canyon, are the primary sources
of drinking water for more than 400,000
people in the Salt Lake Valley. These
municipal watersheds are protected for
water supply and water quality
purposes pursuant to numerous federal,
state, and local laws and plans.
• The need to support land use and
forest management plan goals. The
central Wasatch Mountains have
competing environmental, economic,
recreation, and stewardship goals that
dictate future regional growth
concentrations. The U.S. Forest Service
completed a Revised Forest System plan
for the Wasatch-Cache National Forest
and Record of Decision in 2003, which
outlines forest management direction for
National Forest Lands in the Wasatch
Range and canyons. The Forest Plan
direction also addresses some future
transportation capabilities.
• The need to improve air quality in
the Salt Lake City Valley to maintain
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
standards. The Salt Lake Valley is prone
to air quality level exceedences during
various time of the year. Determining a
way to reduce criteria air pollutant
emissions through public transportation
improvements and demand
management is one goal of Utah
Department of Environmental Quality’s
Clean Utah program to maintain or
reduce emissions and thus improve air
quality.
• The need to improve road safety
conditions in the central Wasatch
Mountains due to avalanche hazards,
road conditions and emergency
response. Due to seasonal weather
conditions throughout the central
Wasatch Mountains, avalanche hazards
are high, and emergency response
alternatives are limited.
Potential Alternatives
Utah Transit Authority will explore
alternative mode, alignment, and design
configurations for the central Wasatch
Mountains along with active traffic
management principles.
There are three main transportation
corridors into the central Wasatch
Mountains from the Salt Lake Valley:
Big Cottonwood Canyon, Little
Cottonwood Canyon, and Interstate 80
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1913
(Parley’s Canyon). Several smaller subcorridors, or potential minimum
operable segments (MOS) with logical
termini, were identified in the study
area that either connect to one or more
of the existing larger corridors. The subcorridors were identified based on
professional evaluation, stakeholder
input, and consistency with the
Wasatch Front Regional Council
Regional Transportation Plan and the
Utah Unified Transportation Plan.
Specific corridor alternatives that link
the existing Wasatch Front regional
transit system with the central Wasatch
Mountains destinations in Salt Lake and
Summit Counties will be developed
during the early scoping process.
Alternatives already identified for
consideration include:
• The connection from downtown
Salt Lake City to the base of Big
Cottonwood Canyon
• the connection from downtown Salt
Lake City to the base of Little
Cottonwood Canyon
• the connection from downtown Salt
Lake City to Park City in Summit
County via Parley’s Canyon
• the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon
to the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon
• the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon
to Brighton
• the base of Little Cottonwood
Canyon to Alta
• Alta to Brighton; and
• Brighton to Park City
Transportation Modes
Various transportation modes being
considered include:
• Parking and Roadway
Improvements
• Bus Service Improvements
• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
• Rail Systems
• Aerial Systems
• Active Traffic Management
Principles
UTA may also consider other
alternatives that arise during the public
comment period. The definition of these
alternatives for analysis will reflect a
range of high and low cost capital
improvements. UTA will identify
measures for evaluating the relative
merits of alternatives, and technical
methodologies for generating the
information used to support such
measures. These measures will typically
include disciplines such as travel
forecasting; capital, operations and
maintenance costs; and corridor-level
environmental and land use analyses.
At the end of the early scoping
process, a preferred corridor and mode
may emerge for further evaluation in a
NEPA environmental document (the
classification of which is to be
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 7 / Friday, January 10, 2014 / Notices
determined). If the preferred mode and
corridor involve the potential for
significant environmental impacts
requiring an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS), and FTA determines
that there is a potential for FTA funding,
a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS will
be published in the Federal Register
and public and agency comment on the
scope of the EIS will be invited and
considered at that time.
Issued on: January 2, 2014.
Linda M. Gehrke,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region 8.
Washington, DC 20423–0001. In
addition, a copy of each pleading must
be served on Richard R. Wilson, Esq.,
518 N. Center Street, Suite 1, Ebensburg,
PA 15931.
Board decisions and notices are
available on our Web site at
‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV’’.
Decided: January 7, 2014.
By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell,
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Raina S. White,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2014–00288 Filed 1–9–14; 8:45 am]
[FR Doc. 2014–00230 Filed 1–9–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. FD 35797]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Information Collection
Renewal; Submission for OMB Review;
Securities Offering Disclosure Rules
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Union County Industrial Railroad
Company—Operation Exemption—
SEDA–COG Joint Rail Authority
Union County Industrial Railroad
Company (UCIR), a Class III rail carrier,
has filed a verified notice of exemption
under 49 CFR 1150.41 to operate
approximately 4.07 miles of track
known as the West Deer Extension
Track, from milepost 173.605 to
milepost 177.67 in Union County, Pa.
(the Line).1 The Line is currently owned
or leased by SEDA–COG Joint Rail
Authority, a Pennsylvania Municipal
Authority.
The transaction may be consummated
on or after January 25, 2014 (30 days
after the notice of exemption was filed).
UCIR certifies that its projected
annual revenues as a result of this
transaction will not exceed those that
would qualify it as a Class III rail carrier
and will not exceed $5 million.
If the verified notice contains false or
misleading information, the exemption
is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the
exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)
may be filed at any time. The filing of
a petition to revoke will not
automatically stay the effectiveness of
the exemption. Petitions to stay must be
filed no later than January 17, 2014 (at
least seven days before the exemption
becomes effective).
An original and 10 copies of all
pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD
35797, must be filed with the Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW.,
1 Counsel for UCIR has indicated that UCIR
promptly will file a copy of the operating agreement
that UCIR has entered into with SEDA–COG Joint
Rail Authority, a noncarrier. See Anthony Macrie—
Continuance in Control Exemption—N.J. Seashore
Lines, Inc., FD 35296, slip op. at 3–4 (STB served
Aug. 31, 2010).
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:40 Jan 09, 2014
Jkt 232001
Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency (OCC), Treasury.
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
AGENCY:
The OCC, as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden, invites the
general public and other Federal
agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on a continuing information
collection, as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).
In accordance with the requirements
of the PRA, the OCC may not conduct
or sponsor, and the respondent is not
required to respond to, an information
collection unless it displays a currently
valid Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) control number.
The OCC is soliciting comment
concerning the renewal of an
information collection titled, ‘‘Securities
Offering Disclosure Rules.’’ The OCC is
also giving notice that it has sent the
rule to OMB for review.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before February 10, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Because paper mail in the
Washington, DC area and at the OCC is
subject to delay, commenters are
encouraged to submit comments by
email if possible. Comments may be
sent to: Legislative and Regulatory
Activities Division, Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency, Attention:
1557–0120, 400 7th Street SW., Suite
3E–218, Mail Stop 9W–11, Washington,
DC 20219. In addition, comments may
be sent by fax to (571) 465–4326 or by
electronic mail to regs.comments@
occ.treas.gov. You may personally
SUMMARY:
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inspect and photocopy comments at the
OCC, 400 7th Street SW., Washington,
DC 20219. For security reasons, the OCC
requires that visitors make an
appointment to inspect comments. You
may do so by calling (202) 649–6700.
Upon arrival, visitors will be required to
present valid government-issued photo
identification and to submit to security
screening in order to inspect and
photocopy comments.
All comments received, including
attachments and other supporting
materials, are part of the public record
and subject to public disclosure. Do not
enclose any information in your
comment or supporting materials that
you consider confidential or
inappropriate for public disclosure.
Additionally, please send a copy of
your comments by mail to: OCC Desk
Officer, 1557–0120, U.S. Office of
Management and Budget, 725 17th
Street NW., #10235, Washington, DC
20503, or by email to: oira_submission@
omb.eop.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You
may request additional information or a
copy of the collection and supporting
documentation submitted to OMB by
contacting: Johnny Vilela or Mary H.
Gottlieb, OCC Clearance Officers, (202)
649–5490, Legislative and Regulatory
Activities Division, Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th
Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), Federal
agencies must obtain approval from
OMB for each collection of information
they conduct or sponsor. The OCC is
seeking renewal from OMB of the
following collection without change.
Title: Securities Offering Disclosure
Rules.
OMB Control No.: 1557–0120.
Type of Review: Regular review.
Description: Twelve CFR Part 16 and
197 govern the offer and sale of
securities by national banks and Federal
savings associations. The requirements
in those sections enable the OCC to
perform its responsibility to ensure that
the investing public has information
about the condition of the institution,
the reasons for raising new capital, and
the terms of the offering.
These information collection
requirements ensure national bank and
Federal savings association compliance
with applicable Federal law, promote
bank safety and soundness, provide
protections for national banks and
Federal savings associations, and further
public policy interests.
Affected Public: Businesses or other
for-profit.
Burden Estimates:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1912-1914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00230]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Scoping Meetings on Regional Planning Effort To Improve
Public Transportation in the Central Wasatch Mountains in Salt Lake and
Summit Counties, UT
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notification of Early Scoping Meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Utah Transit
Authority (UTA) issue this early scoping notice to advise other
agencies and the public that they intend to explore potential
alternatives for improving public transportation service to and within
the central Wasatch Mountains of Salt Lake County and Summit County,
Utah. UTA is conducting this work through formal agreement and
partnership with numerous state and local agencies, including Salt Lake
County, Summit County, Wasatch Front Regional Council, Salt Lake City,
Cottonwood Heights, Sandy City, Park City, Town of Alta, and others.
This early scoping process is part of a regional planning effort to
examine regional connectivity for the central Wasatch Mountains. This
notice invites the public to help frame transportation improvements,
while considering the inherent interdependence of watershed protection,
wilderness protection, land-use planning, and economic opportunities in
the central Wasatch Mountains. This process builds upon prior planning
efforts contained in Salt Lake County's ``Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow''
study and ``Mountain Transportation Study'' completed in September 2010
and November 2012, respectively.
The early scoping process is intended to support a future National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping process, as appropriate.
DATES: Two public scoping meetings and one agency scoping meeting,
where agencies and the public can learn more about and comment on the
proposal, will be held at the following times and locations:
Public scoping meeting: Tuesday, February 4, 2014, from
4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Park City High cafeteria, 1750 Kearns Blvd.,
Park City, UT
Public scoping meeting: Wednesday, February 5, 2014, from
4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Skyline High School cafeteria, 3251 East 3760
South, Salt Lake City, UT
Agency scoping meeting: Monday, February 3, 2014, from
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Utah Transit Authority, 669 West 200 South,
Salt Lake City, UT
At the public and agency scoping meetings, Utah Transit Authority
will provide information on the extent of the study area;
transportation issues; community and environmental impacts and
benefits. Materials will also be available beginning January 21, 2014
on UTA's Web site at www.rideuta.com on the ``Wasatch Summit Program''
project tab. Scoping materials will also include project background
information and the proposed approaches for moving forward. Written
scoping comments are requested by March 7, 2014 and can be sent or
emailed to the address below, submitted at a public meeting or sent via
the comment form to www.rideuta.com.
ADDRESSES: Mary DeLoretto, Senior Program Manager, Utah Transit
Authority, 669 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101; phone: (801)
741-8808; or emailed to mdeloretto@rideuta.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Jordan, FTA Environmental
Specialist, 12300 West Dakota Avenue, Suite 310, Lakewood, CO 80228;
phone: (720) 963-3307; email: jeffrey.jordan.ctr@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Early Scoping
The early scoping process provides a venue for evaluating the
costs, benefits, and preliminary impact identification for a range of
transportation alternatives designed to address mobility problems and
other locally-identified objectives in the proposed study area. Early
scoping for the project will be conducted in accordance with NEPA
polices pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations
and guidance for implementing NEPA, which encourage federal agencies to
initiate NEPA early in their planning process, per 40 CFR subsection
1501.2 through 8. The scoping process may begin as soon as there is
enough information to describe the proposed alternatives so that the
public and relevant agencies can
[[Page 1913]]
participate effectively. This process is useful when a proposed action
involves a broadly defined corridor or study area with an array of
modal and alignment alternatives. This early scoping notice solicits
public comments on the planning analysis, including the purpose and
need for the project, the range of alternatives, and the environmental,
transportation and community impacts and benefits to be considered.
Utah Transit Authority, Park City Transit and the Regional
Transportation System
Existing conditions: UTA provides 30 minute bus service from the
7200 South and 4500 South TRAX stations to the resorts in the
Cottonwood Canyons and once daily bus service between the resorts and
downtown Salt Lake City, the University of Utah, and West Valley. This
service usually runs from mid-December to mid-April, with no transit
service outside the ski season. The PC-SLC Connect, a public bus
service connecting Park City and Salt Lake City, runs year long, four
times a day Monday through Friday with no service on the weekends.
There are currently no public transit options between Summit County and
the Cottonwood Canyons.
Transportation Purpose of the Project
UTA invites comments on the following preliminary statement of the
project's purpose and need.
The purpose of the project is to improve regional transportation
connectivity and to facilitate safe, convenient, and reliable year-
round transportation to destinations within the central Wasatch
Mountains from the population bases, recreational destinations, and the
regional transit networks in the Salt Lake Valley and Park City/Summit
County. The need for the project arises from:
The need to meet the growing connectivity needs of the
central Wasatch Mountains for the region's workers and recreationalists
by increasing mobility, access and transportation capacity to and from
activity centers in the region, as called for by the Utah Unified
Transportation Plan, as well as other plans including related county
and city comprehensive transportation plans.
The need to serve increasing worker and recreational trips
between Salt Lake City environs and Wasatch Mountain locations in Salt
Lake and Summit Counties. There are diverse recreation opportunities in
the central Wasatch Mountains in both Salt Lake and Summit Counties,
including hiking, picnicking, camping, rock climbing, bird watching,
mountain biking, road biking, fishing, skiing (resort, back country,
cross-country), snowshoeing, and ice climbing. The demand for improving
the transportation options to access these opportunities continues to
grow as documented in the Utah Unified Transportation Plan.
The need to support source water protection goals. The
Central Wasatch Mountains, including Big Cottonwood Canyon, Little
Cottonwood Canyon, and Parleys Canyon, are the primary sources of
drinking water for more than 400,000 people in the Salt Lake Valley.
These municipal watersheds are protected for water supply and water
quality purposes pursuant to numerous federal, state, and local laws
and plans.
The need to support land use and forest management plan
goals. The central Wasatch Mountains have competing environmental,
economic, recreation, and stewardship goals that dictate future
regional growth concentrations. The U.S. Forest Service completed a
Revised Forest System plan for the Wasatch-Cache National Forest and
Record of Decision in 2003, which outlines forest management direction
for National Forest Lands in the Wasatch Range and canyons. The Forest
Plan direction also addresses some future transportation capabilities.
The need to improve air quality in the Salt Lake City
Valley to maintain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. The
Salt Lake Valley is prone to air quality level exceedences during
various time of the year. Determining a way to reduce criteria air
pollutant emissions through public transportation improvements and
demand management is one goal of Utah Department of Environmental
Quality's Clean Utah program to maintain or reduce emissions and thus
improve air quality.
The need to improve road safety conditions in the central
Wasatch Mountains due to avalanche hazards, road conditions and
emergency response. Due to seasonal weather conditions throughout the
central Wasatch Mountains, avalanche hazards are high, and emergency
response alternatives are limited.
Potential Alternatives
Utah Transit Authority will explore alternative mode, alignment,
and design configurations for the central Wasatch Mountains along with
active traffic management principles.
There are three main transportation corridors into the central
Wasatch Mountains from the Salt Lake Valley: Big Cottonwood Canyon,
Little Cottonwood Canyon, and Interstate 80 (Parley's Canyon). Several
smaller sub-corridors, or potential minimum operable segments (MOS)
with logical termini, were identified in the study area that either
connect to one or more of the existing larger corridors. The sub-
corridors were identified based on professional evaluation, stakeholder
input, and consistency with the Wasatch Front Regional Council Regional
Transportation Plan and the Utah Unified Transportation Plan. Specific
corridor alternatives that link the existing Wasatch Front regional
transit system with the central Wasatch Mountains destinations in Salt
Lake and Summit Counties will be developed during the early scoping
process.
Alternatives already identified for consideration include:
The connection from downtown Salt Lake City to the base of
Big Cottonwood Canyon
the connection from downtown Salt Lake City to the base of
Little Cottonwood Canyon
the connection from downtown Salt Lake City to Park City
in Summit County via Parley's Canyon
the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon to the base of Little
Cottonwood Canyon
the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon to Brighton
the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta
Alta to Brighton; and
Brighton to Park City
Transportation Modes
Various transportation modes being considered include:
Parking and Roadway Improvements
Bus Service Improvements
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
Rail Systems
Aerial Systems
Active Traffic Management Principles
UTA may also consider other alternatives that arise during the
public comment period. The definition of these alternatives for
analysis will reflect a range of high and low cost capital
improvements. UTA will identify measures for evaluating the relative
merits of alternatives, and technical methodologies for generating the
information used to support such measures. These measures will
typically include disciplines such as travel forecasting; capital,
operations and maintenance costs; and corridor-level environmental and
land use analyses.
At the end of the early scoping process, a preferred corridor and
mode may emerge for further evaluation in a NEPA environmental document
(the classification of which is to be
[[Page 1914]]
determined). If the preferred mode and corridor involve the potential
for significant environmental impacts requiring an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS), and FTA determines that there is a potential for FTA
funding, a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS will be published in the
Federal Register and public and agency comment on the scope of the EIS
will be invited and considered at that time.
Issued on: January 2, 2014.
Linda M. Gehrke,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region 8.
[FR Doc. 2014-00230 Filed 1-9-14; 8:45 am]
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