Early Scoping Reopening Notification for the Alternatives Analysis of the GA 400 Transit Initiative in Fulton County, Georgia, 35632-35634 [2014-14560]

Download as PDF emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES 35632 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 120 / Monday, June 23, 2014 / Notices change in corporate ownership. RVTC also cites economic conditions in its request to continue use of the locomotive as presently equipped. A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications concerning the petition, is available for review online at www.regulations.gov and in person at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., W12–140, Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Operations Facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA, in writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for their request. All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the appropriate docket number and may be submitted by any of the following methods: • Web site: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • Fax: 202–493–2251. • Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, Washington, DC 20590. • Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Communications received by August 7, 2014 will be considered by FRA before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be considered as far as practicable. Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any written communications and comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the document, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). See https:// www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov or interested parties may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477). VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:33 Jun 20, 2014 Jkt 232001 Issued in Washington, DC, on June 17, 2014. Ron Hynes, Director, Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance. [FR Doc. 2014–14526 Filed 6–20–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–06–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Early Scoping Reopening Notification for the Alternatives Analysis of the GA 400 Transit Initiative in Fulton County, Georgia Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of reopening of early scoping and comment periods and announcement of additional scoping meetings. AGENCY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) issue this early scoping notice to advise other agencies and the public that they intend to conduct another round of early scoping. The additional early scoping period will continue the examination of potential alternatives for providing high-capacity transit in the Georgia (GA) 400 corridor in north Fulton County, GA from Dunwoody to Alpharetta. The alternatives would improve transit linkages and coverage to communities within this corridor and would enhance mobility and accessibility to and within the corridor by providing a more robust transit network that offers an alternative to automobile travel. This notice invites the public and agency officials to provide input to the ongoing alternatives analysis and system planning effort by commenting on the project’s purpose and need, the project study area, the alternatives being considered, the transportation problems that are being addressed by the alternatives analysis study, public participation and outreach methods, the relevant transportation and community impacts and benefits being considered, known environmental issues raised by public and agency coordination to date, and the projected capital and operating costs of this project. The early scoping process is intended to support the alternatives analysis and a future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping process and will help streamline the future development of an environmental impact statement (EIS), if warranted. In addition, the early scoping process supports FTA planning requirements associated with the New SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00121 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Starts (‘‘Section 5309’’) funding program for certain kinds of major capital investments. Although recent legislation has led to changes in the New Starts process, MARTA will comply with all relevant FTA requirements relating to planning and project development to help analyze and screen alternatives in preparation for the NEPA process. The planned public meetings are described immediately below. A more detailed discussion of the project and this early scoping process is included in sections that follow. DATES: Three early scoping meetings where the public and interested agencies can learn more about and comment on the scope of the alternatives analysis will be held on the following dates at the locations indicated under ADDRESSES below: • Tuesday, July 8, 2014. • Thursday, July 10, 2014. • Thursday, July 17, 2014. At the early scoping meetings, MARTA will provide information on the alternatives analysis progress along with opportunities for written comments. Written or electronic scoping comments are requested by August 8, 2014, and can be sent or emailed to the MARTA project manager at the address below. Comments may also be offered at the early scoping meetings and will be accepted after the deadline as practicable. Written or electronic comments should be sent to Mark Eatman, P.E., Project Manager, MARTA, 2424 Piedmont Road NE., Atlanta GA 30324–3330 or by email to connect400@ itsmarta.com. If submitting an electronic comment, please type ‘‘Connect 400 Early Scoping Comment for MARTA’’ in the subject line of the email. MARTA maintains a Facebook page for the Connect 400 project and will notify Facebook followers, in conjunction with publication of this notice, to submit comments to the aforementioned email address as well. Early Scoping meetings will be held at the following locations: • Tuesday, July 8, 2014, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at Johns Creek Environmental Campus, 8100 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 30022. • Thursday, July 10, 2014, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at Georgia State University Alpharetta Center, 3775 Brookside Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30022. • Thursday, July 17, 2014, 6:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m., Hampton Inn Atlanta— Perimeter Center, 769 Hammond Dr. NE., Atlanta, GA 30328. The meeting locations are accessible to persons with disabilities. If translation, signing services, or other ADDRESSES: E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM 23JNN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 120 / Monday, June 23, 2014 / Notices special accommodations are needed, please contact the Project Manager, Mr. Mark Eatman at mreatman@ itsmarta.com or 404–848–4494, or the Senior Transit System Project Planner, Ms. Janide Sidifall at jsidifall@ itsmarta.com or 404–848–5828 at least one week before the scoping meetings. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Keith Melton, Community Planner, FTA Region IV, 230 Peachtree Street NW., Suite 800, Atlanta, GA 30303 or email: keith.melton@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES Early Scoping Early scoping is an optional early step in the NEPA process that precedes NEPA scoping, which normally begins when the FTA and the grant applicant publish a notice of intent to prepare an EIS. FTA encourages the use of early scoping for major planning activities and studies that may receive other FTA funding as a way to start the NEPA process during earlier project planning phases. Early scoping is intended to generate public and agency review and comments on the scope of a planning effort within a defined transportation corridor, which helps the agency to determine which particular alignment variations, should receive more focused study and development to streamline the NEPA process. Early scoping can serve not only to streamline the NEPA process, but also to firmly link transportation planning and NEPA, making sure that the public and interested agencies are given the opportunity to review and provide comments on the results of planning activities and studies that can then be used to inform the NEPA process. Early scoping for the GA 400 Transit Initiative was initially announced in 78 FR 53187, August 28, 2013, and is being conducted in support of NEPA requirements and in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) and FTA’s regulations and guidance for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1501.2 through 1501.8 and through 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 transit investment alternatives. This notice reopens early scoping and invites public and agency involvement with the ongoing supplementary planning VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:33 Jun 20, 2014 Jkt 232001 activities and studies for the GA 400 Transit Initiative, including review of the (a) purpose and need, (b) the proposed alternatives, and (c) the potential environmental, transportation, and community impacts and benefits to consider during the NEPA process. The GA 400 Transit Initiative and the Regional Transit System The GA 400 Corridor Alternatives Analysis (AA) was initiated by MARTA in late 2011 to identify potential and feasible transit modal alternatives in the GA 400 corridor to address travel demands. The GA 400 corridor is the transportation spine of northern Fulton County, one of the fastest growing subregions in the metro-Atlanta region. The GA 400 Corridor AA addressed the travel market in a study area generally extending north along GA 400 from I– 285 in Dunwoody to the Fulton/Forsyth County line north of Alpharetta, a distance of approximately 15 miles. The corridor is home to many employment centers, including Perimeter Center in the southern portion of the corridor, one of the largest employment centers for the region. Transit service to and within the study area is provided primarily by MARTA heavy rail and bus. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) also operates two bus routes that connect the southern portion of the GA 400 corridor with express bus service at peak hours to/from the north and southeast outside the GA 400 corridor. Rail service extends from Downtown Atlanta to the major retail and employment centers, including the Medical Center and Perimeter Center in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs in the southern portion of the corridor. MARTA bus service primarily functions as feeder service to MARTA heavy rail stations from areas to the north, including Roswell, Alpharetta and Milton. A number of the bus routes and the MARTA heavy rail stations serve park-and-ride facilities. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Project MARTA invites comments on the following preliminary statement of the project’s purpose and need. The purpose of the project is to provide reliable, convenient, efficient, and sustainable transit service in the GA 400 corridor by: • Providing high capacity transit (bus and/or rail) through the GA 400 corridor study area; • Improving transit linkages and coverage to communities within the study area; and • Enhancing mobility and accessibility to and within the study PO 00000 Frm 00122 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 35633 area by providing a more robust transit network that offers an alternative to automobile travel. The need for this project arises from the following: • Travel demand—Increased travel demand and traffic congestion; • Transit mobility—There is inadequate transit connectivity within the northern Fulton study area and between the study area and DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb Counties and central Atlanta. In addition, east-west transit connectivity is inadequate. The limited routes across the Chattahoochee River reflect the inadequate transit connectivity; • Transit travel times—Transit travel times are not competitive with auto travel times due to the lack of express service; this is true for north-south trips within the study area and for trips with origins and destinations outside the study area. Transit and auto travel times cannot be compared for east-west trips as there is no east-west transit service; • Economic development—Traffic congestion caused by insufficient transportation system capacity affects both personal travel and goods movement, which constrains economic development opportunities; and • Air quality—The continued growth of vehicular travel will negatively affect air quality in the study area and the region. Potential Alternatives MARTA has been exploring alternative transit mode, alignment, and design options for high capacity transit service in the GA 400 corridor using a three-step evaluation process. The threestep evaluation process includes a Fatal Flaw Analysis, Screen 1 and Screen 2 and is generally characterized by the application of an increasingly detailed and comprehensive set of performance measures to a decreasing number of alternatives. Each step in the evaluation process focuses the analysis on progressively fewer alternatives with higher levels of scrutiny. In addition, the Build Alternatives are compared not only to each other but also to the NoBuild Alternative, which provides the benchmark for establishing the travel benefits, environmental impacts of the alternatives and the cost-effectiveness of the alternatives. The GA 400 Corridor Transit Initiative is currently in Screen 2. After consideration of the findings of the first and second steps in the evaluation process, MARTA has identified an alignment that would provide approximately 11.9 miles of transit service along the GA 400 corridor within existing right-of-way from the existing North Springs MARTA station E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM 23JNN1 35634 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 120 / Monday, June 23, 2014 / Notices to Windward Parkway. This alignment is referred to as the GA 400–1A Build Alternative. Bus rapid transit (BRT), heavy rail transit (HRT), and light rail transit (LRT) are the three transit modes or technologies being considered for this corridor. The three modes each have the same general alignment, following GA 400 from North Springs MARTA station to Windward Parkway. The LRT and the BRT alternatives have six stations, from south to north: Northridge, Holcomb Bridge, Mansell Road, North Point Mall, Old Milton and Windward Parkway. The HRT alternative is similar, but it does not currently include a station at Old Milton. The outcome of Screen 2 will be the recommendation of the preferred alternative. MARTA may also consider other alternatives that arise during the early scoping comment period. FTA Procedures At the end of the alternatives analysis process, FTA and MARTA anticipate identifying a preferred mode and corridor for further evaluation during the NEPA process. The classification of the NEPA documentation will be determined by the FTA at the end of the alternatives analysis. If the preferred mode and alignment involve the potential for significant environmental impacts an EIS may be required. If an EIS is required, a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS will be published in the Federal Register by FTA and the public and interested agencies will have the opportunity to participate in a review and comment period on the scope of the EIS. Dated: June 18, 2014. Yvette G. Taylor, Regional Administrator Federal Transit Administration, Region IV. [FR Doc. 2014–14560 Filed 6–20–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of the Comptroller of the Currency FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). AGENCIES: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:33 Jun 20, 2014 Jkt 232001 Joint notice and Request for Comment. ACTION: In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (the agencies) 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 agencies, under the auspices of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), have approved the publication for public comment of proposed revisions to the risk-weighted assets portion of Schedule RC–R, Regulatory Capital, and to line items related to securities lent and borrowed in Schedule RC–L, Derivatives and OffBalance Sheet Items, in the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Report or FFIEC 031 and FFIEC 041). The proposed revisions to the Call Report are consistent with the revised regulatory capital rules published by the agencies (revised regulatory capital rules).1 For all institutions required to file the Call Report, the proposed revised riskweighted assets portion of Schedule RC–R and the proposed changes to Schedule RC–L would take effect as of the March 31, 2015, report date. At the end of the comment period, the comments and recommendations received will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the FFIEC and the agencies should modify the proposed reporting revisions prior to giving final approval. The agencies will then submit the proposed reporting revisions to OMB for review and approval. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 22, 2014. ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments to any or all of the agencies. All comments, which should refer to the OMB control number(s), will be shared among the agencies. OCC: Commenters are encouraged to submit comments by email. Please use the title ‘‘FFIEC 031 and 041’’ to facilitate the organization and distribution of the comments. You may submit comments by any of the following methods: • Email: regs.comments@ occ.treas.gov. • Mail: Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th SUMMARY: 1 78 FR 62018 (Oct. 11, 2013) (OCC and Board) and 78 FR 55340 (Sept. 10, 2013) (FDIC). PO 00000 Frm 00123 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Street SW., Suite 3E–218, Mail Stop 9W–11, Washington, DC 20219. • Hand Delivery/Courier: 400 7th Street SW., Suite 3E–218, Mail Stop 9W–11, Washington, DC 20219. • Fax: (571) 465–4326. Instructions: You must include ‘‘OCC’’ as the agency name and ‘‘FFIEC 031 and 041’’ in your comment. In general, OCC will enter all comments received into the docket and publish them on the Regulations.gov Web site without change, including any business or personal information that you provide such as name and address information, email addresses, or phone numbers. 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. You may personally inspect and photocopy comments at the OCC, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC. 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. Board: You may submit comments, which should refer to ‘‘FFIEC 031 and FFIEC 041,’’ by any of the following methods: • Agency Web site: https:// www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments at: https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/ foia/proposedregs.aspx#icp. • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • Email: regs.comments@ federalreserve.gov. Include reporting form number in the subject line of the message. • Fax: (202) 452–3819 or (202) 452– 3102. • Mail: Robert DeV. Frierson, Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20551. All public comments are available from the Board’s Web site at www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/ foia/ProposedRegs.cfm as submitted, unless modified for technical reasons. Accordingly, your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information. Public comments may also be viewed electronically or in paper in Room MP–500 of the Board’s E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM 23JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35632-35634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14560]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Early Scoping Reopening Notification for the Alternatives 
Analysis of the GA 400 Transit Initiative in Fulton County, Georgia

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of early scoping and comment periods and 
announcement of additional scoping meetings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metropolitan 
Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) issue this early scoping notice 
to advise other agencies and the public that they intend to conduct 
another round of early scoping. The additional early scoping period 
will continue the examination of potential alternatives for providing 
high-capacity transit in the Georgia (GA) 400 corridor in north Fulton 
County, GA from Dunwoody to Alpharetta. The alternatives would improve 
transit linkages and coverage to communities within this corridor and 
would enhance mobility and accessibility to and within the corridor by 
providing a more robust transit network that offers an alternative to 
automobile travel. This notice invites the public and agency officials 
to provide input to the ongoing alternatives analysis and system 
planning effort by commenting on the project's purpose and need, the 
project study area, the alternatives being considered, the 
transportation problems that are being addressed by the alternatives 
analysis study, public participation and outreach methods, the relevant 
transportation and community impacts and benefits being considered, 
known environmental issues raised by public and agency coordination to 
date, and the projected capital and operating costs of this project.
    The early scoping process is intended to support the alternatives 
analysis and a future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping 
process and will help streamline the future development of an 
environmental impact statement (EIS), if warranted. In addition, the 
early scoping process supports FTA planning requirements associated 
with the New Starts (``Section 5309'') funding program for certain 
kinds of major capital investments. Although recent legislation has led 
to changes in the New Starts process, MARTA will comply with all 
relevant FTA requirements relating to planning and project development 
to help analyze and screen alternatives in preparation for the NEPA 
process.
    The planned public meetings are described immediately below. A more 
detailed discussion of the project and this early scoping process is 
included in sections that follow.

DATES: Three early scoping meetings where the public and interested 
agencies can learn more about and comment on the scope of the 
alternatives analysis will be held on the following dates at the 
locations indicated under ADDRESSES below:
     Tuesday, July 8, 2014.
     Thursday, July 10, 2014.
     Thursday, July 17, 2014.
    At the early scoping meetings, MARTA will provide information on 
the alternatives analysis progress along with opportunities for written 
comments. Written or electronic scoping comments are requested by 
August 8, 2014, and can be sent or emailed to the MARTA project manager 
at the address below. Comments may also be offered at the early scoping 
meetings and will be accepted after the deadline as practicable.

ADDRESSES: Written or electronic comments should be sent to Mark 
Eatman, P.E., Project Manager, MARTA, 2424 Piedmont Road NE., Atlanta 
GA 30324-3330 or by email to connect400@itsmarta.com. If submitting an 
electronic comment, please type ``Connect 400 Early Scoping Comment for 
MARTA'' in the subject line of the email. MARTA maintains a Facebook 
page for the Connect 400 project and will notify Facebook followers, in 
conjunction with publication of this notice, to submit comments to the 
aforementioned email address as well.
    Early Scoping meetings will be held at the following locations:
     Tuesday, July 8, 2014, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at Johns Creek 
Environmental Campus, 8100 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 30022.
     Thursday, July 10, 2014, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at Georgia 
State University Alpharetta Center, 3775 Brookside Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 
30022.
     Thursday, July 17, 2014, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Hampton Inn 
Atlanta--Perimeter Center, 769 Hammond Dr. NE., Atlanta, GA 30328.
    The meeting locations are accessible to persons with disabilities. 
If translation, signing services, or other

[[Page 35633]]

special accommodations are needed, please contact the Project Manager, 
Mr. Mark Eatman at mreatman@itsmarta.com or 404-848-4494, or the Senior 
Transit System Project Planner, Ms. Janide Sidifall at 
jsidifall@itsmarta.com or 404-848-5828 at least one week before the 
scoping meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Keith Melton, Community Planner, 
FTA Region IV, 230 Peachtree Street NW., Suite 800, Atlanta, GA 30303 
or email: keith.melton@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Early Scoping

    Early scoping is an optional early step in the NEPA process that 
precedes NEPA scoping, which normally begins when the FTA and the grant 
applicant publish a notice of intent to prepare an EIS. FTA encourages 
the use of early scoping for major planning activities and studies that 
may receive other FTA funding as a way to start the NEPA process during 
earlier project planning phases. Early scoping is intended to generate 
public and agency review and comments on the scope of a planning effort 
within a defined transportation corridor, which helps the agency to 
determine which particular alignment variations, should receive more 
focused study and development to streamline the NEPA process. Early 
scoping can serve not only to streamline the NEPA process, but also to 
firmly link transportation planning and NEPA, making sure that the 
public and interested agencies are given the opportunity to review and 
provide comments on the results of planning activities and studies that 
can then be used to inform the NEPA process.
    Early scoping for the GA 400 Transit Initiative was initially 
announced in 78 FR 53187, August 28, 2013, and is being conducted in 
support of NEPA requirements and in accordance with the Council on 
Environmental Quality's (CEQ) and FTA's regulations and guidance for 
implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1501.2 through 1501.8 and through 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 transit investment 
alternatives. This notice reopens early scoping and invites public and 
agency involvement with the ongoing supplementary planning activities 
and studies for the GA 400 Transit Initiative, including review of the 
(a) purpose and need, (b) the proposed alternatives, and (c) the 
potential environmental, transportation, and community impacts and 
benefits to consider during the NEPA process.

The GA 400 Transit Initiative and the Regional Transit System

    The GA 400 Corridor Alternatives Analysis (AA) was initiated by 
MARTA in late 2011 to identify potential and feasible transit modal 
alternatives in the GA 400 corridor to address travel demands. The GA 
400 corridor is the transportation spine of northern Fulton County, one 
of the fastest growing sub-regions in the metro-Atlanta region. The GA 
400 Corridor AA addressed the travel market in a study area generally 
extending north along GA 400 from I-285 in Dunwoody to the Fulton/
Forsyth County line north of Alpharetta, a distance of approximately 15 
miles. The corridor is home to many employment centers, including 
Perimeter Center in the southern portion of the corridor, one of the 
largest employment centers for the region. Transit service to and 
within the study area is provided primarily by MARTA heavy rail and 
bus. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) also operates 
two bus routes that connect the southern portion of the GA 400 corridor 
with express bus service at peak hours to/from the north and southeast 
outside the GA 400 corridor. Rail service extends from Downtown Atlanta 
to the major retail and employment centers, including the Medical 
Center and Perimeter Center in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs in the 
southern portion of the corridor. MARTA bus service primarily functions 
as feeder service to MARTA heavy rail stations from areas to the north, 
including Roswell, Alpharetta and Milton. A number of the bus routes 
and the MARTA heavy rail stations serve park-and-ride facilities.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Project

    MARTA invites comments on the following preliminary statement of 
the project's purpose and need.
    The purpose of the project is to provide reliable, convenient, 
efficient, and sustainable transit service in the GA 400 corridor by:
     Providing high capacity transit (bus and/or rail) through 
the GA 400 corridor study area;
     Improving transit linkages and coverage to communities 
within the study area; and
     Enhancing mobility and accessibility to and within the 
study area by providing a more robust transit network that offers an 
alternative to automobile travel.
    The need for this project arises from the following:
     Travel demand--Increased travel demand and traffic 
congestion;
     Transit mobility--There is inadequate transit connectivity 
within the northern Fulton study area and between the study area and 
DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb Counties and central Atlanta. In addition, 
east-west transit connectivity is inadequate. The limited routes across 
the Chattahoochee River reflect the inadequate transit connectivity;
     Transit travel times--Transit travel times are not 
competitive with auto travel times due to the lack of express service; 
this is true for north-south trips within the study area and for trips 
with origins and destinations outside the study area. Transit and auto 
travel times cannot be compared for east-west trips as there is no 
east-west transit service;
     Economic development--Traffic congestion caused by 
insufficient transportation system capacity affects both personal 
travel and goods movement, which constrains economic development 
opportunities; and
     Air quality--The continued growth of vehicular travel will 
negatively affect air quality in the study area and the region.

Potential Alternatives

    MARTA has been exploring alternative transit mode, alignment, and 
design options for high capacity transit service in the GA 400 corridor 
using a three-step evaluation process. The three-step evaluation 
process includes a Fatal Flaw Analysis, Screen 1 and Screen 2 and is 
generally characterized by the application of an increasingly detailed 
and comprehensive set of performance measures to a decreasing number of 
alternatives. Each step in the evaluation process focuses the analysis 
on progressively fewer alternatives with higher levels of scrutiny. In 
addition, the Build Alternatives are compared not only to each other 
but also to the No-Build Alternative, which provides the benchmark for 
establishing the travel benefits, environmental impacts of the 
alternatives and the cost-effectiveness of the alternatives. The GA 400 
Corridor Transit Initiative is currently in Screen 2. After 
consideration of the findings of the first and second steps in the 
evaluation process, MARTA has identified an alignment that would 
provide approximately 11.9 miles of transit service along the GA 400 
corridor within existing right-of-way from the existing North Springs 
MARTA station

[[Page 35634]]

to Windward Parkway. This alignment is referred to as the GA 400-1A 
Build Alternative. Bus rapid transit (BRT), heavy rail transit (HRT), 
and light rail transit (LRT) are the three transit modes or 
technologies being considered for this corridor. The three modes each 
have the same general alignment, following GA 400 from North Springs 
MARTA station to Windward Parkway. The LRT and the BRT alternatives 
have six stations, from south to north: Northridge, Holcomb Bridge, 
Mansell Road, North Point Mall, Old Milton and Windward Parkway. The 
HRT alternative is similar, but it does not currently include a station 
at Old Milton. The outcome of Screen 2 will be the recommendation of 
the preferred alternative. MARTA may also consider other alternatives 
that arise during the early scoping comment period.

FTA Procedures

    At the end of the alternatives analysis process, FTA and MARTA 
anticipate identifying a preferred mode and corridor for further 
evaluation during the NEPA process. The classification of the NEPA 
documentation will be determined by the FTA at the end of the 
alternatives analysis. If the preferred mode and alignment involve the 
potential for significant environmental impacts an EIS may be required. 
If an EIS is required, a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS will be 
published in the Federal Register by FTA and the public and interested 
agencies will have the opportunity to participate in a review and 
comment period on the scope of the EIS.

    Dated: June 18, 2014.
Yvette G. Taylor,
Regional Administrator Federal Transit Administration, Region IV.
[FR Doc. 2014-14560 Filed 6-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.