Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative in DeKalb and Fulton Counties, Georgia, 63018-63021 [2014-24923]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 203 / Tuesday, October 21, 2014 / Notices
received no comments in response to
this notice.
Before OMB decides whether to
approve these proposed collections of
information, it must provide 30 days for
public comment. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b); 5
CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires
OMB to approve or disapprove
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published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)-(c); 5 CFR
1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30
day notice informs the regulated
community to file relevant comments
and affords the agency adequate time to
digest public comments before it
renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug.
29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should
submit their respective comments to
OMB within 30 days of publication to
best ensure having their full effect. 5
CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995.
The summary below describes the
nature of the information collection
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The revised request is being submitted
for clearance by OMB as required by the
PRA.
Title: Safety and Health Requirements
Related to Camp Cars.
OMB Control Number: 2130–0595.
Abstract: To carry out a 2008
Congressional rulemaking mandate,
FRA issued new regulations on October
31, 2011. See 76 FR 67073. New subpart
E of part 228 prescribed minimum
safety and health requirements for camp
cars that a railroad provides as sleeping
quarters to any of its train employees,
signal employees, and dispatching
service employees (covered-service
employees) and individuals employed
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Under separate but related statutory
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Finally, FRA made miscellaneous
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existing provision on the pre-emptive
effect of part 228 as unnecessary, and
moving, without changing, an existing
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part 228 from subpart B to subpart A.
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The information collected under this
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Type of Request: Revision of a
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Affected Public: Businesses
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ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
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within 30 days of publication of this
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Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520.
Rebecca Pennington,
Chief Financial Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014–24987 Filed 10–20–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative in
DeKalb and Fulton Counties, Georgia
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) To
prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) and section 4(f)
evaluation.
AGENCY:
The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
SUMMARY:
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Authority (MARTA) issue this Notice of
Intent (NOI) to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and an evaluation per 49 U.S.C. 303 and
23 CFR 774 (‘‘Section 4(f)’’) for a new
Light Rail Transit (LRT) line in DeKalb
and Fulton Counties, Georgia. The
proposed LRT line would extend from
Lindbergh MARTA station in the city of
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia,
southeast through the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) headquarters and
Emory University and Emory Hospital
campuses, to Avondale MARTA station
in the City of Decatur, DeKalb County,
Georgia. The EIS and Section 4(f)
Evaluation will be prepared in
accordance with regulations
implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
Section 4(f), as well as FTA’s
regulations and guidance implementing
NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508
and 23 CFR 771.105).
The purpose of this NOI is to: (1)
Advise the public and agencies that
FTA is preparing an EIS for the
proposed project; (2) provide project
information including previous
planning studies and decisions, the
project purpose and need, and
alternatives being considered; and, (3)
invite public and agency participation
in the EIS process, which includes a
review and written comments on the
scope of the EIS.
DATES: Scoping Meeting Dates: Public
scoping meetings will be held from 6:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
December 4 and 9, 2014 at locations
within the study area. The scoping
meeting locations are accessible by
transit and to persons with disabilities.
Confirmed times and locations will also
be published in local notices and on the
project Web site at https://
www.itsmarta.com/Clifton-Corr.aspx.
The dates, times, and locations of
scoping meetings are:
• Scoping Meeting 1: Thursday,
December 4, 2014 at the Westminster
Presbyterian Church located at 1438
Sheridan Rd. NE., Atlanta, GA 30324.
The meeting will be held from 6:00
p.m.–8:00 p.m. Directional signage will
be posted outside of the building and on
the building’s interior to inform
participants of the meeting room
number and location.
• Scoping Meeting 2: Tuesday,
December 9, 2014 at the Emory
University Student Activity and
Academic Center (SAAC), Room 316,
located at 1946 Starvine Way, Decatur,
GA 30033. The meeting will be held
from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Directional
signage will be posted outside of the
building and on the building’s interior
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 203 / Tuesday, October 21, 2014 / Notices
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to inform participants of the meeting
room number and location.
All meeting locations are considered
private property. With the exception of
on-duty law enforcement and/or
security officials, weapons will not be
allowed on the premises of any meeting
location under any circumstances. The
meeting locations are accessible to
persons with disabilities. If there are
questions concerning weapons policies
for scoping meeting locations or if
translation, signing services, or other
special accommodations are needed,
please contact MARTA’s Office of
External Affairs, Toni Thornton at
tthornton@itsmarta.com or 404–848–
5423 at least one week before the
scoping meetings. Comment Due Date:
Written comments on the scope of the
EIS should be sent to Tameka Wimberly,
AICP, MARTA Project Manager, by
January 9, 2015. The address
information for written comments and
times and locations for all meetings are
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Written Comments: Written or
electronic mail (email) comments
should be sent to Tameka Wimberly,
Project Manager, MARTA, 2424
Piedmont Road NE., Atlanta, GA 30324–
3330 or by email to twimberly@
itsmarta.com. If submitting an email
comment, please type ‘‘Scoping Meeting
Comment for MARTA’’ in the subject
line of the email. MARTA maintains a
Facebook page for the Clifton Corridor
project and will notify Facebook
followers, in conjunction with
publication of this notice, to submit
comments to the aforementioned email
address as well.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Stan Mitchell, Environmental Protection
Specialist, FTA Region IV, 230
Peachtree Street NW., Suite 800,
Atlanta, GA 30303 or email:
stanley.a.mitchell@dot.gov, telephone
404–865–5643.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
FTA and MARTA will undertake a
scoping process that will allow the
public and interested agencies to
comment on the scope of the
environmental review process. Scoping
is the process of determining the scope,
focus, and content of an EIS. NEPA
scoping has specific objectives,
identifying issues that will be examined
in detail during the EIS, while at the
same time limiting consideration and
development of issues that are not truly
significant to the purpose and need for
the project. FTA and MARTA invite all
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interested individuals, members of the
public, Native American tribes, and
Federal, State, and local agencies to
review and comment on the scope of the
Draft EIS. To facilitate public and
agency comment, a Scoping Information
Packet will be prepared for review and
will be available before each scoping
meeting and for handout at each scoping
meeting. This packet will include draft
descriptions of the project purpose and
need for the project, the alternatives
considered, impacts to be assessed,
early alternatives that are currently not
being considered, and the public
outreach and agency coordination
process.
II. Study Area Description
The project study area is located in
both DeKalb and Fulton Counties,
Georgia, including a small portion of the
city of Atlanta. The project study area
extends approximately 8.8 miles from
Lindbergh MARTA station
southeastward through central DeKalb
County to Avondale MARTA station
and encompassing the CDC and Emory
University and Emory Hospital
campuses.
III. Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Project
FTA and MARTA invite comments on
the following preliminary statement of
the project’s purpose and need:
The purpose of the Clifton Corridor
Project is to provide reliable, highcapacity transit service with competitive
travel times to, from, and within the
Clifton Corridor, which is home to
Emory University and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC is the largest employment
center not served by the MARTA rail
system or other high-capacity mode of
transportation. Currently, significant
volumes of trips are made through the
Clifton Corridor as well as on
connecting roadways; therefore, highcapacity transit service would help
accommodate the high trip volumes
within an already constrained roadway
network. Consequently, a high-capacity
transit service would also help enhance
and support land use initiatives that
help foster economic development and
neighborhood revitalization.
The following needs for the proposed
project stem from existing conditions
and deficiencies in the project study
area:
(1) Need to provide a high-capacity
transit service for the under-served yet
growing employment center and
population in the Clifton Corridor study
area.
(2) Need to provide an alternative
transportation mode to vehicular travel
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that provides reliable and competitive
travel times.
(3) Need for fixed-guideway transit
service that provides regional
connectivity.
(4) Need to provide a transit service
that improves mobility of residents and
employees in the Clifton Corridor.
(5) Need to provide a transportation
mode that helps reduce vehicle miles
traveled (VMT) and related vehicular
emissions.
(6) Need to provide a transportation
alternative that helps spur economic
development and maximizes land use
densities.
(7) Need to provide a transportation
mode that enables the evacuation of
Federal employees and local area
residents during an emergency at the
CDC facilities.
V. Alternatives Analysis and Results
In 2009, MARTA and Clifton Corridor
Transportation Management Association
(CCTMA) partnered to conduct the
Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative—
Alternatives Analysis (AA) study. The
AA study process identified ways to
enhance transportation choices,
improve transit services and access to
job and activity centers for the
commuters and residents in the Clifton
Corridor. MARTA and the study
partners examined a broad range of
alternatives for fixed-guideway transit
investments that would connect
Lindbergh City Center (Lindbergh
MARTA station) with employment and
activity centers along Clifton Road and
the city of Decatur. Over the course of
the AA study, the set of potentially
viable alternatives was reduced through
a multilayered screening methodology
that eventually established the technical
basis for the selection of the locally
preferred alternative (LPA) for the
Clifton Corridor project. The AA process
also documented public and agency
support and endorsement for the LPA.
The AA study process resulted in the
selection of a new LRT alignment from
Lindbergh MARTA station through
central DeKalb County to Avondale
MARTA station. The MARTA Board of
Directors adopted the LRT transit
concept as the LPA for the Clifton
Corridor on April 9, 2012. The LRT
alternative received the strongest public
support throughout the study process
due to its ability to better integrate into
the topography and the existing
communities within the Clifton
Corridor. The results of the AA study
are available at https://
www.itsmarta.com/clifton-corrdocuments.aspx, under ‘‘Locally
Preferred Alternative Report.’’
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 203 / Tuesday, October 21, 2014 / Notices
VI. EIS Alternatives Considered
Based on previous planning work and
studies and previous feedback received
from the public and stakeholders
regarding the Clifton Corridor, the
following proposed alternatives, along
with a brief description for each, will be
evaluated during the EIS:
No-Build Alternative: The No-Build
Alternative includes all transportation
improvement projects within the Clifton
Corridor project area that are
programmed in the Atlanta Regional
Commission’s Regional Transportation
Plan (RTP) with the exception of the
Clifton Corridor LRT project. The NoBuild Alternative serves as a
comparison baseline for the project
build alternatives.
Build Alternative 1: Build Alternative
1 is a new LRT line that was previously
referred to as the LPA following the
2009 AA study and includes segments
that are at-grade, tunnel, and on aerial
structure. From Lindbergh MARTA
station, the alignment for Build
Alternative 1 would parallel the existing
MARTA heavy rail transit (HRT) line to
the CSX railroad corridor, then
continues eastward adjacent to the CSX
railroad right-of-way, then along Clifton
Road, adjacent to and under the CSX
railroad corridor and Clairmont Road.
The alignment would then proceed
along Scott Boulevard, North Decatur
Road, DeKalb Industrial Way, and North
Arcadia Avenue to Avondale MARTA
station.
Build Alternative 2: Build Alternative
2 is a new LRT line that includes atgrade and aerial segments only. From
Lindbergh MARTA station, the
alignment would parallel the existing
MARTA HRT line to the CSX railroad
corridor, then continues adjacent to the
CSX railroad right-of-way and then
along Clifton Road, N. Decatur Road,
DeKalb Industrial Way, and North
Arcadia Avenue and finally on to
Avondale MARTA station.
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VII. Potential Effects
FTA and MARTA will evaluate
project-specific direct, indirect, and
cumulative effects, including benefits,
to the existing human and natural
environmental setting in which the
Build Alternatives could be located. The
permanent or long-term effects to be
investigated during this study include
effects to public parks and recreation
lands (Section 4(f) Evaluation), traffic
and transportation, land use and
socioeconomic, visual character and
aesthetics, noise and vibration,
historical and archaeological resources,
community effects, and natural
resources. Temporary effects during
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construction may include effects to
transportation and traffic, air quality,
water quality, noise and vibration,
natural resources and encounters with
hazardous materials and contaminated
soils.
The analysis will be undertaken in
conformity with Federal environmental
laws, regulations, and executive orders
applicable to the proposed project
during the environmental review
process to the maximum extent
practicable. These requirements include
but are not limited to NEPA, Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations, FTA guidance and relevant
environmental planning guidelines,
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 4(f) of
the Department of Transportation Act,
Executive Order 12898 regarding
minority and low-income populations,
Executive Order 11990 regarding the
protection of wetlands, the Clean Water
Act, the Endangered Species Act of
1973, and the Clean Air Act of 1970
along with other applicable Federal,
state, and local laws and regulations.
Opportunities for review and comment
on the potential effects will be provided
to the public and agencies. Comments
received will be considered in the
development of the final scope and
content of the EIS. The final scope and
content of the EIS will be documented
in the Scoping Summary Report and the
Annotated Outline for the EIS.
VIII. FTA’s Public and Agency
Involvement Procedures
The regulations implementing NEPA
and FTA guidance call for public
involvement in the EIS process. In
accordance with these regulations and
guidance, FTA and MARTA will: (1)
Extend an invitation to other Federal
and non-Federal (state and/or local)
agencies and Native American Tribes
that may have an interest in the
proposed project to become
participating agencies (any interested
agency that does not receive an
invitation can notify any of the contact
persons listed earlier in this NOI); (2)
provide opportunity for involvement by
participating agencies and the public to
help define the purpose and need for
the proposed project, as well as the
range of alternatives for consideration in
the EIS; and (3) establish a plan for
coordinating public and agency
participation in, and comment on, the
environmental review process.
Input on a Public Involvement Plan
will be solicited at the scoping meeting
and on the project Web site. The
documents will outline public and
agency involvement for the project.
Once completed, these documents will
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be available on the project Web site or
through written request to the MARTA
Project Manager.
IX. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks,
in part, to minimize the cost of the
taxpayer of the creation, collection,
maintenance, use, dissemination, and
disposition of information. Consistent
with this goal and with the principles of
economy and efficiency in government,
it is FTA’s policy to limit, insofar as
possible, distribution of complete
printed sets of NEPA documents.
Accordingly, unless a specific request
for a complete printed set is received
before the document is printed, FTA
and its grant applicants (including
MARTA) will only distribute electronic
copies of the NEPA document. A
complete printed set of the
environmental documents produced for
this project will be available for review
at the grant applicant’s office (MARTA
Headquarters office listed in ADDRESSES
above) and in other possible locations
within the project corridor. An
electronic copy of the complete
environmental documents will be
available on the grant applicant’s project
Web site at https://www.itsmarta.com/
Clifton-Corr.aspx.
X. Summary and next steps?
With the publication of this NOI, the
scoping process and the public
comment period for the project begins
allowing the public to offer input on the
scope of the EIS until January 9, 2015.
In accordance with the Federal
regulations, this date is at least 45 days
following the publication of this NOI.
Public comments will be received
through those methods explained earlier
in this NOI and will be incorporated
into a Scoping Summary Report. The
Scoping Summary Report will detail the
scope of the EIS and the potential
environmental effects that will be
considered during the study period.
After the completion of the Draft EIS, a
public and agency review period will
allow for input on the Draft EIS and
these comments will be incorporated
into the Final EIS for this project. In
accordance with Section 1319 of the
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st
Century Act (MAP–21), Accelerated
Decision-making in Environmental
Reviews, FTA may consider the use of
errata sheets attached to the DEIS in
place of a traditional Final EIS and/or
development a single environmental
decision document that consists of a
Final EIS and a Record of Decision
(ROD), if certain conditions exist
following the conclusion of the public
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 203 / Tuesday, October 21, 2014 / Notices
and agency review period for the
project’s Draft EIS.
Notice of
this meeting is provided in accordance
with the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, 5 U.S.C. App. II, 10(a)(2), through
implementing regulations at 41 CFR
102–3.150.
Public Comment: Members of the
public wishing to comment on the
business of the Federal Advisory
Committee on Insurance are invited to
submit written statements by any of the
following methods:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Yvette G. Taylor,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region IV.
[FR Doc. 2014–24923 Filed 10–20–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Open Meeting of the Federal Advisory
Committee on Insurance
Departmental Offices,
Department of the Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of open meeting.
Electronic Statements
This notice announces that
the Department of the Treasury’s
Federal Advisory Committee on
Insurance will convene a meeting on
Thursday, November 6, 2014, in the
Cash Room, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW., Washington, DC 20220, from 1:00
to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The meeting
is open to the public, and the site is
accessible to individuals with
disabilities.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Thursday, November 6, 2014, from 1:00
to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: The Federal Advisory
Committee on Insurance meeting will be
held in the Cash Room, 1500
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington,
DC 20220. The meeting will be open to
the public. Because the meeting will be
held in a secured facility, members of
the public who plan to attend the
meeting must either:
1. Register online. Attendees may visit
https://www.cvent.com/d/v4qbz1?ct=
6128d144-9ad5-45f5-910cc7b44560aae0&RefID=FACI+General+
Registration and fill out a secure online
registration form. A valid email address
will be required to complete online
registration.
Paper Statements
AGENCY:
• Send electronic comments to faci@
treasury.gov.
SUMMARY:
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(Note: online registration will close at 5:00
p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, November 3,
2014.)
2. Contact the Federal Insurance
Office, at (202) 622–3277, by 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Time on Wednesday, November
5, 2014, and provide registration
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael J. Newman, Senior Policy
Advisor to the Federal Insurance Office,
Room 1317, Department of the Treasury,
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20220, at (202) 622–
3277 (this is not a toll-free number).
Persons who have difficulty hearing or
speaking may access this number via
TTY by calling the toll-free Federal
Relay Service at (800) 877–8339.
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• Send paper statements in triplicate
to the Federal Advisory Committee on
Insurance, c/o Michael J. Newman,
Room 1317, Department of the Treasury,
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20220.
The Department of the Treasury will
post all statements on its Web site
https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/
Pages/faci.aspx without change,
including any business or personal
information provided such as names,
addresses, email addresses, or telephone
numbers. The Department of the
Treasury will also make such statements
available for public inspection and
copying in the Department of the
Treasury’s Library, 1500 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20220, on
official business days between the hours
of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time. You can make an appointment to
inspect statements by telephoning (202)
622–0990. All statements received,
including attachments and other
supporting materials, are part of the
public record and subject to public
disclosure. You should submit only
information that you wish to make
available publicly.
Tentative Agenda/Topics for
Discussion: This is a periodic meeting of
the Federal Advisory Committee on
Insurance. In this meeting, the Federal
Advisory Committee on Insurance will
discuss developments in the market for
cyber insurance and the National
Institute of Standards and Technology
Cybersecurity Framework, issues related
to affordability of personal automobile
insurance, and an update on work
relating to international supervisory
standards for insurers.
Michael T. McRaith,
Director, Federal Insurance Office.
[FR Doc. 2014–24990 Filed 10–20–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810–25–P
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63021
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Office of Foreign Assets Control
Sanctions Actions Pursuant to
Executive Orders 13660, 13661 and
13662
Office of Foreign Assets
Control, Treasury.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of the
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets
Control (OFAC) is providing additional
notice of the following actions, which
were taken between March 20, 2014 and
October 6, 2014 to address the national
emergency declared by the President
with respect to situation in Ukraine: (1)
Blocking of property and interests in
property of certain persons pursuant to
Executive Orders (E.O.s) 13660 or 13661
(the names of these persons have been
added to OFAC’s Specially Designated
Nationals and Blocked Persons List
(SDN List)); (2) sectoral determinations
by the Secretary of the Treasury
pursuant to E.O. 13662; (3) Original
Directive 1 (July 16, 2014) under E.O.
13662 and determinations that certain
persons are subject to Original Directive
1 (the names of these persons have been
added to the Sectoral Sanctions
Identifications List (SSI List)) (this
directive has been superseded as noted
below and is being provided for
historical reference purposes only); (4)
Original Directive 2 (July 16, 2014)
under E.O. 13662 and a determination
that certain persons are subject to
Original Directive 2 (the names of these
persons have been added to the SSI List)
(this directive has been superseded as
noted below and is being provided for
historical reference purposes only); (5)
Directive 1 (as amended) (September 12,
2014) under E.O. 13662 and a
determination that certain persons are
subject to Directive 1 (as amended) (the
names of these persons have been added
to the SSI List); (6) Directive 2 (as
amended) (September 12, 2014) under
E.O. 13662 and a determination that
certain persons are subject to Directive
2 (as amended) (the names of these
persons have been added to the SSI
List); (7) Directive 3 (September 12,
2014) under E.O. 13662 and a
determination that certain persons are
subject to Directive 3 (the names of
these persons have been added to the
SSI List); (8) Directive 4 (September 12,
2014) under E.O. 13662 and a
determination that certain persons are
subject to Directive 4 (the names of
these persons have been added to the
SSI List); (9) General License 1 (July 16,
2014) (this general license has been
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 203 (Tuesday, October 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63018-63021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24923]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative in DeKalb and Fulton Counties,
Georgia
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) To prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) and section 4(f) evaluation.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metropolitan
Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) issue this Notice of Intent
(NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and an
evaluation per 49 U.S.C. 303 and 23 CFR 774 (``Section 4(f)'') for a
new Light Rail Transit (LRT) line in DeKalb and Fulton Counties,
Georgia. The proposed LRT line would extend from Lindbergh MARTA
station in the city of Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, southeast
through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters and Emory
University and Emory Hospital campuses, to Avondale MARTA station in
the City of Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia. The EIS and Section 4(f)
Evaluation will be prepared in accordance with regulations implementing
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 4(f), as well as
FTA's regulations and guidance implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500
through 1508 and 23 CFR 771.105).
The purpose of this NOI is to: (1) Advise the public and agencies
that FTA is preparing an EIS for the proposed project; (2) provide
project information including previous planning studies and decisions,
the project purpose and need, and alternatives being considered; and,
(3) invite public and agency participation in the EIS process, which
includes a review and written comments on the scope of the EIS.
DATES: Scoping Meeting Dates: Public scoping meetings will be held from
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 4 and 9, 2014 at
locations within the study area. The scoping meeting locations are
accessible by transit and to persons with disabilities. Confirmed times
and locations will also be published in local notices and on the
project Web site at https://www.itsmarta.com/Clifton-Corr.aspx.
The dates, times, and locations of scoping meetings are:
Scoping Meeting 1: Thursday, December 4, 2014 at the
Westminster Presbyterian Church located at 1438 Sheridan Rd. NE.,
Atlanta, GA 30324. The meeting will be held from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Directional signage will be posted outside of the building and on the
building's interior to inform participants of the meeting room number
and location.
Scoping Meeting 2: Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at the Emory
University Student Activity and Academic Center (SAAC), Room 316,
located at 1946 Starvine Way, Decatur, GA 30033. The meeting will be
held from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Directional signage will be posted
outside of the building and on the building's interior
[[Page 63019]]
to inform participants of the meeting room number and location.
All meeting locations are considered private property. With the
exception of on-duty law enforcement and/or security officials, weapons
will not be allowed on the premises of any meeting location under any
circumstances. The meeting locations are accessible to persons with
disabilities. If there are questions concerning weapons policies for
scoping meeting locations or if translation, signing services, or other
special accommodations are needed, please contact MARTA's Office of
External Affairs, Toni Thornton at tthornton@itsmarta.com or 404-848-
5423 at least one week before the scoping meetings. Comment Due Date:
Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to Tameka
Wimberly, AICP, MARTA Project Manager, by January 9, 2015. The address
information for written comments and times and locations for all
meetings are listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Written Comments: Written or electronic mail (email) comments
should be sent to Tameka Wimberly, Project Manager, MARTA, 2424
Piedmont Road NE., Atlanta, GA 30324-3330 or by email to
twimberly@itsmarta.com. If submitting an email comment, please type
``Scoping Meeting Comment for MARTA'' in the subject line of the email.
MARTA maintains a Facebook page for the Clifton Corridor project and
will notify Facebook followers, in conjunction with publication of this
notice, to submit comments to the aforementioned email address as well.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stan Mitchell, Environmental
Protection Specialist, FTA Region IV, 230 Peachtree Street NW., Suite
800, Atlanta, GA 30303 or email: stanley.a.mitchell@dot.gov, telephone
404-865-5643.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
FTA and MARTA will undertake a scoping process that will allow the
public and interested agencies to comment on the scope of the
environmental review process. Scoping is the process of determining the
scope, focus, and content of an EIS. NEPA scoping has specific
objectives, identifying issues that will be examined in detail during
the EIS, while at the same time limiting consideration and development
of issues that are not truly significant to the purpose and need for
the project. FTA and MARTA invite all interested individuals, members
of the public, Native American tribes, and Federal, State, and local
agencies to review and comment on the scope of the Draft EIS. To
facilitate public and agency comment, a Scoping Information Packet will
be prepared for review and will be available before each scoping
meeting and for handout at each scoping meeting. This packet will
include draft descriptions of the project purpose and need for the
project, the alternatives considered, impacts to be assessed, early
alternatives that are currently not being considered, and the public
outreach and agency coordination process.
II. Study Area Description
The project study area is located in both DeKalb and Fulton
Counties, Georgia, including a small portion of the city of Atlanta.
The project study area extends approximately 8.8 miles from Lindbergh
MARTA station southeastward through central DeKalb County to Avondale
MARTA station and encompassing the CDC and Emory University and Emory
Hospital campuses.
III. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Project
FTA and MARTA invite comments on the following preliminary
statement of the project's purpose and need:
The purpose of the Clifton Corridor Project is to provide reliable,
high-capacity transit service with competitive travel times to, from,
and within the Clifton Corridor, which is home to Emory University and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is the
largest employment center not served by the MARTA rail system or other
high-capacity mode of transportation. Currently, significant volumes of
trips are made through the Clifton Corridor as well as on connecting
roadways; therefore, high-capacity transit service would help
accommodate the high trip volumes within an already constrained roadway
network. Consequently, a high-capacity transit service would also help
enhance and support land use initiatives that help foster economic
development and neighborhood revitalization.
The following needs for the proposed project stem from existing
conditions and deficiencies in the project study area:
(1) Need to provide a high-capacity transit service for the under-
served yet growing employment center and population in the Clifton
Corridor study area.
(2) Need to provide an alternative transportation mode to vehicular
travel that provides reliable and competitive travel times.
(3) Need for fixed-guideway transit service that provides regional
connectivity.
(4) Need to provide a transit service that improves mobility of
residents and employees in the Clifton Corridor.
(5) Need to provide a transportation mode that helps reduce vehicle
miles traveled (VMT) and related vehicular emissions.
(6) Need to provide a transportation alternative that helps spur
economic development and maximizes land use densities.
(7) Need to provide a transportation mode that enables the
evacuation of Federal employees and local area residents during an
emergency at the CDC facilities.
V. Alternatives Analysis and Results
In 2009, MARTA and Clifton Corridor Transportation Management
Association (CCTMA) partnered to conduct the Clifton Corridor Transit
Initiative--Alternatives Analysis (AA) study. The AA study process
identified ways to enhance transportation choices, improve transit
services and access to job and activity centers for the commuters and
residents in the Clifton Corridor. MARTA and the study partners
examined a broad range of alternatives for fixed-guideway transit
investments that would connect Lindbergh City Center (Lindbergh MARTA
station) with employment and activity centers along Clifton Road and
the city of Decatur. Over the course of the AA study, the set of
potentially viable alternatives was reduced through a multilayered
screening methodology that eventually established the technical basis
for the selection of the locally preferred alternative (LPA) for the
Clifton Corridor project. The AA process also documented public and
agency support and endorsement for the LPA.
The AA study process resulted in the selection of a new LRT
alignment from Lindbergh MARTA station through central DeKalb County to
Avondale MARTA station. The MARTA Board of Directors adopted the LRT
transit concept as the LPA for the Clifton Corridor on April 9, 2012.
The LRT alternative received the strongest public support throughout
the study process due to its ability to better integrate into the
topography and the existing communities within the Clifton Corridor.
The results of the AA study are available at https://www.itsmarta.com/clifton-corr-documents.aspx, under ``Locally Preferred Alternative
Report.''
[[Page 63020]]
VI. EIS Alternatives Considered
Based on previous planning work and studies and previous feedback
received from the public and stakeholders regarding the Clifton
Corridor, the following proposed alternatives, along with a brief
description for each, will be evaluated during the EIS:
No-Build Alternative: The No-Build Alternative includes all
transportation improvement projects within the Clifton Corridor project
area that are programmed in the Atlanta Regional Commission's Regional
Transportation Plan (RTP) with the exception of the Clifton Corridor
LRT project. The No-Build Alternative serves as a comparison baseline
for the project build alternatives.
Build Alternative 1: Build Alternative 1 is a new LRT line that was
previously referred to as the LPA following the 2009 AA study and
includes segments that are at-grade, tunnel, and on aerial structure.
From Lindbergh MARTA station, the alignment for Build Alternative 1
would parallel the existing MARTA heavy rail transit (HRT) line to the
CSX railroad corridor, then continues eastward adjacent to the CSX
railroad right-of-way, then along Clifton Road, adjacent to and under
the CSX railroad corridor and Clairmont Road. The alignment would then
proceed along Scott Boulevard, North Decatur Road, DeKalb Industrial
Way, and North Arcadia Avenue to Avondale MARTA station.
Build Alternative 2: Build Alternative 2 is a new LRT line that
includes at-grade and aerial segments only. From Lindbergh MARTA
station, the alignment would parallel the existing MARTA HRT line to
the CSX railroad corridor, then continues adjacent to the CSX railroad
right-of-way and then along Clifton Road, N. Decatur Road, DeKalb
Industrial Way, and North Arcadia Avenue and finally on to Avondale
MARTA station.
VII. Potential Effects
FTA and MARTA will evaluate project-specific direct, indirect, and
cumulative effects, including benefits, to the existing human and
natural environmental setting in which the Build Alternatives could be
located. The permanent or long-term effects to be investigated during
this study include effects to public parks and recreation lands
(Section 4(f) Evaluation), traffic and transportation, land use and
socioeconomic, visual character and aesthetics, noise and vibration,
historical and archaeological resources, community effects, and natural
resources. Temporary effects during construction may include effects to
transportation and traffic, air quality, water quality, noise and
vibration, natural resources and encounters with hazardous materials
and contaminated soils.
The analysis will be undertaken in conformity with Federal
environmental laws, regulations, and executive orders applicable to the
proposed project during the environmental review process to the maximum
extent practicable. These requirements include but are not limited to
NEPA, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, FTA guidance
and relevant environmental planning guidelines, Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 4(f) of the
Department of Transportation Act, Executive Order 12898 regarding
minority and low-income populations, Executive Order 11990 regarding
the protection of wetlands, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, and the Clean Air Act of 1970 along with other applicable
Federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Opportunities for
review and comment on the potential effects will be provided to the
public and agencies. Comments received will be considered in the
development of the final scope and content of the EIS. The final scope
and content of the EIS will be documented in the Scoping Summary Report
and the Annotated Outline for the EIS.
VIII. FTA's Public and Agency Involvement Procedures
The regulations implementing NEPA and FTA guidance call for public
involvement in the EIS process. In accordance with these regulations
and guidance, FTA and MARTA will: (1) Extend an invitation to other
Federal and non-Federal (state and/or local) agencies and Native
American Tribes that may have an interest in the proposed project to
become participating agencies (any interested agency that does not
receive an invitation can notify any of the contact persons listed
earlier in this NOI); (2) provide opportunity for involvement by
participating agencies and the public to help define the purpose and
need for the proposed project, as well as the range of alternatives for
consideration in the EIS; and (3) establish a plan for coordinating
public and agency participation in, and comment on, the environmental
review process.
Input on a Public Involvement Plan will be solicited at the scoping
meeting and on the project Web site. The documents will outline public
and agency involvement for the project. Once completed, these documents
will be available on the project Web site or through written request to
the MARTA Project Manager.
IX. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to minimize the cost of
the taxpayer of the creation, collection, maintenance, use,
dissemination, and disposition of information. Consistent with this
goal and with the principles of economy and efficiency in government,
it is FTA's policy to limit, insofar as possible, distribution of
complete printed sets of NEPA documents. Accordingly, unless a specific
request for a complete printed set is received before the document is
printed, FTA and its grant applicants (including MARTA) will only
distribute electronic copies of the NEPA document. A complete printed
set of the environmental documents produced for this project will be
available for review at the grant applicant's office (MARTA
Headquarters office listed in ADDRESSES above) and in other possible
locations within the project corridor. An electronic copy of the
complete environmental documents will be available on the grant
applicant's project Web site at https://www.itsmarta.com/Clifton-Corr.aspx.
X. Summary and next steps?
With the publication of this NOI, the scoping process and the
public comment period for the project begins allowing the public to
offer input on the scope of the EIS until January 9, 2015. In
accordance with the Federal regulations, this date is at least 45 days
following the publication of this NOI. Public comments will be received
through those methods explained earlier in this NOI and will be
incorporated into a Scoping Summary Report. The Scoping Summary Report
will detail the scope of the EIS and the potential environmental
effects that will be considered during the study period. After the
completion of the Draft EIS, a public and agency review period will
allow for input on the Draft EIS and these comments will be
incorporated into the Final EIS for this project. In accordance with
Section 1319 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act
(MAP-21), Accelerated Decision-making in Environmental Reviews, FTA may
consider the use of errata sheets attached to the DEIS in place of a
traditional Final EIS and/or development a single environmental
decision document that consists of a Final EIS and a Record of Decision
(ROD), if certain conditions exist following the conclusion of the
public
[[Page 63021]]
and agency review period for the project's Draft EIS.
Yvette G. Taylor,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region IV.
[FR Doc. 2014-24923 Filed 10-20-14; 8:45 am]
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