Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Evaluation for the I-20 East Transit Initiative Heavy Rail Transit Extension in DeKalb County, Georgia, 67542-67544 [2014-26769]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 219 / Thursday, November 13, 2014 / Notices
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tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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II. The Research Report
This research report, titled, ‘‘Attitudes
of Truck Drivers and Carriers on the Use
of Electronic Logging Devices and
Driver Harassment,’’ examines the
nature of harassment as viewed by truck
drivers who are required to record their
hours of service for the purposes of
Federal reporting regulations. As it
examines their perceptions, this
research also reviews:
• Whether drivers’ experiences and
interactions with their carriers fall into
the category of harassment.
• If these experiences occur with any
regularity (once or twice a month or
more).
• Whether these interactions are
made possible as a result of the carrier
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17:16 Nov 12, 2014
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using HOS data collected via an ELD
and whether it was a standalone ELD or
part of a comprehensive system that
included ELD capability.
These experiences and perceptions
are reviewed both for truck drivers and
for carrier personnel who manage truck
drivers. The data collected from carrier
personnel is similar to that collected
from the drivers; that is, carriers were
asked about the regularity of specific
interactions with drivers at their firm,
and whether the drivers might consider
such actions (if they occur) harassment.
Drivers are analyzed according to the
systems they used for logging their HOS
(i.e., paper or ELD). Carrier personnel
are also considered according to the
primary HOS logging method used by
their company.
Additional data was collected
regarding attitudes about ELDs,
reactions to definitions of harassment
and coercion developed by the FMCSA,
ways in which drivers are compensated
and evaluated, and profiles of both the
drivers and the carrier companies.
For the complete report, visit docket
number FMCSA–2010–0167 or https://
www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/researchand-analysis/publications.
Issued on: November 5, 2014.
G. Kelly Regal,
Associate Administrator, Office of Research
and Information Technology and Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014–26851 Filed 11–12–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and
Section 4(f) Evaluation for the I–20
East Transit Initiative Heavy Rail
Transit Extension in DeKalb County,
Georgia
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
and section 4(f) evaluation.
AGENCY:
The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority (MARTA) intend to prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and an evaluation per 49 U.S.C.
303 and 23 CFR part 774 (‘‘Section 4(f)’’)
for MARTA’s I–20 East Heavy Rail
Transit (HRT) Extension project, which
would extend the existing Blue Line
from the Indian Creek MARTA Station
to the Mall at Stonecrest in eastern
SUMMARY:
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
DeKalb County. 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 extension of the existing MARTA
Blue Line HRT was selected as a
component of a multimodal Locally
Preferred Alternative (LPA) resulting
from the I–20 East Transit Initiative
Detailed Corridor Analysis (DCA)
completed in April 2012. The LPA also
includes new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
service along I–20 between downtown
Atlanta and a new station at Wesley
Chapel Road, east of I–285 in DeKalb
County. The NEPA analysis for the BRT
project is being advanced separately in
an Environmental Assessment (EA).
The FTA originally published a NOI
to perform federal environmental review
for the entire I–20 East Transit Initiative
LPA on August 28, 2012 (77 FR 52128).
Project scoping activities for the I–20
East Transit Initiative LPA occurred in
September 2012. In today’s issue of the
Federal Register, FTA is rescinding the
August 28, 2012 NOI and issuing this
notice to advise interested agencies and
the public regarding updates to the
Purpose and Need of the LPA that have
occurred since the scoping activities.
Specifically, the Purpose and Need for
both the HRT Extension project and the
BRT project have been revised to reflect
their distinct and independent utility.
The revised Purpose and Need for the
HRT Extension project is presented later
in this Notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description of the Proposed Project and
Study Area
The first phase of the I–20 East
Transit Initiative was the two year-long
DCA. This DCA built upon a number of
transit studies previously completed in
the corridor and identified and
evaluated transit improvements in the I–
20 East Corridor from downtown
Atlanta to the Mall at Stonecrest in
eastern DeKalb County. The result of the
DCA was the selection of a multimodal
LPA comprised of an extension of the
existing Blue heavy rail transit (HRT)
line from MARTA’s Indian Creek
Station to the Mall at Stonecrest in
eastern DeKalb County and new BRT
service along I–20 between downtown
Atlanta and a new station at Wesley
Chapel Road, east of I–285 in DeKalb
County.
The EIS, which focuses on the HRT
Extension, has a study area that extends
from the MARTA Indian Creek Station
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 219 / Thursday, November 13, 2014 / Notices
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south for 3.5 miles along I–285, then
east for approximately 8.5 miles to the
Mall at Stonecrest. The study area
extends up to one-half mile on each side
of the alignment in order to evaluate the
direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts
associated with the implementation of
transit in the corridor.
Purpose and Need
The LPA presented to the public at
Public Scoping Meetings on September
10, 11, and 13, 2012 included both the
BRT and HRT components of the LPA.
The BRT component is a separate
project that is being addressed in an
Environmental Assessment. The EIS
Purpose and Need has been revised to
specifically address the HRT Extension
project as follows:
The purpose of the I–20 East HRT
Extension project is to increase eastwest mobility options between the City
of Atlanta and Southeast DeKalb County
and to improve transit access between
residential areas and activity and
employment centers both within the
corridor and across the region—with
minimal impacts to private property,
historical resources and neighborhoods,
and parklands by:
• Providing reliable and efficient
transit service with sufficient capacity
to address future travel demand
projected in the I–20 corridor through a
one-seat ride into downtown Atlanta
and other activity centers in the
corridor.
• Providing an alternative to
automobile travel on congested
roadways in the corridor, particularly
the most congested areas east of I–285.
• Connecting to the existing MARTA
rail network, thereby addressing a gap
in the current system and improving
regional transit accessibility and access
to jobs for those who live and work in
South DeKalb County.
• Completing an important link in the
region’s long term transit vision,
Concept 3.
• Encouraging redevelopment and
revitalization in key activity centers
through investment opportunities
around fixed transit stations.
The project is needed to:
• Meet the needs of corridor residents
by providing a high capacity transit
alternative to the current transportation
system in a corridor that does not have
sufficient capacity or planned capacity
to address future travel demand. Few
roadway investments are planned along
the I–20 East Corridor between I–285
and the Mall at Stonecrest through 2040.
• Address increasing congestion and
unreliable travel times in the corridor by
providing an alternative to automobile
trips into and out of Atlanta. Transit
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:16 Nov 12, 2014
Jkt 235001
travel times on the current MARTA and
Georgia Regional Transportation
Authority (GRTA) Xpress bus systems to
destinations east of I–285 are expected
to double between 2010 and 2040, with
the majority of travel times greater than
80 minutes.
• Improve regional mobility and
access to jobs and services for corridor
residents, especially the transitdependent population. The I–20 East
corridor has a higher transit-dependent
population than the metro Atlanta
region and the State of Georgia, with
approximately 10% zero-car
households.
• Provide a direct link to the existing
MARTA rail and bus network for
residents of South DeKalb County,
closing a critical gap in the existing
network for the historically underserved
and choice transit riders in the corridor.
By offering a connection into the
existing MARTA heavy rail system,
residents and workers in the area would
be provided with a one-seat ride to a
direct connection to the City of Atlanta,
the City of Decatur, DeKalb County and
various regional employment centers.
Citizens east of I–285 currently have a
constrained number of options to access
the MARTA system, requiring travel
either by bus or by car, experiencing
(and contributing to) congested roadway
conditions and unreliable transit travel
times due to operations in mixed traffic.
This expansion will close a critical gap
in the existing network by providing a
proximate, direct, and reliable link for
the traditionally underserved and
choice transit riders in the corridor.
• Implement the region’s future
transit vision as well as regional and
local land use and development plans
for future investment in the corridor.
Both the Atlanta Regional Commission’s
(ARC) Plan 2040 financially constrained
regional transportation plan and the
Concept 3 Transit Vision include the I–
20 Corridor as a key link in the future
regional transit network. The Regional
Development Plan, DeKalb County
Comprehensive Transportation Plan,
and numerous local plans and studies
incorporate fixed guideway transit as a
catalyst for redevelopment in the I–20
East corridor.
• Promote reinvestment by providing
the transit infrastructure needed to
support investment in transit oriented
development at key activity centers,
such as the Wesley Chapel Road and
Mall at Stonecrest. There is significant
projected economic benefit for the
corridor and the region through transit
oriented development and related
investment opportunities that will
create jobs, revitalize key areas, and
contribute to a transit oriented
PO 00000
Frm 00132
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
67543
development pattern served directly by
the MARTA system.
Study Alternatives
MARTA completed a two year-long
DCA that evaluated potential alignments
and transit technologies for transit
improvements in the I–20 East Corridor.
From multiple alignment and transit
technology alternatives, an LPA was
selected and adopted by the MARTA
Board of Directors in April 2012. The
LPA included both a BRT and an HRT
Extension project. The EIS will evaluate
vertical and horizontal alternatives of
the HRT portion of the adopted LPA as
well as a No-Build alternative. These
alternatives are described as follows:
1. No Build Alternative: This
alternative reflects the existing
transportation system plus any
committed MARTA and Georgia
Regional Transit Authority (GRTA) local
and express bus service in the corridor,
as well as all other transportation
investments included in the Atlanta
Regional Commission’s (ARC) longrange transportation plan. ARC is the
Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO) for the Atlanta urbanized area.
The I–20 East BRT project is included
in the No-Build Alternative because its
implementation is expected to precede
that of the I–20 East HRT Extension by
several years. NEPA requires the
consideration of a No Build Alternative
as a means of comparing and evaluating
the impacts and benefits of the Build
Alternative.
2. Build Alternative: The Build
Alternative to be evaluated in the EIS is
the extension of the existing MARTA
east-west HRT line from the Indian
Creek Station, south parallel to I–285,
then east parallel to I–20 to the Mall at
Stonecrest in eastern DeKalb County.
The HRT service would include new
stations at Covington Highway, Wesley
Chapel Road, Panola Road, Lithonia
Industrial Blvd., and the Mall at
Stonecrest. It is expected that the HRT
service would be implemented in two
phases. The first phase would extend
the existing MARTA east-west HRT line
from Indian Creek Station to Wesley
Chapel Road. The second phase would
extend from Wesley Chapel Road to the
Mall at Stonecrest. The HRT alignment
would generally be located adjacent to
the interstate and would utilize Georgia
Department of Transportation (GDOT)
right-of-way wherever possible.
The scope of the environmental
analysis and procedures shared in the
NOI published August 28, 2012 and at
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13NON1
67544
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 219 / Thursday, November 13, 2014 / Notices
the Public Scoping Meetings in
September of 2012 remain unchanged.
Yvette G. Taylor,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region IV.
[FR Doc. 2014–26769 Filed 11–12–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent to
prepare an environmental impact
statement and environmental
assessment.
AGENCY:
The FTA in cooperation with
the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority (MARTA) is issuing this
notice to advise the public that the
Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and Environmental Assessment (EA) for
the proposed public transportation
improvement project in the City of
Atlanta and DeKalb County, Georgia is
being rescinded.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Stan Mitchell, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Federal Transit
Administration Region IV, 230
Peachtree Street NW., Atlanta, GA
30303, phone 404–865–5643, email
stanley.a.mitchell@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTA,
as lead federal agency, and MARTA
published a NOI on August 28, 2012 (77
FR 52128) to prepare an EIS and EA for
the MARTA I–20 East Transit Initiative
project. This project would extend the
existing east-west rail Heavy Rail
Transit (HRT) line from the Indian
Creek Station to the Mall at Stonecrest
in eastern DeKalb County and also
create a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
service along I–20 between downtown
Atlanta and a new station at Wesley
Chapel Road, east of I–285 in DeKalb
County.
Since that time, FTA and MARTA
have conducted scoping activities
which have led to reevaluating the
project in terms of Purpose and Need.
Based on these scoping activities, FTA
is rescinding the August 28, 2012 NOI,
and, in today’s issue of the Federal
Register, is issuing a new NOI for the
HRT extension. The environmental
impacts of the BRT service along I–20
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:16 Nov 12, 2014
Jkt 235001
Yvette G. Taylor,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region IV.
[FR Doc. 2014–26768 Filed 11–12–14; 8:45 am]
Notice to Rescind Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement and Environmental
Assessment for the I–20 East Transit
Initiative in the City of Atlanta and
DeKalb County, Georgia
SUMMARY:
will be evaluated as a separate project
in an environmental assessment. No
changes will be made to the HRT or BRT
services as described in the August 28,
2012 NOI. Comments and questions
concerning the proposed action should
be directed to FTA at the address
provided above.
[Docket No. DOT–MARAD 2014–0140]
Request for Comments of a Previously
Approved Information Collection:
Request for Waiver of Service
Obligation, Request for Deferment of
Service Obligation, Application for
Review
Maritime Administration
(MARAD), Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice
announces that the Information
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted
below is being forwarded to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and comments. A Federal
Register Notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on the
following information collection was
published on July 14, 2014 (Federal
Register 40836, Vol. 79, No. 134).
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before December 15, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anne Wehde, 202–366–5469, Office of
Maritime Workforce Development,
Maritime Administration, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington,
DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Request for Waiver of Service
Obligation, Request for Deferment of
Service Obligation, Application for
Review.
OMB Control Number: 2133–0510.
Type of Request: Renewal of a
Previously Approved Information
Collection.
Abstract: This information collection
is essential for determining if a student
or graduate of the United States
Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA)
or subsidized student or graduate of a
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00133
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
State maritime academy has a waive
able situation preventing them from
fulfilling the requirements of a service
obligation contract signed at the time of
their enrollment in a Federal maritime
training program. It also permits the
Maritime Administration (MARAD) to
determine if a graduate, who wishes to
defer the service obligation to attend
graduate school, is eligible to receive a
deferment. Their service obligation is
required by law.
Affected Public: U.S. Merchant
Marine Academy students and
graduates, and subsidized students and
graduates.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
11.
Estimated Number of Responses: 11.
Annual Estimated Total Annual
Burden Hours: 3.30.
ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding
the burden estimate, including
suggestions for reducing the burden, to
the Office of Management and Budget,
Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of
the Secretary of Transportation, 725
17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503.
Comments are invited on: Whether the
proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; the accuracy of
the Department’s estimate of the burden
of the proposed information collection;
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended;
and 49 CFR 1.93.
Dated: November 6, 2014.
Julie P. Agarwal,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014–26846 Filed 11–12–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 370X)]
Norfolk Southern Railway Company—
Discontinuance of Service
Exemption—in Clermont, Brown and
Adams Counties, Ohio
AGENCY:
Surface Transportation Board,
DOT.
Correction to notice of petition
for exemption.
ACTION:
E:\FR\FM\13NON1.SGM
13NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 219 (Thursday, November 13, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67542-67544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26769]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
Section 4(f) Evaluation for the I-20 East Transit Initiative Heavy Rail
Transit Extension in DeKalb County, Georgia
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS) and section 4(f) evaluation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metropolitan
Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) intend to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and an evaluation per 49 U.S.C.
303 and 23 CFR part 774 (``Section 4(f)'') for MARTA's I-20 East Heavy
Rail Transit (HRT) Extension project, which would extend the existing
Blue Line from the Indian Creek MARTA Station to the Mall at Stonecrest
in eastern DeKalb County. 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 extension of the existing MARTA Blue Line HRT was selected as a
component of a multimodal Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) resulting
from the I-20 East Transit Initiative Detailed Corridor Analysis (DCA)
completed in April 2012. The LPA also includes new Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) service along I-20 between downtown Atlanta and a new station at
Wesley Chapel Road, east of I-285 in DeKalb County. The NEPA analysis
for the BRT project is being advanced separately in an Environmental
Assessment (EA).
The FTA originally published a NOI to perform federal environmental
review for the entire I-20 East Transit Initiative LPA on August 28,
2012 (77 FR 52128). Project scoping activities for the I-20 East
Transit Initiative LPA occurred in September 2012. In today's issue of
the Federal Register, FTA is rescinding the August 28, 2012 NOI and
issuing this notice to advise interested agencies and the public
regarding updates to the Purpose and Need of the LPA that have occurred
since the scoping activities. Specifically, the Purpose and Need for
both the HRT Extension project and the BRT project have been revised to
reflect their distinct and independent utility. The revised Purpose and
Need for the HRT Extension project is presented later in this Notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description of the Proposed Project and Study Area
The first phase of the I-20 East Transit Initiative was the two
year-long DCA. This DCA built upon a number of transit studies
previously completed in the corridor and identified and evaluated
transit improvements in the I-20 East Corridor from downtown Atlanta to
the Mall at Stonecrest in eastern DeKalb County. The result of the DCA
was the selection of a multimodal LPA comprised of an extension of the
existing Blue heavy rail transit (HRT) line from MARTA's Indian Creek
Station to the Mall at Stonecrest in eastern DeKalb County and new BRT
service along I-20 between downtown Atlanta and a new station at Wesley
Chapel Road, east of I-285 in DeKalb County.
The EIS, which focuses on the HRT Extension, has a study area that
extends from the MARTA Indian Creek Station
[[Page 67543]]
south for 3.5 miles along I-285, then east for approximately 8.5 miles
to the Mall at Stonecrest. The study area extends up to one-half mile
on each side of the alignment in order to evaluate the direct,
indirect, and cumulative impacts associated with the implementation of
transit in the corridor.
Purpose and Need
The LPA presented to the public at Public Scoping Meetings on
September 10, 11, and 13, 2012 included both the BRT and HRT components
of the LPA. The BRT component is a separate project that is being
addressed in an Environmental Assessment. The EIS Purpose and Need has
been revised to specifically address the HRT Extension project as
follows:
The purpose of the I-20 East HRT Extension project is to increase
east-west mobility options between the City of Atlanta and Southeast
DeKalb County and to improve transit access between residential areas
and activity and employment centers both within the corridor and across
the region--with minimal impacts to private property, historical
resources and neighborhoods, and parklands by:
Providing reliable and efficient transit service with
sufficient capacity to address future travel demand projected in the I-
20 corridor through a one-seat ride into downtown Atlanta and other
activity centers in the corridor.
Providing an alternative to automobile travel on congested
roadways in the corridor, particularly the most congested areas east of
I-285.
Connecting to the existing MARTA rail network, thereby
addressing a gap in the current system and improving regional transit
accessibility and access to jobs for those who live and work in South
DeKalb County.
Completing an important link in the region's long term
transit vision, Concept 3.
Encouraging redevelopment and revitalization in key
activity centers through investment opportunities around fixed transit
stations.
The project is needed to:
Meet the needs of corridor residents by providing a high
capacity transit alternative to the current transportation system in a
corridor that does not have sufficient capacity or planned capacity to
address future travel demand. Few roadway investments are planned along
the I-20 East Corridor between I-285 and the Mall at Stonecrest through
2040.
Address increasing congestion and unreliable travel times
in the corridor by providing an alternative to automobile trips into
and out of Atlanta. Transit travel times on the current MARTA and
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) Xpress bus systems to
destinations east of I-285 are expected to double between 2010 and
2040, with the majority of travel times greater than 80 minutes.
Improve regional mobility and access to jobs and services
for corridor residents, especially the transit-dependent population.
The I-20 East corridor has a higher transit-dependent population than
the metro Atlanta region and the State of Georgia, with approximately
10% zero-car households.
Provide a direct link to the existing MARTA rail and bus
network for residents of South DeKalb County, closing a critical gap in
the existing network for the historically underserved and choice
transit riders in the corridor. By offering a connection into the
existing MARTA heavy rail system, residents and workers in the area
would be provided with a one-seat ride to a direct connection to the
City of Atlanta, the City of Decatur, DeKalb County and various
regional employment centers. Citizens east of I-285 currently have a
constrained number of options to access the MARTA system, requiring
travel either by bus or by car, experiencing (and contributing to)
congested roadway conditions and unreliable transit travel times due to
operations in mixed traffic. This expansion will close a critical gap
in the existing network by providing a proximate, direct, and reliable
link for the traditionally underserved and choice transit riders in the
corridor.
Implement the region's future transit vision as well as
regional and local land use and development plans for future investment
in the corridor. Both the Atlanta Regional Commission's (ARC) Plan 2040
financially constrained regional transportation plan and the Concept 3
Transit Vision include the I-20 Corridor as a key link in the future
regional transit network. The Regional Development Plan, DeKalb County
Comprehensive Transportation Plan, and numerous local plans and studies
incorporate fixed guideway transit as a catalyst for redevelopment in
the I-20 East corridor.
Promote reinvestment by providing the transit
infrastructure needed to support investment in transit oriented
development at key activity centers, such as the Wesley Chapel Road and
Mall at Stonecrest. There is significant projected economic benefit for
the corridor and the region through transit oriented development and
related investment opportunities that will create jobs, revitalize key
areas, and contribute to a transit oriented development pattern served
directly by the MARTA system.
Study Alternatives
MARTA completed a two year-long DCA that evaluated potential
alignments and transit technologies for transit improvements in the I-
20 East Corridor. From multiple alignment and transit technology
alternatives, an LPA was selected and adopted by the MARTA Board of
Directors in April 2012. The LPA included both a BRT and an HRT
Extension project. The EIS will evaluate vertical and horizontal
alternatives of the HRT portion of the adopted LPA as well as a No-
Build alternative. These alternatives are described as follows:
1. No Build Alternative: This alternative reflects the existing
transportation system plus any committed MARTA and Georgia Regional
Transit Authority (GRTA) local and express bus service in the corridor,
as well as all other transportation investments included in the Atlanta
Regional Commission's (ARC) long-range transportation plan. ARC is the
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Atlanta urbanized
area. The I-20 East BRT project is included in the No-Build Alternative
because its implementation is expected to precede that of the I-20 East
HRT Extension by several years. NEPA requires the consideration of a No
Build Alternative as a means of comparing and evaluating the impacts
and benefits of the Build Alternative.
2. Build Alternative: The Build Alternative to be evaluated in the
EIS is the extension of the existing MARTA east-west HRT line from the
Indian Creek Station, south parallel to I-285, then east parallel to I-
20 to the Mall at Stonecrest in eastern DeKalb County. The HRT service
would include new stations at Covington Highway, Wesley Chapel Road,
Panola Road, Lithonia Industrial Blvd., and the Mall at Stonecrest. It
is expected that the HRT service would be implemented in two phases.
The first phase would extend the existing MARTA east-west HRT line from
Indian Creek Station to Wesley Chapel Road. The second phase would
extend from Wesley Chapel Road to the Mall at Stonecrest. The HRT
alignment would generally be located adjacent to the interstate and
would utilize Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) right-of-way
wherever possible.
The scope of the environmental analysis and procedures shared in
the NOI published August 28, 2012 and at
[[Page 67544]]
the Public Scoping Meetings in September of 2012 remain unchanged.
Yvette G. Taylor,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region IV.
[FR Doc. 2014-26769 Filed 11-12-14; 8:45 am]
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