Limitation on Claims Against Proposed Public Transportation Projects, 10952 [2016-04486]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 2, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 10952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04486]



[[Page 10952]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Limitation on Claims Against Proposed Public Transportation 
Projects

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces final environmental actions taken by the 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for projects in West Sacramento 
and Sacramento, CA; Chapel Hill and Durham, NC; North Charleston, SC; 
and cities along the San Francisco to San Jose, CA corridor. The 
purpose of this notice is to announce publicly the environmental 
decisions by FTA on the subject projects and to activate the limitation 
on any claims that may challenge these final environmental actions.

DATES: By this notice, FTA is advising the public of final agency 
actions subject to Section 139(l) of Title 23, United States Code 
(U.S.C.). A claim seeking judicial review of FTA actions announced 
herein for the listed public transportation projects will be barred 
unless the claim is filed on or before August 1, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy-Ellen Zusman, Assistant Chief 
Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, (312) 353-2577 or Terence Plaskon, 
Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Environmental Programs, 
(202) 366-0442. FTA is located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that FTA has taken 
final agency actions by issuing certain approvals for the public 
transportation projects listed below. The actions on the projects, as 
well as the laws under which such actions were taken, are described in 
the documentation issued in connection with the projects to comply with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and in other documents in 
the FTA administrative record for the projects. Interested parties may 
contact either the project sponsor or the relevant FTA Regional Office 
for more information. Contact information for FTA's Regional Offices 
may be found at https://www.fta.dot.gov.
    This notice applies to all FTA decisions on the listed projects as 
of the issuance date of this notice and all laws under which such 
actions were taken, including, but not limited to, NEPA [42 U.S.C. 
4321-4375], Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 
1966 [49 U.S.C. 303], Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act [16 U.S.C. 470f], and the Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q]. 
This notice does not, however, alter or extend the limitation period 
for challenges of project decisions subject to previous notices 
published in the Federal Register. The projects and actions that are 
the subject of this notice are:
    1. Project name and location: Downtown/Riverfront Streetcar 
Project, West Sacramento and Sacramento, CA. Project sponsor: 
Sacramento Area Council of Governments. Project description: The 
proposed project would construct a 3.3-mile streetcar extending from 
the West Sacramento Civic Center to the Midtown entertainment and 
retail district in Sacramento. The project would include 12 westbound 
and 13 eastbound stations, two traction power facilities, and a 
maintenance and storage facility. Final agency actions: Section 4(f) de 
minimis impact determination; Section 106 finding of no adverse effect; 
project-level air quality conformity; and Finding of No Significant 
Impact, dated February 12, 2016. Supporting documentation: 
Environmental Assessment/Initial Study, dated May 2015.
    2. Project name and location: Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit 
Project, Chapel Hill and Durham, NC. Project sponsor: Research Triangle 
Regional Public Transportation Authority. Project description: The 
proposed project would provide a 17.1-mile high capacity light rail 
transit line between the University of North Carolina Hospitals in 
southwest Chapel Hill and Alston Avenue in East Durham. The project 
would operate primarily within an exclusive guideway and includes 17 
stations, a rail operations maintenance facility, and related 
infrastructure. Final agency actions: Section 4(f) de minimis impact 
determination; Section 106 finding of no adverse effect; project-level 
air quality conformity; and Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record 
of Decision, dated February 11, 2016.
    3. Project name and location: North Charleston Regional Intermodal 
Transportation Facility, North Charleston, SC. Project sponsor: 
Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA). Project 
description: The proposed project would replace the existing Charleston 
Amtrak Station with construction of a new intermodal transportation hub 
serving Amtrak intercity rail, Southeastern Stages intercity bus, and 
CARTA local and commuter bus. Final agency actions: Section 4(f) 
determination; a Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement, dated November 
24, 2015; project-level air quality conformity; and Finding of No 
Significant Impact, dated February 2, 2016. Supporting documentation: 
Environmental Assessment, dated November 2015.
    4. Project name and location: Peninsula Corridor Electrification 
Project (PCEP), municipalities along the San Francisco to San Jose, CA 
corridor. Project sponsor: Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. 
Project description: The PCEP would implement capacity improvements 
along a 51-mile section of the Caltrain Commuter Rail Line from San 
Francisco to San Jose. The PCEP includes installation of an Overhead 
Contact System, installation of electrical traction power facilities, 
construction of new tracks, platform improvements, and the purchase of 
90 Electric Multiple Units. The PCEP was previously the subject of a 
Finding of No Significant Impact, dated December 17, 2009. FTA 
completed a re-evaluation of the PCEP due to additional traction power 
facility locations, additional right-of-way acquisitions, and 
electrical safety zone easements. This notice only applies to the 
discrete actions taken by FTA at this time, as described below. Nothing 
in this notice affects FTA's previous decisions, or notice thereof, for 
this project. Final agency actions: Section 106 finding of no adverse 
effect and FTA determination that neither a supplemental environmental 
impact statement nor a supplemental environmental assessment is 
necessary. Supporting documentation: Re-evaluation, dated February 11, 
2016.

Lucy Garliauskas,
Associate Administrator Planning and Environment.
[FR Doc. 2016-04486 Filed 3-1-16; 8:45 am]
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