Notice of Public Information Sessions on Alternatives Analysis for the Proposed LaGuardia Airport Access Improvement Project at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York City, Queens County, New York, 66438-66439 [2019-26071]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2019 / Notices
Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 North Wacker
Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606.
According to the verified notice, this
action is categorically excluded from
environmental review under 49 CFR
1105.6(c) and from historic preservation
reporting requirements under 49 CFR
1105.8(b).
Board decisions and notices are
available at www.stb.gov.
Decided: November 26, 2019.
By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Director,
Office of Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2019–26067 Filed 12–3–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Public Information Sessions
on Alternatives Analysis for the
Proposed LaGuardia Airport Access
Improvement Project at LaGuardia
Airport (LGA), New York City, Queens
County, New York
Federal Aviation
Administration, Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of Public Information
Sessions.
AGENCY:
The Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) announces its
intent to hold Public Information
Sessions to present the Alternatives
Analysis for the Proposed LaGuardia
Airport Access Improvement Project
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York
City, Queens County, New York. The
FAA is the lead agency on the
preparation of the EIS and is providing
this opportunity for the public to learn
about the Alternatives Analysis that has
been conducted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Andrew Brooks, Environmental Program
Manager, Eastern Regional Office, AEA–
610, Federal Aviation Administration, 1
Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, NY 11434.
Telephone: 718–553–2511.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As the
lead federal agency for the preparation
of the EIS for the Proposed Action at
LaGuardia Airport (LGA or Airport) in
New York City, Queens County, New
York, the FAA is preparing the EIS in
compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) and Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) Regulations for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions
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SUMMARY:
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21:17 Dec 03, 2019
Jkt 250001
of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–15080).
The preparation of the EIS follows FAA
regulations and policies for
implementing NEPA published in FAA
Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts:
Policies and Procedures and FAA Order
5050.4B, National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) Implementing Instructions
for Airport Actions.
The Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey (Port Authority), the
operator of LGA, proposes the following
project components of the Proposed
Action:
• Construction of an above ground
fixed guideway automated people
mover (APM) system approximately 2.3
miles in length that extends from the
LGA Central Hall Building to the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT)
Subway 7 Line Mets-Willets Point
Station and the Port Washington Branch
of the MTA Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR) Mets-Willets Point Station;
• Construction of two on-Airport
APM stations;
• Construction of one off-Airport
APM station at Mets-Willets Point that
provides connections to the MetsWillets Point LIRR and NYCT Subway
7 Line stations;
• Construction of on-airport
passenger walkway systems to connect
the APM stations to the passenger
terminals, parking garages, public
transportation, and ground
transportation facilities;
• Construction of a multi-level APM
operations, maintenance, and storage
facility (OMSF) that includes
approximately 500 Airport employee
parking spaces, 250 MTA employee
parking spaces, 50 APM employee
parking spaces, and 200 replacement
parking spaces for Citi Field event
parking;
• Construction of three traction
power substations: one located near the
on-Airport East APM Station, another
near the Willets Point APM Station, and
the third at the OMSF to provide power
to the APM guideway;
• Construction of a 27kV main
substation located within the OMSF
structure; and
• Construction of utilities
infrastructure, both new and modified,
as needed, to support the Proposed
Action.
The Proposed Action also includes
various enabling projects to allow
construction and connected actions,
including utility relocation and
demolition of certain existing facilities;
reconstruction and/or relocation of the
Passerelle Bridge; modifications to the
MTA LIRR Mets-Willets Point Station,
including service changes to the LIRR
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Port Washington Line; and the
relocation of several Flushing Bay
World’s Fair Marina facilities, including
a boat lift, Travelift finger piers and
floating dock, Marina office, and boat
storage.
The Port Authority will be requesting
to Impose and Use Passenger Facility
Charges (PFC) for the construction of the
Proposed Action. The FAA’s decision
over whether to approve a PFC
application is a federal action that must
first be reviewed under NEPA. The
proposed action is also an undertaking
that must be reviewed under Section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act.
The FAA is required to consider a
range of reasonable alternatives that
could potentially meet the purpose and
need: To provide a time-certain transit
alternative for air passenger and
employee access to LGA; to provide
supplemental access to LGA; to reduce
passenger vehicle trips to and from
LGA; and to provide adequate airport
employee replacement parking. A total
of 47 project alternatives have been
identified for the Proposed Action from
various sources including the Port
Authority, scoping comments, past
studies, and the FAA. Because of the
number of alternatives considered and
the complexity of the alternatives
analysis, the FAA is sharing the
alternatives analysis to afford the public
an opportunity to ask questions on the
alternatives analysis prior to completion
and release of the Draft EIS; the Draft
EIS is currently scheduled to be released
in summer 2020. We cannot accept
verbal testimony or formal comments at
the information session. Formal
comments on the alternatives analysis
and the overall project will be solicited
during the review of the Draft EIS.
The alternatives evaluated have been
categorized into ten groups, as follows:
Group One—No Action Alternative (1
alternative): Under this alternative, the
Port Authority would take no action to
develop an APM system or other
alternative form of transportation to and
from the Airport.
Group Two—Diversion of Air Traffic
from LGA (2 alternatives): Transfer or
shifting of aviation activity or air
passengers to another existing public
airport (or airports) in the New York
metropolitan area or to another form of
transportation.
Group Three—Use of Other Modes of
Transportation (3 alternatives): Use of
other modes of transportation,
including, ferry service, helicopter
service, or gondola service.
Group Four—Transportation Systems
Management (3 alternatives):
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2019 / Notices
Modifications to existing bus service to
LGA.
Group Five—Transportation Demand
Management (1 alternative): Use of
measures to reduce vehicular travel to
and from the Airport.
Group Six—Emerging Technologies (2
alternatives): Use of Transportation
Network Companies (TNC) or
autonomous vehicles.
Group Seven—Off-Airport Roadway
Expansion (5 alternatives): Increase the
capacity of roadways surrounding and
providing access to the Airport such as
the Grand Central Parkway or providing
dedicated bus lanes or an elevated
busway.
Group Eight—Subway Extension (7
alternatives): Extension of existing
subway lines to LGA.
Group Nine—Fixed Guideway (20
alternatives): Construction of an
elevated fixed guideway APM system to
LGA.
Group Ten—Rail (3 alternatives):
Extension of existing commuter rail or
construction of a new commuter rail
alignment to LGA.
The FAA developed screening criteria
to evaluate the 47 alternatives and
conducted a screening analysis of all
alternatives using those criteria. The
purpose of the screening analysis is to
assist the FAA in its determination of
which of the alternatives to the
Proposed Action are reasonable. The
public information sessions will provide
the public information on the
alternatives evaluated, the screening
criteria, the alternatives screening
process, and the results of the screening
evaluation. The FAA has not made a
decision regarding the Proposed Action.
Two public information sessions for
the general public will be held. The
public information sessions will be held
from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern
Time on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 and
from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern
Time on Wednesday, January 15, 2020.
The public information sessions will be
conducted at the New York LaGuardia
Airport Marriott Hotel at 102–05
Ditmars Boulevard, East Elmhurst, New
York. A legal notice will also be placed
in newspapers having general
circulation in the study area. The
newspaper notice will notify the public
that information sessions will be held to
share the alternatives screening process
and results. The public information
sessions will be conducted in an open
house format with project information
displayed and representatives from the
FAA and the EIS Team available to
answer questions. Translation services,
including an assistive listening device,
and sign and oral interpretation can be
made available at the information
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:17 Dec 03, 2019
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sessions, if requested 10 calendar days
before the sessions. The information
sessions will be open to all persons on
a space-available basis. There will be no
admission fee or other charge, including
parking, to attend and participate
(parking validation will be available).
More information about the LGA
Access Improvement Project, the EIS,
and the public information sessions can
be found at: www.LgaAccessEIS.com.
Issued in Jamaica, New York, November
25, 2019.
Evelyn Martinez,
Manager, New York Airport District Office,
Airports Division, Eastern Region.
[FR Doc. 2019–26071 Filed 12–3–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):
Westchester County
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), United States
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Rescinded notice of intent
(NOI).
AGENCY:
The FHWA is issuing this
rescinded NOI to advise the public that
the FHWA will not be preparing and
issuing an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) on a proposal to
improve NYS Route 9A in the Towns of
Greenburgh and Mount Pleasant and the
Village of Elmsford, Westchester
County, New York [New York State
Department of Transportation
(NYSDOT) Project Identification
Number (PIN) 8103.22]. The NOI to
prepare an EIS was published in the
Federal Register on March 11, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lance MacMillan, Regional Director,
New York State Department of
Transportation, 4 Burnett Boulevard,
Poughkeepsie, New York 12603,
Telephone: (845) 431–5750; or Richard
Marquis, Division Administrator,
Federal Highway Administration, New
York Division, Leo W. O’Brien Federal
Building, 7th Floor, 11A Clinton
Avenue, Albany, New York 12207,
Telephone (518) 431–4127.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
FHWA, in coordination with the
NYSDOT, previously intended to
prepare an EIS to evaluate the effects of
a proposal to improve NYS Route 9A in
the Towns of Greenburgh and Mount
Pleasant and the Village of Elmsford,
Westchester County, New York. The
proposed improvements involved the
reconstruction of approximately 2.5
SUMMARY:
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
66439
miles of the existing route from just
south of Route 119 to just north of Route
100C. The objectives of the proposal
include ‘‘to mitigate existing vehicular
congestion and delays and
accommodate future vehicular growth;
correct identified safety problems with
appropriate accident countermeasures;
and provide a safer and convenient
multi-modal facility for transit, cyclist,
and pedestrian traffic.’’
The project was initiated to address
structural deficiencies on the existing
Route 100C bridge over Route 9A;
deterioration of the Route 9A Portland
cement concrete pavement;
inadequacies of the existing drainage
system along Route 9A; and sidewalk
deficiencies along Route 9A within the
project limits. As stated in the original
NOI, alternatives under consideration
included: (1) Taking no actions; (2)
widening and reconstructing Route 9A;
(3) widening and reconstructing Route
9A and providing a new eastbound
Cross Westchester Expressway (I–287)
off ramp; (4) widening and
reconstructing Route 9A, providing new
eastbound Cross Westchester
Expressway (I–287) off ramp, and
improving access to major industrial/
commercial area; and (5) constructing a
bypass on new alignment in association
with the widening and reconstruction of
Route 9A. These potential alternatives,
except for taking no actions, included
the common elements of widening and
reconstructing Route 9A and replacing
the Route 100C bridge over Route 9A.
The project would have required the
removal of 18 buildings (one residence
and 17 commercial structures). In 2002
dollars, the total estimated cost of the
action was between 37 and 79 million
dollars. Due to the effects of the rightof-way acquisitions and insufficient
funding for the project, the project was
not advanced as originally envisioned.
In addition, the widening of Route 9A
and the construction of a new I–287
eastbound exit ramp are no longer being
considered.
The identified operational
deficiencies at the Route 9A intersection
with Route 119 have been addressed as
part of a separate, independent action to
improve vehicle capacity, improve
pedestrian safety, maintain parking, and
improve intersection geometrics via
provision of left turn lanes and
protected left turn signal phases
(NYSDOT PIN 8103.37). The existing
Route 100C over Route 9A bridge has
also been replaced as part of a separate,
independent action to address
numerous structural deficiencies
(NYSDOT PIN 8025.00).
The NYSDOT will be evaluating
improvements to provide access from
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66438-66439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26071]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Public Information Sessions on Alternatives Analysis
for the Proposed LaGuardia Airport Access Improvement Project at
LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York City, Queens County, New York
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of Public Information Sessions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its intent
to hold Public Information Sessions to present the Alternatives
Analysis for the Proposed LaGuardia Airport Access Improvement Project
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New
York City, Queens County, New York. The FAA is the lead agency on the
preparation of the EIS and is providing this opportunity for the public
to learn about the Alternatives Analysis that has been conducted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Andrew Brooks, Environmental
Program Manager, Eastern Regional Office, AEA-610, Federal Aviation
Administration, 1 Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, NY 11434. Telephone: 718-
553-2511.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As the lead federal agency for the
preparation of the EIS for the Proposed Action at LaGuardia Airport
(LGA or Airport) in New York City, Queens County, New York, the FAA is
preparing the EIS in compliance with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-15080). The preparation of the
EIS follows FAA regulations and policies for implementing NEPA
published in FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and
Procedures and FAA Order 5050.4B, National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) Implementing Instructions for Airport Actions.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority), the
operator of LGA, proposes the following project components of the
Proposed Action:
Construction of an above ground fixed guideway automated
people mover (APM) system approximately 2.3 miles in length that
extends from the LGA Central Hall Building to the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT) Subway 7
Line Mets-Willets Point Station and the Port Washington Branch of the
MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Mets-Willets Point Station;
Construction of two on-Airport APM stations;
Construction of one off-Airport APM station at Mets-
Willets Point that provides connections to the Mets-Willets Point LIRR
and NYCT Subway 7 Line stations;
Construction of on-airport passenger walkway systems to
connect the APM stations to the passenger terminals, parking garages,
public transportation, and ground transportation facilities;
Construction of a multi-level APM operations, maintenance,
and storage facility (OMSF) that includes approximately 500 Airport
employee parking spaces, 250 MTA employee parking spaces, 50 APM
employee parking spaces, and 200 replacement parking spaces for Citi
Field event parking;
Construction of three traction power substations: one
located near the on-Airport East APM Station, another near the Willets
Point APM Station, and the third at the OMSF to provide power to the
APM guideway;
Construction of a 27kV main substation located within the
OMSF structure; and
Construction of utilities infrastructure, both new and
modified, as needed, to support the Proposed Action.
The Proposed Action also includes various enabling projects to
allow construction and connected actions, including utility relocation
and demolition of certain existing facilities; reconstruction and/or
relocation of the Passerelle Bridge; modifications to the MTA LIRR
Mets-Willets Point Station, including service changes to the LIRR Port
Washington Line; and the relocation of several Flushing Bay World's
Fair Marina facilities, including a boat lift, Travelift finger piers
and floating dock, Marina office, and boat storage.
The Port Authority will be requesting to Impose and Use Passenger
Facility Charges (PFC) for the construction of the Proposed Action. The
FAA's decision over whether to approve a PFC application is a federal
action that must first be reviewed under NEPA. The proposed action is
also an undertaking that must be reviewed under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act.
The FAA is required to consider a range of reasonable alternatives
that could potentially meet the purpose and need: To provide a time-
certain transit alternative for air passenger and employee access to
LGA; to provide supplemental access to LGA; to reduce passenger vehicle
trips to and from LGA; and to provide adequate airport employee
replacement parking. A total of 47 project alternatives have been
identified for the Proposed Action from various sources including the
Port Authority, scoping comments, past studies, and the FAA. Because of
the number of alternatives considered and the complexity of the
alternatives analysis, the FAA is sharing the alternatives analysis to
afford the public an opportunity to ask questions on the alternatives
analysis prior to completion and release of the Draft EIS; the Draft
EIS is currently scheduled to be released in summer 2020. We cannot
accept verbal testimony or formal comments at the information session.
Formal comments on the alternatives analysis and the overall project
will be solicited during the review of the Draft EIS.
The alternatives evaluated have been categorized into ten groups,
as follows:
Group One--No Action Alternative (1 alternative): Under this
alternative, the Port Authority would take no action to develop an APM
system or other alternative form of transportation to and from the
Airport.
Group Two--Diversion of Air Traffic from LGA (2 alternatives):
Transfer or shifting of aviation activity or air passengers to another
existing public airport (or airports) in the New York metropolitan area
or to another form of transportation.
Group Three--Use of Other Modes of Transportation (3 alternatives):
Use of other modes of transportation, including, ferry service,
helicopter service, or gondola service.
Group Four--Transportation Systems Management (3 alternatives):
[[Page 66439]]
Modifications to existing bus service to LGA.
Group Five--Transportation Demand Management (1 alternative): Use
of measures to reduce vehicular travel to and from the Airport.
Group Six--Emerging Technologies (2 alternatives): Use of
Transportation Network Companies (TNC) or autonomous vehicles.
Group Seven--Off-Airport Roadway Expansion (5 alternatives):
Increase the capacity of roadways surrounding and providing access to
the Airport such as the Grand Central Parkway or providing dedicated
bus lanes or an elevated busway.
Group Eight--Subway Extension (7 alternatives): Extension of
existing subway lines to LGA.
Group Nine--Fixed Guideway (20 alternatives): Construction of an
elevated fixed guideway APM system to LGA.
Group Ten--Rail (3 alternatives): Extension of existing commuter
rail or construction of a new commuter rail alignment to LGA.
The FAA developed screening criteria to evaluate the 47
alternatives and conducted a screening analysis of all alternatives
using those criteria. The purpose of the screening analysis is to
assist the FAA in its determination of which of the alternatives to the
Proposed Action are reasonable. The public information sessions will
provide the public information on the alternatives evaluated, the
screening criteria, the alternatives screening process, and the results
of the screening evaluation. The FAA has not made a decision regarding
the Proposed Action.
Two public information sessions for the general public will be
held. The public information sessions will be held from 6:30 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 and from 6:30 p.m.
to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. The public
information sessions will be conducted at the New York LaGuardia
Airport Marriott Hotel at 102-05 Ditmars Boulevard, East Elmhurst, New
York. A legal notice will also be placed in newspapers having general
circulation in the study area. The newspaper notice will notify the
public that information sessions will be held to share the alternatives
screening process and results. The public information sessions will be
conducted in an open house format with project information displayed
and representatives from the FAA and the EIS Team available to answer
questions. Translation services, including an assistive listening
device, and sign and oral interpretation can be made available at the
information sessions, if requested 10 calendar days before the
sessions. The information sessions will be open to all persons on a
space-available basis. There will be no admission fee or other charge,
including parking, to attend and participate (parking validation will
be available).
More information about the LGA Access Improvement Project, the EIS,
and the public information sessions can be found at:
www.LgaAccessEIS.com.
Issued in Jamaica, New York, November 25, 2019.
Evelyn Martinez,
Manager, New York Airport District Office, Airports Division, Eastern
Region.
[FR Doc. 2019-26071 Filed 12-3-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
