![](media/image1.png) Memorandum

> U.S. Department
>
> of Transportation
>
> Federal Transit
>
> Administration

+-----+---------------------------------------+-------+---------------+
| **S | Finding of No Significant Impact:     | **Da  | # Feb         |
| ubj |                                       | te:** | ruary 2, 2006 |
| ect | Nashville MTA Central Station         |       |               |
| :** |                                       |       |               |
+-----+---------------------------------------+-------+---------------+
| **F | Alex McNeil, Director                 | **    | James Garland |
| rom |                                       | Reply |               |
| :** | Office of Planning & Program          | to**  | \(404\)       |
|     | Development                           |       | 562-3507      |
|     |                                       | *     |               |
|     |                                       | *Attn |               |
|     |                                       | of:** |               |
+-----+---------------------------------------+-------+---------------+
| *   | Yvette G. Taylor                      |       |               |
| *To |                                       |       |               |
| :** | ##### Regional Administrator          |       |               |
+-----+---------------------------------------+-------+---------------+
|     |                                       |       |               |
+-----+---------------------------------------+-------+---------------+

The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend to you the approval of
the attached Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed
construction the Nashville MTA Central Station in downtown Nashville,TN.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the Nashville
Metropolitan Transit Authority in anticipation of FTA grant assistance
under 49 U.S.C. Section 5309. The EA and supplementary documentation
accurately describes the proposed action, the need for it, and considers
alternatives to the proposed action. A review of the EA reveals no
significant impact on the environment during either construction or
operation of the proposed project.

**Background** --

The Nashville MTA (MTA) proposes to construct an off-street transit
center in downtown

Nashville. The transit center, tentatively named "Central Station," is
intended to replace an on street transit facility located in downtown on
Deaderick Street between 4th and 5th Avenues,

North. Central Station is proposed to be located at the northeast corner
of 5th Avenue North and

Charlotte Avenue, about one city block north of the current Deaderick
Street location. The

proposed project would occupy the area bounded by the Municipal
Auditorium on the north,

Charlotte Avenue on the south, 5th Avenue on the west and 4th Avenue on
the east.

### Purpose and Need --

Currently, almost all of MTA's service is focused on downtown Nashville
with all routes

converging at the Petway Transit Center. MTA's current downtown transit
center is an "on street" facility located in the northern part of
downtown Nashville, on Deaderick Street between

4th and 5th North Avenues. Deaderick Street is a major location for
patrons to transfer between bus routes; since, bus stops are located on
both the north and south side of Deaderick Street, and effectively
occupy the entire block between 4th and 5th Avenues.

In the summer of 2004, the MTA commenced a study to determine the
sufficiency of the Petway

Transit Center as well as whether there were any feasible alternatives
to that facility. The study,

entitled *Nashville MTA Central Station Phase I: Systems Planning* (May
2005)1, was conducted

under the auspices of a steering committee comprised of downtown
stakeholders, to examine the

desirability of retaining the Petway Transit Center. The study also
included a survey of Petway

Transit Center patrons, taken to assess their opinions on the current
situation. Finally, a public

meeting regarding the findings of the study was also held. The study
concluded that the current transit center had several shortcomings,
which inhibit transit operations and customer service. These
shortcomings warranted an examination of alternatives leading to the
proposed action. In summary, these shortcomings were identified:

• The center is too small for the number of buses needing to queue. The
actual street curb has capacity to handle up to 16 standard transit
coaches though as many as 31 vehicles need to access the area. In
addition, some of MTA's vehicles are articulated, further limiting the
number of buses than can queue. The excess buses either double park on
the street or make their passenger drop offs and boarding's on 4th and
5^th^ Avenues North.

• Buses cannot leave their position independently of other buses, thus
needing to wait for

the lead buses to depart. Because of the limited curb space, buses are
typically stopped

"bumper to bumper." This means that the lead bus must move before the
trailing bus can

leave. If a lead bus needs to hold for a transfer connection, the rest
of the buses in queue

are delayed.

• Riders are generally subjected to inclement weather. While bus
shelters provide some

protection, ambient temperatures and wind can make waiting for the bus
unpleasant.

• Riders making transfer connections sometimes must cross Deaderick
Street, a busy city

street. The overall conclusion was that a new "off-street" Central
Station could potentially solve these issues while also contributing to
a better downtown environment for both transit and non-transit
residents, employees and visitors.

The proposed action is needed to accomplish three broad goals. These
goals are:

**[Goal 1]{.underline}**: Improve transit customer service by creating a
downtown space that is safe and

convenient to riders making transfers or accessing downtown. Ultimately,
an improved

space for riders would enhance the transit experience, thus contributing
to increased

ridership.

**[Goal 2]{.underline}**: Make MTA's downtown transit operations more
efficient by providing sufficient

space and flexibility for buses movements.

**[Goal 3:]{.underline}** Contribute to the vitality of downtown
Nashville, thereby helping maintain the

urban core of metropolitan Nashville.

### 

### Alternatives to the Proposed Action --

The study, titled *Nashville MTA Central Station Phase I: Systems
Planning,* reviewed the sufficiency of the current transit center,
developed and evaluated alternatives, and arrived at a Preferred
Alternative. In addition, the study report described the extensive
public involvement process used to support the development and
evaluation of alternatives. The public involvement included a 27 member
steering committee representing a broad range of downtown stakeholders
including MTA riders, downtown business people, State of Tennessee
Architect, Metropolitan Historic Commission and downtown business
development groups. Other outreach efforts included were: a survey of
MTA patrons who currently use the Petway Transit; a study web site which
provided information and opportunity for public comment; and, a general
public meeting that sought comments on the Systems Planning effort.

The *Nashville MTA Central Station Phase I: Systems Planning* study
concluded that the current transit center had several shortcomings,
which inhibit transit operations and customer service. These
shortcomings warranted an examination of alternatives leading to the
proposed action. In summary, these shortcomings were identified:

• The center is too small for the number of buses needing to queue. As
mentioned earlier,

the actual street curb has capacity to handle up to 16 standard transit
coaches though as

many as 31 vehicles need to access the area. In addition, some of MTA's
vehicles are

articulated, further limiting the number of buses than can queue. The
excess buses either

double park on the street or make their passenger drop offs and
boarding's on 4th and 5th

Avenues North.

• Buses cannot leave their position independently of other buses, thus
needing to wait for

the lead buses to depart. Because of the limited curb space, buses are
typically stopped

"bumper to bumper." This means that the lead bus must move before the
trailing bus can

leave. If a lead bus needs to hold for a transfer connection, the rest
of the buses in queue

are delayed.

• Riders are generally subjected to inclement weather. While bus
shelters provide some

protection, ambient temperatures and wind can make waiting for the bus
unpleasant.

• Riders making transfer connections sometimes must cross Deaderick
Street, a busy city

street. Some riders actually jaywalk creating potential safety conflicts
between riders and

general automobile traffic.

The overall conclusion was that a new "off-street" Central Station could
potentially solve these

issues while also contributing to a better downtown environment for both
transit and non-transit

residents, employees and visitors. The study reviewed the sufficiency of
the current transit center, developed and evaluated alternatives, and
arrived at a Preferred Alternative.

### 

### Environmental Conditions and Impacts --

The review of the EA addresses the following environmental concerns:

### *Land Acquisition and Displacements*

Various federal statutes have been enacted to establish a uniform policy
for the fair and equitable

treatment of displaced persons, and persons from whom land is acquired,
as a result of programs

designed and funded for the benefit of the public as a whole. Some of
the applicable laws that

guide government actions for acquisitions, displacements, and
relocations are:

49 CFR Part 24, Department of Transportation implementing regulations
for: The

\"Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisitions Policies
Act of 1970,\" as

amended.

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

These laws provide for a process that is fair, and require practical and
financial assistance in

helping individuals and businesses transition into a comparable
situation. Private property

acquisition for any actions identified for the Preferred Alternative in
this EA will comply with

the appropriate portions of the identified laws and statutes. For
housing units these requirements

include that replacement housing units must be \"decent safe and
sanitary\", and must be

functionally equivalent to the number of rooms and living space,
location, and general improvements. Replacement dwellings must also meet
all of the minimum housing requirements

established by federal regulations and conform to occupancy codes.

Two displacements, Capitol Inn Parking Garage (privately owned by
Central Parking Systems)

and Municipal Parking Garage (publicly owned by Metropolitan Government
of Nashville and

Davidson County), would occur as a result of the Preferred Alternative
construction. Relocation

of these businesses, as a means to accommodate construction of the
project, would be an

unavoidable consequence of the Preferred Alternative.

###### Land Use and Zoning

Like many urban areas, downtown Nashville consists of multiple land
uses. These uses vary not

only from building-to-building, but from floor-to-floor within the
buildings. In general, most

ground floors contain retail services, office and banking type land
uses, while upper floors tend

to provide office and residential usages. The predominant land use
context in downtown

Nashville includes office, banking, retail and governmental services.

The Preferred Alternative for the proposed Central Station would be
located at Site 1, which is

adjacent to the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The current land use for
the auditorium is a

community facility use. The Preferred Alternative includes two parcels
which are currently

occupied by two parking garage structures. The proposed site is located
within areas zoned as

"Commercial Core" and "Commercial Frame" by the City of Nashville.
Surrounding properties

include government and private offices, residential units, and one
church.

###### Air Quality

When considering a new project within the air quality region, such as
Central Station, a

determination must be made whether new project air emissions will be in
conformance with the

attainment plans documented within the SIP, before the project is added
to the regional Long

Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and the funded, three-year
Transportation Improvement

Program (TIP).

The Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is
responsible for the LRTP and

the SIP air quality conformance for the region. The 2030 LRTP is the
current transportation plan

for the five county Nashville region and includes the Central Station
Project. The 2030 LRTP

was adopted with the Central Station Project on October 19, 2005, with
the conformity document being approved November 7, 2005. The Nashville
MPO has included the Central Station Project in the regional TIP in
December of 2005. The Central Station Project is in compliance with air
quality conformance for the region.

***Hazardous & Non-hazardous Waste Materials***

[]{.mark}

This is addressed and outlined in the construction impacts section.

***Water Quality***

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of
Water Pollution

Control (TCEC) regulates surface water and groundwater quality within
the State of Tennessee

per CSRMO 1200-4. The TCEC, USGS, and others collect and analyze water
quality data for

numerous lakes, streams, and rivers throughout Tennessee. The USGS
maintains three gauging

stations within Nashville, Tennessee to collect monthly hydrologic and
chemical data. The

TCEC provides water quality monitoring for the Nashville metropolitan
area.

Stream water quality reflects the land uses within its watershed. Due to
the urban nature of the

study area and surrounding properties, area water quality is most
influenced by urban runoff and

industrial discharge. The Lower Cumberland River basin, Cheatham
Reservoir Watershed has

point source and non-point source pollution issues. The most reported
pollution issues include

collection system failures, urban runoff, and land development
pollutants. The Cheatham

Reservoir provides electricity, drinking water, recreation, and
transportation for the Nashville

Area.

No water bodies are located within the Central Station Study Area. The
Cheatham

Reservoir/Cumberland River is located approximately one quarter-mile
east of the study area.

Storm water from the study area drains to storm drains located along 4th
Avenue North and 5th

Avenue North.

The study area is located within the Ordovician Carbonate Aquifer area.
Groundwater is not

utilized for drinking water in the study area or local surrounding area.
The TCEC does not

provide well head protection for wells in the area.

The Preferred Alternative would not directly impact any natural surface
water bodies. The United States Army Corp of Engineers has commented
that no jurisdictional water bodies are present within the study area.
The Preferred Alternative is not expected to impact groundwater in the
study area. Construction best management practices (BMPs) for storm
water pollution

prevention will be utilized to prevent pollutant migration into
groundwater, should a hazardous

material be released during construction. The implementation of proper
good housekeeping

measures will be required for operation of the bus station after
construction to protect ground and

surface water from potential hazardous material releases.

Sediment and erosion control BMPs will also be implemented to limit
sediment migration from

the site onto adjacent properties or into the municipal storm sewer
system. Anticipated project activities for Central Station development
and operation are not expected to produce serious adverse impacts to
local area water quality.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of
Water Pollution

Control will be consulted and a storm water permit will be obtained for
the project prior to the

initiation of construction activities. A Storm Water Pollution
Prevention Plan will be developed

for and Best Management Practices utilized during construction
activities to limit potential

surface water impacts through storm runoff.

###### Noise

Transit noise is generated from moving vehicles, as well as supporting
services such as

maintenance facilities. The perceptible transit noise that would be
produced from the proposed

transit facility includes bus operations noise. The intensity of the
noise event varies due to a

number of factors. Examples of such factors include the distance of the
receiver from the station

location, presence of intervening terrain or buildings, and specific
transit vehicle related

parameters such as vehicle speed, vehicle length, vehicle equipment
(e.g., air conditioning

systems) and the type and condition of the vehicle wheels and the
running surfaces. In addition,

stationary vehicles generate noise as well. Auxiliary equipment, such as
cooling fans, radiator

fans and air-conditioning pumps, often continue to run after vehicles
have stopped.

The Preferred Alternative would increase noise levels at the study area.
Bus traffic would be

rerouted from the existing Deaderick Street facility to the proposed
Central Station site,

approximately one city block to the north. The proposed Central Station
facility would eliminate

the need for the Deaderick Street facility; therefore, transit noise at
this location would decrease

with the rerouting of transit services.

A general noise assessment was required by FTA guidance for potential
noise impacts to the

Nashville Municipal Auditorium located to the north of the Preferred
Alternative site. The

sensitive receptor is located within 300-feet of the center of noise
generating activity with no

substantial structures in the soundpaths.

Based on this general noise assessment, no noise impacts to identified
sensitive receptors will

occur due to project activities. Appendix E within the final
environmental assessment contains FTA General Noise Assessment program
for Preferred Alternative. This program calculated the Preferred
Alternative to have a transit noise value of 59 dBA at the Nashville
Municipal Auditorium, an appropriate value for a structure 163-feet
away. The above described general noise assessment does not include
non-transit produced noise at the facility, such as construction noise,
ventilation system noise, or other multi-use noise. All applicable city
noise ordinances will be adhered to during and after facility
construction.

[]{.mark}

***Wetlands***

For the purpose of this EA, wetlands were evaluated at a screening level
using USFWS National

Wetland Inventory GIS data, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural
Resource Conservation

Service (NRCS) soil surveys, aerial photographs, USGS topographic maps,
and limited field

investigations.

The USFWS stated in a letter dated January 28, 2005 that available
information does not indicate

that wetlands are present on the study area.

A request for jurisdictional determination for the proposed Central
Station was submitted to the

USACE on February 1, 2005. Their response letter, dated February 4,
2005, determined that the

site does not contain areas which are considered wetlands or other
jurisdictional Waters of the

U.S. which are subject to our federal permitting authority. In addition,
the letter stated that a

Department of the Army permit is not required for this project.

The Preferred Alternative would have no adverse impacts on wetlands. The
USACE has

determined based on available information that the site does not contain
areas which are

considered wetlands or other jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. which are
subject to federal

permitting authority.

***Flooding***

The project study area is located in the Cumberland River Basin. Almost
3,400 miles of rivers

and streams are part of the Cumberland River Basin, with the Cumberland
River as the major

feature. The Cumberland River empties into the Ohio River in Kentucky,
which joins the

Tennessee River and flows into the Mississippi River. The project study
area drains towards the

Cumberland River.

Davidson County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP). Maps developed by FEMA, showing the approximate 100-year and
500-year floodplains, are available for the project study area. Flood
Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) indicates that the project study area is
located outside of the 500-year floodplain.

The project study area is located outside of the 500-year floodplain and
the project activities

associated with the Preferred Alternative would have no adverse impacts
on floodways and

drainage.

***Navigable Waterways and Coastal Zones***

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) has jurisdiction over all Waters
of the U.S.

Discharges of dredged or fill material in Waters of the U.S., including
wetlands, require prior

authorization from the USACE under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
(33 USC 1344).

A Jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. Determination was requested from the
USACE for the study

area. The USACE responded that "it has determined that the project study
area does not contain

areas which are considered wetlands or other Jurisdictional Waters of
the U.S. which are subject

to our federal permitting authority." No USACE permit is required for
the proposed

development of the Central Station.

The project study area does not contain areas which are considered
wetlands or other

Jurisdictional Waters of the U.S., and project activities associated
with the Preferred Alternative

will not impact any jurisdictional water bodies.

***Ecologically Sensitive Areas***

Please see information contained in the Wetlands analysis.

[]{.mark}

[]{.mark}

***Endangered & Threatened Species***

There are no confirmed observations of federally or state-listed
endangered species in the study

area. The proposed station development will not impact area water
quality and therefore will not

impact state and federally-listed aquatic species listed as being
present in the Cumberland River

in the downtown area. No records were found for Peregrine Falcon nesting
sites on the proposed

site; as a result, project activities are not expected to impact
Peregrine Falcon nesting sites

located in the downtown area. Project activities are not expected to
impact state or federally-listed threatened and endangered species.

[]{.mark}

***Parking, Traffic, and Pedestrian Activities***

The Preferred Alternative includes the replacement of all parking
currently available at the site.

Approximately 746 total spaces are currently available from at the
site's garages. When Central

Station is fully built out, 1,018 parking spaces will be available
on-site. This includes 179 spaces

designated for the 145 residential apartments that would be part of the
maximum build-out of

Central Station. A total of 839 available spaces would be provided
(discounting apartment

parking) for a net increase of 93 spaces. Of these 93 spaces a small
number would be required

for Central Station employees and the ancillary retail associated with
the development. Overall,

the impact on parking would be enhanced by the proposed action.

Increase in bus traffic is anticipated along the roadways adjacent to
the proposed transit center.

However, based on a level of service analysis, the relocation of the
transit center from its existing

location at Deaderick to the preferred site along with potential joint
developments will not

increase the average vehicle delay at any of the study intersections by
more than 8 seconds.

Currently, LOS "F" is experienced along James Robertson Parkway at both
the intersections of

3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue during the afternoon peak hour. Coordination
and optimization of

signal timings for the study intersections along James Robertson Parkway
could significantly

reduce delay and improve traffic operation. This improvement is
warranted based on current

conditions without the proposed transit center.

All signalized study intersections have pedestrian phases that are
recalled automatically. The

increased pedestrian activity across Charlotte Avenue, 4th Avenue and
5th Avenue should be

able to be accommodated at these intersections. However, future
pedestrian activity should be

evaluated once the transit center is in place to ensure that adequate
pedestrian crossing time is

being provided. With the reconfigured intersection of James Robertson
Parkway and 4th Avenue,

the pedestrian crossing across the southbound lanes will need to be
relocated to the north about

20 feet to accommodate the relocated access to the Municipal Auditorium
parking garage.

In addition, the safety of pedestrians was considered in the design of
the proposed transit center.

The resulting design included several elements to accommodate and
provide for the safety of

pedestrians. Pedestrian access points were located at the corners of
Charlotte Avenue and 4th

Avenue and at Charlotte Avenue and 5th Avenue to eliminate pedestrian
conflicts across bus

accesses north of the two intersections along 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue.

***Energy Requirements & Potential for Conservation***

Direct energy consumption has not been quantified for this analysis, but
it would be proportional

to the number of vehicle miles traveled under each alternative and the
level of service provided.

Construction of the Preferred Alternative would result in lower direct
energy consumption, due

to the reduction in traffic congestion and delay times experienced
during peak hours. The No-

Build Alternative could be considered wasteful over the long term.
However, the No-Build

Alternative would result in less indirect energy consumption because
there would be no

construction activities.

Maintaining the Deaderick Street transit center would indicate the
continuation of an inefficient

operation and reduction of overall transit operations and transit flow
with increases idling time

and congestion. Although a comprehensive energy study has not been
performed for this EA, the

Preferred Alternative would be increasingly energy efficient beyond the
construction period, and

over time when compared to the No-Build Alternative. The Preferred
Alternative would have a

high initial energy outlay; however, over a period of years, this energy
cost would be overcome

by the reduction in direct energy consumed by continued inefficient
transit operations.

***Historical and Archaeological Resources and Neighboring Future
Projects***

According to historic Sanborn Fire Insurance Rate maps, the Preferred
Alternative area has been

developed for various urban uses since at least 1888 (Appendix I). Most
likely, the site and

vicinity urbanization dates back to late 18th or early 19th century,
after the Fort of

Nashborough's founding in 1789. The construction of the state capitol
complex was initiated in

1845\. Over the last two centuries the city of Nashville (formerly
Nashborough) has developed

from a trading post to one of the regional centers of the southeast
United States. According to

2000 U.S. Census Bureau data 545,524 people reside within the city
limits of Nashville.

Currently, the City of Nashville has the following projects in various
stages of development that

may be considered potential cumulative effects when added to the
proposed Nashville MTA

Central Station project:

• Viridian: 305 condominium high-rise is under construction (includes a
grocery store on

the first floor);

• Metro Courthouse renovation and Public Square Plaza/ underground
parking facility is

under construction;

• U.S. Courthouse is a \$106 Million facility on Church Street is in the
design stage;

• Major Street improvements in the CBD are scheduled for 2005/ 2006;

• The 1900 seat, \$120 Million Schermerhorn Symphony Center is scheduled
to open in

2006; and,

• A proposed AAA baseball park, including retail and residential
development on the

former Thermal site.

Planned projects include:

• Two new high-rise office buildings are planned in the CBD, one of
which is slated for

groundbreaking during the summer of 2005;

• Rolling Mill Hill development is a mixed use development planned for
south of

Broadway and overlooking Cumberland;

• The Convention Center is undergoing study to expand the facility or
develop a new

center downtown;

• Various other projects are planned in SoBro/ Gateway district; and

• It was recently reported that there are more than \$100 million in new
or proposed

development projects underway around the Symphony Center site including:
a new hotel,

which is in the design phase, to be located two blocks south of the
center; several

residential complexes, in development stages; and, various restaurants
and entertainment

venues.

***Parklands and Recreation Areas***

The project site is not located on or adjacent to any parklands or
greenspaces. No 4(f) or 6(f)

properties conversion would be required for the proposed project. Local
agencies, including the Tennessee Department of Transportation,
Tennessee Commission on Environment and Conservation, and the
Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County were contacted
in order to identify properties utilizing 4(f) or 6(f) funds within
500-feet

of the proposed project site. No properties were identified, and project
activities will not

indirectly impact any known 4(f) or 6(f) fund receiving property.

Project activities will not directly impact the Capital Complex grounds
or any other green space

located in downtown Nashville. However, the Preferred Alternative may
potentially indirectly

impact downtown Nashville parks and greenspaces through increased park
utilization, by way of

increased public mobility and access.

***Construction***

In the construction phase of the Central Station, structures,
maintenance facilities and other

facilities would result in the generation of various
construction-related effects. Members of the

population who would be most affected include local residents, business
owners and customers,

whose neighborhoods and businesses are located adjacent to the proposed
transit facility. Also,

any vehicular traffic along the proposed construction sites would
inevitably experience delays

and inconveniences as a result of construction.

Opportunities exist for mitigation of the construction-related impacts.
Mitigation for the impacts

noted will be discussed prior to subsequent design phases, and
implemented during construction.

Mitigation during construction is likely to address:

• Displacements and Relocation

• Parking

• Roadway Operations

• Aesthetics

During the construction period, adverse impacts to parking for events
held at the municipal

auditorium will be mitigated through a variety of methods. Nashville MTA
will provide public

service announcements, bus information and schedules to the general
public and stakeholders for

alternate transportation to the municipal auditorium. As part of the
construction mitigation plan,

Nashville MTA is also considering discounted fares for displaced parkers
and is currently

seeking alternate parking facilities with shuttle bus services to the
auditorium.

***Aesthetics***

The Preferred Alternative would cause temporary visual impacts during
the construction period,

and long-term changes, including creation of new vantage points, and
modifications to existing

viewsheds from public and private vantage points. Construction period
visual impacts would be caused by temporary storage of equipment and
materials, earthwork operations, vegetation disruption, and related
construction activity in certain public and private viewsheds. These
impacts would be temporary and will be mitigated by standard practices.

The long-term visual character of the proposed Central Station
improvements would maintain the

character of the downtown area surrounding the Nashville Auditorium.
Currently the Preferred

Alternative site's low lying parking structures break the continuity of
multiple story structures

throughout the downtown area. Construction of the Preferred Alternative
would continue the

downtown character to the government complex area, located to the west,
and promote an image

of a robust, dense urban center. As viewed from surrounding properties,
the Preferred

Alternative would be an aesthetic upgrade over the current parking
structures.

The long-term visual character from the facility would be designed to
limit visual impacts to

surrounding properties. Conceptual renderings illustrate a structure
which continues the current

view corridor of the capitol complex from the east in addition to the
plaza area character, with

potential improvements, located immediately south of Nashville Municipal
Auditorium. Views

of the surrounding area to the south would be limited by the proposed
structure, however, and

will not impact the viewshed.

***Socioeconomic Resources***

The City of Nashville is governed jointly with Davidson County as the
Metropolitan

Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Davidson County exhibited
positive growth over the ten year period between 1990 and 2000.
Population growth in Davidson County coincides with 16.7% positive
growth in the state of Tennessee during the 1990/2000 time period.

The Preferred Alternative census block and adjacent blocks within 500
feet were examined for

population data. The Preferred Alternative block was unpopulated
(Population: 0). Only 2 of

the 15 surrounding blocks within 500 feet were populated. The populated
census blocks were not

adjoining to the Preferred Alternative.

Minority and poverty data was obtained for Davidson County, the
Preferred Alternative block

group, and the two populated blocks that are within 500 feet of the
project site. Block level

poverty data was not available.

***Community Disruption & Environmental Justice***

Considerable social and demographic data were compiled for the study
area to identify minority

and low income populations, and to identify potential environmental
justice issues with the

Preferred Alternative. In order to determine whether the Preferred
Alternative would have

disproportionate impact, overall displacement impacts were summarized
and compared. There

are no residential displacements and only two commercial displacements
associated with the

proposed project: Capitol Inn Parking Garage, owned by Central Parking
Systems; and,

Municipal Parking Garage, owned by Metropolitan Government of Nashville
and Davidson County. Based on a review of that data, public involvement
and analysis of potential

displacements and other impacts, it is determined that no minority or
low-income population

residences or commercial businesses would be displaced as a result of
proposed project and the

Preferred Alternative would not have disproportionately high and adverse
human health or

environmental effects on minority and low income populations. Further,
the Nashville MTA

operating improvements associated with the Preferred Alternative would
accrue benefits to all

population segments and income levels.

***Safety and Security***

As with all new public facilities, there is moderate potential for
increases in theft, vandalism and

need for emergency services to develop as a result of the proposed
facility. Similar to the

existing transit facility, a police presence would be present at the
proposed Central Station.

Police will be given space on the premises to prepare reports and park
bicycles as needed. The

transit facility would include emergency telephone access. This would
allow transit patrons to

contact 911 emergency services should they be required.

The proposed transit station would be well lit with limited visual
obstructions. The presence of

transit patrons would provide increased opportunity for natural
surveillance of the facilities.

Likewise, surveillance of station platforms would be enhanced through
the use of video cameras

and monitors, and cameras would monitor ticket vending machines for
added security. Nearby

residents, employers and passersby in the area would also contribute to
natural surveillance.

Nashville MTA will clean and maintain the proposed transit facility as
part of operating and

maintaining the system, full-time customer service personnel would also
be present during

normal business hours. This will contribute positively to the perception
and reality of the area

being safe and secure for transit users and adjacent property owners.

####### Consistency with Local Plans

The Long Range Transportation Plan for Nashville, which includes the MTA
Central Station project, was approved on October 19, 2005. The project
is in the process of being amended into the Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP), as well as the Nashville Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP)

### Public and Agency Coordination --

All necessary state and local agencies were contacted regarding this
project. A Notice of Availability (NOA) was issued to these public
agencies, public advertisements were placed in the local newspaper, and
public service announcements were conducted announcing the availability
of the EA. Public comments were properly documented and addressed by
Nashville MTA, and all agency coordination letters and communications
display that no significant impacts concerning the implementation of
this project exists.

[]{.mark}

**Conclusion --**

No notable adverse environmental impacts would result from the Proposed
Action that would necessitate development of an Environmental Impact
Statement. Therefore, it is recommended that a Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) be issued.