31954 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement on

Transportation Improvements Within

the Proposed North/South Central and

Southeast Corridors in Austin, Texas

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration,

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit

Administration (FTA) and the Capital

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

(CMTA) is issuing this notice to advise

interested agencies and the public that

an environmental impact statement is

being prepared in accordance with the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) for transportation improvements

in the proposed North/South Central

and Southeast Corridors in Austin,

Texas. Due to tremendous growth in the

Austin Metropolitan Area over the past

decade, major north-south freeways and

arterials serving three major

employment centers are severely

congested. In 1997, 50% of commuters

used north/south freeways daily.

Additionally, the Austin metropolitan

area has exceeded the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) standards for

ozone over the past three years and risks

non-attainment designation in 2000.

The proposed project will provide

alternative means of travel for

commuters to their destination, reduce

congestion and vehicular emissions, and

improve air quality in the region.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written

comments on the scope of the

alternatives and impacts to be

considered should be sent to Surinder

Marwah, Project Manager by June 23,

2000. Scoping Meetings: Three public

scoping meetings will be held at the

following locations and dates. Scoping

material will be available at the meeting

or in advance of the meeting by

contacting Sam Archer, Capital Metro,

at (512) 389–7546. A court reporter will

be available to record comments and a

sign language interpreter will be

available for the hearing impaired. A

TDD number (512) 389–3230 is also

available for the hearing impaired. The

buildings are accessible to people with

disabilities.

Public Scoping

Tuesday, June 6, 2000, from 7:00 P.M.

to 9:00 P.M., Winters Bldg.—Public

Hearing Room, Texas Dept. of Human

Services (Winters Building), 701 West

51st Street, Austin, Texas

Wednesday, June 7, 2000, from 7:00

P.M. to 9:00 P.M., South Austin

Multipurpose Center, 2508 Durwood

St., Austin, Texas

Thursday, June 8, 2000, from 7:00 P.M.

to 9:00 P.M., Austin History Center

Reception Room, 9th and Guadalupe,

Austin, Texas

Interagency Scoping

Monday, June 5, 2000 from 1 P.M. to 3

P.M., Capital Metro, 2910 East 5th

Street, Austin, Texas 78702

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

project scope should be sent to Surinder

Marwah, Project Manager, Capital

Metro, 2910 East 5th Street, Austin,

Texas 78702. Telephone (512) 369–

6047, Fax (512) 369–6072.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Jesse Balleza, Federal Transit

Administration, Region VI, 819 Taylor

Street, Suite 8A36, Fort Worth, Texas

76102; Telephone (817) 978–0550.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

The Federal Transit Administration

(FTA) in cooperation with the Capital

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

(Capital Metro), intends to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for the proposed North/South Central

and Southeast Corridors in Austin,

Texas. The public is invited to

participate in developing the analysis

approach, alignment alternatives to be

evaluated, and the mode and

technologies to be considered. Project

comments may be made at the public

scoping meetings or in writing. See the

‘‘Scoping Meeting’’’ section above for

locations and times.

II. Description of Corridor and Its

Transportation Needs

The proposed North/South Central

Corridor would provide service from

Ben White Boulevard, through the

central business district (CBD) to north

Austin at McNeil Road. The proposed

Southeast Corridor would provide

service from the CBD to Pleasant Valley/

Martin Luther King (MLK) Boulevard.

Combined, the initial phase would be

approximately 20 miles long and

encompass approximately 26 stations,

including park and ride lots. A portion

of the proposed project would operate

along the existing railroad right-of-way

(ROW) owned by Capital Metro from

McNeil Road in north Austin to Lamar

Boulevard at Airport Road, then operate

in the street through the CBD to Ben

White Boulevard in south Austin, and

in street from the CBD to IH–35 and

then along existing railroad ROW to

Pleasant Valley/MLK Blvd. The

proposed alignment would provide

access to three major activity centers in

Austin, the University of Texas at

Austin, the State Capitol Complex, and

the CBD.

The Austin Metropolitan Area is one

of the fastest growing regions in the

United States. Between 1990 and 1997,

the population increased almost 30%

(U.S. Census). The Capital Area

Metropolitan Planning Organization

(CAMPO) estimates the population will

exceed 1.9 million by year 2025. In

1997, 50% of commuters used north/

south freeways daily (CAMPO). The

current north-south freeways (IH–35

and Loop 1/Mopac Expressway) will

have to increase capacity significantly to

meet future demand.

Additionally, the Austin metropolitan

area has exceeded the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) standards for

ozone over the past three years and risks

non-attainment designation in 2000.

The Texas Natural Resource

Conservation Commission has attributed

vehicular emissions as the single largest

cause of air pollutants in the region.

Area residents particularly minority,

elderly, or low-income individuals often

rely on transit for their transportation

needs. Regional employment also has

continued to grow, particularly in the

high-tech industry. The emergence of

new activity centers along the proposed

corridor within the last fifteen years has

created new commuting patterns and

additional demands on transportation

facilities.

III. Alternatives

The transportation alternatives

proposed for consideration in this

project area include:

No-Action—which involves no

change to transportation services or

facilities in the corridor beyond already

committed projects;

Enhanced Bus/Transportation System

Management (TSM)—alternative which

consists of low to medium cost

improvements to the facilities and

operation of the Capital Metro bus

system in addition to the currently

planned transit improvements in the

corridors, and

Build Alternative—Build alternatives

(including line, station locations and

support facilities), including light rail

and bus rapid transit transportation

modes generally following the existing

railroad right-of-way (ROW) owned by

Capital Metro from McNeil Road in

north Austin to Lamar Blvd. At Airport

Road, then operate in the street through

the CBD to Ben White Blvd. in south

Austin, and in street from the CBD to

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices 31955

IH–35 and then along existing railroad

ROW to Pleasant Valley/MLK Blvd.

IV. Probable Effects

The FTA and Capital Metro will

evaluate all significant environmental,

social, and economic impacts of the

alternatives analyzed in the EIS.

Primary environmental issues include:

land use and neighborhood protection,

traffic and parking, visual, noise and

vibration, safety, aesthetics, storm water

management, archaeological, historic,

cultural and ecological resources.

Impacts on natural areas, rare and

endangered species, air and water

quality, groundwater, and potentially

contaminated sites will also be studied.

Displacements and relocations,

ecosystems, water resources, hazardous

waste, parklands, and energy impacts

will be assessed. The impacts will be

evaluated for the construction period

and for the long-term operation of each

alternative. Measures to avoid,

minimize or mitigate any significant

adverse impacts will be developed.

V. FTA Procedures

In accordance with the federal

transportation planning regulations (23

CFR Part 450), the Draft EIS will be

prepared to include an evaluation of the

social, economic, and environmental

impacts and benefits of the alternatives.

The DEIS will consider the public and

agency comments received and Capital

Metro in coordination with CAMPO and

other affected agencies, will select the

preferred alternative. Then Capital

Metro, as the local lead agency, will

continue with the preparation of the

Final EIS (FEIS). Opportunity for

additional public comment will be

provided throughout all phases of

project development.

Issued on: May 16, 2000.

Blas M. Uribe,

Deputy Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 00–12637 Filed 5–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement on

Transit Improvements in Los Angeles

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration,

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit

Administration (FTA) and the Los

Angeles County Metropolitan

Transportation Authority (MTA) intend

to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) in accordance with the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) for transportation improvements

in Los Angeles County, California. In

addition, the MTA will be jointly

issuing an Environmental Impact Report

(EIR), pursuant to the California

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The

purposes of the project are to improve

east-west travel options in the San

Fernando Valley and to provide a

connection to other portions of a

regional rail and bus network. The

options being considered include

Transportation Systems Management

(TSM) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

The latter alternative would be focused

on the former Southern Pacific (SP)

Burbank/Chandler railroad right-of-way.

In the course of this study, FTA

expects the MTA and the Southern

California Association of Governments,

which is responsible for transportation

planning in metropolitan Los Angeles,

to establish priorities for the proposed

transit improvement in the San

Fernando Valley and the myriad of

other competing projects and transit

needs in the region. This prioritization

of proposed projects and other transit

needs will involve, among other

considerations, the development of a

financial plan that identifies for each

capital need the non-Federal funds to be

used along with the proposed Federal

funding.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written

comments on the scope of the

alternatives and impacts to be

considered should be sent to the address

below by June 23, 2000.

Scoping Meeting Dates: Scoping

workshops will be held on: May 24,

2000 at Sherman Oaks Women’s Club

from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and on

May 25, 2000 at the Conference Room

at Kaiser Permanente, Woodland Hills

from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. See the

ADDRESSES below. The public is invited

to arrive at any time. There will be no

formal presentations; both workshops

will be held in an open house format.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

project scope should be sent to Kevin

Michel, Transportation Planning

Manager, Los Angeles County

Metropolitan Transportation Authority,

One Gateway Plaza, Mail Stop 99–22–5,

Los Angeles, California, 90012–2952.

All comments received will be

forwarded to the FTA.

The scoping workshops will be held at

the following locations: Sherman Oaks

Woman’s Club, 4808 Kester Avenue,

Sherman Oaks, California, 91403 and at

Kaiser Permanente, 5601 DeSoto

Avenue, Woodland Hills, California

91367. Both locations are accessible to

persons with disabilities. Spanishspeaking MTA staff will be present. If

hearing-impaired services will be

needed, please notify Mr. Michel at the

MTA address above, or call TTY (800)

252–9040. Other questions about the

scoping workshops may be directed by

voice telephone to Mr. Michel at (213)

922–2854.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ervin Poka or Ray Tellis, Federal Transit

Administration/Federal Highway

Administration Metropolitan Office,

Telephone (213) 202–3950.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTA,

in cooperation with the MTA, will

prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) for a proposed public

transit project in the San Fernando

Valley, Los Angeles County California,

to be implemented in an east-west

corridor extending from the Metro Red

Line station located in North Hollywood

(scheduled to open on June 24, 2000)

westward to Warner Center, a distance

of approximately 14 miles. The

purposes of the project are to improve

east-west travel options in the San

Fernando Valley and to provide a

connection to other portions of the

regional rail and bus network that is

being planned and operated by the

MTA.

FTA and MTA invite interested

individuals, organizations, and federal,

state, and local agencies to participate in

defining the alternatives and

environmental factors to be evaluated in

the EIS/EIR. Scoping comments

regarding these matters may be made at

the workshops on the dates and at the

locations indicated above. During

scoping, comments should focus on

identifying specific social, economic or

environmental concerns to be evaluated

and suggesting alternatives that should

be considered during the EIS/EIR

process. Scoping is not the appropriate

time to indicate a preference for a

particular alternative. Comments of that

nature should be communicated after

the draft EIS/EIR has been completed

and publicized.

Scoping packets describing the

proposed action will be sent to

appropriate Federal, State and local

agencies, and to other parties who are

known to have shown an interest in the

project.

Background: Transit planning for the

San Fernando Valley has been

underway since 1980, when Los

Angeles County voters approved a 1⁄2

cent sales tax measure to fund regional

rail improvements. In 1988, studies

were conducted to identify alternatives,

and in 1990 and 1992, the MTA