Federal Register/Vol. 81, No. 196/Tuesday, October

11, 2016/Notices 70259

Increase Travel Capacity Without
Impacting Air Quality and Natural
Resources ~ Highway capacity
improvements can have negative
impacts on regional and local air quality
as well as the efficient use of natural
resources. Rail system improvements
offer the opportunity to achieve air
quality benefits with fewer potential
impacts on natural resources.

Project Purpose and Objectives

‘The overall purpose of the Project is
to provide a safe, reliable, and
convenient intercity passenger rail
service that would meet the future
mobility needs of residents, businesses,
and visitors within the Corridor. The
Project would achieve the following
objectives:

* Provide travelers between the
Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles
Basin with a public transportation
service that offers more convenient and
competitive trip times, better station
access, and more frequency, than
currently-available public transportation
services;

‘* Provide travelers between the
Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles
Basin with an alternative to driving that
offers reliable travel schedules;

© Provide travelers between the
Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles
Basin with a transportation service that
is affordable;

* Serve a range of trip purposes
traveling between the Coachella Valley
and the Los Angeles Basin, particularly
including business, social, medical,
leisure, and recreational trips;

Improve regional travel
opportunities between the Coachella

and the Los Angeles Basin for
transit dependent people;

‘© Serve the expected population
growth in the Coachella Valley and the
Los Angeles Basin; and

‘* Not preclude, by choice of
alignment or technology, a possible
future Corridor expansion the
Coachella Valley and Phoenix.

The Project would provide enhanced
passenger Tail service and is consistent
with State and regional efforts to reduce
mobile source emissions associated with
highway and truck traffic on parallel
highways from Los Angeles to Indio.
‘Those offorts are anticipated to help the
Southern California Association of
Governments (SCAG) and RCTC meet
the air pollution and greenhouse gas
emission reduction targets mandated by

California Assembly Bill 32, known as
the Global Warming Solutions Act of
2006, as amended, and California Senate
Bill 375, known as the California's
Sustainable Communities and Climate
Protection Act of 2008. These two laws

establish the basis for SCAG and RCTC
to accommodate regional growth
through increased and more frequent
access to alternative modes of transit for
local communities.

Proposed Project Alternatives

In the Programmatic EIS/EIR FRA,
RCTG, and Caltrans will evaluate and
analyze a No Build Alternative and at
least one Build Alternative consisting of
multiple improvements between Indio
and Los Angeles.

No Build Alternative—The No Build
Alternative provides a baseline for
comparison to the Build Alternative.
‘This alternative represents the existing
California transportation system
(highway, air, and rail) as it would exist
after completion of programs or projects
currently funded or being implemented.
‘The No Build Alternative would draw
upon the following sources of
information:

© State Transportation Improvement
Program (2016);

« Regional Transportation Plans for
a modes oftravel:

* Ain 53 an

. Pasbongee rail plans.

Build Alternative—The Build
Alternative would include the necessary
infrastructure improvements to meet the
Project's purpose and need. The Build
Alternative is made up of two
components, a route alignment and
station alternatives,

FRA, RCTC, and Caltrans will
consider the July 2016 Alternatives
Analysis Final Report when identifying
the Build Alternative(s) for detailed
analysis in the atic EIS/EIS.
However, additional reasonable build
alternatives meeting the proposed

pispooo end ood but not considered ty
the July 2016 Alternatives Analysis
Final Report may be developed during
the scoping process. This may also
involve refining the Build Alternative as
more information comes available based
on the environmental analysis an
coordination with stakeholders and the
public. Additionally, the proposed
purpose and need may be updated and/
or refined based on coordination with
stakeholders and the public.

Probable Effects

‘The Programmatic EIS/EIR will
consider the potential environmental
effects of the Project Alternatives. FRA,
RCTC, and Caltrans will analyze the
following environmental issue areas in
the Programmatic KIS/EIR: Agricultural
Lands; Air Quality and Global Climate
ange; Biological and Wetland
Resources; Cultural and Historic
Resources; Economic and Fiscal
Impacts; Energy; Environmental Justice;

Floodplains, Hydrology, and Water
Quality; Geology, Soils, and Seismicity;
Hazardous Waste and Materials; Land
Use, Planning, and Communities; Noise
and Vibration; Parklands, Community
Services, and Other Public Facilities;
Safety and Security; Section 4(f) and 6(f}
Resources; Transportation; and Visual
Quality and Aesthetics.
Scoping and Comments
FRA encourages broad participati
in the EIS process during scoping and
review of the resulting environmental
documents. FRA invites all interested
‘ies, Native American Tribes, and
the public at large to participate tn the
scoping process to ensure the
EIS/EIR addresses the full
range of issues related to the proposed
action, reasonable alternatives are
addressed, and all significant issues are
identified. FRA requests any public
agency having jurisdiction over an
aspect of the Project identify the
agency’s permit or environmental
review requirements and the scope and
content of the environmental
information germane to the agency's
jurisdiction over the Project. FRA
requests public agencies adviso FRA if
they anticipate taking a major action in
connection with the proposed project
and if they wish to cooperate in the
preperation ofthe Programmatic EIS/

“FRA will coordinate with
participating agencies during
development of the Draft
EIS undor 23 U.S.C. 139. FRA will
invite all Federal and non-Federal
agencies and Native American Tribes
that may have an interest in the Project
to become participating agencies for the
EIS. If an agency or Tribe is not invited
and would like to participate, please
contact FRA at the contact information
listed above. FRA will develop a
Coordination Plan summarizing how it
will engage the public, agencies, and
‘Tribes in the process. The Coordination
Plan will be posted to the Project Web
site hitp://rcte.org/projects/rail-projects/
coachella-valley-san-gorgonio-pass-
corridor-rail-service and to FRA’s Web
site fra.dot.gov, At various milestones
during the development of the
Programmatic EIS/EIR, FRA, RCTC, and
Caltrans will provide additional
opportunities for public and interested

atic

party input.
., RCTC, and Caltrans have
scheduled three public scoping

meetings as an important component of
the Scoping process for both the state
and Federal environmental review. The
scoping meetings described in the
ADDRESSES section will also be
advertised locally and included in


70258

Federal Register/Vol. 81, No. 196/Tuesday, October

11, 2016/Notices

Rail Corridor Service Project must do so
by November 10, 2016.

‘Three public scoping meetings are
scheduled for Wednesday, October 12,
2016; Thursday, October 13, 2016; and
Monday, October 17, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons should
send written comments to FRA’s Office
of Program Delivery, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE. (Mail Stop 20), Washington,
DC 20590, or Riverside County
Transportation Commission (RCTC),
4080 Lemon Street, 3rd Floor, Riverside,
California 92501, or via email to Robert
Yates, Multimodal Services Director,
CoachellaValleyRail@
ArellanoAssociates.com. Comments
should include “Coachella Valley—San

mio Pass Rail Corridor Service—
NOI Scoping Comments” in the subject

ine.

Interested persons may also provide
comments orally or in writing at the
following scoping meetit

° Spraghrook fab House at Reid
Park: 1101 N. Orange Street Riverside,
CA 92501, between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00

0.5
pF indio Senior Genter: 45-700
Aladdin Street, Indio, CA 92201,
between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; and

‘© Metro Headquarters, Plaza Level:
One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles,
California 90012, between 5:00 p.m. and

7:00 pm.
scoping mooting locations aro
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(ADA) accessible. Spanish language
translators will be present. You may call
(909) 627-2974 at least 72 hours in
advance of the meeting to request other
accommodations or translation services.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Stephanie Perez, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Office of Program
Delivery, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE. (Mail Stop 20), Washington,
DC 20590; Telephone: (202) 483-0368,
email: stephanie. perez@dot gov, or
Robert Yates, Multimodal Services
Director, at CoachellaValleyRail@
ArellanoAssociates.com.
‘Scoping materials and information
concerning the scoping meeting is
available through RCTC’s Web site:
http://rctc.org/projects/rail-projects/
coachella-valley-san-gorgonio-pass-
corridor-rail-service.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FRA is an
operating administration of DOT and is
responsible for oversceing the safoty of
railroad operations, including the safety
of any proposed rail transportation
. FRA also provides financial
assistance for intercity passenger rail
capital investments.
is the lead agency under NEPA
for the Project. FRA will prepare the

Programmatic EIS/EIR consistent with
NEPA, the Council on Environmental
Quality regulations implementing NEPA
(40 GFR parts 1500-1508), and FRA’s
Procedures for Considering
Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545,
May 26, 1999; 78 FR 2713, Jan. 14, 2013)
(Environmental Procedures).
RCTC, and Caltrans will prepare the EIS
consistent with 23 U.S.C. 139 {titled
‘aifolet apres parle fm
roject decision. "). RCTC anc
Caltrans will ensure the EIR is
consistent with CEQA. After release and
circulation of a Draft Programmatic EIS/
EIR for public comment, FRA will issue
asingle document consisting of the
Final Programmatic EIS and a Record of
Decision under the Fixing America’s
Surface Transportation Act (Pub. L.
114-94, section 1304(n)(2)) unless it
determines that statutory criteria or
practicability considerations prelude
issuing a combined document.

The EIS will also document FRA's
compliance with other applicable
Federal, state, and local laws including,
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, Section 4(f] of the U.S.
‘Department of Transportation Act of
1966, the conformity requirements of
the Clean Air Act, and Executive Order
12898 and U.S. DOT Order 5610.2(a) on
Environmental Justice. FRA, RCTC, and
Caltrans will use a tiered NEPA process
eg. Programmatic EIS/EIR) to complete

the environmental review of the Project,
under 40 CFR 1508.28 (titled “‘Tiering”}
and FRA’s Environmental Procedures.

“Tiering” is a staged environmental
review process often applied to
environmental review for complex

ition Projects: ‘When used, the

{nite phase ofa tared process

addresses broad. questions and likely
environmental effects for the Corridor
including, but not limited to, the type of
service(s) being proposed, major
infrastructure components, and

constraints. Based on the decisions
made in the Programmatic EIS/EIR,
future site-specific proposals would be
analyzed at a greater level of detail and
addressed in subsequent phases or
tiered (e.g. Project-level NEPA and
CEQA) environmental documents.
Project Description and Background

The Project would extend from an
eastern terminus in Indio, California to
the western terminus at Los Angeles
Union Station (LAUS), and is
approximately 141 miles long. In 1991,
RCTC completed the first in a series of
studies evaluating the feasibility of
operating one or two daily intercity rail
round trips between Los Angeles and
Indio. From 1991 to 2013, RCTC

completed additional feasibility studies
on the Coachella Valley—San Gorgonio
Pass Rail Corridor Service. In July 2016,
RCTC, in coordination with Caltrans
and and completed the
Coacholla Valley—San Gorgonio Pass
Rail Corridor Service Study Alternatives
Analysis Final Report that evaluated a
reasonable range of alternatives for a
new intercity rail service between Los
Angeles and Indio. The purpose of the
Alternatives Analysis was to identify an
alternative(s) for more detailed

evaluation in a subsequent Service
Development Plan and Programmatic
EIS/ER.
Project Need

The Corridor currently faces
significant mobility challenges that are
likely to continue as growth in

population, employment, and tourism
activity is expected to increase travel
demand. An effective rail system will
help meet the future mobility needs of
residents, businesses, and visitors. The
Corridor faces continuing transportation
challenges as evidenced by the
following:

Constrained Travel Options—Whilo a
transportation system that includes air,
highway, and rail modes, serves the
Corridor, access and capacity are
presently constrained along certai
Fegments and mey be unable to moet
future travel demand. Air access is
limited for many residenta duo to
distance from mejor airports, fe
and high cost of flights bets rad
Coachella Valley region and Los
Angeles. Interstate 10 is the only major
highway that serves the eastern portion
of the Corridor. Amtrak offers limited
long distance passenger train service
three times a week with a stop in Palm
Springs late at nj

‘Significant Highway Congestion—
While travel by car is expected to meet
the majority of future travel demand,
increased use will result in additional
congestion. Congestion along certain
highway segments of the Corridor is
likely to worsen, making travel times
unreliable, Interstate 10 follows the
entirety of the Corridor and experiences
regular congestion and travel delays. In
addition, geographic constraints limit
the potential expansion of the existing
highway system.

‘onstrained Rail System Capacity—
Existing corridor rail service could
accommodate an increasing portion of
projected travel demand growth by
providing an alternative mode to car
travel. However, rail service is currently
constrained and exiting infant icture
would need to be upgraded to provide
adoquate main track eapacity for
additional passenger trains.


70260

Federal Register/Vol. 81, No. 196/Tuesday, October 11, 2016/ Notices

additional public notification. The
format of the meeting will consist of a
presentation describing the proposed
Coachella Valley—San Gorgonio Pass
Corridor Service Project, objectives, and
existing conditions. Following the
presentation, scoping meeting attendees
will be able to participate in an open
house format that encourages questions
and comments on the Project from the
public.

Felicia Young,
Acting Director, Office of Program Delivery.
[FR Doc. 2016-24587 Filed 10-86-16; 4:15 pml
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration

Environmental Impact Statement for
the Long Bridge Project In
Washington, DC

AGENCY: Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT).
action: Extension of agency and public
scoping comment period, Long Bridge
Project.
SUMMARY: On August 26, 2016, FRA
published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to
prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Long Bridge
Project jointly with the District of
Columbia Department of Transportation
(DDOT) (81 FR 59036). The Proposed
Action consists of potential
improvements to Long Bridge and
related railroad infrastructure located.
between the Virginia Railway Express
(VRE) Crystal City Station in Arlington,
Virginia and Control Point (CP) Virginia
in Washington, DC. In announcing its
intent, FRA and DDOT established a 30-
day public comment period that was
scheduled to end on September 26,
2016. In consideration of requests for
additional time to comment, FRA and
DDOT are extending the scoping
comment period to October 14, 2016.
‘The extension provides agencies and the
public with 30 days to submit
comments following public and
interagency scoping meetings held on
September 14, 2016.
DATES: Tho scoping comment period for
the Long Bridge Project is extended to
October 14, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Scoping comments can be
mailed to the address identified under
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
caption below. Internet and email

espondence may be submitted

the Long Bridge Project Web

site shi :Mongbridgeproject.com/ or at
info@longbridgeproject.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
‘Amanda Murphy, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Office of Railroad
Policy and Development, Federal
Railroad Administration, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE. (Mail Stop 20)
‘Washington, DC 20590; telephone: (202)
493-0624.
‘SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: More
information about the Long Bridge
Project is available at http://
longbridgeproject.com/.

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 5,
2016.
Felicia B. Young,
Acting Director, Office of Program Delivery.
(FR Doc. 2026-24522 Filed 107-26; 6-45 am
BILLING CODE 4810-06-F

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration
[Docket No. FTA-2016-009]

Final Notice on Updates to the Uniform
‘System of Accounts (USOA) and
‘Changes to the National Transit
Database (NTD) Reporting
Requirements

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration,
DOT.

‘ACTION: Notice, response to comments.

‘SUMMARY: This Notice finalizes updates
to the USOA and changes to NTD
Automatic Passonger Counter
Certification requirements.
DATES: Full implementation required in
report year 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Maggie Schilling, Notional Transit
Deputy Program Manager, FTA
Office of Budget and Policy, (202) 366—
2054 or margaret.schilling@dot. gov.
‘SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

AB

B, Response to Comments on Proposed
Updates to the USOA and Changes to
NIDRe Requirements

. Response to Comments onthe Revised

D. Overview of Final Updates to the USOA,
NTD Reporting Requirements and APC
Cattification

A. Background

On February 3, 2016, FTA published

a Federal Register notice (initial notice)

(Docket No. FTA-2016-009) for

comment on proposed updates to the

USOA and changes to NTD reporting

requirements. The USOA is the basic

reference document that describes how
transit agencies are to report to the NTD.

‘The USOA was originally published in

1977 when NTD reporting began. While
the NTD has undergone numerous and
substantial changes in the past 38 years,
the USOA was last updated for minor
changes in 1995. The notice described
various proposed changes to the USOA.
to better align with today’s NTD and
accounting practices and to address
FTA data noods and common questions
among NTD reporters. In the
notice, FTA proposed the following
changes:

A. Separation of “Passenger-Paid Fares”
and “Onganization-Paid Fares”
B. Separation of “Paid Absences” from

‘Fringe Benefits”

C. Consolidation of “Casualty and
Liability Costs” under General
Administration Function

D. Expansion of Assets and Liabilities
‘Object Classes (F-60)

E, Addition of “Voluntary Non-
Exchange Transactions”

F Addition of “Sales and Disposals of

G Stppiiaion of State Fund

H Reolgantzstion of B-30 Contractual
Relationship

Additionally, the initial notice
proposed changes to the NTD reporting
requirements that are not directly
addressed in the updated USOA, which
are as follows:

I. Separation of Operators’ and Non-
Operators’ Work Hours and Counts

J. Enhanced Auditor's Review

K. Revised Automatic Passenger
Counter (APC) Certification Process

In the initial notice, FTA proposed

that it would begin implementing the
yposed reporting requirements

Eoginming with the FY 2017 NTD

reporting cycle.

B. Response to Comments on Proposed

Updates to the USOA and Changes to

NTD Reporting Requirements

‘The comment period for the initial
notice closed on April 4, 2016. The
following is a summary of the comments
from the initial notice related to the
updates to the USOA and NTD reporting
requirements.

Comment: Three commenters raised
concern over the separation of
“Passenger-Paid Fares” and
“Organization-Paid Fares.” Commenters
opposed the separation of “Passenger-
Paid Fares” and “Organization-Paid
Fares” stating that the additional
information will add little, if any, value
to the NTD report. Commenters noted
that adding these additional reporting
requirements will only increase the cost
of compliance for reporting agencies.
One commenter specifically raised a
concern stating that the proposed


Pectcy PUBLIC NOTICE

Coachella Valley - San Gorgonio Pass Rail Corridor Service Project

vee Coy FarpraonCommse

Notice of Intent (NOI) and Notice of Preparation (NOP) for a

Joint Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (Program EIS/EIR)

WHAT'S
BEING
PLANNED

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in cooperation with the Riverside County Transportation Commission
(RCTC) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) are initiating the environmental process for the
Coachella Valley - San Gorgonio Pass Rail Corridor Service Project (Project). The Project will study options for
providing intercity rail services between the cities of Los Angeles and Indio, California, also known as the Coachella
Valley - San Gorgonio Pass Corridor (the Corridor).

FRA has released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
RCTC has released a Notice of Preparation (NOP) to prepare an EIR under the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA). FRA will prepare the Programmatic EIS/EIR jointly with RCTC and Caltrans for the Project.

The Programmatic EIS/EIR will be prepared consistent with the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Council
‘on Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA set forth in 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, the FRA’s
Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts as set forth in 64 FR Part 28545, dated May 26, 1999
(Environmental Procedures) and updated in 78 FR 2713 dated January 14, 2013, 23 U.S.C. 139, CEQA (Section
21000 - 21178 and California Code of Regulations Title 14, Chapter 3 Section 15000-15387), and other applicable
federal and state laws and regulations.

‘WHY THIS
AD?

The purpose of this Notice is to:

Provide information about the Project, proposed Purpose and Need for the Project, and proposed alternatives.
to be considered; and,
Invite public and agency participation in the EIS/EIR process.

The Programmatic EIS/EIR will compare the No Build Alternative to a range of reasonable Build Alternatives for a
new intercity rail service that would meet the future mobility needs of residents, businesses, and visitors between
the cities of Los Angeles and Indio.

WHEN AND
WHERE

The meeting times and locations are as follows:

Date Time Location

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 | 5-7 PM Springbrook Clubhouse at Reid Park
Brief Presentation: 5:45 PM | 1011 N. Orange Street

Riverside, CA 92501

Thursday, October 13, 2016 5-7 PM Indio Senior Center

Brief Presentation: 5:45 PM | 45-700 Aladdin Street

Indio, CA 92201

Monday, October 17,2016 | 5-7 PM Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Brief Presentation: 5:45 PM | Transportation Authority (Metro) Headquarters
Plaza Level: One Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012

All scoping meeting locations are Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) accessible facilities. Spanish
language interpreters will be present. You may call (909) 627-2974 at least 72 hours in advance of the meetings
to request other ADA accommodations or interpretation services.

‘WHAT'S
AVAILABLE?

Scoping materials and information regarding the scoping meetings are available through RCTC’s website
http:l/rctc. org/projects/rail-projects/coachella-valley-san-gorgonio-pass-corridor-rail-service

WHERE YOU
COME IN

The public review and comment period for the NOI and NOP is October 5, 2016 to November 5, 2016. Federal,
state, and local agencies, organizations, and public are invited to provide input into the scope of the Programmatic
EIS/EIR. Interested persons should send written comments to FRA’s Office of Program Delivery, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, S.E. (Mail Stop 20), Washington, DC 20590, or Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC),
P.O. Box 12008, Riverside, California, 92502, or via e-mail to Robert Yates, Multimodal Services Director, at
CoachellaValleyRail@ArellanoAssociates.com. Comments should include “Coachella Valley - San Gorgonio Pass
Rail Corridor Service Project - NOI Scoping Comments” or “Coachella Valley - San Gorgonio Pass Rail Corridor
Service Project - NOP Scoping Comments’ in the subject line and the commenter’s physical mailing address in
the body of the letter or email. Persons interested in providing written comments on the scope of the Project must
do so by Saturday, November 5, 2016



pectc)

ANUNCIO PUBLICO

Tid Cty Fonte

Proyecto del Corredor del Servicio de Tren Coachella Valley - San Gorgonio Pass
Notificacion de Intencion (NOI) y Anuncio de Preparacion (NOP) de un

Programa de Declaracién de Impacto Ambiental/Reporte de Impacto Ambiental (Programa EIS/EIR) Conjunto

LO QUE SE
ESTA
PLANEANDO

La Administracion Federal de Ferrocarril (FRA, por sus siglas en inglés) en asocio con la Comision de Transporte
del Condado de Riverside (RCTC, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Departamento de Transporte de California
(Caltrans) estan iniciando el proceso del Proyecto del Corredor del Servicio de Tren Coachella Valley - San
Gorgonio Pass (Proyecto). El proyecto estudiara opciones para proveer servicios de tren interurbano entre las
ciudades de Los Angeles e Indio, en California, un trayecto conocido como el Coachella Valley - San Gorgonio
Pass (el Corredor).

FRA ha presentado la Notificacion de Intencién (NOI) para preparar una Declaracion de Impacto Ambiental (EIS)
de acuerdo con el Acta de Politica Ambiental Nacional (NEPA). RCTC ha presentado una Notificacion de
Preparacién (NOP) para preparar el Reporte de Impacto Ambiental (EIR) de acuerdo con el Acta de Calidad
Ambiental de California (CEQA). FRA preparara un EIS/EIR Programatico conjunta con RCTC y Caltrans para
el Proyecto.

EI EIS/EIR Programatico sera preparado de acuerdo con el acta NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq) y las
regulaciones de! Concejo de Calidad Ambiental implementando el NEPA descrito en 40 CFR Partes 1500-1508,
los Procedimientos de Consideracién de Impactos Ambientales de FRA como estan descritos en 64 CFR Parte
28545, con fecha del 26 de mayo de 1999 (Procedimientos Ambientales), y actualizacion en 78 FR 2713 con
fecha del 14 de enero de 2013, 23 U.S.C. 139, CEQA (Seccién 21000 - 21178 y el Codigo de Regulaciones de
California Titulo 14, Capitulo 3 Seccién 15000-15387), y otras leyes y regulaciones federales y estatales
aplicables.

EL POR QUE
DE ESTE
AVISO

Los objetivos de este Anuncio es:

‘e Proveer informacién acerca del Proyecto, objetivo y necesidad del Proyecto propuesto y las alternativas
propuestas que deben ser consideradas; e,

¢ Invitar al publico y a las agencias a que participen de! proceso del EIS/EIR.

El EIS/EIR Programatico comparara la Alternativa de No Construccién y una variedad de Alternativas de

Construccién razonables para un servicio nuevo de tren interurbano que podria satisfacer las necesidades
futuras de movilizacion de residentes, empresas y visitantes entre las ciudades de Los Angeles e Indio.

éCUANDO Y
DONDE?

Estos son los horarios y lugares donde se haran las reuniones:

Fecha Hora Ul
Miércoles 12 de octubre de 2016 | 5-7 PM Springbrook Clubhouse at Reid Park
Presentacién Resumida | 1011 N. Orange Street

alas 5:45 PM Riverside, CA 92501

Jueves 13 de octubre de 2016 5-7 PM Indio Senior Center

Presentacion Resumida | 45-700 Aladdin Street

alas 5:45 PM Indio, CA 92201

Lunes 17 de octubre de 2016 5-7 PM Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Presentacion Resumida | Transportation Authority (Metro)

alas 5:45 PM Oficinas Principales, A Nivel de la Plaza,

One Gateway Plaza

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Todas las reuniones informativas se haran en lugares accesibles de acuerdo con el Acta de Americanos con
Discapacidades de 1990 (ADA). Habra presentes intérpretes de espafiol. Puede llamar al (909) 627-2974 por
lo menos 72 horas antes de las reuniones para solicitar otras acomodaciones ADA o servicios de interpretacion.

QUE HAY
DISPONIBLE?

Los materiales e informacion con respecto a las reuniones informativas estan disponibles a través de la pagina
web de RCTC: http://rctc.org/projects/rail-projects/coachella-valley-san-gorgonio-pass-corridor-rail-service

éCUAL ES SU
PAPEL?

La revision publica y el periodo de comentarios sobre la NOI y NOP es del 5 de octubre de 2016 al 5 de
noviembre de 2016. Las agencias federales, estatales y locales, las organizaciones y el pUiblico general estan
invitados a aportar sus comentarios acerca del EIS/EIR Programatico. Las personas interesadas deben enviar
‘sus comentarios por escrito a la oficina Office of Program Delivery de la FRA: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
(Mail Stop 20), Washington, DC 20590 0 a la comision Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC),
P.O. Box 12008, Riverside, California, 92502, 0 a través de correo electronico a Robert Yates, Multimodal
Services Director, a CoachellaValleyRail@ArellanoAssociates.com. Los comentarios deben decir “Coachella
Valley — San Gorgonio Pass Rail Corridor Service Project - NOI Scoping Comments” 0 “Coachella Valley - San
Gorgonio Pass Rail Corridor Service Project - NOP Scoping Comments" en la casilla de Asunto, e incluir en la
carta 0 el correo electrénico la direccién fisica de quien hace el comentario. Las personas interesadas en hacer
comentarios por escrito acerca de la reunién de deteccién de necesidades del Proyecto tienen que hacerlo
antes del sabado 5 de noviembre de 2016.



Federal Register/Vol. 81, No. 196/Tuesday, October

11, 2016 /Notices 70257

Total annual ‘Average time Total annual burden
Section Respondent universe reaponivea resporiee Per hours
Tank Car Owner Notification to All Parties | 20 Tank Car Owners | 100 notices .. 2 hours
under Contract to Car Owner, including | (100 Lessees/Sub-
Lessees and/or sub-Lessees, using tank | Lessees),
‘oars subject to the Terms of this Diredtive.
Report of Inspection , Test, and Repair Infor- | 20 Tank Car Owners | 14,000 report 20 min, per carfreport. | 4,687
‘mation stipulated in paragraph 2(g) of D- | (100 Lessees/Sub-
rective to FRA. Lessees).
Repairs: 15% of Relevant Tank Flest_of | 10 Tank Car Faciity | 2,100 car reports/ | 16 hours
14,000 cars— Record and Report of Re- | Operators. records,

pairs to Tank Car Owners.
Tank Car Facility Request to Tank Car
Permission and Ap-

Program it Will Use Consistent with Ap-
pendices D, R, and W of the Tank Car
Manual and 49°CFR 160.513 Prior to nit

ing Any Repairs.
Tank Gor Faclty Report of All Work Per
formed to Tank Car Owner.

20 requests + 20 writ-

10 Tank Car Facility
Operators. ten permissions.

10 Tank Car Facility | Burden Included Di-
Operators. rectly Above.

10 min, + 10 min

NA ..

Total Estimated Responses: 44,293.

Total Estimated Annual Burden:
68,953 hours.

Status: Emergency Review.

Description:

On September 30, 2016, FRA issued a
Railworthiness Directive (Directive) to
all owners of DOT specification 111
general purpose tank care, which can be

ind on FRA’s Web site at http://
tron fragt gov/eLib/detals/1.18903.
sued the Directive based on its
finding that as a result of non-
conforming welding practices, DOT-111
tank cars built by American Railcar
Industries, Inc. (ARI) and ACF
Industries, LLG (ACF) between 2009 and
2015 to the ARI and ACF 300 stub sill
design and equipped with a two-piece
cast sump and bottom outlet valve
(BOV) skid may be in an unsafe
operating condition and could result in
the release of hazardous materials. As a
result of the non-conforming welding
practices, these cars may have
substantial weld defects at the sump
and BOV skid groove attachment welds,
potentially affecting each tank’s ability
to retain its contents during
transportation. The Directive requires
owners to: (1) Identify tank cars in their
fleet covered by this Directive; and (2)
ensure appropriate inspection and
testing of each tank car's sump and BOV
skid groove attachment welds to ensure
no flaw exists which could result in the
loss of tank integrity.

‘As provided under 5 CFR 1320.13,
Emergency Processing, DOT is
Toquosting emergency processing for
this new collection of tion as
specified in the PRA and its
implementing regulations. DOT cannot
reasonably comply with normal
clearance procedures because the use of
normal clearance procedures is

reasonably likely to disrupt the
collection of information. Further, in
light of recent tank car accidents/
incidents carrying crude oil, FRA
believes safety is an overriding issue.
‘The Directive took effect upon issuance.
FRA cannot wait the normal 90 days of
public comment. Under the Directive,
tank car owners must take immediate
action to identify tank cars in their fleet
subject to the Directive. Therefore, FRA
is requesting OMB approval of this
collection of information 7 days after
publication of this Notice in the Federal
Register. Upon OMB approval of its
Emergency clearance request, FRA will
follow the normal clearance procedures
for the information collection associated
with this Directive.

Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR
1320.5(b), 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FRA informs
all interested parties it may not conduct
or sponsor, and a respondent is not
required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.

Authority: 44 U.S.C, 3501-3520.

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 4,
2016.

Amitabha Bose,

Chief Counsel.

DFR Doc. 2016-24429 Filed 10-7-16; 6:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-08-

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Rallroad Administration

Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for the Coachella Valley—
San Gorgonio Pass Rall Corridor
Service: Riverside, San Bernardino,

Orange, and Los Angeles Counties, CA

AGENCY: Foderal Railroad
Administration (FRA), U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare
a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS),

SUMMARY: Through this NOI, FRA
announces it will prepare a
ic EIS and Environmental

Impact Report (EIR) jointly with the
Riverside County Transportation
Commission (RCTC) and the California
‘Department of jortation (Caltrans)
for the Coachella Valley—San Gorgonio
Pass Rail Corridor Service (Project).
FRA, RCTC, and Caltrans will develop
the tic BIS/EIR in
compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
FRA invites the public and Federal,
stato, and local agencies to provide
ipot into the erope of the EIS/ETR and

consider all information from
outreach activities when preparing the
EIS/EIR. The Project will study options
for providing intercity passenger rail
service between the cities of Los
Angeles and Indio, California also
known as the Coachella Valley—San
Gorgonio Pass Corridor (the Corridor).
DATES: Persons interested in providing
written comments on the scope of the
Coachella Valley—San Gorgonio Pass