Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 214 / Friday, November 3, 2000 / Notices 66297

Land use in the corridor consists of a

major concentration of employment

with residential uses occurring east of

IH 35E and in the northern portions of

the Study Area. Industrial and

commercial land uses are primarily

confined to land adjacent to IH 35E.

Traffic volumes on IH 35E parallel to

the Carrollton LRT Line are expected to

be more than 300,000 vehicles per day

in 2020, an increase of 30 percent from

1995 levels. The EPA has designated the

Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area as

a ‘‘serious’’ non-attainment area for the

pollutant ozone.

The proposed LRT project is part of a

multi-modal strategy that also

incorporates bus service refinements,

highway and HOV lane improvements,

Transportation System Management/

Travel Demand Management (TSM/

TDM), and bicycle and pedestrian

improvements. This strategy was

developed during the preparation of the

Northwest Corridor MIS completed by

DART in early 2000.

III. Alternatives

The transportation alternatives

proposed for consideration in this

project area include:

No-Build Alternative—The No-Build

Alternative involves no change to

transportation services or facilities in

the corridor beyond already committed

projects.

Build Alternative—The Carrollton

Line LRT project is approximately 17

miles in length and extends from the

downtown Dallas West End area to

Frankford Road in Carrollton. The

alignment will use the former UPRR

ROW, purchased by DART for future

transit use in 1990, and surface streets

where required to make key

connections. The project will connect

with the existing LRT system in the

West End area of downtown and will

operate in a shared use corridor with

freight traffic and Trinity Railway

Express commuter rail traffic for a

distance of approximately two miles.

The alignment will use a combination of

surface streets and UPRR right-of-way in

order to serve the Medical Center area

and the Love Field environs

(approximately three miles). North of

the Love Field area, the alignment

remains within the UPRR right-of-way

to Frankford Road (12 miles). Where the

alignment is within the UPRR right-ofway there will be potential shared use

with freight traffic. Eleven (11) LRT

Stations have been identified for service

access. Two significant design options

have been identified for evaluation

during the EIS process: (1) Griffin

alignment: an alignment between the

proposed Victory Station and the

Downtown Transit Mall via Griffin

Street; and (2) Love Field: an alternative

alignment to serve Love Field has been

proposed, swinging east of the UPRR

right-of-way and entering the Love Field

Terminal area east of Cedar Springs

Road.

IV. Probable Effects

The FTA and DART will evaluate all

significant environmental, social, and

economic impacts of the alternatives

analyzed in the EIS. Impact areas to be

addressed include: land use, zoning,

and economic development; secondary

development; land acquisition,

displacements, and relocation of

existing uses; historic, archaeological,

and cultural resources; parklands and

recreation areas; visual and aesthetic

qualities; neighborhoods and

communities; environmental justice; air

quality; noise and vibration; hazardous

materials; ecosystems; water resources;

energy; safety and security; utilities;

traffic and transportation impacts.

Potential impacts will be assessed for

the long-term operation of each

alternative and the short-term

construction period. Measures to avoid,

minimize, or mitigate any significant

adverse impacts will be identified.

V. FTA Procedures

The EIS process will be performed in

accordance with applicable laws and

Federal Transit Administration

regulations and guidelines for preparing

an Environmental Impact Statement.

The impacts of the project will be

assessed, and, if necessary, the scope of

the project will be revised or refined to

minimize and mitigate any adverse

impacts. After its publication, the draft

EIS will be available for public review

and comment. One or more public

hearings will be held during the draft

EIS public comment period. On the

basis of the draft EIS and comments

received, the project will be revised or

further refined as necessary and the

final EIS prepared.

Issued on: October 30, 2000.

Robert C. Patrick,

Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 00–28302 Filed 11–2–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement on

Transportation Improvements Within

the Southeast Corridor in Dallas, TX

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration,

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit

Administration (FTA) and Dallas Area

Rapid Transit (DART) have issued this

notice to advise interested agencies and

the public of their intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

on the proposed Southeast Corridor

Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project, in

Dallas, Texas. The EIS will be prepared

in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA), as amended. The Dallas-Fort

Worth region is currently designated as

a serious non-attainment area for ozone

by the Environmental Protection

Agency.

The Southeast Corridor Light Rail

Transit (LRT) Project is the product of

the Southeast Corridor Major

Investment Study (MIS), completed by

DART in early 2000. The MIS identified

a Locally Preferred Investment Strategy

(LPIS), which included the light rail

being advanced into the EIS phase of

project development at this time. A

separate EIS is also being prepared for

a DART LRT extension in the Northwest

Corridor of the Dallas metropolitan area.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written

comments on the scope of the

alternatives and impacts to be

considered should be sent to John

Hoppie, Project Manager by December

20, 2000. See ADDRESSESS below.

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. DART will

conduct public scoping meetings on the

following dates and at the following

locations:

Tuesday, November 28, 2000, from 6:30

p.m. to 9 p.m., Baylor—Tom Landry

Center, 411 N. Washington Ave.,

Dallas, Texas

Wednesday, November 29, 2000, from

6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Martin Luther

King Jr. Senior Center, 2922 Martin

Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas, Texas

Thursday November 30, 2000, from 6:30

p.m. to 9 p.m., Pleasant Mound UMC,

8301 Bruton Rd., Dallas, Texas

Interagency Coordination Meeting:

DART will conduct an interagency

coordination meeting with appropriate

federal, state, and local agencies on the

following date and at the following

location:

Wednesday, December 6, 2000, 10 a.m.

to 12 p.m., DART Board Conference

Room 1–C, 1401 Pacific Avenue,

Dallas, Texas

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

project scope should be sent to John

66298 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 214 / Friday, November 3, 2000 / Notices

Hoppie, Project Manager, DART

Planning, P.O. Box 660163, 1401 Pacific

Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75266. Telephone

(214) 749–2525, Fax (214) 749–3670,

E-mail: jhoppie@dart.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Jesse Balleza, Community Planner,

Federal Transit Administration, Region

VI; Telephone (817) 978–0550.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

The FTA and DART invite interested

individuals, organizations, and federal,

state, and local agencies to participate in

refining the Southeast Corridor LRT

Line including alignment and station

locations. Comments should focus on

identifying any significant social,

economic, or environmental issues

related to the alignment. Specific

suggestions related to additional

alternatives to be examined and issues

to be addressed are welcome and will be

considered in the final scope for the

project. Scoping comments may be

made at the scoping meetings or in

writing no later than December 20,

2000. (see DATES and ADDRESSES above.)

Scoping comments should focus on

identifying specific social, economic, or

environmental impacts to be evaluated,

and suggesting alternatives that are less

costly or less environmentally

damaging, which achieve similar transit

objectives. Comments should focus on

the issues and alternatives for analysis,

and not on a preference for a particular

alternative. Additional information on

the EIS process, alternatives, and impact

issues to be addressed will be included

in the ‘‘Scoping Information

Document’’. Copies of the document

will be available from DART

immediately prior to the scoping

meetings (see DATES and ADDRESSES

above.)

II. Description of Study Area and

Project Need

The Southeast Corridor Light Rail

Transit (LRT) Project includes 10.2

miles of LRT running on new double

tracks in existing railroad corridors with

some street running along Good Latimer

and Parry Avenue. There are 9 LRT

stations, including 6 with Park & Ride

Lots (totaling just under 2000 parking

spaces), and 2 with transfer facilities to

other modes.

The Southeast Corridor Major

Investment Study defined and evaluated

a range of project alternatives using a

two-phased evaluation process. In

addition to the No Build Alternative, a

Transportation Systems Management

(TSM) Alternative, and several

variations of Light Rail Transit (LRT)

Alternatives were considered. Based on

work group and public input, and based

on the technical analysis, the abovedescribed Build Alternative was

selected. While some alignment

refinements will continue for the Build

Alternative, the other alternatives

considered were dropped from further

consideration. The EIS will consider the

No Build Alternative in addition to

Southeast LRT Line as the Build

Alternative (see ALTERNATIVES

below).

DART’s Southeast Corridor contains a

dynamic mix of land uses including a

burgeoning, eclectic entertainment

district; one of the region’s most

prestigious hospital facilities; a multifaceted, 277 acre, cultural, historical,

museum, and entertainment complex;

and large areas of single-family and

multi-family housing.

The existing corridor and station area

development character in the Southeast

Corridor has three distinct subareas:

(1) The Baylor HCS/Deep Ellum/

Bryan Place is a redeveloping/

revitalizing area of a previously urban

core environment of warehouses and

commercial uses into multi-family lofts,

artists’ studios, retail, and service

businesses. The area is anchored by

Baylor HCS. This area includes

pedestrian oriented development. The

Deep Ellum area has been designated a

historic district. Hundreds of new

housing units have been created through

new construction or conversion of older

buildings. This area is within the City

of Dallas Intown Housing Program

boundary, which is a local initiative

aimed at increasing the vitality of the

Central Business District by providing

mixed income housing through joint

ventures with private developers. (2)

The South Dallas/Fair Park area is

characterized by commercial/light

industrial and loft apartments

immediately west of Fair Park; a strip of

commercial businesses along R.B.

Cullum; and single-family residential

with some apartments and duplexes to

the south and west of Fair Park. Fair

Park is a 277-acre city park, which is

listed on the National Register of

Historic Places. This area is one of the

most transit dependent areas of the city.

In the South Dallas/Fair Park area,

several community-based organizations

have on-going in-fill housing programs.

(3) The Pleasant Grove/Buckner Terrace

area is primarily composed of

residential, industrial, and retail/

commercial uses. The commercial

activities are concentrated along

Buckner Boulevard/Loop 12. This area

contains a large amount of vacant land,

which is dedicated parkland and/or

located in the floodplain. Additionally,

development of single-family residential

housing in the Pleasant Grove and

Buckner Terrace areas is filling the last

remaining land for housing

developments.

DART’s 10.2-mile Southeast Corridor

LRT extension, like its original 20-mile

starter System, is contained entirely

within the Dallas city limits. The

University of North Texas Center for

Economic Development and Research

assessed the impacts of the DART LRT

Starter System and estimated over $850

million has been invested in and around

DART’s new LRT stations. Development

currently completed or planned at

DART stations varies from a new hotel

and mixed-use development downtown,

to new residential and municipal

facilities in a redevelopment area

around the Cedars Station south of

downtown Dallas.

Along with the previously mentioned

transit supportive land use

considerations, some of the other

influencing conditions within the

Southeast Corridor include:

Environmental Justice and Equity

Issues—Within the 47 census tracts

covering the Southeast Corridor study

area, the majority of tracts have a higher

percentage of minority and/or lowincome population than the average for

the county. Through the extensive

public involvement and outreach efforts

for the project, equity issues related to

the South Dallas neighborhood and the

Fair Park area have been identified. It is

perceived by the neighborhoods that the

needs of the community have been

overshadowed or set aside for the

economic benefit of Fair Park. Fair Park

has expanded several times since its

establishment; many times residences

were purchased by the city to

accommodate the expansion.

Additionally, special events at the

park’s numerous venues can create

traffic problems and congestion in the

neighborhoods. In the Pleasant Grove

area, equity issues related to transit

service have been identified. Many

residents perceive the Southeast

Corridor as the last to receive LRT

service it has been promised. However,

DART services and the concept of LRT

in the corridor are widely supported.

The LRT project is seen as providing

better transit service and a catalyst for

economic development.

Station Area Economic Development

Potential—Economic development

potential of the terminus station was

identified by the DART Board of

Directors as one of the primary criteria

to be used to compare two vastly

different alternative alignments for the

final two-mile segment of the LRT line.

This further emphasizes the growing

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 214 / Friday, November 3, 2000 / Notices 66299

importance that DART is placing on

economic development.

Historical Transit Service—The LRT

alignment and station along Parry

Avenue will be at near the ceremonial

entrance to Fair Park. This alignment

and station will reestablish similar

service to the park that was provided by

the Dallas Interurban Trolley system

until the 1950’s.

III. Alternatives

The transportation alternatives

proposed for consideration in this

project area include:

No-Build Alternative—The No-Build

Alternative involves no change to

transportation services or facilities in

the corridor beyond already committed

projects.

Build Alternative—The Southeast

Corridor Project (including line, station

locations and support facilities),

consists of 10.2 miles of LRT running on

new double tracks in existing railroad

corridors with some street running in

along Good Latimer and Parry Avenue.

There are 9 potential LRT stations,

including 6 with Park & Ride Lots

(totaling just under 2000 parking

spaces), and 2 with transfer facilities to

other modes.

IV. Probable Effects

The FTA and DART will evaluate all

significant environmental, social, and

economic impacts of the alternatives

analyzed in the EIS. Impact areas to be

addressed include: land use, zoning,

and economic development; secondary

development; land acquisition,

displacements, and relocation of

existing uses; historic, archaeological,

and cultural resources; parklands and

recreation areas; visual and aesthetic

qualities; neighborhoods and

communities; environmental justice; air

quality; noise and vibration; hazardous

materials; ecosystems; water resources;

energy; safety and security; utilities;

traffic and transportation impacts.

Potential impacts will be assessed for

the long-term operation of each

alternative and the short-term

construction period. Measures to avoid,

minimize, or mitigate any significant

adverse impacts will be identified.

V. FTA Procedures

The EIS process will be performed in

accordance with applicable laws and

Federal Transit Administration

regulations and guidelines for preparing

an Environmental Impact Statement.

The impacts of the project will be

assessed, and, if necessary, the scope of

the project will be revised or refined to

minimize and mitigate any adverse

impacts. After its publication, the draft

EIS will be available for public review

and comment. One or more public

hearings will be held during the draft

EIS public comment period. On the

basis of the draft EIS and comments

received, the project will be revised or

further refined as necessary and the

final EIS prepared.

Issued on: October 30, 2000.

Robert C. Patrick,

Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 00–28301 Filed 11–2–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33938]

Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road

Company—Acquisition Exemption—

Michigan Department of

Transportation

Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road

Company (ADBF), a Class III rail carrier,

has filed a notice of exemption under 49

CFR 1150.41 to acquire (by purchase)

approximately 19.3 miles of rail lines

located in Lenawee County, MI, owned

by the Michigan Department of

Transportation (MDOT).

The lines to be acquired are as

follows: (1) From east of Riga, MI, at the

interchange with the Indiana and Ohio

Railway, or its successor, north and

west through Riga, Blissfield, Palmyra,

Lenawee Junction, Grosvenor Junction,

and Adrian, MI, to Porter Highway; (2)

from Grosvenor Junction southwest

approximately 1.7 miles; and (3) from

Lenawee Junction north approximately

.25 miles. The lines are described more

specifically as follows: the Adrian Main

Line Extension: (i) Between milepost

315.5 (Interchange with Indiana & Ohio

Railway at Riga) and milepost 321.0

(Grosvenor Junction); (ii) between

Grosvenor Junction milepost 0.0 and

milepost 1.7; (iii) between milepost

321.0 (Grosvenor Junction) and milepost

325.5 (Lenawee Junction); (iv) between

Lenawee Junction milepost 0.0 and

milepost 0.25; and (v) between milepost

325.5 (Lenawee Junction) and milepost

332.85 (Porter Highway). ADBF certifies

that its projected revenues as a result of

this transaction will not result in the

creation of a Class II or Class I rail

carrier, and further certifies that its

annual revenues will not exceed $5

million. ADBF currently operates over

the lines.

The earliest the transaction could be

consummated was October 25, 2000, the

effective date of the exemption (7 days

after the exemption was filed).

If this notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)

may be filed at any time. The filing of

a petition to revoke does not

automatically stay the transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33938, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Kenneth J.

Bisdorf, 2301 West Big Beaver Road,

Suite 600, Troy, MI 48084–3329.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: October 25, 2000.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–28037 Filed 11–02–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

September 27, 2000.

The Department of the Treasury has

submitted the following public

information collection requirement(s) to

OMB for review and clearance under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. Copies of the

submission(s) may be obtained by

calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance

Officer listed. Comments regarding this

information collection should be

addressed to the OMB reviewer listed

and to the Treasury Department

Clearance Officer, Department of the

Treasury, Room 2110, 1425 New York

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.

DATES: Written comments should be

received on or before December 4, 2000

to be assured of consideration.

Bureau of the Public Debt (PD)

OMB Number: 1535–0048.

Form Number: PD F 1851.

Type of Review: Extension.

Title: Request for Reissue of United

States Savings Bonds/Notes in the Name

of Trustee of Personal Trust Estate.

Description: The form is used to

request reissue of savings bonds/notes

in the Name(s) of the trustee(s) of a

personal trust estate.

Respondents: Individuals or

households.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

55,000.