44132 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 11, 2021 / Notices 

• E.O. 13122 and E.O. 13751, Invasive 

Species 

• Planning and Environmental 

Linkages, 23 U.S.C. 168, except for 

those FHWA responsibilities 

associated with 23 U.S.C. 134 and 135 

• Programmatic Mitigation Plans, 23 

U.S.C. 169 except for those FHWA 

responsibilities associated with 23 

U.S.C. 134 and 135. 

The MOU allows the State to act in 

the place of FHWA in carrying out the 

functions described above, except with 

respect to government-to-government 

consultations with federally recognized 

Indian Tribes. The FHWA will retain 

responsibility for conducting formal 

government-to-government consultation 

with federally recognized Indian Tribes, 

which is required under some of the 

above-listed laws and Executive Orders. 

The State may also assist FHWA with 

formal consultations, with consent of a 

tribe, but FHWA remains responsible for 

the consultation. 

This assignment includes transfer to 

the State of Nebraska the obligation to 

fulfill the assigned environmental 

responsibilities on any proposed 

projects meeting the criteria in 

Stipulation 1(B) of the MOU that were 

determined to be CEs prior to the 

effective date of the proposed MOU but 

that have not been completed as of the 

effective date of the MOU. 

The FHWA will consider the 

comments submitted on the proposed 

first renewal MOU when making its 

decision on whether to execute this 

MOU. The FHWA will make the final, 

executed MOU publicly available. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

program.) 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 326; 42 U.S.C. 

4331, 4332; 23 CFR 771.117; 40 CFR 

1507.3, 1508.4. 

Joseph A. Werning, 

Division Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2021–17112 Filed 8–10–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Interstate 405 ExpressLanes 

Project, in Los Angeles County, 

California 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare 

a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(Draft EIS) for the Interstate 405 (I–405) 

ExpressLanes project. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the 

California Department of Transportation 

(Caltrans), is issuing this notice to 

advise the public that a Draft EIS will 

be prepared for the I–405 ExpressLanes 

project, a proposed highway project in 

Los Angeles County, California. 

DATES: This notice will be accompanied 

by a 30-day public scoping comment 

period from Tuesday, August 3, 2021, to 

Wednesday, September 1, 2021. The 

deadline for comments is 5:00 p.m. 

(PST) on September 1, 2021. Three 

virtual public scoping meetings will be 

held on: 

• Saturday, August 14, 2021; 10 a.m.– 

12 p.m. 

• Tuesday, August 17, 2021; 6–8 p.m. 

• Wednesday, August 18, 2021; 11:30 

a.m.–1:30 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The virtual meeting link 

will be made available on the project 

website at www.metro.net/ 

405expresslanes. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

Caltrans, contact Ronald Kosinski, 

Deputy District Director, Division of 

Environmental Planning, Caltrans 

District 7, 100 S Main Street, MS 16A, 

Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 507–4301, 

or email Ron.kosinski@dot.ca.gov. For 

FHWA, contact David Tedrick, 

telephone (916) 498–5024, or email 

David.tedrick@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective 

July 1, 2007, FHWA assigned, and 

Caltrans assumed, environmental 

responsibilities for this project pursuant 

to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans, as the 

assigned National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) agency, will prepare a Draft 

EIS on a proposal for a highway 

improvement project in Los Angeles 

County, California. 

The Project proposes to improve 

traffic conditions on I–405 starting in 

the south at Interstate 10 (I–10) and 

terminating in the north at U.S. 

Highway 101 (US–101). The proposed 

Project will reduce congestion, 

encourage carpooling and transit, 

improve trip reliability, reduce 

degradation of the carpool and generalpurpose lanes, increase person 

throughput, and apply technology to 

help manage traffic. The range of 

improvements may include, but not be 

limited to, converting existing HOV 

lanes to Express Lanes or adding an 

additional Express Lane in each 

direction and converting existing HOV 

lanes to ExpressLanes. 

Currently, the following alternatives 

are being considered, all approximately 

10 miles in length: 

• Alternative 1: The No-Build/No 

Action Alternative does not include 

improvements to the existing lanes 

along I–405 between I–10 and US–101. 

• Alternative 2: Convert Existing 

HOV to One ExpressLane (Standard 

Lane and Shoulder Widths). This build 

alternative would convert the existing 

HOV lane in each direction, along I–405 

between I–10 and US–101, to an 

ExpressLane. The northbound and 

southbound directions of the freeway 

would be restriped within the existing 

footprint to accommodate one 12-foot 

wide ExpressLane with a 4-foot wide 

buffer separating the ExpressLane from 

the 12-foot wide general-purpose lanes. 

Dynamic pricing would be deployed in 

the ExpressLane to ensure trip 

reliability and traffic flow. Installation 

of toll and communication 

infrastructure and modification/ 

installation of overhead signs would be 

required. Alternative 2 proposes to 

widen the freeway, where necessary, to 

accommodate an additional weave lane 

at ExpressLane ingress/egress locations 

and maintain stopping sight distance at 

curves. Non-standard inside shoulders 

would be maintained in a few locations 

where constraints exist, and standard 

10-foot outside shoulders would be 

provided where possible. Retaining 

walls would be provided where 

required to minimize and avoid right-ofway (ROW) acquisition. Other 

improvements include construction of 

retaining walls and sound walls, utility 

improvements, and drainage 

improvements. 

• Alternative 3: Convert Existing 

HOV Lane to Two ExpressLanes (NonStandard Lane and Shoulder Widths). 

This build alternative would convert the 

existing HOV lane to an ExpressLane 

and add a second ExpressLane in each 

direction between I–10 and US–101. 

The freeway would be widened and 

restriped to accommodate the two 

ExpressLanes with a buffer separating 

the ExpressLanes from the generalpurpose lanes. Dynamic pricing would 

be deployed in the ExpressLanes to 

ensure trip reliability and traffic flow. 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 11, 2021 / Notices 44133 

Installation of toll and communication 

infrastructure and modification/ 

installation of overhead signs would be 

required. Alternative 3 proposes to 

widen the freeway to the outside in 

order to accommodate the proposed 

two-lane ExpressLane facility as 

described. Non-standard lanes and 

shoulders would be provided to 

accommodate for the addition of the 

new ExpressLanes as part of Alternative 

3. Retaining walls would be provided 

where required to minimize and avoid 

ROW acquisition. The reduction of 

shoulder and lane widths allows for 

accommodation of the proposed twolane ExpressLane facility without 

significant proposed roadway widening. 

However, in locations with the 

following conditions, additional 

roadway widening may be required: 

• 12-foot wide weaving lane at 

ExpressLane ingress/egress locations 

• Widening of inside/outside shoulders 

to maintain sight distance 

Other improvements include 

construction of retaining walls and 

sound walls, utility improvements, and 

drainage improvements. 

• Alternative 4: Convert Existing 

HOV Lane to Two ExpressLanes 

(Standard Lanes and Shoulder Widths). 

This build alternative would convert the 

existing HOV lane, between I–10 and 

US–101, to an Express Lane in each 

direction, and a second Express Lane in 

each direction would also be added, 

while providing standard lane widths, 

shoulder widths and stopping sight 

distances. The freeway would be 

widened and restriped to accommodate 

the two ExpressLanes with a buffer 

separating the ExpressLanes from the 

general-purpose lanes. Dynamic pricing 

would be deployed in the ExpressLanes 

to ensure trip reliability and traffic flow. 

Installation of toll and communication 

infrastructure and modification/ 

installation of overhead signs would be 

required. Alternative 4 proposes to 

widen the freeway to the outside in 

order to accommodate the proposed 

standard two-lane Express Lane facility 

as described. Retaining walls would be 

provided where required to minimize 

and avoid ROW acquisition. 

Reconstruction of some existing freeway 

structures would be required to 

implement Alternative 4’s standard 

roadway cross-section. Other 

improvements include construction of 

retaining walls and sound walls, utility 

improvements, and drainage 

improvements. 

• Alternative 5: Add an Additional 

HOV Lane (Non-standard Lane and 

Shoulder Widths). This build alternative 

would add an additional HOV lane, 

between I–10 and US–101, in each 

direction. The freeway would be 

widened and restriped to accommodate 

the two HOV lanes with a buffer 

separating the HOV lanes from the 

general-purpose lanes. Alternative 5 

proposes to widen the freeway to the 

outside in order to accommodate the 

proposed two-lane HOV facility as 

described. Non-standard lanes and 

shoulders would be provided in order to 

accommodate for the addition of the 

new HOV lane as part of Alternative 5. 

Retaining walls would be provided 

where required to minimize and avoid 

ROW acquisition. The reduction of 

shoulder and lane widths allows for 

accommodation of the proposed twolane HOV facility without significant 

proposed roadway widening. However, 

in locations with the following 

conditions, additional roadway 

widening may be required: 

• 12-foot wide weaving lane at HOV 

ingress/egress locations 

• Widening of inside/outside shoulder 

to maintain sight distance 

Other improvements include 

construction of retaining walls and 

sound walls, utility improvements, and 

drainage improvements. 

Anticipated Federal and State 

approvals include permits under the 

National Pollutant Discharge 

Elimination System (NPDES), Clean 

Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Water 

Quality, CWA Section 404 Nationwide 

Permit from the United States Army 

Corps of Engineers (USACE), California 

Fish and Game Code Section 1602 Lake 

or Streambed Alteration Agreement 

from the California Department of Fish 

and Wildlife (CDFW), Section 7 

Consultation with the United States 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for 

listed species under the Federal 

Endangered Species Act (FESA), and 

CDFW 2080.1 Consistency 

Determination for listed species under 

the California Endangered Species Act 

(CESA). 

Letters describing the proposed action 

and soliciting comments will be sent to 

appropriate Federal, State, Participating 

Agencies, Tribal governments and 

groups, local agencies, and to private 

organizations and citizens who have 

previously expressed or are known to 

have interest in this proposal. The 

public scoping process will officially 

begin in August 2021. Virtual public 

scoping meetings will be held in August 

2021. Comments may be submitted 

during the public scoping period via 

mail, email, the project website 

comment form, or the project hotline. 

Submit comments by mail to the 

following address: Ron Kosinski, 

Deputy District Director, Caltrans 

District 7, 100 S Main Street, MS 16A, 

Los Angeles, CA 90012. Submit 

comments by email to 405expresslanes@

metro.net. Submit comments via 

comment form on the project website at 

www.metro.net/405expresslanes. 

Submit oral comments by calling (213) 

922–4860 to leave a voice recording. All 

comments must be received no later 

than September 1, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. In 

addition, a public hearing will be held 

once the Draft EIS is completed. Public 

notice will be given of the time and 

place of the meeting and hearing. The 

Draft EIS will be available for public 

and agency review and comment prior 

to the public hearing. 

To ensure that the full range of issues 

related to this proposed action are 

addressed and all significant issues 

identified, comments, and suggestions 

are invited from all interested parties. 

Comments or questions concerning this 

proposed action and the EIS should be 

directed to Caltrans at the address 

provided above. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

program.) 

Issued on: August 4, 2021. 

Rodney Whitfield, 

Director, Financial Services, Federal Highway 

Administration, California Division. 

[FR Doc. 2021–17057 Filed 8–10–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–RY–P 


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