Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 / Notices 61689 

destination, support expansion plans for 

both UAB and the Convention Center, 

and better serve transit dependant 

populations are needed. 

III. Alternatives 

Alternatives have been identified to 

address transportation needs in the 

study area, connecting major activity 

centers including the Downtown 

Financial core, University of Alabama 

Birmingham Campus, Five Points South 

commercial area, the Convention 

Center, area hospitals/medical centers, 

and adjacent neighborhoods. The 

project will be consistent with Federal 

Transit Administration (FTA) 

Alternatives Analysis and Section 5309 

New Start Program requirements for 

determining future federal funding in 

recommended programs and be 

consistent with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The 

alternatives being considered will 

analyze mobility needs and identify and 

compare the costs, benefits, and impacts 

of a range of transit alignment and 

technology alternatives. At a minimum 

the following alternatives will be 

considered: 

• No-Build Alternative—This 

includes all of the transportation 

improvements included in the RPCGB 

Year 2030 Long Range Transportation 

Plan but assumes that the potential new 

start project being evaluated in the EIS 

is not constructed. 

• Transportation System 

Management (TSM) Alternative—This 

includes all of the improvements 

assumed in the No-Build alternative 

plus other reasonable low cost 

improvements to address the project 

purpose and need. The TSM also 

assumes that the potential new start 

project being considered in the EIS is 

not constructed. 

• Build Alternative: Bus Rapid 

Transit (BRT)—This assumes that all of 

the improvements included in the NoBuild Alternative are constructed plus 

the addition of a rubber tired transit 

service that operates in either mixed 

traffic or in reserved right-of-way 

connecting the major activity centers in 

the study area. 

• Build Alternative: Streetcar—This 

assumes that all of the improvements 

included in the No-Build Alternative are 

constructed plus the addition of a rail 

transit service that operates on tracks in 

either mixed traffic or in reserved rightof-way connecting the major activity 

centers in the study area. 

The alternatives will be developed 

further during the preparation of the 

AA/DEIS. Based on previous studies 

several candidate streets in the study 

area have been identified as possible 

alignments for the Build Alternatives. 

These streets include: 18th Street, 19th 

Street, 20th Street, and Richard 

Arrington Blvd in the north-south 

direction and 5th Avenue South, 6th 

Avenue South, 7th Avenue South, and 

University Boulevard in the east-west 

direction. Additional reasonable Build 

Alternatives suggested during the 

scoping process including those 

involving other modes, may be 

considered. 

IV. Probable Effects 

The purpose of the DEIS is to fully 

disclose the environmental 

consequences of building and operating 

a major capital investment in the 

Downtown Birmingham and UAB 

Activity Centers study area in advance 

of any decision to commit substantial 

financial or other resources towards its 

implementation. The DEIS will explore 

the extent to which study alternatives 

and alignment options result in 

environmental impacts and will discuss 

actions to reduce or eliminate such 

impacts. 

Environmental issues to be examined 

in the DEIS include impacts to: 

Community facilities, cultural 

resources, parklands, traffic operations, 

parking, transit service and operations, 

local economy, air quality, noise and 

vibration, environmental justice 

populations, potential contaminated 

sites, and water resources as well as any 

displacements of residents and 

businesses. Impacts will be identified 

for both the construction period and 

long term operation of the alternatives. 

The proposed transportation criteria 

will include transportation, social, 

economic, and financial measures as 

required by current federal (NEPA) 

environmental laws and the 

implementing regulations of the Council 

on Environmental Quality and of FTA. 

To ensure that the full range of issues 

related to this proposed action will be 

addressed and all significant issues 

identified, comments and suggestions 

are invited from all interested parties. 

Comments or questions concerning this 

proposed and the DEIS should be 

directed to Mr. Darrell Howard at the 

RPCGB at the address noted in the 

ADDRESSES section above. 

V. FTA Procedures 

Depending on the outcome of the 

scoping process and the analysis of a 

wide range of transit alternatives, an 

LPA will be selected and evaluated in 

the DEIS. The DEIS will be prepared 

simultaneously with the conceptual 

engineering for the alternatives, 

including station and alignment 

options. The DEIS will address the 

potential use of federal funds for the 

proposed action as well as assess the 

social, economic, environmental, and 

transportation impacts of the station and 

alignment options. Station and 

alignment options will be refined to 

minimize and mitigate any adverse 

impacts. 

After publication, the DEIS will be 

available for public and agency review 

and comment, and a public hearing will 

be held. Based on the DEIS and 

comments received, the LPA may be 

refined, and the RPCGB will further 

assess the LPA in the Final EIS and will 

apply for FTA approval to initiate 

Preliminary Engineering of the LPA. 

Issued on: October 19, 2005. 

Alexander E. McNeil, 

Director, Office of Planning & Program 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 05–21237 Filed 10–24–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

[Docket Number 2005 22783] 

Requested Administrative Waiver of 

the Coastwise Trade Laws 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Invitation for public comments 

on a requested administrative waiver of 

the Coastwise Trade Laws for the vessel 

CRYSTAL SPIRIT. 

SUMMARY: As authorized by Public Law 

105–383 and Public Law 107–295, the 

Secretary of Transportation, as 

represented by the Maritime 

Administration (MARAD), is authorized 

to grant waivers of the U.S.-build 

requirement of the coastwise laws under 

certain circumstances. A request for 

such a waiver has been received by 

MARAD. The vessel, and a brief 

description of the proposed service, is 

listed below. The complete application 

is given in DOT docket 2005–22783 at 

http://dms.dot.gov. Interested parties 

may comment on the effect this action 

may have on U.S. vessel builders or 

businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag 

vessels. If MARAD determines, in 

accordance with Public Law 105–383 

and MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR 

part 388 (68 FR 23084; April 30, 2003), 

that the issuance of the waiver will have 

an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.- 

vessel builder or a business that uses 

U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a 

waiver will not be granted. Comments 

should refer to the docket number of 

this notice and the vessel name in order 

for MARAD to properly consider the 

61690 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 / Notices 

comments. Comments should also state 

the commenter’s interest in the waiver 

application, and address the waiver 

criteria given in § 388.4 of MARAD’s 

regulations at 46 CFR part 388. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

November 25, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to 

docket number MARAD–2005 22783. 

Written comments may be submitted by 

hand or by mail to the Docket Clerk, 

U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL–401, 

Department of Transportation, 400 7th 

St., SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

You may also send comments 

electronically via the Internet at http:// 

dmses.dot.gov/submit/. All comments 

will become part of this docket and will 

be available for inspection and copying 

at the above address between 10 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., E.T., Monday through 

Friday, except federal holidays. An 

electronic version of this document and 

all documents entered into this docket 

is available on the World Wide Web at 

http://dms.dot.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sharon Cassidy, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Maritime 

Administration, MAR–830 Room 7201, 

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 

DC 20590. Telephone 202–366–4357. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

described by the applicant the intended 

service of the vessel CRYSTAL SPIRIT 

is: 

Intended Use: ‘‘Passenger charter for 

leisure purposes.’’

Geographic Region: Alaska. 

Dated: October 18, 2005. 

By order of the Maritime Administrator. 

Joel C. Richard, 

Secretary, Maritime Administration. 

[FR Doc. 05–21239 Filed 10–24–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

[Docket Number 2005 22784] 

Requested Administrative Waiver of 

the Coastwise Trade Laws 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Invitation for public comments 

on a requested administrative waiver of 

the Coastwise Trade Laws for the vessel 

DAY DREAMER. 

SUMMARY: As authorized by Public Law 

105–383 and Public Law 107–295, the 

Secretary of Transportation, as 

represented by the Maritime 

Administration (MARAD), is authorized 

to grant waivers of the U.S.-build 

requirement of the coastwise laws under 

certain circumstances. A request for 

such a waiver has been received by 

MARAD. The vessel, and a brief 

description of the proposed service, is 

listed below. The complete application 

is given in DOT docket 2005–22784 at 

http://dms.dot.gov. Interested parties 

may comment on the effect this action 

may have on U.S. vessel builders or 

businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag 

vessels. If MARAD determines, in 

accordance with Public Law 105–383 

and MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR 

part 388 (68 FR 23084; April 30, 2003), 

that the issuance of the waiver will have 

an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.- 

vessel builder or a business that uses 

U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a 

waiver will not be granted. Comments 

should refer to the docket number of 

this notice and the vessel name in order 

for MARAD to properly consider the 

comments. Comments should also state 

the commenter’s interest in the waiver 

application, and address the waiver 

criteria given in § 388.4 of MARAD’s 

regulations at 46 CFR part 388. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

November 25, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to 

docket number MARAD–2004 22784. 

Written comments may be submitted by 

hand or by mail to the Docket Clerk, 

U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL–401, 

Department of Transportation, 400 7th 

St., SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

You may also send comments 

electronically via the Internet at http:// 

dmses.dot.gov/submit/. All comments 

will become part of this docket and will 

be available for inspection and copying 

at the above address between 10 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., E.T., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. An 

electronic version of this document and 

all documents entered into this docket 

is available on the World Wide Web at 

http://dms.dot.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sharon Cassidy, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Maritime 

Administration, MAR–830 Room 7201, 

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 

DC 20590. Telephone 202–366–5506. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

described by the applicant the intended 

service of the vessel DAY DREAMER is: 

Intended Use: ‘‘CHARTERS AND Sail 

Training.’’

Geographic Region: Florida, U.S. Gulf 

Coast, U.S. East Coast. 

Dated: October 18, 2005. 

By order of the Maritime Administrator. 

Joel C. Richard, 

Secretary, Maritime Administration. 

[FR Doc. 05–21238 Filed 10–24–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 

Safety Administration 

[Docket No. RSPA–98–4470] 

Pipeline Safety: Meetings of the 

Pipeline Safety Advisory Committees 

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration 

(PHMSA), Department of Transportation 

(DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of meetings. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces public 

meetings of PHMSA’s Technical 

Pipeline Safety Standards Committee 

(TPSSC) and Technical Hazardous 

Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards 

Committee (THLPSSC) to discuss 

regulatory issues. 

DATES: The TPSSC and the THLPSSC 

will meet in joint sessions on December 

13–14, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

each day. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, 

DC at 480 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., 

Washington, DC 20024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

additional information regarding these 

meetings contact: Cheryl Whetsel at 

(202) 366–4431; cheryl.whetsel@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

General Meeting Details 

Attendees staying at the hotel must 

make reservations by 5 p.m., November 

18, 2005. The phone number for 

reservations at the hotel is (202) 484–

1000. The hotel will give priority to the 

Committee members and State Pipeline 

Safety Representatives for rooms 

blocked under ‘‘DOT Technical 

Advisory Committee Meetings’’. 

Members of the public may make 

short statements on the topics under 

discussion. Anyone wishing to make an 

oral statement should notify Cheryl 

Whetsel, no later than November 21, of 

the topic and the length of the 

presentation. The presiding officer at 

each meeting may deny any request to 

present an oral statement and may limit 

the time of any presentation. 

You may submit written comments by 

mail or deliver them to the Dockets 

Facility, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Room PL–401, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC