[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4467-4468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1608]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement for the Glen Burnie Light Rail 
Extension in Anne Arundel County, Maryland

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Maryland Mass 
Transit Administration (MTA) intend to undertake an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA). MTA will ensure that the EIS also satisfies the 
requirements of the Maryland Environmental Policy Act (MEPA).
    This effort will be performed in cooperation with the Anne Arundel 
County Office of Planning and Code Enforcement. Other key supporting 
agencies include the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works and 
the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC).
    The Environmental Impact Statement will evaluate alternative light 
rail alignments in the corridor between the Central Light Rail Line's 
existing terminus, Cromwell Station, to the central business district 
(CBD) in Glen Burnie, MD and a parallel hiker/biker trail. In addition, 
the EIS will evaluate the No-Build alternative. Scoping will be 
accomplished through correspondence with interested persons, 
organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies, and through a 
public meeting. See Supplementary Information below for details.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the 
alternative alignments and impacts to be considered should be sent to 
the MTA by February 27, 1995, See ADDRESSES below.
    Scoping Meeting: The public scoping meeting will be held on 
Wednesday, January 25, 1995, between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. at The Pascal 
Senior Center. See ADDRESSES below. People with special needs should 
contact Lisa Colletti at the address below or by calling (410) 333-
3379. A TDD number is also available; (410) 539-3497. The building is 
accessible to people with disabilities. It is located within one mile 
of the Cromwell Light Rail Stop as well as transit stops for the 14, 
17, and 18 bus lines.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on project scope should be sent to Mr. 
Anthony J. Brown, Project Manager, Maryland Mass Transit 
Administration, 300 West Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-3415. 
The Scoping Meeting will be held at the following location: The Pascal 
Senior Center, 125 Dorsey Road, Glen Burnie, Maryland, 21061. See DATES 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Herman Shipman, Deputy Regional 
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Region III, 1760 Market 
St., Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 656-6900.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    FTA and the MTA invite interested individuals, organizations, and 
federal, state, and local agencies to participate in defining the 
alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS and identifying any significant 
social, economic, or environmental issues related to the alternatives. 
Scoping comments may be made at the public scoping meeting or in 
writing. See DATES and ADDRESSES sections above for locations and 
times. During scoping, comments should focus on identifying specific 
social, economic, or environmental impacts to be evaluated and 
suggesting alternatives which are more cost effective or have less 
environmental impact while achieving similar transit objectives.
    Scoping materials will be available at the meeting or in advance of 
the meeting by contacting Lisa Colletti at the MTA as indicated above. 
The meeting will be held in an ``open-house'' format and project 
representatives will be available to discuss the project throughout the 
time period given. Informational displays and written materials will 
also be available throughout the time period given. In addition to 
written comments which may be made at the meeting or as described 
below, a stenographer will be available at the meeting to record 
comments.

II. Description of Study Area and Project Need

    The study area is wholly within Anne Arundel County, MD. It is 
approximately three quarters of a mile long and connects the CBD of 
Glen Burnie, MD and the existing Central Light Rail Line terminus at 
Dorsey Road (MD 176) and Baltimore & Annapolis Boulevard (MD 648). The 
corridor also connects two commercial centers. [[Page 4468]] 
    Existing transit service in the study area is provided by the 
Maryland Mass Transit Administration. Existing traffic is primarily 
carried by Dorsey Road (MD 176) and Baltimore & Annapolis Boulevard (MD 
648) with high traffic volumes at many of the signalized intersections.
    The proposed light rail extension is intended to provide a high 
quality connection between the existing Central Light Rail Line 
terminus at Dorsey Road and the Glen Burnie CBD; to support economic 
viability of the Glen Burnie area through greater transit 
accessibility; contribute to higher transit modal splits for work trips 
between the Glen Burnie and Downtown Baltimore CBDs and employment 
centers; improve reverse commute transportation options; to help 
achieve regional clean air goals; and improve travel time in the 
Baltimore - Glen Burnie corridor.

III. Alternatives

    The alternatives proposed for evaluation include: No-Build which 
involves no change to transportation services or facilities in the 
corridor beyond those improvements currently programmed; and the light 
rail transit alternative which consists of providing light rail service 
via alternative alignments ranging in length from 2,900 feet to 4,570 
feet, primarily using single track. One station stop is proposed in 
conjunction with this alignment.

IV. Probable Effects

    FTA and MTA plan to evaluate in the EIS all significant social, 
economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives. Among the 
primary issues are the expected increase in transit ridership, the 
expected increase in mobility for the corridor's transit dependent, the 
support of the region's air quality goals, the capital outlays needed 
to construct the project, the cost of operating and maintaining the 
facilities created by the project, and the financial impacts on the 
funding agencies. Environmental and social impacts proposed for 
analysis include land use and neighborhood impacts, traffic and parking 
impacts near stations, health and safety impacts on wetland and 
parkland areas, and noise and vibration impacts. Impacts on natural 
areas, rare and endangered species, and air and water quality, will 
also be covered. The impacts will be evaluated both for the 
construction period and for the long term period of operations. 
Measures to mitigate adverse impacts will be identified.

V. FTA Procedures

    The draft EIS will be prepared in accordance with federal 
transportation planning and environmental regulations (23 CFR Parts 450 
and 771). The draft EIS will document the social, economic, and 
environmental impacts of the alternatives. Upon completion of the draft 
EIS, and on the basis of comments received, the MTA Administrator in 
concert with the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation 
(MDOT) and BMC, and in consultation with Anne Arundel County, and other 
affected agencies will select a locally preferred alternative. The MTA 
will then seek to have BMC, the metropolitan planning organization for 
the Baltimore area include the preferred alternative in the regional 
transportation plan, and continue with further preliminary engineering 
of the project and preparation of the Final EIS.

    Issued on: January 18, 1995.
Sheldon A. Kinbar,
FTA Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-1608 Filed 1-20-95; 8:45 am]
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