[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7264-7265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2882]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement; Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties,
Wisconsin
agency: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT; Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), DOT.
action: Notice of intent.
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summary: The FHWA, the FTA, and the Wisconsin Department of
Transportation (WisDOT) are issuing this notice to advise the public
and all other interested parties that in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
will be prepared for transportation improvements in the central East-
West Transportation Corridor of Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties,
Wisconsin. The WisDOT will ensure that the EIS also satisfies the
requirements of the Wisconsin Environment Policy Act (WEPA). The Draft
EIS (DEIS) will include a Major Investment Study (MIS) in accordance
with 23 Code of Federal Regulations part 450.
Among the alternatives that the EIS will evaluate are the No-Action
and Transportation System Management (TSM) alternatives; light rail
transit, freeway modernization, with and without special lanes for
buses and carpools; and combinations of freeway modernization and fixed
transit alternatives. Any new prudent and feasible alternatives
generated through the Scoping process will also be considered.
Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence with interested
persons, organizations, and federal, state and local agencies, and
through two public meetings.
This notice supersedes the previous FTA Notice of Intent published
in the Federal Register on March 27, 1992 (Vol. 57, No. 60, Page
10691).
for further information contact: Mr. Richard Schimelfenyg, Statewide
Projects Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 4502 Vernon
Boulevard, Madison, WI 53705-4905, phone (608) 264-5437, fax (608) 264-
5959; Mr. Joel Ettinger, Regional Administrator, Federal Transit
Administration, 55 East Monroe Street, Suite 1415, Chicago, Illinois
60603, phone (312) 353-2789, fax (312) 886-0351; or Mr. James Beckwith,
Project Manager, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, District 2,
141 NW. Barstow Street, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53188, phone (414) 548-
8675, fax (414) 548-8655.
cooperating agencies: The FHWA, FTA and WisDOT have determined that the
following agencies will be asked to be Cooperating Agencies in
preparation of this EIS:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE),
U.S. Coast Guard (CG),
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA),
U.S. Department of the Interior--National Park Service (NPS), and
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Any other agency that believes it may have either jurisdiction-by-
law or special expertise related to this project should consult with
the individuals listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The central East-West Transportation
Corridor is a major travel corridor bisecting Milwaukee and Waukesha
Counties. The Corridor includes portions of seven cities: Brookfield,
Glendale, Milwaukee, New Berlin, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, and West Allis;
three villages: Elm Grove, Shorewood and West Milwaukee; and three
towns: Brookfield, Pewaukee and Waukesha.
The central East-West Transportation Corridor study area is
generally a corridor approximately four to six miles wide extending
from the junction of State Trunk Highway (STH) 16 and Interstate
Highway (IH) 94 in Waukesha County 18 miles easterly to downtown
Milwaukee and Lake Michigan in Milwaukee County. The central East-West
Transportation Corridor generally follows the east-west route of IH-94
and extends north at it's eastern terminus to include the University of
Wisconsin--Milwaukee Campus and the near north shore communities
adjacent to the City of Milwaukee.
While there are other East-West transportation corridors both north
and south of the central transportation corridor, they do not directly
serve the central business district of downtown Milwaukee, except by
connections to north-south transportation corridors.
Transportation improvements in the central East-West Corridor are
intended to improve accessibility in the corridor. A substantial
portion of the corridor is largely composed of a low income, non-white,
and transit-dependent population. Improved transportation should better
serve the bidirectional travel needs of the area's growing employment
base and population. Transit and highway improvements would also reduce
traffic congestion, improve travel safety, and reduce accidents.
Improved transportation operations in the corridor may alleviate
regional air quality problems by providing alternatives to the single
occupant automobile for many trips. Further, improved transit may
alleviate traffic and parking problems that prevail in some of the most
densely populated portions of the corridor and assist in opportunities
for improved land use patterns and jobs development. In light of the
above factors, the purpose of the central East-West Corridor study is
to identify the best approach for improving long term transportation
service in the corridor in a cost-effective, equitable, and publicly
acceptable manner.
Previous Activity
As noted earlier, on March 27, 1992 the FTA announced through a
Notice of Intent in the Federal Register that an Alternatives Analysis/
Environmental Impact Statement (AA/EIS) would be prepared for transit
improvements in the East-West Corridor in Milwaukee and Waukesha
Counties. During the alternatives analysis reasonable and promising
alternatives including technology type, alignment, and location of
train storage yards and a maintenance center, were evaluated according
to FTA criteria. Twelve alternatives were developed and presented at
public meetings, Technical Advisory Committee meetings, and Study
Advisory Committee meetings. After FTA approval, the twelve
alternatives were being evaluated in an AA/DEIS (that was not
circulated). These twelve alternatives included the No Build and
Transportation System Management (TSM) alternatives, high occupancy
vehicle (HOV) lanes for buses and carpools, express and rapid light
rail transit (XLRT and RLRT), rapid busway (RBUS), minimum length
routes for both LXRT and RLRT, and combinations of all modal
alternatives described above.
In late 1993, a committee of local mayors, county executives,
village presidents, and state and regional transportation officials,
known as the Study Advisory Committee, identified Alternative 12 as
their preliminary [[Page 7265]] recommendation, while deferring the
selection of specific route and station location until the next stage
of study, preliminary engineering. The Alternative 12 concept included:
--17 miles of busway or special lanes for carpools and buses parallel
to IH 94 between downtown Milwaukee and the City of Waukesha,
--16 miles of light rail transit extending from Glendale through
downtown Milwaukee to the County Grounds in western Milwaukee County,
and a
--30% increase in metro area bus service split equally between
Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties.
While Alternative 12 appeared to be the concept that best addressed
the needs of the corridor, there were issues and concerns about
specific route options for light rail and the busway. It became
apparent that more detailed work would be required on the exact
alignments of light rail transit and special lanes as well as their
benefits, costs, and impacts before a locally preferred alternative
could be recommended.
Concurrent with the AA/EIS study, the WisDOT was evaluating
alternatives for modernization of the IH 94 corridor in Waukesha and
Milwaukee Counties, including reconstruction of the Zoo, Stadium, and
Marquette interchanges. The IH 94 modernization studies were considered
as part of the No Build scenario in the AA/EIS. However, the IH 94
modernization studies had to consider how transit alternatives
presented in the AA/EIS would affect design alternatives.
In order to be consistent with recent rule changes to 23 CFR part
450, the FTA, FHWA, WisDOT and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional
Planning Commission (the metropolitan planning organization, or MPO,
for the region) agreed that the IH 94 modernization studies and the
East-West Corridor transit studies be combined in a Draft EIS and Major
Investment Study (DEIS/MIS).
The DEIS/MIS will address issues concerning specific route options,
alignments, and location of special lanes for potential transit
facilities and will also define and evaluate IH 94 highway
improvements. The scope of work and alternatives proposed for
evaluation in the DEIS/MIS are consistent with the Wisconsin Department
of Transportation's recently endorsed Translinks 21 statewide
transportation plan as well as the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional
Planning Commission's Regional Transportation System Plan, adopted on
December 7, 1994.
Among the alternatives that the DEIS/MIS will evaluate are the No-
Action and Transportation System Management (TSM) alternatives; light
rail transit, freeway modernization, with and without special lanes for
buses and carpools; and combinations of freeway modernization and fixed
transit alternatives. Any new prudent and feasible alternatives
generated through the Scoping process will also be considered.
Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence with interested
persons, organizations, and federal, state and local agencies and two
public Scoping meetings. Written comments on the scope of alternatives
and the type of impacts to be considered should be sent to WisDOT by
March 16, 1995.
FHWA, FTA and WisDOT invite interested individuals, organizations,
and federal, state and local agencies to participate in defining the
alternatives to be evaluated in the MIS/EIS and identifying any
significant social, economic, or environmental issues related to the
alternatives.
An information packet describing the purpose of the project, the
proposed alternatives, the impact areas to be evaluated, the citizen
involvement program, and the preliminary project schedule is being
mailed to affected federal, state and local agencies and to interested
parties on record. Others may request the Scoping materials by
contacting Mr. James Beckwith at the address listed above.
Scoping comments may be made verbally at any of the public Scoping
meetings or in writing. Scoping comments should focus on identifying
specific social, economic or environmental impacts to be evaluated and
suggesting alternatives which are less costly or less environmentally
damaging while achieving similar transportation objectives. Scoping is
not the approprite time to indicate a preference for a particular
alternative. Comments on preferences should be communicated after the
DEIS/MIS has been completed. If you wish to be placed on the mailing
list to receive further information as the project develops, contact
Mr. James Beckwith at the address listed above.
Probable Effects
FHWA, FTA and WisDOT plan to evaluate in the EIS all significant
social, economic and environmental impacts of the alternatives. Among
the primary issues are transportation service changes, including
transit cost, service, patronage change, and its financial
implications; the effect on traffic movement and railroad operations;
community impacts, including land use planning and zoning
compatibility, neighborhood compatibility, local and regional economic
change, aesthetics, and utility relocation; cultural resource impacts,
including effects on historic, archeological, and park resources; and
natural resource impacts, including air quality, noise and vibration,
removal of pre-existing hazardous wastes, and effects on water
resources and quality, natural features, and ecosystems. The proposed
impact assessment and its evaluation criteria will take into account
both positive and negative impacts direct and indirect impacts, short-
term (construction) and long-term (operation) impacts, and site-
specific and corridor-wide impacts. Evaluation criteria will be
consistent with the applicable Federal, State of Wisconsin, and local
standards, criteria, regulations, and policies. Mitigation measures
will be explored for any adverse impacts that are identified as part of
the analysis.
FHWA/FTA Procedures
In accordance with the Federal Aid Highway Act and FHWA policy, and
the Federal Transit Act, as amended, and FTA policy, the DEIS/MIS will
be prepared in conjunction with an analysis of alternatives and initial
Preliminary Engineering. After its publication, the DEIS/MIS will be
available for public and agency review and comment, and a public
hearing will be held. On the basis of the DEIS/MIS and the comments
received, WisDOT will select a locally preferred alternative for its
major investment strategy. The Regional Transportation System Plan and
Transportation Improvement Program will be revised to incorporate the
selected strategy. Detailed Preliminary Engineering and preparation of
a Final EIS will be completed following FHWA and FTA approval.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Planning and Construction; 20.500, Federal Transit Capital
Improvement Grants; and 20.507, Federal Transit Capital Operating
Assistance Formula Grants. The regulations implementing Executive
Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on Federal
programs and activities apply to this program.
Issued on: January 27, 1995.
Richard Schimelfenyg,
Statewide Projects Engineer, FHWA.
[FR Doc. 95-2882 Filed 2-6-95; 8:45 am]
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