[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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