[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26473-26474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12165]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Peninsula Commute Service San
Francisco Downtown Extension (PCS-DTX) Project in the San Francisco Bay
Area, California
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), in cooperation with
the Penninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), is resuming
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the PCS-DTX in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The PCJPB
will ensure that the EIS also satisfies the requirements of the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The NEPA Lead Agency will
be FTA. The CEQA Lead Agency will be the PCJPB.
The Peninsula Commute Service, commonly referred to as CalTrain, is
the commuter rail system that serves the San Francisco Peninsula
between Gilroy and the existing terminal station in San Francisco
located at Fourth and Townsend Streets. The present location of the
terminal is not considered desirable from a transportation, land use,
or public policy perspective. The prosposed project would extend
CalTrain to a new station closer to downtown San Francisco.
The project was determined by the Bay Area Partnership, a body of
transportation officials representing different modes, regulatory
agencies and federal agencies, to belong in the category of projects
``requiring a Major Investment Study (MIS) but may be satisfied by
prior studies''. The consultation group convened to discuss MIS
requirements for this project agreed that past corridor studies such as
PENTAP, SCR 74, BART/SFO AA/DEIS, and the MTC/JPBCalTrain Downtown
Extension/System Upgrades Study satisfy MIS requirements and that the
project could advance into preliminary engineering and environmental
documentation.
DATES: Written comments on the alternatives and impacts to be
considered must be postmarked no later than June 15, 1995, and send to
PCJPB at the address below. Two public informational meetings will be
held June 21, 1995 at 10 AM-noon and 5:30 PM-7:30 PM in Auditorium B,
Golden Gate University, 536 Mission Street, San Francisco 94105. These
meetings will mark the resumption of environmental studies and
preparation of the EIS/EIR (see Supplementary Information below).
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Ms. Marie Pang,
Environmental Manager, PCS-DTX Project, Peninsula Corridor JPB, P.O.
Box 3006, San Carlos, CA 94070-1306. Phone: (415) 508-6338.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Robert Hom, Director, Program Development, FTA Region IX, 201
Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Phone: (415) 744-
3116. [[Page 26474]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping
A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was previously published in
the Federal Register on January 18, 1989. The Scoping Process began
with two public scoping meetings on February 15, 1989. An
Administrative Draft EIS was prepared in 1991 but was not circulated
due to lack of local funding commitments for the project.
The project was held in abeyance until March, 1993, when the PCJPB
conducted four public meetings to solicit public input on key project
issues, including which alternatives deserved further consideration. As
a result, the PCJPB, jointly with the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission (MTC), conducted a study to develop fundable extension
alternatives and system upgrades that could be recommended by the PCJPB
for inclusion in the MTC's financially constrained Regional
Transportation Plan (RTP). The study evaluated nine alternatives and
the results were reviewed in public meetings. In March, 1994, the PCJPB
designated Alternative 8B (extension of CalTrain to an underground
terminal at Beale and Market Streets) of that study as the Locally
Preferred Alternative (LPA) for inclusion in the RTP. This alternative
was subsequently included in the 1994 RTP adopted by MTC after
extensive public review. The PCJPB is now resuming environmental
studies for the preparation of a Draft EIS/EIR for public review and
comment.
The public informational meetings will announce resumption of
environmental studies. The environmental process will be outlined, and
the public will be invited to become involved in this process through
the Public Participation/Consensus Building Program that will be
implemented for this project. The public will be invited to comment on
all aspects of the project, including alignments, station design, and
the environmental, social and economic impacts to be analyzed. The
public will also be notified of future informational meetings and
workshops as the studies progress.
II. Description of Study Area
The Peninsula Commute Service traverses three counties (San
Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara) from San Francisco to Gilroy for
a distance of approximately 77 miles. However, most of the proposed
project is located in the City of San Francisco, in an area generally
bounded by Market Street, the Embarcadero, China Basin Channel,
Sixteenth Street, Seventh Street, Bryant Street and Second Street. The
primary east-west corridors are along Brannan, Townsend and King
Streets; primary north-south corridors are along Beale Street and Colin
P. Kelly/Essex Streets (to the Transbay Terminal). The proposed station
location is at Beale and Market Streets; however, the existing Transbay
Transit Terminal location will also be evaluated in the envent the LPA
location proves infeasible.
III. Alternatives
Three alternatives with sub-options emerged from the evaluation and
public involvement processes conducted previously. These alternatives
will be evaluated in the DEIS/DEIR as follows:
Alternative 1--No Build. The San Francisco station would
remain at 4th and Townsend.
Alternative 2 (The Proposed Project [LPA])--CalTrain would
be extended to a station at Beale and Market Streets with the following
routing and fuel options:
Option A--CalTrain would be routed on the surface along Townsend
Street to 4th Street, underground via cut and cover under public
streets from 4th Street to Market and Beale Streets. King and Brannan
Streets, would be considered should Townsend Street prove infeasible.
Full system electrification is included in this option.
Option B--Same as Option A, except existing locomotives with diesel
power would be used or would be converted to liquified natural gas.
Option C--Same as Option A, except that a direct mined or bored
tunnel alignment would be used from approximately 3rd Street to
approximately Harrison and Beale Streets under private properties in
the South Beach Area.
Alternative 3--CalTrain would be extended to a station at
the existing Transbay Transit Terminal location. The PCS would be
routed on the surface along Townsend Street, underground via cut and
cover and/or mined tunnel to Folsom/Essex Streets and from there to a
new or rehabilitated Transbay Transit Terminal. King or Brannan Streets
would be considered should Townsend prove infeasible. Full system
electrification is included in this alternative.
IV. Probable Effects
Impacts proposed for analysis include changes in the physical
environment (air quality, noise, water quality, geology, visual);
changes in the social environment (land use, business disruptions, and
neighborhoods); changes in traffic and pedestrian circulation; impacts
on parklands and historic sites; changes in transit service and
partonage; associated changes in highway congestion; capital, operating
and maintenance costs; and financial implications. Impacts will be
identified both for the construction period and for the long term
operation of the alternatives. The proposed evaluation criteria include
transportation, environmental, social, economic and financial measures
as required by current Federal (NEPA) and State (CEQA) environmental
laws and current Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and FTA
guidelines. Mitigating measures will be explored for adverse impacts
that are identified.
Issued on: May 12, 1995.
Stewart F. Taylor,
Region IX Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-12165 Filed 5-6-95; 8:45 am]
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