[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 68 (Monday, April 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15560-15562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8649]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on Canal Street Spine Streetcar 
Project

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Regional 
Transit Authority (RTA) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) for transportation improvements in the Canal Street Corridor 
within the City of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Locally Preferred 
Alternative (the Proposed Action) for transportation improvements 
consists of the construction of a streetcar rail route in the neutral 
ground (median) of Canal Street extending from the Riverfront streetcar 
line to City Park Avenue with a connection along Carrollton and Orleans 
Avenues to City Park and Delgado Community College.
    The FTA and RTA will prepare the draft and final EIS in conformance 
with 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, Council on Environmental Quality, 
Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and 49 CFR Part 622, FTA, 
Environmental Impact and Related Procedures. In addition, in 
conformance with Federal Transit Laws, as codified at 49 U.S.C. 5301 et 
seq., and FTA policy, the Draft EIS will be prepared as a follow-on 
document to the Canal Street Corridor Project, Major Investment Study 
(March

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1995) and the Canal Street Corridor Project, Locally Preferred 
Alternative Report (March 1995). In addition, both the Draft and Final 
EIS will be prepared in conjunction with Preliminary Engineering for 
the Canal Street Spine Streetcar Project.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives 
and impacts to be considered should be sent to Mr. Jeffrey Roesel, 
Project Manager, RTA by May 8, 1996. Scoping Meeting: A public scoping 
meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 1996, at the St. John 
Lutheran Church Fellowship Center. See ADDRESSES below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to Mr. 
Jeffrey Roesel, Project Manager, RTA, 6700 Plaza Drive, New Orleans, 
Louisiana 70127-2677.
    A Scoping Meeting will be held beginning at 7:00 p.m. on April 30, 
1996, at the following location: St. John Lutheran Church Fellowship 
Center, 136 North Pierce Street, New Orleans, LA 70119.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Peggy Crist, Director, Planning 
and Program Development, FTA, (817) 860-9663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The FTA and RTA invite the public and affected Federal, State, and 
local agencies to comment on the alternatives that will be evaluated in 
the EIS and identify any significant issues related to the 
alternatives. Written materials describing the Proposed Action, the 
expected environmental impacts, a public involvement program, and the 
preliminary work schedule are being mailed to affected Federal, State, 
and local agencies and to interested parties on record. Others may 
request these scoping materials by calling or writing to Mr. Jeffrey 
Roesel, Project Manager, RTA, 6700 Plaza Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 
70127-2677; Telephone (504) 248-3899.
    A scoping meeting is set for April 30, 1996, at the St. John 
Lutheran Church Fellowship Center. Verbal and written comments may be 
submitted at this meeting, and RTA staff will be available for 
questions. Opportunity for additional public comment will be provided 
during the study. If you would like to be placed on the mailing list to 
receive further information on the project and notices of public 
meetings and hearings, please contact Mr. Roesel at the above address.

II. Description of Study Areas and Project Need

    The Canal Street Corridor is delineated by the area bounded by and 
including the abutting properties from the intersection of City Park 
Avenue and the I-10 to Canal Boulevard to the Norfolk Southern Railroad 
right-of-way to the Bayou St. John to St. Ann Street to Decatur Street 
to Elysian Fields Avenue to the Mississippi River to Poydras Street to 
the I-10 to the intersection with City Park Avenue. This corridor 
contains several of the City's oldest and most famous neighborhoods, 
some of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 
The neighborhoods in the study area include Mid-City, Treme, the French 
Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, the Warehouse District, the Central Business 
District (CBD), and the New Orleans Regional Medical Center.
    The RTA, in cooperation with the FTA, is undertaking the Canal 
Street Spine Streetcar Project as part of an overall plan to upgrade 
and expand transit ridership and services in the New Orleans 
Metropolitan Area. The project is needed to improve local commuting 
access along the Canal Street Corridor and into the New Orleans CBD. 
Other transportation goals include increasing transit system ridership 
and operating efficiency, while reducing conflicts between transit 
vehicles and passenger cars.

III. Alternatives

    Transportation improvements proposed for consideration in the Canal 
Street Corridor EIS include the No Build Alternative and the Proposed 
Action. The No Build Alternative consists of a continuation of the 
current five bus lines operating in the Canal Street Corridor. Issues 
to be evaluated under the No Build Alternative include elimination of 
underutilized stops and modification of traffic signals to incorporate 
priority control.
    The Proposed Action consists of re-occupation of the traditional 
street rail corridor in the neutral ground (median) of Canal Street 
from the foot of Canal Street (connection to the Riverfront Line) to 
City Park Avenue. It also includes a spur line that would depart from 
the Canal Spine at Carrollton Avenue, travel along Carrollton to 
Orleans Avenue, and follow Orleans across City Park Avenue to a 
terminus in Marconi Boulevard near the entrances to City Park and 
Delgado Community College at Victory Drive. Service will begin at the 
Esplanade station on the Riverfront Line and proceed along the existing 
Riverfront Line to the foot of Canal Street. From the foot of Canal, 
service will proceed in the Canal Street neutral ground (median) to the 
terminus at City Park Avenue or the Marconi Boulevard terminus. The 
entire route, consisting of double-tracked rail, is approximately 5.6 
miles (9.0 km) in length.
    In addition, the Proposed Action will include the construction of a 
maintenance facility for daily service, inspection, and storage of the 
Canal Street Spine and Riverfront streetcar fleet (SIS Barn). 
Preliminary screening of locations has identified three potential 
locations for the SIS Barn: (1) and (2) Lafitte Avenue Sites I and II, 
located within the rail corridor bounded by St. Louis Street, Lafitte 
Avenue, North Claiborne Avenue, and North Dorgenois Street; and (3) 
Jefferson Davis/Tulane Site, bounded by Tulane Avenue, South Jefferson 
Davis Parkway, Julia Street, South Genois Street, and South Clark 
Street. All existing facilities have also been considered.

IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

    The FTA and RTA propose to evaluate in the EIS all significant 
social, economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives under 
consideration. The impacts evaluated will include: noise; residential 
and business displacements; changes in development patterns and land 
use; community disruption due to traffic, noise, displacements, and 
parking changes; safety considerations; effects on parks and historic 
sites (Sections 106 and 4(f)); degradation of the air quality and water 
quality; encroachment on wetlands and floodplains, ecologically 
sensitive areas, hazardous waste sites; changes to wildlife habitat; 
and the overall aesthetic quality of the area. These impacts will be 
evaluated for both the construction period and for the long-term 
operation of each alternative. Measures to mitigate identified impacts 
will be discussed.

V. FTA Procedures

    In accordance with Federal transportation planning regulations, the 
DEIS will be prepared as a follow-on document to the Canal Street 
Corridor Project, Major Investment Study (March 1995) and the Canal 
Street Corridor Project, Locally Preferred Alternative Report (March 
1995) as approved by the City of New Orleans. In addition, both the 
Draft and Final EIS will be prepared in conjunction with Preliminary 
Engineering for the Canal Street Spine Streetcar Project. Upon 
completion of the DEIS, and in consideration of comments received from 
the public and

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affected agencies, the RTA, as the lead agency, will continue with 
further preliminary engineering and preparation of a Final EIS.

    Issued on: April 3, 1996.
Wilbur E. Hare,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-8649 Filed 4-5-96; 8:45 am]
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