[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 208 (Friday, October 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55355-55356]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27496]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on the Third Street Light Rail 
Project in San Francisco, CA

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 San Francisco 
Municipal Railway (MUNI) hereby give notice that they intend to prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), on the proposed construction of a 
light rail transit service along the Third Street corridor in San 
Francisco. The Third Street Light Rail Project would extend from a 
southern terminus connecting with the Bayshore CalTrain Station, travel 
along Bayshore Boulevard, cross Highway 101 to operate in a dedicated 
median right-of-way on Third Street through the Bayview commercial 
core, then past the Central Waterfront and Potrero Hill to King Street. 
North of Third and King Streets, surface and subway options would 
extend the light rail line through South of Market, the downtown area, 
crossing Market Street to the downtown area, with a northern terminus 
in Chinatown near Sacramento or Washington Street. Other options would 
operate directly into the Market Street MUNI Metro subway. As part of 
the project, a new light rail maintenance and storage facility is 
proposed for a site just east of I-280, between 16th and Mariposa 
Streets.
    The local lead agency--the City and County of San Francisco, 
Planning Department, Office of Environmental Review (OER)--will ensure 
that the environmental document also satisfies the requirements of the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In addition to the Third 
Street Light Rail Project, the EIS/EIR will evaluate a No Build 
Alternative, as well as any feasible alternatives generated through the 
scoping process. Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence 
with interested persons, organizations and federal, state and local 
agencies, and through two public scoping meetings. In addition, a 
Technical Advisory Committee and a Community Advisory Group will be 
established to provide input to the project. Numerous local community 
workshops and public informational forums are also planned to take 
place throughout the project corridor.

Meeting Dates: Public scoping meetings will be held at the following 
times and locations:

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              Day                            Date                           Time                   Location     
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday.....................  November 20, 1996............  6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m...........  ANA Hotel, 50     
                                                                                               Third Street.    
Thursday......................  November 21, 1996............  6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m...........  Southeast         
                                                                                               Community Center,
                                                                                               1600 Oakdale     
                                                                                               Avenue.          
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The meetings will have an Open House format from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 
p.m., with a presentation and public comments on the EIS/EIR scope 
planned from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

ADDRESS FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS: Written comments on the scope of 
alternatives and impacts to be considered in the EIS/EIR should be sent 
to the local lead agency by December 6, 1996. Written comments should 
be sent to Mr. Paul Deutsch, Planning Department, Office of 
Environmental Review, 1660 Mission Street, Fifth Floor, San Francisco, 
CA 94103.

FOR FURTHER PROJECT INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Olive, Project Manager, 
Service Planning Department, San Francisco Municipal Railway, 949 
Presidio Ave., San Francisco, CA. 94115. Phone (415) 923-6100; or Donna 
Turchie, Office of Planning and Program Development, Federal Transit 
Administration, 201 Mission St., Rm. 2210, San Francisco, CA 94105. 
Phone (415) 744-3115.

Supplementary Information:

Scoping

    FTA and the local lead agency invite interested individuals, 
organizations, and federal, state and local agencies to participate in 
defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS/EIR and 
identifying any significant social, economic, or environmental issues 
related to the alternatives. An information packet describing the 
purpose of the proposed federal action, the proposed alternatives, the 
impact topics to be evaluated, the community involvement program, and 
the preliminary project schedule will be available at the Public 
Scoping Meetings. Persons may request the scoping materials by 
contacting Paul Deutsch at the address above, or by calling him at 
(415) 558-6383. Scoping comments may be made verbally at either of the 
public scoping meetings or in writing. See the 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 design options

[[Page 55356]]

which are less costly or less environmentally damaging while achieving 
similar transit objectives. Scoping is not the appropriate time to 
indicate a preference for a particular alternative. Comments on 
preferences should be communicated after the Draft EIS/EIR has been 
completed. If you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive 
further information as the project develops, contact Sue Olive as 
previously described.

Description of Study Area and Project Need

    The project is to construct an electrified light rail line on the 
surface and in subway along the Third Street corridor in San Francisco 
as an alternative to the MUNI 15 and 9X diesel bus lines that currently 
serve the area. The project would provide many San Francisco residents 
with more efficient access to downtown job centers, the Mission Bay 
project area and proposed new waterfront ballpark, and would enhance 
mobility by improving connections with local and regional transit 
lines. This major transit investment is also intended to help achieve 
desired community and economic development objectives for the Bayshore 
Corridor communities of Potrero Hill, Bayview-Hunters Point and 
Visitacion Valley. The new light rail line would connect these 
neighborhoods with downtown San Francisco, and possibly Chinatown.

Alternatives

    The Third Street Light Rail Project is examining two alternatives 
to be carried forward into environmental analysis (Draft EIS/EIR). The 
two alternatives are:
     The ``No Build'' Diesel Bus Alternative would be a 
continuation or expansion of the MUNI 15-Third and 9X San Bruno 
Expresses that are currently the major trunk lines serving the project 
area, and
     A ``Build'' Light Rail Alternative, which assumes 
construction of a light rail line linking some or all of Chinatown, 
Downtown, South of Market, Potrero Hill, Bayview-Hunters Point and 
Visitacion Valley neighborhoods, primarily along Third Street. The 
Light Rail Alternative has multiple downtown and Mission Bay alignment 
options that will be evaluated and screened during the initial seven-
month study phase. All options share a common alignment along Third 
between the southern terminus at the Bayshore CalTrain Station and 16th 
Street. The Third Street light rail line would operate in a dedicated 
median right-of-way along Bayshore Boulevard and use the existing 
Highway 101 overcrossing to reach Third Street. Along Third Street, the 
alignment would remain in the median as it traverses the Bayview 
commercial core, over Islais Creek, and through the Central Waterfront 
area to 16th Street. A new light rail operations and maintenance 
facility is proposed for a 10-acre site east of I-280 between 16th 
Street and Mariposa Streets. North of 16th Street, three primary 
surface and subway alignment options, each containing suboption 
variants, are being studied. The project also hopes to use rail as a 
catalyst for revitalizing the Third Street commercial core in Bayview-
Hunters Point.

Probable Effects

     FTA and the local lead agency plan to evaluate in the EIS/EIR all 
significant social, economic, and environmental impacts of the 
alternatives. Among the primary issues are the expected increase in 
transit ridership, traveltime savings, 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 and benefits 
proposed for analysis include: land use and neighborhood impacts; 
parklands; traffic and parking impacts, particularly in the Bayview 
commercial core and near stations; visual impacts; impacts on historic 
architecture properties and archaeological resources; and noise and 
vibration impacts. Impacts on natural areas, biology, hazards, air and 
water quality, groundwater and geology will also be covered. The 
impacts will be evaluated both for the construction period and for the 
long-term period of operation. Measures to mitigate significant adverse 
impacts will be considered.

FTA Procedures

    In accordance with the Federal Transit Act and FTA policy, the 
Draft EIS/EIR will be prepared first. After its publication, the Draft 
EIS/EIR will be available for 45-day public and agency review and 
comment period, and a public hearing will be held. On the basis of the 
Draft EIS/EIR and the comments received, the San Francisco Public 
Transportation Commission will select a locally preferred alternative. 
Then the Final EIS/EIR will be prepared responding to all comments on 
the Draft EIS/EIR, and FTA will issue a Record of Decision on the 
proposed federal action.

    Issued on: October 22, 1996.
Leslie Rogers,
Regional Administrator, FTA.
[FR Doc. 96-27496 Filed 10-24-96; 8:45 am]
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