[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 227 (Friday, November 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59485-59487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29948]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on the 27th Avenue Project, Dade 
County, Florida

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), the Florida 
Department of Transportation (FDOT), and the Metro-Dade Transit Agency 
(MDTA) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on the 
proposed 27th Avenue transit project in Dade County, Florida.
    The EIS will evaluate the following alternatives: a no-build 
alternative; a Transportation Systems Management alternative defined as 
low cost, operationally oriented improvements to address the identified 
transportation problems in the corridor; an exclusive

[[Page 59486]]

buslane alternative; a transit system alternative in the median of 27th 
Avenue; and a transit system alternative along side 27th Avenue. 
Scoping will be accomplished through meetings and correspondence with 
interested persons, organizations, the general public, Federal, State 
and local agencies.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives 
and impacts to be considered should be sent to the Metro-Dade Transit 
Agency by January 6, 1997. See ADDRESSES below. Scoping Meetings: A 
joint FTA and Metro-Dade Transit Agency public scoping meeting will be 
held on Tuesday, December 11, 1996 at 7:00 p.m. at the North Dade 
Regional Library located at 2455 NW 183rd Street, Miami, Florida; and 
on December 12, 1996, 6:00 p.m. at the North Central Library located at 
9590 NW 27th Avenue, Miami, Florida. See ADDRESSES below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to Mr. 
Wilson Fernandez, Metro-Dade Transit Agency, 111 NE First Street, Suite 
910, Miami, Florida 33128-1970. Scoping meetings will be held at the 
following locations:

North Dade Regional Library, 2455 NW 183rd Street, Miami, Florida; and
North Central Library, 9590 NW 27th Avenue, Miami, Florida

    See DATES above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth Martin, Community 
Planner, Federal Transit Administration, Region 4, (404) 562-3509.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The FTA, the Florida Department of Transportation, and MDTA invite 
written comments for a period of 45 days after publication of this 
notice (See DATES and ADDRESSES above.) During scoping, comments should 
focus on identifying specific social, economic, or environmental 
impacts to be evaluated, and suggesting alternatives that are less 
costly or less environmentally damaging which achieve similar 
objectives. Comments should focus on the issues and alternatives for 
analysis, and not on a preference for a particular alternative. 
Individual preference for a particular alternative should be 
communicated during the comment period for the Draft EIS.
    If you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive further 
information as the project continues, contact Mr. Wilson Fernandez at 
the Metro-Dade Transit Agency (see ADDRESSES above).

II. Description of Study Area and Project Need

    The proposed project corridor extends from Metrorail's Martin 
Luther King, Jr. station at NW 62nd Street north to the Dade/Broward 
County line at NW 215th Street. The corridor extends 9.5, covers an 
area one quarter mile east and west of NW 27th Avenue.
    NW 27th Avenue is a major north-south thoroughfare with six lanes, 
a median, and left turn lanes. From NW 79th Street to NW 106th Street, 
where used car dealers are located, the curb lanes are used for 
parking, right turns, and bus stops, leaving two through lanes in each 
direction. The remainder of the avenue north of 106th Street has three 
through lanes in each direction. Land use along NW 27th Avenue is 
mostly commercial or institutional.
    As South Florida has grown in recent years, streets and highways in 
northern Dade County have become increasingly congested. Suburban 
growth in southwestern Broward County has led to heavy through traffic 
bound for the employment centers in central Dade County. Moreover, this 
condition will grow steadily worse as the area continues to grow into 
the next century. In addition, there is increasing desire for 
transportation options in the North Corridor which offer convenient, 
rapid, and safe travel alternatives to the private automobile. Dade 
County has been identified as a moderate air quality attainment area 
(maintenance status). Project need is based on increasing travel in 
north Dade County, increasing through traffic from Broward County, and 
on providing attractive transportation options to North Corridor 
residents and visitors.
    In response to this need, MDTA has completed a Major Investment 
Study (MIS) for the North Corridor. The results of the MIS study 
resulted in a recommended design concept and scope consisting of two 
heavy rail transit alternatives and one exclusive bus lane alternative 
to be studied in the EIS stage to provide the required mobility for the 
north Corridor.

III. Alternatives

    The alternatives proposed for evaluation include: (1) No-Build, 
which involves no change to transportation services or facilities in 
the corridor beyond already committed projects; (2) A Transportation 
Systems Management (TSM) Alternative is defined as low cost, 
operationally oriented improvements to address the identified 
transportation problems in the corridor, and provides a baseline 
against which all of the ``Build'' alternatives are evaluated. It 
includes additional Metrorail service along Stage I and the Palmetto 
station; (3) A single-lane, reversible busway in the median of NW 27th 
Avenue from NW 79th Street to NW 199th Street. Express, limited-stop 
buses would operate southbound on the busway in the AM peak period and 
northbound in the PM peak period. Local buses and buses operating in 
the opposite direction during those periods would continue to operate 
in mixed traffic on NW 27th Avenue. Buses would connect with Metrorail 
at the Martin Luther King Jr. station; (4) An extension of the 
Metrorail line north over the median of NW 27th Avenue to NW 215th 
Street, at the existing Stage I structure north of Dr. Martin Luther 
King Jr. station. Stations are located over the middle of streets, 
except for the Miami Dade Community College (MDCC) station located west 
of NW 27th Avenue, and the Pro Player Stadium station located east of 
NW 27th Avenue in the stadium parking lot area. This alternative would 
leave four through lanes on NW 27th Avenue in most areas; (5) An 
extension of the Metrorail line elevated along side NW 27th Avenue to 
NW 215th Street, right-of-way is purchased alongside NW 27th Avenue, 
and the Metrorail structure is constructed in the new right-of-way. For 
the majority of the alignment, the new right-of-way would lie 
immediately adjacent and to the west of the existing NW 27th Avenue 
right-of-way, occupying a strip approximately 50 feet wide (except at 
station areas, where somewhat more land would be required). North of 
the intersection of NW 183rd Street, however, the alignment swings 
across to the east side of NW 27th Avenue, and continues further east 
to preserve as much of the street frontage of the large undeveloped 
tract lying east of NW 27th Avenue between NW 185th Street 
(approximately) and NW 199th Street. The alignment continues across NW 
199th Street and returns to the median of NW 27th Avenue north of Pro 
Player Stadium. It then remains in the median to the county line. This 
alternative preserves six through lanes for the entire length of NW 
27th Avenue in the project area.

IV. Probable Effects

    FTA, FDOT, and the MDTA will evaluate all significant 
environmental, social, and economic impacts of the alternatives 
analyzed in the EIS. Primary environmental issues include: neighborhood 
protection, aesthetics, bicycle facilities, trails, recreational 
greenways, alternative modes of transportation, hydrology and

[[Page 59487]]

stormwater management, archaeological and historic resources, 
ecological issues. Environmental and social impacts proposed for 
analysis include land use and neighborhood impacts, traffic and parking 
impacts near stations, visual impacts, impacts on cultural resources, 
and noise and vibration impacts. Impacts on natural areas, rare and 
endangered species, air and water quality, groundwater and potentially 
contaminated sites 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 any significant adverse impact will be 
developed.

    Issued on: November 19, 1996.
Susan E. Schruth,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-29948 Filed 11-21-96; 8:45 am]
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