[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 1997)] [Notices] [Pages 68351-68352] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-34043] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration Environmental Impact Statement: Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield Counties, CO AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of intent and public scoping meetings. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The FHWA and FTA are jointly issuing this notice to advise the public that an environmental impact statement/4(f) evaluation will be prepared for transportation improvements in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield Counties, Colorado. Five scoping meetings will be held from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the following locations and dates as part of the preparation of the EIS/ 4(f) evaluation: Tuesday, February 17, 1998: Rifle City Hall, 202 Railroad Avenue, Rifle, CO Wednesday, February 18, 1998: Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO Thursday, February 19, 1998: Basalt High School, 150 Cottonwood Drive, Basalt, CO Monday, February 23, 1998: Garfield County Courthouse, 109 8th Street, Glenwood Springs, CO Tuesday, February 24, 1998: Aspen City Hall, 130 South Galena, Aspen, CO A 45-day scoping period will begin on January 6, 1998 and conclude on March 2, 1998. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Kulbacki, FHWA Colorado Division, 555 Zang Street, Room 250; Lakewood, Colorado 80228, Telephone (303) 969-6730 Dave Beckhouse, FTA Region VIII, 216 16th Street, Suite 650; Denver, Colorado 80202, Telephone (303) 844-3242 Joe Tempel, Colorado Department of Transportation, 4201 East Arkansas, Room 212; Denver, Colorado 80222, Telephone (303) 757-9771 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA and FTA in cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Roaring Fork Railroad Holding Authority (RFRHA) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and Section 4(f) evaluation on a proposal to make major transportation improvements in the Roaring Fork Valley from Glenwood Springs to the Aspen Airport, a distance of approximately 40 miles. The purpose of these improvements is to accommodate current and projected travel demands through the corridor. The proposed improvements will be identified in a Corridor Investment Study which will be combined with the EIS. At a minimum, the alternatives to be considered in the EIS/ 4(f) evaluation include the following: (1) The No Build Alternative--This will include transportation improvements previously cleared. (2) A Transportation System Management (TSM)--This will consist of low cost improvements to the existing transportation system to maximize its capacity and efficiency. (3) Improved Bus Alternative--This will consist of adding additional buses to the existing bus system in the Roaring Fork Valley. HOV and Exclusive Bus Lane alternatives will be addressed. (4) Multimodal Alternatives--These will consist of trail, rail and highway improvements. Various alignments, Station locations, technologies and access control plans (highway and rail) will be assessed along the rail corridor and SH82. Transportation Demand Management (TDM) elements will be incorporated into all of the Multimodal Alternatives to maximize the efficiency of the transportation system. Initial scoping meetings with local agencies and the general public will begin in January and be completed in March 1998. Letters will be sent to the appropriate federal, state and local agencies describing the proposed action and requesting comments. The general public will receive notices on location and time of the scoping meetings through newspaper advertisements and individual correspondence. These scoping meetings provide a forum for interaction between the public and government officials during the EIS/4(f) development. To ensure that a full range of issues related to this proposed action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or questions concerning this [[Page 68352]] proposed action and the EIS/4(f) evaluation should be directed to the Colorado Department of Transportation at the address provided above. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this program) Issued on: December 22, 1997. Ronald A. Speral, Environmental/ROW Program Manager, Colorado Division, Federal Highway Administration, Lakewood, Colorado. Louis F. Mraz Jr., Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Region VIII, Denver, Colorado. [FR Doc. 97-34043 Filed 12-30-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-22-M; 4910-57-M