[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1527-1529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-491]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on the Proposed Commuter Rail 
Project Between Everett and Seattle, WA

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 Central Puget 
Sound Regional Transit Authority (RTA) intend to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The RTA will ensure that the EIS also 
satisfies the requirements of the Washington State Environmental Policy 
Act (SEPA). The FTA will be the NEPA lead agency. The RTA will be the 
SEPA lead agency. Corridor alternatives were evaluated in a SEPA plan-
level EIS (1993) and in a Major Investment Study (1997).
    The EIS will evaluate the Everett-Seattle Commuter Rail Project, 
including station location alternatives and track improvement/expansion 
design variations design alternatives in sensitive (shoreline and 
wetland) areas, along the 35-mile long corridor between Everett and 
Seattle, Washington. The project will generally, though not solely, be 
located in existing Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railway (BNSF) right-
of-way. The proposed Commuter Rail Project is intended to provide peak-
hour commuter rail service between key activity centers along the 
corridor, including two of the region's largest employment centers: 
Seattle and Everett. The commuter rail line will connect with the 
proposed Seattle-to-Tacoma/Lakewood commuter rail service, and the 
proposed Central Light Rail Transit line between north Seattle and 
SeaTac, Washington, at the King Street Station in Seattle.
    The project will also evaluate site alternatives for a proposed 
commuter rail vehicle overnight storage and light maintenance facility 
or facilities. In addition, the EIS will evaluate the no-build 
alternative and any new reasonable alternatives generated through the 
scoping process.
    Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence with interested 
persons, organizations, and federal, state, regional, and local 
agencies, as well as through meetings with interested persons. Five 
public scoping meetings will be held, as well as one interagency 
scoping meeting. See DATES below for details.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives 
and impacts to be considered should be sent to the RTA by February 20, 
1998. See ADDRESS below. Oral comments should be made at one of the 
four public scoping meetings scheduled below. Scoping Meetings: Public 
scoping meetings will be held on the following days and locations:

Monday, February 2, 1998, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Everett Senior 
Center, 3025 Lombard Street, Everett, WA
Wednesday, February 4, 1998, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Rosehill 
Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave., Mukilteo, WA
Thursday, February 5, 1998, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Edmonds Public 
Library, Library Plaza Room, 650 Main Street, Edmonds, WA
Monday, February 9, 1998 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Nordic Heritage 
Museum Auditorium, 3014 NW 67th St., Seattle, WA
Tuesday, February 10, 1998, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Richmond Beach 
Congregational Church, Pilgrim Room, 1512 NW 195th St., Shoreline, WA
    A scoping meeting for governmental agencies will be held on Monday, 
February 2, 1998, between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., at the RTA, 1100 
2nd Avenue, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98101-3423. This meeting for 
governmental agencies will be held in the RTA's fourth floor Board 
conference room. All the locations for the scoping meetings are 
accessible to people with disabilities. People with special needs (such 
as individuals needing a language translator) should contact the RTA at 
the address below or by calling (206) 684-6776. A TDD number is also 
available: (206) 684-1395.
    Scoping meetings will be held in an ``open-house'' format. Project

[[Page 1528]]

representatives will be available to discuss the project throughout the 
entire meeting. Informational displays and written materials will also 
be available throughout the entire meeting. In addition to written 
comments, which may be made at the meeting or as described below, 
individual oral comments will be recorded at the meeting.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to: 
Perry Weinberg, Environmental Compliance Manager, Regional Transit 
Authority, 1100 Second Avenue, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98101-3423; fax 
Number (206) 689-3525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. F. William Fort, Transportation 
Program Specialist, Federal Transit Administration, Region X, 915 
Second Avenue, Room 3142, Seattle, WA 98174; phone number: (206) 220-
4461.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The FTA and the RTA invite interested individuals, organizations, 
and federal, state, regional and local agencies to participate in 
defining the alternatives within the corridor to be evaluated in the 
EIS and identifying any significant, social, economic, or environmental 
issues related to the alternatives. An Environmental Scoping 
Information Report describing the project, the proposed alternatives, 
the impact areas to be evaluated, the public involvement program and 
the preliminary project schedule has been prepared. You may request a 
copy of the report by contacting the RTA at (206) 684-6776. Scoping 
comments may be made orally at the public scoping meetings or in 
writing. See DATES above for locations and times, and see the ADDRESSES 
section above for written comments. During scoping, comments should 
focus on identifying specific social, economic, or environmental 
impacts to be evaluated and suggesting alternatives that are more cost-
effective or have fewer environmental impacts while achieving similar 
transit objectives.
    Scoping materials will be available at the meeting or in advance of 
the meeting by contacting the RTA at (206) 684-6776. If you wish to be 
placed on the mailing list to receive further information as the 
project proceeds, please contact the following individual at the RTA: 
David Phillip Beal, Program Manager--Project Development, Commuter Rail 
Department (206) 684-1883.

II. Description of Study Area and Project Need

    The Everett-Seattle Commuter Rail Project consists of a north-south 
corridor approximately 35 miles long between Everett and Seattle, 
Washington. The project will include a group of physical and 
operational improvements to existing tracks and rights-of-way, track, 
along with station facilities and systems in order to provide commuter 
rail service. These improvements may also include new tracks in some 
locations. Service is expected to operate during peak commute periods, 
with a total of 6 train trips in each direction. Trains will consist of 
6 to 10 passenger cars pulled by a diesel locomotive.
    Up to 7 stations will be developed to serve Seattle, Shoreline, 
Edmonds, Mukilteo, Everett and surrounding areas. Stations are proposed 
at the following locations: Edmonds Multi-modal, Mukilteo, Everett Bond 
St. AMTRAK station and Everett Multi-modal station. Provisional 
stations that are currently unfunded but that will be analyzed in this 
EIS include stations in the Ballard area of Seattle and the Richmond 
Beach area of Shoreline. An additional, currently unfunded station will 
be analyzed in the Seattle downtown/north waterfront area.
    Station improvements will generally consist of a platform on each 
side of the tracks at most locations, a canopy over the platform, a 
fare machine, and related facilities. Bus access will be provided at 
all stations. Parking facilities will be provided to serve all of the 
stations except for the Seattle waterfront and, possibly, Ballard 
stations.
    Track and other right-of-way improvements will be made to allow 
commuter rail to operate along this corridor, which is extensively used 
for freight operations. The existing railroad is double-tracked in most 
places. However, in order to operate commute rail in the corridor, it 
will be necessary to double-track in the several remaining single-track 
locations. It will also be necessary to add sidings in a number of 
locations. The EIS will analyze alternative designs for such facilities 
to minimize or avoid adverse impacts to sensitive resources, including 
the shoreline of Puget Sound and wetlands.
    The proposed commuter rail project will provide an important and 
cost-effective alternative to the automobile in the congested I-5 
corridor. The ridership forecast for the year 2010 is 3,000 to 4,000 
passengers/day. Project need is described in the Documentation of Major 
Investment Study, RTA, March 12, 1997. This document is available from 
the RTA by calling (206) 684-6776.

III. Alternatives

    The proposed Everett-Seattle Commuter Rail Project would largely be 
implemented in existing BNSF railroad right-of-way, except for some 
stations and parking facilities. Alternatives relating to alignment 
location and mode were previously considered and documented in the 
Major Investment Study (1997). Therefore, this project-level EIS will 
focus on alternative station locations, and alternative locations and/
or designs for track facilities that minimize or avoid adverse impacts 
on sensitive environmental resources.
    To date, the station locations and alternatives proposed for study 
in the EIS include the following:
     Seattle, North Downtown/Waterfront (unfunded).
     Ballard in Seattle (provisional).
     Richmond Beach in Shoreline (provisional).
     Edmonds, at the site of the Edmonds Multi-modal Facility; 
or at the existing AMTRAK station.
     Mukilteo, at the site of the proposed Mukilteo Multi-modal 
Facility; or near the existing ferry passenger boarding point in 
downtown.
     Everett, at the existing Bond Street AMTRAK station; and
     Everett, at the new Everett Multi-modal Facility.
    In addition to stations, other improvements required to implement 
commuter rail include double-tracking, and construction of additional 
sidings in a number of locations to allow operation of commuter rail in 
a heavily used freight corridor. Those improvements are described in 
detail in the Environmental Scoping Information Report, which is 
available from the RTA. The EIS will analyze design alternatives for 
track improvements that may have adverse environmental impacts on the 
waters of Puget Sound or on other natural resources including wetlands. 
The design alternatives may include rip-rap fill, bulkheads, and/or 
slope excavations.
    The proposed project also includes construction of a commuter rail 
vehicle overnight storage and light maintenance facility or facilities. 
Alternative locations for the facility(ies) will be evaluated.
    The No-Build alternative, which involves no change to 
transportation services or facilities in the corridor beyond those 
currently programmed, will also be evaluated in the EIS.

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IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

    The FTA and RTA plan to evaluate in the EIS all significant, 
social, economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives. The 
EIS is being prepared largely to evaluate the potential environmental 
impacts on natural resources associated with track and siding 
improvements and additions, which may involve fill in shoreline or 
wetland areas. Other environmental and social impacts proposed for 
analysis include land use and neighborhood impacts, traffic and parking 
impacts near stations, traffic circulation, visual impacts, health and 
safety impacts, impacts on cultural and archaeological resources, 
impacts on parkland areas, and noise and vibration impacts. The impacts 
on natural areas, rare and endangered species, and earth, air and water 
quality, will also be covered. The impacts will be evaluated both for 
the construction period and for the long-term period of operations. 
Reasonable measures to mitigate adverse impacts will be identified.

V. FTA Procedures

    The locally preferred commuter rail transit mode and its general 
alignment were selected previously on the basis of the evaluation in 
the Major Investment Study (1997). The EIS/PE process will assess the 
social, economic and environmental impacts of alternative station 
locations, maintenance facility locations, and track designs to 
minimize and mitigate adverse impacts. A draft EIS will be published 
and made available for public and agency review and comment, and public 
hearings will be held. On the basis of the draft EIS and the comments 
received, the RTA will refine the project design and complete 
preliminary engineering and the final EIS.

    Issued on: January 5, 1998.
Shelly R. Brown,
Regional Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-491 Filed 1-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P