[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7044-7045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3409]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Denver, Arapahoe, and Douglas 
Counties

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent and public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA and FTA are jointly issuing this notice to advise the 
public that an environmental impact statement will be prepared for the 
proposed transportation improvements in the Southeast Corridor of the 
Denver metropolitan area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Vincent P. Barone, FHWA Colorado Division, 555 Zang Street, Room 
250, Denver, Co 80228, Telephone: (303) 969-6730, extension 369
Mr. David L. Beckhouse, FTA Region VIII, 216 16th Street Mall, Suite 
650, Denver, CO 80202, Telephone (303) 844-3242

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA and FTA, in cooperation with the 
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), hereby give notice that 
they intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for 
transportation improvements in the Southeast Corridor of the Denver 
metropolitan area. This EIS will

[[Page 7045]]

evaluate the No Build, and a Light Rail Transit alternative (including 
highway improvements and transportation management solutions) in the I-
25 Southeast Corridor study limits from Broadway to Lincoln Avenue, 
which includes I-225 from I-25 to Parker Road, and determine the 
estimated costs and potential impacts associated with each. CDOT will 
be the local lead agency for the preparation of the EIS. The EIS also 
will satisfy the requirements of the 1999 Clean Air Act Amendments. 
Scoping will be accomplished through coordination with affected 
parties, organizations, federal, state and local agencies and through 
three public meetings which will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 
the following locations and dates:

Tuesday, March 31, 1998, Castlewood Public Library, 6739 South Uinta 
Street, Denver, CO 80112
Thursday, April 2, 1998, Most Precious Blood Catholic School, 2250 
South Harrison, Denver, CO 80210
Tuesday, April 7, 1998, Hebrew Educational Alliance, 3600 South 
Ivanhoe, Denver, CO 80237

    A 45-day scoping period will begin on March 4, 1998 and conclude on 
April 17, 1998. Written comments on the scope of the alternatives and 
impacts to be considered must be received by CDOT by April 17, 1998.
    Written comments on project scope should be sent to:

Mr. Robert Sakaguchi, Region 6 Planning and Environmental Manager CDOT, 
2000 South Holly Street, Denver, CO 80222 Telephone: (303) 757-9818
    or
Mr. John Basner, Region 6 South Area Program Engineer, CDOT, 2000 South 
Holly Street, Denver, CO 80222, Telephone: (303) 757-9387

    FHWA, FTA, CDOT, and other local agencies invite interested 
individuals, organizations, and federal, state and local agencies to 
participate in defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS and 
identifying any significant social, economic, or environmental issues 
related to the alternatives. An information packet describing the 
purpose of the project, the proposed alternatives, the areas to be 
evaluated, the citizen involvement program, and the preliminary project 
schedule will be developed. These scoping materials may be requested by 
contacting Mr. Robert Sakaguchi, Region 6 Planning and Environmental 
Manager, or Mr. John Basner, Region 6 South Area Program Engineer, at 
the address and phone numbers above. Scoping comments may be made 
verbally at the public scoping meetings or in writing. The public will 
receive notices on location and time of the scoping meetings through 
newspaper advertisements and individual correspondence.
    To ensure that a full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues are identified, 
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. If 
you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive further 
information as the project develops, contact Mr. Robert Sakaguchi, or 
Mr. John Basner, as previously described.
    The proposed action is consistent with the recently completed 
Southeast Corridor Major Investment Study. It begins at approximately 
I-25 and Broadway and proceeds south and southeast to Lincoln Avenue 
following the general alignment of I-25. Also included is a segment 
along I-225 from I-25 to Parker Road. The proposed action excludes any 
proposed roadway improvements near I-25 from 6th Avenue to 
approximately the Logan Street crossing, including the I-25 
interchanges at Alameda, Santa Fe, and Broadway. Transit and highway 
improvements are intended to alleviate traffic congestion in the 
Southeast Corridor, address safety problems and help achieve regional 
air quality goals by providing an alternative to the single occupant 
vehicle.
    The alternatives to be evaluated include the following. The No-
Build alternative will serve as the baseline for environmental analysis 
and consists of the existing transit and highway systems and all 
projects contained in the federally approved Transportation Improvement 
Program (TIP) for the Denver metropolitan area. The Light Rail Transit 
(LRT) alternative will generally use the I-25 right-of-way between 
Broadway and Lincoln Avenue, and the I-225 right-of-way between I-25 
and Parker. This alternative, designed to accommodate future 
transportation needs, also includes improvements to the highway, 
transportation systems management, and pedestrian facilities in the 
study area.
    FHWA, FTA, and CDOT will evaluate all significant social, economic, 
and environmental impacts of the alternatives. The primary areas of 
examination will include transit ridership, the capital outlays needed 
to construct the recommended alternative, the cost of operating and 
maintaining facilities created by the project, and the financial 
requirements on the funding agencies. Environmental and social impacts 
to be evaluated in the analysis include land use and neighborhood 
impacts, traffic and parking impacts near stations, visual impacts, 
hazardous material impacts, impacts on cultural and paleontological 
resources, and noise and vibration impacts. Impacts on natural areas, 
threatened and endangered species, air and water quality, groundwater, 
and geological forms 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 
developed.
    In accordance with the Federal Transit Act, as amended, and FHWA 
and FTA policy, the draft EIS will be prepared with required 
engineering design studies necessary to complete the document. After 
its publication, the draft EIS will be available for public and agency 
review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. On the basis of 
the Draft EIS and the comments received, a preferred alternative will 
be selected and preparation of the Final EIS and Record of Decision 
will proceed.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this 
program)

    Issued on: February 5, 1998.
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. 98-3409 Filed 2-10-98; 8:45 am]
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