[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 152 (Friday, August 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42477-42478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21185]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Transportation Improvements 
Within the Desire Corridor in New Orleans, LA

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The FTA is issuing this notice to advise interested agencies 
and the public that an environmental impact statement may be prepared 
for transportation improvements in the Desire Corridor in New Orleans, 
Louisiana.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the 
alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent to Ed Bayer, 
RTA Manager of Planning, by September 11, 1998. Scoping Meetings: A 
public scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, September 24, 1998, 
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and an interagency scoping meeting will be held 
on Tuesday, September 1, 1998, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. See 
ADDRESSES below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope should be sent to Ed Bayer, 
Manager of Planning, Regional Transit Authority (RTA), 6700 Plaza 
Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70127-2677. Scoping meetings will be held 
at the following locations:

Public Scoping

Thursday, September 24, 1998, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., McDonough School 
#15 (Cafeteria), 721 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112

Interagency Scoping

Tuesday, September 1, 1998, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Regional 
Planning Commission, 333 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 1100, New Orleans, 
Louisiana 70130

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Peggy Crist, Director of Planning 
and Program Development, Federal Transit Administration Region 6, 524 
East Lamar Boulevard, Suite 175, Arlington, Texas 76011-5704; 
Telephone: (817) 860-9663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTA, in cooperation with the Regional 
Transit Authority (RTA), may prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) for proposed transportation improvements in the New Orleans Vieux 
Carre (French Quarter) and adjacent neighborhoods. The transportation 
improvements are being defined in conjunction with a Major Investment 
Study (MIS) which will include the NEPA scoping process, the 
identification and evaluation of concept and scope alternatives, and 
the selection of a preferred design concept and scope alternative or 
alternatives. Subsequently, alternative alignments and designs that are 
consistent with the selected concept and scope may be addressed in an 
EIS. It is important to note that a final decision to prepare an EIS 
has not been made at this time. This decision will be made at the end 
of the major investment study, and will depend upon the nature of the 
selected concept and its expected impacts.

I. Scoping

    A public scoping meeting will be held by RTA on Thursday, September 
24, 1998, between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. in the cafeteria of McDonough 
School #15, 721 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112. FTA 
and RTA invite interested individuals, organizations, and public 
agencies to attend the scoping meeting and participate in establishing 
the purpose, alternatives, time framework, and analysis approach, as 
well as an active public involvement program. The public is invited to 
comment on the alternatives to be addressed, the modes and technologies 
to be evaluated, the alignments and termination points to be 
considered, the environmental, social, and economic impacts to be 
analyzed, and the evaluation approach to be used to select a locally 
preferred alternative. People with special needs should call the Desire 
Corridor MIS hotline at (504) 945-8025. The building for the scoping 
meeting is accessible to people with disabilities.
    An interagency scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 
1, 1998, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Regional Planning 
Commission, 333 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 1100, New Orleans, Louisiana 
70130. Federal, state, and local public agencies are invited to attend.
    To ensure that a full range of issues is addressed and all 
significant issues identified, comments and suggestions are invited 
from all interested parties. Comments or questions should be directed 
to the RTA at the address provided above.

II. Description of Study Area and Its Transportation Needs

    The Desire Corridor is located in the historic center of New 
Orleans, extending approximately three miles from Canal Street, 
bordering the central business district, eastward to the Industrial 
Canal, a major commercial waterway connecting the Mississippi River to 
the Intracoastal Waterway and Lake Pontchartrain. The Corridor is 
approximately one-half mile wide, from the riverfront north to Rampart 
Street/St. Claude Avenue. It includes the historic Vieux Carre (French 
Quarter), a world-renowned tourist center with related commercial 
activities, and two distinct residential areas, the Faubourg Marigny, 
and the Bywater neighborhoods. It is the home of the U.S. Navy Support 
Activity Center and the soon-to-be-completed New Orleans Center for the 
Creative Arts (NOCCA), and is adjacent to the Louis Armstrong 
performing arts center and St. Claude Medical Center (hospital).
    Until 1948/49, the Corridor was served by the Desire and St. Claude 
streetcar lines, subsequently converted to bus lines. The area is 
currently served or crossed by the Riverfront streetcar line, nine bus 
routes, and a number of private shuttle bus operations and taxicab 
services. These services operate on narrow streets throughout the 
Corridor, or on a limited number of major arterials at the perimeter of 
the Corridor.
    The French Quarter is the most congested area of the city and the 
region, with high volumes of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and 
limited on-street and off-street parking. These conditions, combined 
with the major festivals and conventions throughout the year, create a 
unique transportation environment for residents, employees, and 
visitors.

[[Page 42478]]

III. Alternatives

    It is expected that the scoping meeting and written comments will 
be a major source of candidate alternatives for consideration in the 
study. The following describes the No-Build, Enhanced Bus/
Transportation Systems Management (TSM), Busway/High Occupancy Vehicle 
(HOV), and Streetcar Build Alternatives that are suggested for 
consideration in the Desire Corridor MIS:
    1. No-Build Alternative--Existing and planned transit service and 
programmed new transportation facilities to the year 2020;
    2. Enhanced Bus/TSM Alternative--Changes in existing bus routes to 
provide better service and low-cost transportation improvements, such 
as bus prioritization at signalized intersections and special bus 
lanes.
    3. Busway/High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Alternative--Exclusive lanes 
for buses and/or carpools to move people faster.
    4. Streetcar Alternative--A new Desire streetcar line, possibly 
following a historic streetcar alignment through the French Quarter or 
along Rampart Street/St. Claude Avenue, or on a new alignment along the 
riverfront or following existing streets through the eastern portion of 
the Corridor.
    Based on public input received during scoping, variations of the 
above alternatives and other transportation-related improvement 
options, both transit and non-transit, will be considered for the 
Desire Corridor.

IV. Probable Effects

    Issues and impacts to be considered during the study include 
potential changes to: The physical environment (air quality, noise, 
water quality, aesthetics, etc.); the social environment (land use, 
development, neighborhoods, etc.); parklands and historic resources; 
transportation system performance; capital operating and maintenance 
costs; financial resources available and financial impact on the RTA. 
The entire Corridor is listed on the National Register of Historic 
Places, so potential impacts on standing structures and historic 
districts (i.e., noise, vibration, trees, etc.) will be important. 
Vehicular/pedestrian circulation, parking and in-street operation of 
buses and streetcars are key considerations.
    Evaluation criteria will include consideration of the local goals 
and objectives established for the study, measures of effectiveness 
identified during scoping, and criteria established by FTA for ``New 
Start'' transit projects.

    Issued on: August 4, 1998.
Blas M. Uribe,
Deputy Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-21185 Filed 8-6-98; 8:45 am]
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