[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2270-2272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-725]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Transit Administration


Major Investment Study/Environmental Impact Statement: Northeast 
Corridor in Indianapolis, Indiana; Hamilton and Marion Counties

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal 
Transit Administration (FTA) are jointly issuing this notice to advise 
the public that a Major Investment Study (MIS)/Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) is being prepared for proposed transportation 
improvements in the Northeast Corridor of the Indianapolis region. The 
MIS, which is currently underway, will be used as input to the EIS.

DATES: A public scoping and information meeting will be held on 
Tuesday, January 26, 1999 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 
presentation at 5:30 p.m. in Indianapolis. Written comments on the 
scope of the alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent 
by March 15, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Indiana Government Center 
South Conference Center, Room A, located at 100 North Senate Avenue, in 
downtown Indianapolis. Written comments on the scope of the 
alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent to:

Steve Cecil, Chief, Pre-Engineering and Environment Division at the 
Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), 100 North Senate Avenue, 
Indiana Government Center North, Room N848, Indianapolis, IN 46204, 
[email protected];
    or,
Lori Miser, Transportation Planning Manager, 200 East Washington 
Street, Suite 1841, Indianapolis, IN 46204, [email protected].


[[Page 2271]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Joel P. Ettinger, FTA Region 5, 
200 West Adams St, Suite 2410, Chicago, IL 60606: Telephone: (312) 353-
2789. Ms. Joyce Newland, FHWA--Indiana Division, 575 N. Pennsylvania 
Street, Room 254, Indianapolis, IN 46204, Telephone: (317) 226-5353.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA and FTA, in cooperation with the 
Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Indianapolis 
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), will prepare a MS and a Draft 
EIS (DEIS) for transportation improvements in the Northeast Corridor of 
the Indianapolis region. The MIS/DEIS is being prepared in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 
and implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and in accordance to FHWA/FTA's 
planning and environmental impact procedures and regulations (23 CFR 
450 and 23 CFR 771).
    A major investment study in the Northeast Corridor is underway to 
consider a range of alternative investment strategies for 
transportation improvements that will include: Transportation System 
Management (TSM) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), High-
Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) facilities, public transit improvements 
including bus system enhancements, commuter rail, light rail, and other 
transit technologies, roadway and freeway improvements, as well as a 
No-Action Alternative. (No-Action Alternative includes existing and 
committed elements of the region's transportation plan, except for the 
proposed new start or investment.) Alternatives generated through the 
scoping process will also be considered. Scoping will be accomplished 
through written correspondence with interested persons, organizations, 
and federal, state, and local agencies as well as through the public 
meeting listed in DATES and ADDRESSES.

Scoping

    FHWA, FTA, INDOT, and the MPO invite all interested individuals, 
organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies to participate in 
the scoping process defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the 
MIS/DEIS and identifying any significant social, economic, or 
environmental issues related to the alternatives. An information packet 
describing the purpose and need of the project, the proposed 
alternatives, the impact areas to be evaluated, the citizen involvement 
program, and the preliminary project schedule will be mailed to 
affected federal, state, and local agencies and will be provided upon 
request to interested parties on record. Requests for the scoping 
materials should be directed to Ms. Lori Miser at the address above or 
by calling her at (317) 327-5136. Scoping comments may be made verbally 
at the public scoping meeting, or in writing. See the DATES and 
ADDRESSES sections above for the location and time. During the scoping 
phase, comments should focus on identifying specific social, economic, 
or environmental impacts to be evaluated and suggesting less costly or 
less environmentally damaging alternatives that achieve similar 
objectives. However, scoping is not the appropriate time to indicate a 
preference for a particular alternative. Comments on preferences should 
be communicated after the MIS/DEIS has been completed. If you wish to 
be placed on the mailing list to receive further information as the 
project develops, contact Lori Miser as previously described.

Description of Study Area and Project Needs

    The Northeast Corridor is a major travel corridor that stretches 
from Noblesville in the northeast to just south of the Indianapolis 
Central Business District (CBD). Major highway facilities in the 
corridor include I-69 south and west of 126th Street, I-465 from just 
west of the US 31 interchange to the I-70 interchange, and I-70 from 
the east leg of I-465 to the CBD. In addition, the study area includes 
SR 37/Fall Creek Parkway from just north of Noblesville to the CBD, US 
31 from north of Carmel to the CBD, and Allisonville Road, Keystone 
Avenue, and the Meridian Street corridor.

Alternatives

    Transportation alternatives to be considered within the corridor 
include new and/or improved bus services, busways (facilities 
exclusively for buses), light rail, commuter rail, TSM/TDM/ITS 
strategies and roadway and highway expansion.

Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

    FHWA, FTA, INDOT, and the MPO plan to evaluate in the MIS/DEIS all 
significant social, economic, and environmental impacts of the 
alternatives. Among the primary issues are transportation service 
changes, including transit cost, service, patronage change, and its 
financial implications as well as the effect on traffic movement and 
railroad operations. Other key issues include community impacts, 
including land use planning and zoning compatibility, neighborhood 
compatibility, local and regional economic change, aesthetics, and 
utility relocation; cultural resource impacts, including effects on 
historic, archaeological, and park resources; and natural resource 
impacts, including air quality, noise and vibration, removal of pre-
existing hazardous wastes, water resources, natural features, and 
ecosystems. The proposed impact assessment and its evaluation criteria 
will take into account both positive and negative impacts, direct and 
indirect impacts, short-term (construction) and long-term (operation) 
impacts, and site-specific and corridor-wide impacts. Evaluation 
criteria will be consistent with the applicable Federal, State of 
Indiana, and local standards, criteria, regulations, and policies. 
Mitigation measures will be explored for any adverse impacts that are 
identified as part of the analyses.

Procedures

    In accordance with the regulations and guidance established by CEQ, 
as well as with 23 CFR part 450 and 23 CFR part 771 of the FHWA/FTA 
planning and environmental regulations and policies, the MIS/DEIS will 
include an evaluation of the social, economic, and environmental 
impacts of the alternatives. The MIS/DEIS will also comply with the 
requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) and with 
the Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice. After its 
publication, the MIS/DEIS will be available for public and agency 
review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. On the basis of 
the MIS/DEIS and the comments received, INDOT and the MPO will select a 
locally preferred alternative for a major investment strategy. The 
locally preferred alternative will then be reaffirmed by the MPO for 
inclusion into the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and 
the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The MIS shall lead to 
specification of the project's mode, the design concept and scope in 
sufficient detail to meet the requirements of the US Environmental 
Protection Agency's transportation conformity regulations [40 CFR part 
93 and 23 CFR 450.322(b)(8)]. INDOT and the MPO will then seek approval 
from FHWA and FTA to continue with Preliminary Engineering and the 
preparation of the Final EIS.


[[Page 2272]]


    Issued on: January 6, 1999.
Lawrence D. Tucker,
Planning and Program Development Manager, Federal Highway 
Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Joel P. Ettinger,
Region 5 Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Chicago, 
Illinois.
[FR Doc. 99-725 Filed 1-12-99; 8:45 am]
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