[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 117 (Friday, June 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32920-32921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15508]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on the Proposed Commuter Rail 
Project Between Tacoma and Lakewood, Washington

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 (Sound Transit) intend to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Sound Transit 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. Sound Transit 
will be the SEPA lead agency.
    The EIS will evaluate the Tacoma-Lakewood Commuter Rail Project, 
including station locations, a light maintenance and layover facility 
location, park-and-ride facility alternatives, and track design 
variations along an approximately 11-mile long corridor between Tacoma 
and just south of Lakewood, Washington. The project will generally be 
located in existing Burlington Northern Santa FE Railway (BNSF) and 
Tacoma Eastern (TE) rights-of-way. A short new rail connection will be 
needed to connect the BNSF and TE lines proposed to the used for the 
project. The EIS will evaluate route alternatives for this new at-grade 
track, which will be approximately 0.8 miles long. The EIS will 
evaluate the no-build alternative and any new reasonable alternatives 
within the corridor generated through the scoping process. Corridor 
alternatives were evaluated in a SEPA plan-level EIS (1993) and in a 
federally required Major Investment Study (1997).
    The proposed Commuter Rail Project is intended to provide peak-hour 
commuter rail service between Tacoma and Lakewood, key activity centers 
along the corridor. The commuter rail line will extend the proposed 
Tacoma-Seattle commuter rail service. It will connect to the Tacoma 
Light Rail Transit line. It will also connect ultimately, with the 
proposed Central Light Rail Transit line between SeaTac and Seattle, 
Washington.
    The project was originally the subject of a proposed environmental 
assessment (EA) under NEPA. FTA and Sound Transit determined that 
preparation of a NEPA EIS is appropriate after reviewing information 
developed through the public involvement and preliminary environmental 
review processes. The Commuter Rail facility at the Tacoma Dome Station 
was evaluated in a separate EA for which a Finding of No Significant 
Impact was issued on April 6, 1999. The EIS also will evaluate 
alternatives and impacts for a related Sound Transit project to provide 
additional parking capacity in the vicinity of, or at the existing, 
SR512 Park-and-Ride Lot in Lakewood.
    Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence with interested 
persons, organizations, and federal, state, regional and local 
agencies. A public scoping meeting will be held. 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 Sound Transit by August 
10, 1999. See ADDRESSES below. Oral comments should be made at the 
public scoping meeting scheduled below. Scoping Meeting Dates: Public 
scoping meetings will be held on the following days and locations:

Monday, July 26, 1999 South Park Community Center, 4851 South Tacoma 
Way, Tacoma, 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 27, 1999 Pierce Transit Lakewood Training Center, 
Colonial Center, 6132 Motor Avenue, Lakewood, 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

    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 Sound Transit at the 
address below or by calling (206) 398-5000. A TDD number is also 
available: (206) 398-5086.
    The scoping meetings will be held in an ``open-house'' format. 
Project 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: 
Desmond Brown, SEPA Responsible Official, Sound Transit, 1100 Second 
Avenue, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98101-3423; fax number (206) 398-5222.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Theresa Morse, Federal Transit 
Administration, Region X, 915 Second Avenue, Room 3142, Seattle, WA 
98174; phone number: (206) 220-7964.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The FTA and Sound Transit invite interested individuals, 
organizations, and federal, state, regional, and local agencies and 
tribal governments to participate in defining the alternatives relating 
to the track alignment and corridor improvements, commuter rail 
parking, expanded park-and-ride lot capacity for Sound Transit Express, 
Pierce Transit and Intercity Transit bus services, and light 
maintenance and layover facility and in identifying any significant, 
social, economic, or environmental issues related to the alternatives. 
Scoping comments may be made orally at the public scoping meeting or in 
writing. See DATES above for location and time, 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 
transportation objectives.
    Scoping materials will be available at the scoping meetings or in 
advance of the meetings by contacting Sound Transit at (206) 398-5000. 
If you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive further 
information as the project proceeds, please contact the following at 
Sound Transit: John L. Hubbard, AICP at (253) 581-8137.

II. Description of Study Area and Project Need

    The Tacoma-Lakewood Commuter Rail Project consists of an 
approximately 11 mile long rail corridor between Tacoma and just south 
of Lakewood, Washington. The project will include a group of physical 
and operational improvements to existing tracks and rights-of-way, 
along with station facilities and systems in order to provide commuter 
rail service. Service is expected to operate during peak commute 
periods, with a total of 9 train trips in each direction. Trains will 
consist of 4 to 10 passenger cars pulled by a diesel locomotive.

[[Page 32921]]

    The commuter rail facility at the Tacoma Dome station is proposed 
to serve the project. Proposed improvements to that facility are the 
subject of separate environmental review. Two additional commuter rail 
stations will be developed as part of this project to serve the South 
Tacoma and Lakewood communities and the surrounding areas. Stations are 
proposed at the following locations: South Tacoma and Lakewood.
    Station improvements will generally consist of a platform(s) that 
conforms to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) train boarding and 
deboarding requirements. The platforms will have overhead canopies, 
wind screens, and pedestrian railings. Bus access will be provided at 
all stations. In addition, parking facilities will be provided. The 
proposed South Tacoma station will include park-and-ride facilities for 
200 to 250 vehicles. The proposed Lakewood station will include park-
and-ride facilities for up to 2,000 vehicles, which could include both 
commuter rail parking and expanded park-and-ride capacity for Sound 
Transit Express, Pierce Transit and Intercity Transit (Olympia Express) 
bus services.
    Track and other right-of-way improvements will be made to allow 
commuter rail to operate along the corridor, all of which is used for 
freight operations. In addition, a new 0.8 mile rail connection will be 
constructed in order to connect the BNSF and TE rights-of-way for 
commuter rail use. A new siding will also be constructed to connect the 
mainline to the light maintenance and layover facility. The EIS will 
analyze alternative locations and designs for such facilities to 
minimize or a avoid adverse environmental impacts.
    The proposed commuter rail project will provide an alternative to 
the automobile in the congested Interstate 5 (I-5) corridor. Project 
need is described in the Documentation of Major Investment Study, Sound 
Transit, March 12, 1997. This document is available from Sound Transit 
by calling (206) 398-5000.

III. Alternatives

    The proposed Tacoma-Lakewood Commuter Rail Project would largely be 
implemented in existing BNSF and TE railroad rights-of-way, except for 
new trackage needed to connect the existing rail lines and the proposed 
station and parking facilities. Alternatives relating to alignment 
location and mode were previously considered and documented in the 
state environmental review (1993) and Major Investment Study (1997). 
The prior planning history and plan-level screening of alternatives 
will be summarized. This EIS will be project-specific and will focus on 
alternative station and associated parking facility locations, and 
alternative locations and/or designs for improved and new track 
facilities that minimize or avoid adverse environmental impacts.
    Station locations and alternatives proposed for study in the EIS 
are located in South Tacoma and Lakewood. The South Tacoma and Lakewood 
station locations will each include the development of associated park-
and-ride facilities. Space for approximately 200 to 250 vehicles will 
be developed in conjunction with the South Tacoma station. Space for up 
to 2,000 vehicles may be developed as part of the Lakewood station.
    In addition to stations, other track improvements will be made to 
allow operation of commuter rail in a freight corridor. These railroad 
track improvements may also be used in the future by state-funded high 
speed passenger rail service, which is separate from Sound Transit 
commuter rail service.
    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.

IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

    The FTA and Sound Transit 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 improvements and the construction of new stations and associated 
park-and-ride facilities, and the new rail right-of-way that will be 
used to connect the BNSF and TE lines. Other environmental and social 
impacts proposed for analysis include land use and neighborhood 
impacts, traffic and parking impacts near stations, traffic 
circulation, visual impacts, contaminated soils, health and safety 
impacts, impacts on historic, cultural and archaeological resources, 
impacts on utilities, 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 EIS process will assess the social, economic, and environmental 
impacts of alternative station locations and associated park-and-ride 
facilities, a light maintenance and layover facility, the development 
of a new railroad right-of-way that will connect the existing BNSF and 
TE lines, 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 hearing(s) will be held. On the basis of 
the draft EIS and the comments received, Sound Transit will complete 
the final EIS.

    Issued on: June 15, 1999.
Linda M. Gehrke,
Deputy Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-15508 Filed 6-17-99; 8:45 am]
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