[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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