[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 206 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63673-63675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27230]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on the South Central Corridor 
Light Rail Transit Project in Metropolitan Louisville, Kentucky

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, USDOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in cooperation with 
the Transit Authority of River City (TARC), intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Louisville South Central 
Corridor Rapid Transit Project in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
    The EIS will consider alternatives for improving rapid transit 
service within an approximately 15-mile-long corridor that begins at 
the Ohio River in the Louisville Central Business District (CBD) and 
proceeds through the Medical Center; through Smoketown and Shelby Park; 
through the University of Louisville campus and the Louisville 
International Airport and ends on the west side of I-65 near the Gene 
Snyder Freeway/Interstate 65 interchange.
    The EIS will evaluate the following alternatives: a No-Build 
Alternative, a Transportation Systems Management (TSM) Alternative 
consisting of low to medium cost improvements to local bus services and 
facilities, Light Rail Transit (LRT) Alternatives, any additional 
reasonable alternatives identified during the EIS scoping process. The 
LRT alternatives will include a supporting bus plan.

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    The Major Investment Study (MIS) for this project, the 
Transportation Tomorrow (T2) Major Investment Study, was completed by 
TARC in November 1998. A corridor refinement study was completed in 
August 2000. Other previous studies leading to the proposed LRT 
include: the 1993 TARC Transitional Study that recommended two priority 
corridors, including the South Central Corridor, for detailed 
consideration of alternative transit improvements; the 1995 KIPDA 
Regional Mobility 2010 Transportation Plan; and the Phase 1 systemwide 
plan re-examination that resulted in the 1997 selection of the South 
Central Corridor as the priority corridor for the MIS.
    Scoping will be accomplished through meetings and correspondence 
with interested persons and businesses, organizations, the general 
public, federal and state agencies.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the range of alternatives 
and impacts to be considered must be postmarked no later than December 
29, 2000 and should be sent to the Transit Authority of River City. See 
ADDRESSES below. Scoping Meetings: Two public scoping meetings will be 
held:
    (1) November 29, 2000 from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m., at the 
Jefferson County Court House, Room 402, 527 West Jefferson Street, and
    (2) November 29, 2000 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Holy Name 
Church Gymnasium, 2921 South Fourth Street.
    A brief presentation of the project purpose and alternatives will 
be provided at the beginning of each meeting. TARC and consultant staff 
will be present to take agency and public input regarding the scope of 
the environmental studies, key issues, and other suggested 
alternatives. Both locations are accessible to disabled citizens and 
both meeting will be signed for the hearing impaired.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Bill Sexton, P.E., 
Project Director, TARC, 1000 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40203. The 
addresses for the public scoping meetings are provided above under 
DATES. For additional information about the scoping meetings such as 
directions to the meeting sites, or to be placed on the project mailing 
list for future project information, please contact Nina Walfoort, 
Project Outreach Manager, at 1000 West Broadway, Louisville, Kentucky, 
by phone at 502-561-5122 or by e-mail at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Anthony Dittmeier, Federal Transit 
Administration, Region IV at (404) 562-3512.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Description of Project Area

    The FTA, as joint lead agency with TARC, plans to prepare an EIS on 
a proposal to improve rapid transit service within an approximately 15-
mile-long corridor beginning at the Ohio River in the Louisville 
Central Business District (CBD) and extending south to just north of 
the Gene Snyder Freeway. In addition to the CBD, the project would 
serve the Medical Center, Smoketown, Shelby Park, Old Louisville, the 
University of Louisville Student Center and Stadium, the Kentucky Fair 
and Exposition Center, Louisville International Airport, UPS, Ford 
Motor Company, and park-and-ride lots near the Outer Loop and the Gene 
Snyder Freeway. The environmental impact analysis will build upon 
previous evaluations of route and mode alternatives conducted over the 
past seven years as well as the current work directed to refine the 
recently completed MIS. The corridor refinement study determined a more 
specific alignment as well as the locally preferred mode, Light Rail 
Transit (LRT), for future analyses. TARC will perform alignment 
refinements; identify transit station and stop locations and design 
concepts; identify alternative storage yard locations; define right of 
way requirements and costs; identify the maximum service potential of 
the LRT alternative in the context of enhanced, integrated feeder and 
background bus systems; and prepare, with FTA, a Draft EIS.

II. Project Purpose and Need

    The primary project purpose is to improve rapid transit service in 
this rapidly growing corridor by providing increased transit capacity 
and faster, convenient access between and among the Louisville Central 
Business District; the Louisville Medical Center; the Smoketown, Shelby 
Park, and the Old Louisville neighborhoods; the University of 
Louisville; Louisville International Airport; and the developing areas 
south of the airport. Associated needs include the following: enhancing 
regional connectivity by maximizing rail/bus integration; accommodating 
future travel demand by expanding modal options to provide an 
alternative to the growing traffic congestion in the I-65 corridor and 
on major north-south streets; improving regional air quality by 
reducing auto emissions; improving mobility options to employment, 
education, medical, and retail centers for corridor residents, in 
particular low-income, youth, elderly, disabled, and ethnic minority 
populations; and supporting local community economic development goals 
through coordinated transit and land use planning.

III. Alternatives

    The No-Build Alternative will consist of all presently programmed 
projects, that is, existing and fiscally committed elements of the 
Region's Transportation Improvement Plan for this corridor and nearby 
areas.
    The TSM Alternative will include low to medium capital cost bus 
system enhancements and traffic engineering, signalization, and other 
modes capital improvements in addition to the programmed projects 
included in the No-Build Alternative. The bus service enhancements are 
expected to include new routes, more frequent service on existing 
routes, new bus shelters, and new buses.
    The LRT Alternative would provide light rail rapid transit service 
in the South Central (Preston Street/I-65) Corridor from the Louisville 
CBD to a terminus in the vicinity of the I-65/Gene Snyder Freeway 
interchange. Stations or stops would be provided at key transfer points 
to connect the line with communities to the east and west. Several of 
these stations would include park-and-ride facilities. The proposed 
station locations were determined as a part of the recently completed 
MIS refinement effort. A vehicle storage facility also would be 
included. Final locations for the stations/stops and storage facility 
would be determined as part of the environmental studies based on 
operational requirements; availability of land and costs; neighborhood 
and site compatibility and development potential; proximity to major 
activity centers; and, traffic circulation and access considerations. 
Additional reasonable alternatives identified during scoping, including 
alignment alternatives, alternative station locations, and alternative 
sites for the rail storage and maintenance facility, also will be 
evaluated.

IV. Probable Effects

    Impacts proposed for analysis include changes in the physical 
environment (natural resources, air quality, noise, water quality, 
geology, wetlands, visual); changes in the social environment (land 
use, business and neighborhood disruptions, environmental justice 
issues); changes in traffic and pedestrian circulation; impacts on 
parklands and historic sites; changes in transit service and patronage; 
associated changes in highway congestion; capital, operating, 
maintenance costs; and financial

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implications. Impacts will be identified both for the construction 
period and for the long-term operation of the alternatives. The primary 
evaluation of the alternatives will focus on the extent to which an 
alternative meets or promotes the project purpose and need. In 
addition, FTA's national evaluation criteria include: transportation; 
environmental; social, economic, and financial measures as required by 
current federal (NEPA) and state environmental laws and by Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEO) and FTA guidelines.
    The TSM and LRT alternatives are expected to increase ridership, 
and therefore may improve air quality and reduce automobile traffic 
congestion in the South Central Corridor. Possible adverse effects of 
these alternatives include localized traffic congestion or delay, 
property acquisition/displacement, visual, noise/vibration, wetlands, 
natural resources, hazardous materials, and temporary construction-
phase impacts. Mitigating measures will be explored for identified 
adverse effects.

V. Scoping

    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Letters 
describing the proposed action and soliciting comments were sent to the 
appropriate federal, state and local agencies, and to private 
organizations and citizens who have expressed or are known to have 
interest in this proposal. Copies of the scoping package are available 
from TARC upon request by calling, emailing, or writing Nina Walfoort 
as provided above in the ADDRESSES section. During scoping, comments 
should focus on identifying specific social, economic, or environmental 
impacts to be evaluated, and suggesting alternatives that are less 
costly or less environmentally damaging that achieve similar transit 
objectives. Comments should focus on the issues and alternatives for 
analysis, and not on a preference for a particular alternative. 
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS may 
be made at the public scoping meeting or in writing directed to TARC at 
the address provided above. Written comments must be postmarked no 
later than December 29, 2000.

VI. FTA Procedures

    In accordance with Federal transportation planning regulations and 
environmental procedures (40 CFR Part 1500-1508 and 23 CFR Part 771), 
the Draft EIS will be prepared and circulated to solicit public and 
agency comments on the proposed action. Based on the comments received 
on the Draft EIS, TARC will prepare the Final EIS. Opportunity for 
public comment will be provided throughout this project development 
process.

    Issued on: October 18, 2000.
Jerry Franklin,
Region IV Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-27230 Filed 10-23-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P