[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 134 (Thursday, July 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36615-36617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17483]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement or Possible Environmental 
Assessment on the Riverview Corridor Transit Project Located in the 
Cities of St. Paul and Bloomington, MN

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
or possible Environmental Assessment.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is issuing this 
notice to advise interested agencies and the public that, in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act, an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) is being prepared for the Riverview Corridor Transit 
Project in the cities of St. Paul and Bloomington, Minnesota. Based on 
the definition of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Alternative 
after the scoping period, an Environmental Assessment document could be 
determined to be the appropriate level of environmental documentation 
for the proposed action. This decision will be made at the end of the 
scoping period, and will depend upon the nature of the proposed action 
and its expected impacts.

DATES: One Interagency Scoping Meeting and two Public Scoping Meetings 
will be held on the following dates and times at the locations 
indicated.

Interagency Scoping Meeting

    July 31, 2001, 2 pm to 4 pm, Metro State University, 700 East 7th 
Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55106.

Public Scoping Meetings

    July 31, 2001, 6 pm to 8 pm, Metro State University, 700 East 7th 
Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55106.

    August 1, 2001, 6 pm to 8 pm, West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida 
Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55102.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of analysis and impacts to be 
considered should be sent by August 13, 2001 to: Molly Grove, Metro 
Transit, 560 Sixth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411-4398; Telephone: 
(612) 349-7533, Fax: (612) 349-7675; Email: 
[email protected]; TTY: (612) 349-7439 (attention Molly 
Grove).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Joel P. Ettinger, Regional 
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Region V, 200 West 
Adams Street, Suite 2410, Chicago, IL 60606; Telephone: (312) 353-2789.

[[Page 36616]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTA (the federal lead agency) in 
cooperation with the Metropolitan Council (the local lead agency) 
anticipates the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the Riverview Corridor Transit Project. As in the Summary, the 
determination may be made that an Environmental Assessment is the 
appropriate level of environmental documentation, based on the proposed 
action definition. This decision will be made at the end of the scoping 
process and it will depend upon the nature of the proposed action and 
its expected impacts.

I. Scoping

    The FTA and Metropolitan Council invite interested individuals, 
organizations and federal, state and local agencies to participate in 
defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the environmental 
document; in identifying social, economic or environmental impacts to 
be evaluated; and suggesting alternatives that are less costly or have 
fewer environmental impacts while achieving similar transportation 
objectives. An information packet, referred to as the Scoping Booklet, 
will be circulated to all federal, state or local agencies having 
jurisdiction in the project, and all interested parties currently on 
the Riverview Corridor mailing list. Other interested parties may 
request this Scoping Booklet by contacting Molly Grove at (612) 349-
7533.
    Two public scoping meetings will be held in the study area. The 
first will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm on July 31, 2001 at the Metro 
State University. The second meeting will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 
pm on August 1, 2001 at the West 7th Community Center. One Interagency 
Scoping Meeting will be held from2 pm to 4 pm on July 31, 2001 at the 
Metro State University. People with special needs should call Molly 
Grove at (612) 349-7533. The buildings are accessible to persons with 
disabilities.
    Scoping comments may be made at the public scoping meetings or in 
writing by August 13, 2001. Comments or questions should be directed to 
Molly Grove at the address provided above.

II. Description of Study Area

    The study area to be analyzed is the Riverview Corridor, which 
extends 12.3 miles from the Mall of America in Bloomington, through 
downtown Saint Paul and Saint Paul's Lower East Side. The corridor 
includes one key roadway (Interstate 35E) two major arterial roadways, 
West 7th Street and Shepard Road, which traverses the corridor with a 
railroad alignment and parallels the Mississippi River floodplain.
    The Riverview Corridor study area can be described as long and 
narrow, aligned along a southwesterly to northeasterly axis. The study 
area limits are generally the Mississippi River on the southeast, I-35E 
and 7th Street on the northwest, 24th Avenue South and the Mall of 
America on the southwest, and Arcade Street on the northeast.
    Several transportation issues have been identified for the 
Riverview Corridor. These include mobility limitations, development 
activity, projected residential population growth, transit captive 
residents, projected employment growth, efficient connections from the 
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to downtown Saint Paul, 
traffic congestion, and pedestrian vehicular safety.

III. Alternatives

    In March 1999, the FTA, in cooperation with the Ramsey County 
Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA) issued the Notice of Intent to 
prepare a Major Investment Study and possible Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Riverview Corridor in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Major 
Investment Study (MIS) defined and evaluated two transit technologies 
for the Riverview Corridor: light rail transit (LRT) and bus rapid 
transit (BRT). Each technology was reviewed using criteria developed to 
measure key characteristics important in meeting project goals. These 
evaluation measures included mobility, economic revitalization and land 
use, environmental impacts, and cost-effectiveness. Based on the 
alternative evaluation conducted during the MIS process, the RCRRA 
chose BRT along 7th Street and a portion of the Canadian Pacific 
Railroad (CPR) right-of-way as the locally preferred alternative. This 
action was endorsed by the City of St. Paul and the Metropolitan 
Council.
    The alternatives proposed for consideration in the Riverview 
Corridor Transit Project environmental document include:
    1. No-Build Alternative--The No-Build Alternative includes current 
roadway and transit networks, plus committed and funded transportation 
projects.
    2. Transportation Systems Management (TSM) Alternative--The TSM 
comprises lower cost capital improvements to the existing 
transportation system to improve transit operations, travel time 
reliability, and traffic flow. The TSM alternative includes all 
programmed improvements defined in the No-Build alternative.
    3. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Alternative--A busway would extend from 
the Mall of America in Bloomington to the Lower East side of Saint 
Paul. BRT alignment options include West 7th Street, the Canadian 
Pacific Rail Line, I-35E and Shepard Road. Depending on BRT alignment 
location and design, modifications to the I-35E/Shepard Road and TH 5/
Shepard Road interchanges will be evaluated as part of this project.

IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

    The FTA and Metropolitan Council will evaluate each alternative for 
significant environmental, social and economic impacts. Anticipated 
primary environmental issues include: Land use, historic and 
archaeological resources, traffic and parking, noise and vibration, 
parklands, neighborhoods and environmental justice, floodplain 
encroachment, coordination with ongoing related transportation and 
economic development projects, and construction impacts. Other issues 
the EIS or EA will address include natural areas, rare and endangered 
species, air and water quality, groundwater, energy, potentially 
contaminated sites, displacements and relocations, ecosystems, water 
resources, and energy impacts. The impacts will be evaluated both for 
the construction period and the long-term period of operation of each 
alternative. In addition, cumulative effects of the proposed project 
and any irreversible or irretrievable commitment of resources will be 
identified. Measures to avoid or mitigate any significant adverse 
impacts will be developed.

V. FTA Procedures

    In accordance with the regulations and guidance established by the 
Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ), as well as the Code of Federal 
Regulations, Title 23, Part 771 (23 CFR Part 771) of the FHWA/FTA 
environmental regulations and policies, the EIS or possible EA, based 
on the definition of alternative(s) at the end of the scoping process, 
will include an evaluation of the social, economic and environmental 
impacts of each of the alternatives selected for evaluation. The 
environmental document will also comply with the requirements of the 
Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA), with the Executive Order 12898 
regarding Environmental Justice and will meet the requirements of the 
US Environmental Protection Agency's transportation conformity 
regulations (40 CFR 93 and 23 CFR 450.322(b)(8)). After its 
publication, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) or EA

[[Page 36617]]

document will be available for public and agency review and comment. 
Public hearings will be held on the DEIS or EA document.
    If the proposed build alternative(s) require the preparation of an 
EIS, the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will consider 
comments received during the DEIS public review and will identify the 
preferred alternative. Opportunity for additional public comment will 
be provided throughout all phases of project development.

    Issued on: July 9, 2001.
Joel P. Ettinger,
Region V Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Chicago, 
Illinois.
[FR Doc. 01-17483 Filed 7-11-01; 8:45 am]
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